2007 PONTIAC G5 spare tire

Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement....... 319
Tires............................................................ 320
Tire Sidewall Labeling............................... 321
Tire Terminology and Denitions............... 324
Ination - Tire Pressure............................. 327
Tire Inspection and Rotation...................... 328
When It Is Time for New Tires.................. 330
Buying New Tires...................................... 330
Different Size Tires and Wheels................ 332
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..................... 333
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance............ 334
Wheel Replacement.................................. 335
Tire Chains............................................... 336
If a Tire Goes Flat.................................... 337
Changing a Flat Tire................................. 338
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools.......... 339
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing
the Spare Tire....................................... 344
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools...... 349
Compact Spare Tire.................................. 352Appearance Care........................................ 353
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle.......... 353
Fabric/Carpet............................................. 354
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other
Plastic Surfaces..................................... 355
Care of Safety Belts.................................. 356
Weatherstrips............................................ 356
Washing Your Vehicle............................... 356
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses................ 357
Finish Care............................................... 357
Windshield and Wiper Blades.................... 358
Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels......... 358
Tires......................................................... 359
Sheet Metal Damage................................. 359
Finish Damage.......................................... 359
Underbody Maintenance............................ 360
Chemical Paint Spotting............................ 360
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials............ 360
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
266

Tire Sidewall Labeling
Useful information about a tire is molded into its
sidewall. The examples below show a typical
passenger vehicle tire and a compact spare tire
sidewall.(A) Tire Size:The tire size is a combination of
letters and numbers used to dene a particular
tire’s width, height, aspect ratio, construction type
and service description. See the “Tire Size”
illustration later in this section for more detail.
(B) TPC Spec (Tire Performance Criteria
Specication):Original equipment tires designed
to GM’s specic tire performance criteria have a
TPC specication code molded onto the sidewall.
GM’s TPC specications meet or exceed all federal
safety guidelines. If your vehicle has 205/55R16
size tires, they meet the GM TPC Spec rating, but
the TPC Spec code has not been molded onto the
tire’s sidewall.
(C) DOT (Department of Transportation):
The Department of Transportation (DOT) code
indicates that the tire is in compliance with the U.S.
Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards.
Passenger (P-Metric) Tire Example
321

(D) Tire Identication Number (TIN):The
letters and numbers following DOT (Department
of Transportation) code is the Tire Identication
Number (TIN). The TIN shows the manufacturer
and plant code, tire size, and date the tire was
manufactured. The TIN is molded onto both sides of
the tire, although only one side may have the date
of manufacture.
(E) Tire Ply Material:The type of cord and
number of plies in the sidewall and under the
tread.
(F) Uniform Tire Quality Grading (UTQG):Tire
manufacturers are required to grade tires based on
three performance factors: treadwear, traction and
temperature resistance. For more information see
Uniform Tire Quality Grading on page 333.
(G) Maximum Cold Ination Load Limit:
Maximum load that can be carried and the
maximum pressure needed to support that load.(A) Temporary Use Only:The compact
spare tire or temporary use tire has a tread life of
approximately 3,000 miles (5 000 km) and should
not be driven at speeds over 65 mph (105 km/h).
The compact spare tire is for emergency use when
a regular road tire has lost air and gone at. If your
vehicle has a compact spare tire, seeCompact
Spare Tire on page 352andIf a Tire Goes Flat on
page 337.
Compact Spare Tire Example
322

(B) Tire Ply Material:The type of cord and
number of plies in the sidewall and under the
tread.
(C) Tire Identication Number (TIN):The letters
and numbers following the DOT (Department of
Transportation) code is the Tire Identication
Number (TIN). The TIN shows the manufacturer
and plant code, tire size, and date the tire was
manufactured. The TIN is molded onto both sides of
the tire, although only one side may have the date
of manufacture.
(D) Maximum Cold Ination Load Limit:
Maximum load that can be carried and the
maximum pressure needed to support that load.
(E) Tire Ination:The temporary use tire or
compact spare tire should be inated to 60 psi
(420 kPa). For more information on tire pressure
and ination seeInation - Tire Pressure on
page 327.
(F) Tire Size:A combination of letters and
numbers dene a tire’s width, height, aspect ratio,
construction type and service description. The
letter T as the rst character in the tire size means
the tire is for temporary use only.(G) TPC Spec (Tire Performance Criteria
Specication):Original equipment tires designed
to GM’s specic tire performance criteria have a
TPC specication code molded onto the sidewall.
GM’s TPC specications meet or exceed all federal
safety guidelines.
Tire Size
The following illustration shows an example of a
typical passenger vehicle tire size.
(A) Passenger (P-Metric) Tire:The United States
version of a metric tire sizing system. The letter P
as the rst character in the tire size means a
passenger vehicle tire engineered to standards set
by the U.S. Tire and Rim Association. A tire size
without the letter P as the rst character is certied
to European standards.
323

When to Check
Check your tires once a month or more. Do not
forget to check the compact spare tire, it should be
at 60 psi (420 kPa). For additional information
regarding the compact spare tire, seeCompact
Spare Tire on page 352.
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire
pressure. You cannot tell if your tires are properly
inated simply by looking at them. Radial tires
may look properly inated even when they are
under-inated. Check the tire’s ination pressure
when the tires are cold. Cold means your vehicle
has been sitting for at least three hours or driven no
more than 1 mile (1.6 km).
Remove the valve cap from the tire valve stem.
Press the tire gage rmly onto the valve to
get a pressure measurement. If the cold tire
ination pressure matches the recommended
pressure on the Tire and Loading Information
label, no further adjustment is necessary. If the
ination pressure is low, add air until you reach
the recommended amount.If you overll the tire, release air by pushing on
the metal stem in the center of the tire valve.
Re-check the tire pressure with the tire gage.
Be sure to put the valve caps back on the valve
stems. They help prevent leaks by keeping out dirt
and moisture.
Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be rotated every 5,000 to 8,000 miles
(8 000 to 13 000 km).
Any time you notice unusual wear, rotate your tires
as soon as possible and check wheel alignment.
Also check for damaged tires or wheels. SeeWhen
It Is Time for New Tires on page 330andWheel
Replacement on page 335for more information.
The purpose of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear for all tires on the vehicle. The rst
rotation is the most important. SeeScheduled
Maintenance on page 375.
328

When rotating your tires, always use the correct
rotation pattern shown here.
Do not include the compact spare tire in your tire
rotation.
After the tires have been rotated, adjust the front
and rear ination pressures as shown on the
Tire and Loading Information label.
Make certain that all wheel nuts are properly
tightened. See “Wheel Nut Torque” under
Capacities and Specications on page 369.
{CAUTION:
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the parts to
which it is fastened, can make wheel nuts
become loose after time. The wheel could
come off and cause an accident. When
you change a wheel, remove any rust or
dirt from places where the wheel attaches
to the vehicle. In an emergency, you can
use a cloth or a paper towel to do this;
but be sure to use a scraper or wire brush
later, if needed, to get all the rust or dirt
off. SeeChanging a Flat Tire on page 338.
329

{CAUTION:
Mixing tires could cause you to lose
control while driving. If you mix tires of
different sizes, brands, or types (radial
and bias-belted tires), the vehicle may not
handle properly, and you could have a
crash. Using tires of different sizes,
brands, or types may also cause damage to
your vehicle. Be sure to use the correct
size, brand, and type of tires on all wheels.
It is all right to drive with your compact
spare temporarily, as it was developed for
use on your vehicle. SeeCompact Spare
Tire on page 352.
{CAUTION:
If you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle,
the wheel rim anges could develop
cracks after many miles of driving. A tire
and/or wheel could fail suddenly, causing
a crash. Use only radial-ply tires with the
wheels on your vehicle.
If you must replace your vehicle’s tires with those
that do not have a TPC Spec number, make sure
they are the same size, load range, speed rating,
and construction type (radial and bias-belted tires)
as your vehicle’s original tires.
Your vehicle’s original equipment tires are listed
on the Tire and Loading Information label.
This label is attached to the vehicle’s center pillar
(B-pillar). SeeLoading Your Vehicle on page 249,
for more information about the Tire and Loading
Information label and its location on your vehicle.
331

Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable on
the tire sidewall between tread shoulder and
maximum section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which
grades tires by treadwear, traction, and
temperature performance. This applies only to
vehicles sold in the United States. The grades are
molded on the sidewalls of most passenger car
tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading (UTQG)
system does not apply to deep tread, winter-type
snow tires, space-saver, or temporary use spare
tires, tires with nominal rim diameters of
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm), or to some
limited-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors
passenger cars and light trucks may vary with
respect to these grades, they must also conform
to federal safety requirements and additional
General Motors Tire Performance Criteria (TPC)
standards.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based
on the wear rate of the tire when tested under
controlled conditions on a specied government
test course. For example, a tire graded 150 would
wear one and a half (1.5) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100. The
relative performance of tires depends upon the
actual conditions of their use, however, and may
depart signicantly from the norm due to variations
in driving habits, service practices, and differences
in road characteristics and climate.
Traction – AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A, B, and C. Those grades represent the tire’s
ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under
controlled conditions on specied government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C
may have poor traction performance.
Warning:The traction grade assigned to this tire
is based on straight-ahead braking traction tests,
and does not include acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning, or peak traction characteristics.
333