2007 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX spare tire

Buying New Tires
GM has developed and matched specic tires for
your vehicle. The original equipment tires
installed on your vehicle, when it was new, were
designed to meet General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria Specication (TPC spec)
system rating. If you need replacement tires, GM
strongly recommends that you get tires with
the same TPC Spec rating. This way, your vehicle
will continue to have tires that are designed to
give the same performance and vehicle safety,
during normal use, as the original tires.
GM’s exclusive TPC Spec system considers over
a dozen critical specications that impact the
overall performance of your vehicle, including
brake system performance, ride and handling,
traction control, and tire pressure monitoring
performance. GM’s TPC Spec number is molded
onto the tire’s sidewall by the tire manufacturer.
If the tires have an all-season tread design,
the TPC spec number will be followed by an MS
for mud and snow. SeeTire Sidewall Labeling
on page 401for additional information.{CAUTION:
Mixing tires could cause you to lose
control while driving. If you mix tires of
different sizes (other than those originally
installed on your vehicle), 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 (other than those originally
installed on your vehicle) may also cause
damage to your vehicle. Be sure to use
the correct size, brand, and type tires on
all wheels. If your vehicle has a compact
spare tire, it is all right to drive your
vehicle with the compact spare
temporarily. It was developed for use on
your vehicle. SeeCompact Spare Tire on
page 447.
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SeeBuying New Tires on page 416and
Accessories and Modications on page 336for
additional information.
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 conformto 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.
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If a Tire Goes Flat
It is unusual for a tire to blowout while you are
driving, especially if you maintain your tires
properly. SeeTires on page 400. If air goes out of
a tire, it is much more likely to leak out slowly.
But if you should ever have a blowout, here are a
few tips about what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the at tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your
foot off the accelerator pedal and grip the steering
wheel rmly. Steer to maintain lane position,
and then gently brake to a stop well out of the
traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much
like a skid and may require the same correction
you’d use in a skid. In any rear blowout, remove
your foot from the accelerator pedal. Get the
vehicle under control by steering the way you want
the vehicle to go. It may be very bumpy and
noisy, but you can still steer. Gently brake to a
stop, well off the road if possible.If a tire goes at, and your vehicle has a spare
tire, seeChanging a Flat Tire on page 435.
This information shows you how to use your
vehicle’s tire changing equipment and how
to change a at tire safely.
{CAUTION:
Lifting a vehicle and getting under it to do
maintenance or repairs is dangerous
without the appropriate safety equipment
and training. The jack provided with your
vehicle is designed only for changing a
at tire. If it is used for anything else, you
or others could be badly injured or killed
if the vehicle slips off the jack. Use the
jack provided with your vehicle only for
changing a at tire.
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If a Tire Goes Flat (GXP)
GXP models have no spare tire, no tire changing
equipment, and no place for storing a spare or
at tire. If a tire goes at, avoid further tire
and wheel damage by driving slowly to a level
place and stopping. Then do this:
1. Turn on the hazard warning ashers. See
Hazard Warning Flashers on page 134.
2. Park your vehicle. Set the parking brake rmly
and put the shift lever in PARK (P). See
Shifting Into Park (P) on page 116for
additional information.
3. Turn off the engine.
4. Inspect the at tire.
If the tire has been separated from the wheel or
has damaged sidewalls or large tears that
allow rapid air loss, call a tire repair facility. See
Roadside Assistance Program on page 498.
If the at tire is due to a slow leak caused by a nail
or other similar road hazard, the tire inator kit may
be used to temporarily repair the damaged tire.The kit uses a liquid tire sealant to seal small
punctures in the tread area of the tire. The at tire is
then inated to at least 30 psi (207 kPa) and driven
to evenly distribute the tire sealant. The tire
pressure is checked after driving for a maximum of
ve miles (8.0 km) to see if the slow leak has been
stopped. If the tire pressure is 19 psi (131 kPa) or
more, inate the tire up to the standard operating
pressure as shown on the tire and loading
information label. This label is attached to the
vehicle’s center-pillar below the driver’s door latch.
SeeInation - Tire Pressure on page 408.
Notice:If the tire pressure has dropped below
19 psi (131 kPa), the vehicle should not be
driven. Damage to the tire may be severe and
the sealant will not be effective. Contact
Roadside Assistance, seeRoadside Assistance
Program on page 498.
You should have the damaged tire repaired as
soon as possible. The tire sealant is a temporary
repair only. If the tire has been lled with tire
sealant, take the tire to a GM dealer for inspection
and repair. SeeTire Inator Kit (GXP) on
page 424for additional information.
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When your vehicle has a at tire, use the following
example as a guide to assist you in the placement
of wheel blocks.
The following information will tell you next how to
use the jack and change a tire.Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
The equipment needed to change a tire is
located in the trunk.
1. Open the trunk. SeeTrunk on page 96for
more information.
2. Remove the convenience net, if equipped, by
removing the net hook attachments.
3. Lift up the carpet.
4. Turn the center nut
on the compact
spare tire cover
counterclockwise to
remove it.
5. Remove the cover.
6. Remove the compact spare tire. SeeCompact
Spare Tire on page 447for more information.
436

Removing the Flat Tire and
Installing the Spare Tire
Your vehicle may have aluminum wheels. If so,
you will see exposed stainless steel wheel
nuts. Use the wheel wrench to loosen all the
wheel nuts. Do not remove them yet.
Or, your vehicle may have steel wheel covers.To remove the steel wheel covers and wheel nut
caps, loosen the plastic nut caps with the wheel
wrench in a counterclockwise direction. If needed,
you can nish loosening them with your ngers. The
plastic nut caps will not come off.
Use the at end of the wheel wrench and pry
along the edge of the cover until it comes off. The
edge of the wheel cover could be sharp, so do
not try to remove it with your bare hands. Do not
drop the cover or lay it face down, as it could
become scratched or damaged.
438

Once you have removed the wheel cover, use the
following procedure to remove the at tire and
install the spare tire.
1. Set the park brake rmly. Before preceding
it is recommended that you perform a safety
check. SeeChanging a Flat Tire on
page 435for more information.
2. Turn the wheel
wrench once on
each wheel nut to
loosen them. Do not
remove them yet.
3. Find the jacking location located on the
underside of the rocker trim using the diagram.
For jacking at the vehicle’s front location,
put the jack lift head (C) about 6 inches
(15 cm) from the rear edge of the front wheel
opening (B). Line up the jack with the
arrow (A) as shown.
439

For jacking at the vehicle’s rear location, put the
jack lift head (B) about 9 inches (23 cm) from
the front edge of the rear wheel opening (C).
Line up the jack with the arrow (A) as shown.4. Put the compact spare tire near you.
{CAUTION:
Getting under a vehicle when it is jacked
up is dangerous. If the vehicle slips off
the jack you could be badly injured or
killed. Never get under a vehicle when it is
supported only by a jack.
{CAUTION:
Raising your vehicle with the jack
improperly positioned can damage the
vehicle and even make the vehicle fall. To
help avoid personal injury and vehicle
damage, be sure to t the jack lift head
into the proper location before raising the
vehicle.
440