2007 PONTIAC VIBE spare tire

Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement....... 321
Tires............................................................ 322
Tire Sidewall Labeling............................... 323
Tire Terminology and Denitions............... 326
Ination - Tire Pressure............................. 329
Tire Pressure Monitor System................... 330
Tire Inspection and Rotation...................... 333
When It Is Time for New Tires.................. 335
Buying New Tires...................................... 336
Different Size Tires and Wheels................ 337
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..................... 338
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance............ 339
Wheel Replacement.................................. 340
Tire Chains............................................... 341
If a Tire Goes Flat.................................... 342
Changing a Flat Tire................................. 343
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools.......... 344
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing the
Spare Tire............................................. 346
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools...... 351
Compact Spare Tire.................................. 354Appearance Care........................................ 354
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle.......... 354
Fabric/Carpet............................................. 356
Leather...................................................... 356
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other
Plastic Surfaces..................................... 357
Care of Safety Belts.................................. 357
Weatherstrips............................................ 358
Washing Your Vehicle............................... 358
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses................ 358
Finish Care............................................... 358
Windshield, Backglass, and
Wiper Blades......................................... 359
Aluminum Wheels...................................... 359
Tires......................................................... 360
Sheet Metal Damage................................. 360
Finish Damage.......................................... 361
Underbody Maintenance............................ 361
Chemical Paint Spotting............................ 361
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials............ 362
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
270

Tire Sidewall Labeling
Useful information about a tire is molded into its
sidewall. The examples below show a typical
passenger car 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) 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.
(C) Tire Identication Number (TIN):The letters
and numbers following DOT code are 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) Tire Ply Material:The type of cord and
number of plies in the sidewall and under the tread.
Passenger Car Tire Example
323

(E) 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 seeUniform Tire Quality Grading on
page 338.
(F) Maximum Cold Ination Load
Limit:Maximum load that can be carried and the
maximum pressure needed to support that
load. For information on recommended tire
pressure seeInation - Tire Pressure on page 329
andLoading Your Vehicle on page 253.
(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.
SeeCompact Spare Tire on page 354andIf a
Tire Goes Flat on page 342.
Compact Spare Tire Example
324

(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 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. SeeCompact Spare Tire on page 354and
Loading Your Vehicle on page 253.
(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 329.
(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.Tire Size
The following illustration shows an example of a
typical passenger car 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.
(B) Tire Width:The three-digit number indicates
the tire section width in millimeters from sidewall
to sidewall.
(C) Aspect Ratio:A two-digit number that
indicates the tire height-to-width measurements.
For example, if the tire size aspect ratio is 70, as
shown in item C of the illustration, it would mean
that the tire’s sidewall is 70% as high as it is wide.
325

Ination - Tire Pressure
Tires need the correct amount of air pressure to
operate effectively.
Notice:Do not let anyone tell you that
under-ination or over-ination is all right. It is
not. If your tires do not have enough air
(under-ination), you can get the following:
Too much exing
Too much heat
Tire overloading
Premature or irregular wear
Poor handling
Reduced fuel economy
If your tires have too much air (over-ination),
you can get the following:
Unusual wear
Poor handling
Rough ride
Needless damage from road hazardsA Tire and Loading Information label is attached to
the vehicle’s center pillar (B-pillar). This label
shows your vehicle’s original equipment tires and
the correct ination pressures for your tires
when they are cold. The recommended cold tire
ination pressure, shown on the label, is the
minimum amount of air pressure needed to
support your vehicle’s maximum load carrying
capacity.
For additional information regarding how much
weight your vehicle can carry, and an example of
the Tire and Loading Information label, see
Loading Your Vehicle on page 253. How you load
your vehicle affects vehicle handling and ride
comfort. Never load your vehicle with more weight
than it was designed to carry.
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 354.
329

The low-tire pressure warning light may not come
on even if the tire ination pressure is low, or it
could come on when the tire ination pressure is
set correctly under the following circumstances:
A compact spare tire, snow tires, or tire chains
are installed on your vehicle.
The tires are over-inated, or the tire ination
pressure suddenly drops due to a tire bursting
or other causes.
The vehicle is driven on a slippery road
surface such as rough or frozen roads.
The vehicle speed is less than
19 mph (30 km/h), and the driving duration is
less than ve minutes.
The tires are made by a different manufacturer
or differ in tread pattern than the original
equipment tires.
Rapid acceleration/deceleration or multiple
consecutive sharp turns.
Towing a trailer.
The vehicle is loaded over the limit or not
balanced properly.
The initialization (reset) procedure was not
performed correctly after replacing or
rotating tires or wheels.
The outside temperature is below 32°F (0°C)
or above 104°F (40°C).
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 335
andWheel Replacement on page 340for
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. See
Part A: Scheduled Maintenance Services on
page 376for scheduled rotation intervals.
333

When rotating your tires, always use the correct
rotation pattern shown here.
Tires should only be moved from front to rear and
rear to front on the same side of the vehicle.
Do not include the compact spare tire in your tire
rotation.
After the tires have been rotated, adjust the front
and rear ination pressures to the amounts
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 343.
Vehicles equipped with a tire pressure monitoring
system will need to reset (initialize) the system
after each tire rotation. SeeTire Pressure Monitor
System on page 330.
334

Buying New Tires
GM has developed and matched specic tires for
your vehicle. If you need replacement tires,
GM strongly recommends that you get tires that
are the same size, brand, load range, speed rating,
and construction type (radial and bias-belted
tires) as your vehicle’s original tires. 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. SeeTire Sidewall Labeling on page 323
for additional information.
{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,
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
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. See
Compact Spare Tire on page 354.
{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.
336