2007 PONTIAC VIBE Owners Manual

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

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 Pressure Monitor System
Your vehicle has a Tire Pressure Monitor System
(TPMS). This feature is designed to alert you
when the system detects a large change in the
pressure of one tire. The system cannot alert you
before you drive that a tire is low or at. You
must begin driving before the system works
properly. The TPMS works with the brake control
system and is designed to detect differences
in the tire rotation speeds that are caused
by changes in tire pressure. The TPMS does not
replace normal tire maintenance, seeTires on
page 322,Tire Inspection and Rotation on
page 333andWhen It Is Time for New Tires on
page 335.
330

This light, on the
instrument panel cluster,
comes on when the
tire pressure monitoring
system detects a
low-tire condition.
This light also comes on for a few seconds and
then go off when you turn the ignition to ON. This
indicates that the TPMS is functioning properly.
If the low-tire pressure warning light comes
on while driving your vehicle, the system may
have detected a low-tire condition. You need to
stop as soon as possible and check your tires
for damage. If a tire is at, seeIf a Tire Goes Flat
on page 342andChanging a Flat Tire on
page 343. Also check the tire pressure in all four
tires, and set them to the specied level shown
on the Tire and Loading Information label.SeeInation - Tire Pressure on page 329and
Loading Your Vehicle on page 253for additional
information.
Note:The tire pressure monitoring system on your
vehicle warns you when one of the tires is
signicantly under-inated and when some
combinations of the tires are signicantly
under-inated. However, there are other
combinations of signicantly under-inated tires for
which the tire pressure monitoring system might not
give a warning. These other combinations are
relatively common, accounting for approximately
half the instances in which vehicles have
signicantly under-inated tires. For example, the
system might not warn you when both tires on the
same side or on the same axle of your vehicle are
signicantly under-inated. It is particularly
important, therefore, to check the tire pressure in all
of the tires regularly and maintain proper pressure.
In order for the tire pressure monitoring system to
work properly you need to reset (initialize) the
tire pressure monitoring system. Any time
you check and/or adjust a tire’s pressure, repair or
replace a tire or wheel, or rotate the tires the
tire pressure monitor system needs to be reset.
331

Do not reset (initialize) the system without rst
correcting the cause of the low-tire condition. If the
system is reset when the tire pressures are
incorrect, the system will not function properly and
might not alert you when a tire is low.
To reset (initialize) the system:
1. Park the vehicle at a safe place and apply the
parking brake. Turn the engine off.
2. Turn the ignition to ON with the engine off.
3. If the low-tire
pressure warning
light is on, push
the SET (reset)
button for a
few seconds.
The reset button is on the instrument panel to
the left of the steering wheel. The low-tire
warning light should go off.4. Press and hold the SET (reset) button until
the low-tire warning light comes on and
ashes on/off three times. The tire pressure
warning reset button starts the reset
(initialization) process.
If the low-tire pressure warning light does not
ash while you hold the reset button, the
system might be malfunctioning and needs
service. See your GM dealer for service.
The system completes the reset (initialization)
process after driving at vehicle speeds of at least
19 mph (30 km/h) to 62 mph (100 km/h) for
more than one hour. Do not push the SET (reset)
button while driving. If you do the initialization
process is cancelled. The initialization process can
take up to approximately one hour of driving
under the following conditions:
The vehicle speed is between 31 mph
(50 km/h) and 62 mph (100 km/h).
The roads are dry, smooth, and straight.
The number of passengers is one or
two (including the driver).
332

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

When It Is Time for New Tires
One way to tell when it
is time for new tires is
to check the treadwear
indicators, which will
appear when your tires
have only 1/16 inch
(1.6 mm) or less of tread
remaining.You need a new tire if any of the following
statements are true:You can see the indicators at three or more
places around the tire.
You can see cord or fabric showing through
the tire’s rubber.
The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut, or
snagged deep enough to show cord or fabric.
The tire has a bump, bulge, or split.
The tire has a puncture, cut, or other damage
that cannot be repaired well because of the
size or location of the damage.
335

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