2007 SATURN ION winter tires

Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads in hills or mountains. Do not swing wide
or cut across the center of the road. Drive at
speeds that let you stay in your own lane.
As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There
could be something in your lane, like a stalled
car or an accident.
You may see highway signs on mountains that
warn of special problems. Examples are long
grades, passing or no-passing zones, a falling
rocks area, or winding roads. Be alert to these
and take appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your vehicle in good shape for winter.
You may want to put winter emergency
supplies in your trunk.
Also seeTires on page 328.
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Include an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a
supply of windshield washer uid, a rag, some
winter outer clothing, a small shovel, a ashlight,
a red cloth, and a couple of reective warning
triangles. And, if you will be driving under severe
conditions, include a small bag of sand, a
piece of old carpet, or a couple of burlap bags to
help provide traction. Be sure you properly
secure these items in your vehicle.
Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where the tires
meet the road probably have good traction.
However, if there is snow or ice between the tires
and the road, you can have a very slippery
situation. You will have a lot less traction, or grip,
and will need to be very careful.
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Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement....... 327
Tires............................................................ 328
Winter Tires (Red Line)............................. 329
Tire Sidewall Labeling............................... 330
Tire Terminology and Denitions............... 334
Ination - Tire Pressure............................. 337
High-Speed Operation............................... 338
Tire Inspection and Rotation...................... 339
When It Is Time for New Tires.................. 341
Buying New Tires...................................... 341
Different Size Tires and Wheels................ 343
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..................... 344
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance............ 346
Wheel Replacement.................................. 346
Tire Chains............................................... 348
If a Tire Goes Flat.................................... 349
Changing a Flat Tire................................. 350
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools.......... 351
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing
the Spare Tire....................................... 356
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools...... 362
Compact Spare Tire.................................. 365Appearance Care........................................ 366
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle.......... 366
Fabric/Carpet............................................. 367
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other
Plastic Surfaces..................................... 368
Care of Safety Belts.................................. 369
Weatherstrips............................................ 369
Washing Your Vehicle............................... 369
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses................ 370
Finish Care............................................... 370
Windshield and Wiper Blades.................... 370
Aluminum Wheels...................................... 371
Tires......................................................... 372
Sheet Metal Damage................................. 372
Finish Damage.......................................... 372
Underbody Maintenance............................ 372
Chemical Paint Spotting............................ 373
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials............ 373
Vehicle Identication.................................. 374
Vehicle Identication Number (VIN)........... 374
Service Parts Identication Label............... 374
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
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Low-Prole Performance Tire
(Red Line)
If your vehicle has 215/45ZR17 size tires, they are
classied as low-prole performance tires. These
tires are designed for very responsive driving on
wet or dry pavement. You may also notice more
road noise with low-prole performance tires and
that they tend to wear faster.
Notice:If your vehicle has low-prole tires,
they are more susceptible to damage from road
hazards or curb impact than standard prole
tires. Tire and/or wheel assembly damage
can occur when coming into contact with road
hazards like, potholes, or sharp edged
objects, or when sliding into a curb. Your GM
warranty does not cover this type of damage.
Keep tires set to the correct ination pressure
and, when possible avoid contact with
curbs, potholes, and other road hazards.
Winter Tires (Red Line)
If your vehicle has 215/45ZR17 size tires, they are
classied as low-prole performance tires.
These tires are designed for very responsive
driving on wet or dry pavement. If you expect to
drive on snow or ice covered roads often, you may
want to get winter tires for your vehicle. The
low-prole performance tires may not offer the
traction you would like or the same level of
performance as winter tires on snow or ice
covered roads.
Winter tires, in general, are designed for increased
traction on snow and ice covered roads. With
winter tires, there may be decreased dry
road traction, increased road noise and shorter tire
tread life. After switching to winter tires, be alert
for changes in vehicle handling and braking.
See your retailer for details regarding winter tire
availability and proper tire selection. Also, see
Buying New Tires on page 341.
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If you choose to use winter tires:
Use tires of the same brand and tread type on
all four wheel positions.
Use only radial ply tires of the same size, load
range, and speed rating as your original
equipment tires.
Winter tires with the same speed rating as your
original equipment tires may not be available for H,
V, W and ZR speed rated tires. If you choose
winter tires with a lower speed rating, never
exceed the tire’s maximum speed capability.
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.
Passenger (P-Metric) Tire Example
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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.
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Tires (cont.)
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools..... 362
Tire Sidewall Labeling.............................. 330
Tire Terminology and Denitions............... 334
Uniform Tire Quality Grading.................... 344
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance........... 346
Wheel Replacement................................. 346
When It Is Time for New Tires................. 341
Winter Tires............................................. 329
Towing
Recreational Vehicle................................. 256
Towing a Trailer....................................... 259
Your Vehicle............................................. 256
Traction
Enhanced Traction System (ETS)............. 226
Limited-Slip Differential............................. 227
Low Message.......................................... 182
Off Message............................................ 182
Transaxle
Fluid Hot Message................................... 183
Fluid, Manual........................................... 293
Transaxle Operation, Manual....................... 112
Transmission
Up-Shift Light........................................... 170
Trip Odometer............................................. 165
Trunk............................................................ 98Trunk Ajar Warning Message....................... 184
Turn and Lane-Change Signals................... 144
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever.................... 143
U
Understanding Radio Reception................... 214
Uniform Tire Quality Grading....................... 344
Up-Shift Light.............................................. 170
V
Vehicle
Control..................................................... 222
Damage Warnings....................................... 5
Loading.................................................... 250
Parking Your............................................ 118
Symbols...................................................... 5
Vehicle Data Collection and Event Data
Recorders................................................ 418
Vehicle Identication
Number (VIN).......................................... 374
Service Parts Identication Label.............. 374
Ventilation Adjustment.................................. 160
Visors.......................................................... 102
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W
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators......... 163
Warnings
Hazard Warning Flashers......................... 142
Other Warning Devices............................ 142
Safety and Symbols..................................... 4
Vehicle Damage.......................................... 5
Wheels
Alignment and Tire Balance..................... 346
Different Size........................................... 343
Replacement............................................ 346
Where to Put the Restraint............................ 52
Windows..................................................... 100
Manual..................................................... 100
Power...................................................... 101
Windshield
Washer.................................................... 145
Washer Fluid........................................... 307Windshield (cont.)
Wiper Blade Replacement........................ 327
Wiper Blades, Cleaning............................ 370
Wiper Fuses............................................ 375
Wiper Lever............................................. 146
Winter Driving............................................. 244
Winter Tires................................................. 329
X
XM Radio Messages................................... 212
XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna System......... 215
Y
Your Vehicle and the Environment............... 388
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