2007 SATURN VUE tires

Tires
Your new vehicle comes with high-quality tires
made by a leading tire manufacturer. If you ever
have questions about your tire warranty and where
to obtain service, see your Saturn Warranty booklet
for details. For additional information refer to the tire
manufacturer’s booklet included with your vehicle.
{CAUTION:
Poorly maintained and improperly used
tires are dangerous.
Overloading your vehicle’s tires can
cause overheating as a result of too
much friction. You could have an
air-out and a serious accident. See
Loading Your Vehicle on page 279.
Underinated tires pose the same
danger as overloaded tires. The
resulting accident could cause serious
injury. Check all tires frequently to
maintain the recommended pressure.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
Tire pressure should be checked when
your vehicle’s tires are cold. See
Inflation - Tire Pressure on page 374.
Overinated tires are more likely to be
cut, punctured, or broken by a sudden
impact — such as when you hit a
pothole. Keep tires at the
recommended pressure.
Worn, old tires can cause accidents.
If the tire’s tread is badly worn, or if
your vehicle’s tires have been
damaged, replace them.
Low-Prole Performance Tire
(Red Line)
If your vehicle has P245/50R18 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.
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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
Saturn 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.
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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(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.
(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.
(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 seeUniform Tire Quality Grading on
page 380.
(G) Maximum Cold Ination Load
Limit:Maximum load that can be carried and the
maximum pressure needed to support that load.
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(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 sizemeans 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
60, as shown in item C of the illustration, it would
mean that the tire’s sidewall is 60 percent as
high as it is wide.
(D) Construction Code:A letter code is used to
indicate the type of ply construction in the tire.
The letter R means radial ply construction;
the letter D means diagonal or bias ply
construction; and the letter B means belted-bias
ply construction.
(E) Rim Diameter:Diameter of the wheel
in inches.
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Recommended Ination Pressure:Vehicle
manufacturer’s recommended tire ination
pressure as shown on the tire placard. See
Ination - Tire Pressure on page 374andLoading
Your Vehicle on page 279.
Radial Ply Tire:A pneumatic tire in which the
ply cords that extend to the beads are laid at
90 degrees to the centerline of the tread.
Rim:A metal support for a tire and upon which
the tire beads are seated.
Sidewall:The portion of a tire between the tread
and the bead.
Speed Rating:An alphanumeric code assigned
to a tire indicating the maximum speed at
which a tire can operate.
Traction:The friction between the tire and the
road surface. The amount of grip provided.
Tread:The portion of a tire that comes into
contact with the road.
Treadwear Indicators:Narrow bands, sometimes
called wear bars, that show across the tread of a
tire when only 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) of tread remains.
SeeWhen It Is Time for New Tires on page 377.UTQGS (Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards):A tire information system that
provides consumers with ratings for a tire’s
traction, temperature, and treadwear. Ratings
are determined by tire manufacturers using
government testing procedures. The ratings are
molded into the sidewall of the tire. SeeUniform
Tire Quality Grading on page 380.
Vehicle Capacity Weight:The number of
designated seating positions multiplied by 150 lbs
(68 kg) plus the rated cargo load. SeeLoading
Your Vehicle on page 279.
Vehicle Maximum Load on the Tire:Load on
an individual tire due to curb weight, accessory
weight, occupant weight, and cargo weight.
Vehicle Placard:A label permanently attached to
a vehicle showing the vehicle’s capacity weight
and the original equipment tire size and
recommended ination pressure. See “Tire and
Loading Information Label” underLoading
Your Vehicle on page 279.
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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,
seeLoading Your Vehicle on page 279. 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 398.
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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 377
andWheel Replacement on page 382for
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 420.
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When towing your vehicle with all four wheels
on the ground, the vehicle’s odometer will
not record the miles generated while towing.
Keep a record of how many miles your vehicle
was towed so they can be added to the mileage
on the vehicle’s odometer when following your
maintenance schedule for recommended services.
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. SeeLoading
Your Vehicle on page 279.
Make certain that all wheel nuts are properly
tightened. See “Wheel Nut Torque” under
Capacities and Specications on page 414.
{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 386.
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