5-30 SERVICE AND APPEARANCE CARE
78J00-03E
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 recom-
mended inflation pressure. Refer to “Tire
and Loading Information Label” under
“Loading Your Vehicle” in “Your Driving,
the Road, and Your Vehicle” in the “Driving
Your Vehicle” section.Inflation – Tire PressureTires need the correct amount of air pres-
sure to operate effectively.
A Tire and Loading Information label is
attached to the vehicle’s center pillar (B-
pillar). This label shows your vehicle’s orig-
inal equipment tires and the correct infla-
tion pressures for your tires when they are
cold. The recommended cold tire inflation
pressure, shown on the label, is the mini-
mum amount of air pressure needed to
support your vehicle’s maximum load car-
rying capacity.
For additional information regarding how
much weight your vehicle can carry, and
an example of the Tire and Loading Infor-
mation label, refer to “Loading Your Vehi-cle” in “Your Driving, the Road, and Your
Vehicle” in the “Driving Your Vehicle” sec-
tion. 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 addi-
tional information regarding the compact
spare tire, refer to “Compact Spare Tire” in
this section.
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type gage to
check tire pressure. You cannot tell if your
tires are properly inflated simply by looking
at them. Radial tires may look properly
inflated even when they are under-inflated.
Check the tire’s inflation 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 firmly onto the
valve to get a pressure measurement. If
the cold tire inflation pressure matches the
recommended pressure on the Tire and
Loading Information label, no further
adjustment is necessary. If the inflation
pressure is low, add air until you reach the
recommended amount.
CAUTION
Do not let anyone tell you that under-
inflation or over-inflation is all right. It
is not. If your tires do not have
enough air (under-inflation), you can
get the following:
Too much flexing
Too much heat
Tire overloading
Premature or irregular wear
Poor handling
Reduced fuel economy
If your tires have too much air (over-
inflation), you can get the following:
Unusual wear
Poor handling
Rough ride
Needless damage from road haz-
ards
5-37 SERVICE AND APPEARANCE CARE
78J00-03E
Wheel ReplacementReplace any wheel that is bent, cracked,
or badly rusted or corroded. If wheel nuts
keep coming loose, the wheel, wheel bolts,
and wheel nuts should be replaced. If the
wheel leaks air, replace it (except some
aluminum wheels, which can sometimes
be repaired). See your dealer if any of
these conditions exist.
Your dealer will know the kind of wheel you
need.
Each new wheel should have the same
load-carrying capacity, diameter, width,
offset, and be mounted the same way as
the one it replaces.
If you need to replace any of your wheels,
wheel bolts or wheel nuts, replace them
only with new original equipment parts.
This way, you will be sure to have the right
wheel, wheel bolts, and wheel nuts for
your vehicle.Refer to “Changing a Flat Tire” in this sec-
tion for more information.
Used Replacement Wheels
Tire Chains
If a Tire Goes FlatIt is unusual for a tire to blowout while you
are driving, especially if you maintain your
vehicle’s tires properly. If air goes out of a
tire, it is much more likely to leak out
slowly. But if you should ever have a blow-
out, here are a few tips about what to
expect and what to do:
WARNING
Using the wrong replacement wheels,
wheel bolts, or wheel nuts on your
vehicle can be dangerous. It could
affect the braking and handling of
your vehicle, make your tires lose air
and make you lose control. You
could have a collision in which you
or others could be injured. Always
use the correct wheel, wheel bolts,
and wheel nuts for replacement.
CAUTION
The wrong wheel can also cause
problems with bearing life, brake
cooling, speedometer or odometer
calibration, headlamp aim, bumper
height, vehicle ground clearance, and
tire or tire chain clearance to the
body and chassis.
WARNING
Putting a used wheel on your vehicle
is dangerous. You cannot know how
it has been used or how far it has
been driven. It could fail suddenly
and cause a crash. If you have to
replace a wheel, use a new original
equipment wheel.
WARNING
Do not use tire chains. There is not
enough clearance. Tire chains used
on a vehicle without the proper
amount of clearance can cause dam-
age to the brakes, suspension or
other vehicle parts. The area dam-
aged by the tire chains could cause
you to lose control of your vehicle
and you or others may be injured in a
crash.
Use another type of traction device
only if its manufacturer recommends
it for use on your vehicle and tire size
combination and road conditions.
Follow that manufacturer’s instruc-
tions. To help avoid damage to your
vehicle, drive slowly, readjust or
remove the device if it is contacting
your vehicle, and do not spin your
vehicle’s wheels. If you do find trac-
tion devices that will fit, install them
on the front tires.
