2008 PONTIAC G6 winter tires

{CAUTION:
Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with the
ignition off is dangerous. The brakes will have
to do all the work of slowing down and they
could get so hot that they would not work well.
You would then have poor braking or even
none going down a hill. You could crash.
Always have the engine running and your
vehicle in gear when you go downhill.
Stay in your own lane. Do not swing wide or cut
across the center of the road. Drive at speeds
that let you stay in your own lane.
Top of hills: Be alert — something could be in your
lane (stalled car, accident).
Pay attention to special road signs (falling rocks
area, winding roads, long grades, passing or
no-passing zones) and take appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your vehicle in good shape for winter.
You might want to put winter emergency supplies in
your trunk.
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.
Also seeTires on page 5-60.
4-15

Taillamps, Turn Signal, Sidemarker,
Stoplamps and Back-up Lamps
(Retractable Hardtop).................................5-57
License Plate Lamp......................................5-58
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-58
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-59
Tires..............................................................5-60
Winter Tires.................................................5-61
Tire Sidewall Labeling...................................5-62
Tire Terminology and Denitions.....................5-65
Ination - Tire Pressure.................................5-68
High-Speed Operation...................................5-70
Tire Pressure Monitor System.........................5-70
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation.....................5-72
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-77
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-78
Buying New Tires.........................................5-79
Different Size Tires and Wheels......................5-81
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-82
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-83
Wheel Replacement......................................5-83
Tire Chains..................................................5-85
If a Tire Goes Flat........................................5-86
Changing a Flat Tire.....................................5-86Removing the Spare Tire and Tools................5-88
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing the
Spare Tire................................................5-90
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools............5-96
Compact Spare Tire......................................5-99
Appearance Care..........................................5-100
Interior Cleaning.........................................5-100
Fabric/Carpet..............................................5-101
Leather......................................................5-102
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other Plastic
Surfaces.................................................5-103
Care of Safety Belts....................................5-103
Weatherstrips............................................
.5-103
Washing Your Vehicle..................................5-104
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses....................5-104
Finish Care................................................5-104
Windshield and Wiper Blades.......................5-105
Aluminum Wheels.......................................5-106
Tires.........................................................5-106
Sheet Metal Damage...................................5-106
Finish Damage...........................................5-107
Underbody Maintenance...............................5-107
Chemical Paint Spotting...............................5-107
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials................5-108
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-2

Low-Prole Performance Tire
If your vehicle has P225/50R18 or P225/50R17 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
vehicle 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
If your vehicle has P225/50R18 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, seeBuying
New Tires on page 5-79.
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.
5-61

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.
Traction – AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A, B, and C. Those grades represent the tire’s
ability to stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on specied
government test surfaces of asphalt and concrete.
A tire marked C may have poor traction
performance.
Warning
:The traction grade assigned to this
tire is based on straight-ahead braking
traction tests, and does not include
acceleration, cornering, hydroplaning, or peak
traction characteristics.
5-82

T
Tachometer....................................................3-29
Taillamps
Turn Signal, Sidemarker, Stoplamps, and
Back-Up Lamps.......................5-55, 5-56, 5-57
TCS Active Light.............................................3-36
TCS Warning Light..........................................3-35
Theft-Deterrent, Radio.....................................3-67
Theft-Deterrent Systems...................................2-18
Content Theft-Deterrent................................2-18
PASS-Key
®III+...........................................2-19
PASS-Key®III+ Operation.............................2-20
Tilt Wheel........................................................ 3-6
Time, Setting..................................................3-53
Tire
Pressure Light.............................................3-37
Tires.............................................................5-60
Aluminum Wheels, Cleaning........................5-106
Buying New Tires........................................5-79
Chains.......................................................5-85
Changing a Flat Tire....................................5-86
Cleaning...................................................5-106
Compact Spare Tire.....................................5-99
Different Size..............................................5-81
High-Speed Operation..................................5-70
If a Tire Goes Flat.......................................5-86Tires (cont.)
Ination - Tire Pressure................................5-68
Inspection and Rotation................................5-77
Installing the Spare Tire................................5-90
Pressure Monitor Operation...........................5-72
Pressure Monitor System..............................5-70
Removing the Flat Tire.................................5-90
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools...............5-88
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools............5-96
Tire Sidewall Labeling..................................5-62
Tire Terminology and Denitions....................5-65
Uniform Tire Quality Grading.........................5-82
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance.................5-83
Wheel Replacement.....................................5-83
When It Is Time for New Tires......................5-78
Winter Tires................................................5-61
Towing
Recreational Vehicle.....................................4-26
Towing a Trailer..........................................4-28
Your Vehicle...............................................4-25
Traction
Control System Active Light..........................
3-36
Control System (TCS).................................... 4-5
Control System Warning Light.......................3-35
StabiliTrak
®System....................................... 4-6
Transmission
Fluid, Automatic..................................5-27, 5-30
12

Windshield
Washer......................................................3-10
Washer Fluid..............................................5-41
Wiper Blade Replacement.............................5-59
Wiper Blades, Cleaning..............................5-105
Wiper Fuses.............................................5-110
Wipers......................................................... 3-9
Winter Driving................................................4-15
Winter Tires...................................................5-61X
XM Radio Messages.......................................3-66
XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna System................3-69
Y
Your Vehicle and the Environment....................... 6-2
14