Uniform Tire Quality
Grading...........................9-59
Wheel Alignment and Tire
Balance...........................9-60
Wheel Replacement..........9-61
Tire Chains.......................9-62
Tire Changing
If a Tire Goes Flat............9-62
Tire Sealant and
Compressor Kit
(V8 Engine)
.....................9-64
Changing a Flat Tire
(V6 Engine).....................9-71
Removing the Spare Tire
and Tools........................9-72
Removing the Flat Tire
and Installing the
Spare Tire
.......................9-73
Storing a Flat or Spare
Tire and Tools.................9-78
Compact Spare Tire..........9-79
Jump Starting
Jump Starting...................9-80
Towing
Towing Your Vehicle.........9-84
Shift Lock Manual
Release...........................9-84
Recreational Vehicle
Towing............................9-85
Towing a Trailer................9-85
Appearance Care
Interior Cleaning................9-91
Exterior Cleaning..............9-94
Sheet Metal Damage........9-98
Finish Damage..................9-98
Underbody Maintenance. . . .9-98
Chemical Paint Spotting. . . .9-98
Vehicle Care/Appearance
Materials.........................9-99
Service
For service and parts needs, visit
your dealer/retailer. You will receive
genuine GM parts and GM-trained
and supported service people.
Genuine GM parts have one
of these marks:
9-2 Vehicle Service and Care
2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual
Any time you notice unusual
wear, rotate the 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 9-56andWheel
Replacement on page 9-61.
When rotating the vehicle’s tires,
always use the correct rotation
pattern shown here.The compact spare tire, if the
vehicle has one, is not included
in the tire rotation.
After the tires have been rotated,
adjust the front and rear in ation
pressures as shown on the Tire
and Loading Information label.
SeeInflation - Tire Pressure on
page 9-46andLoading the
Vehicle on page 8-28.
Reset the Tire Pressure Monitor
System. SeeTire Pressure
Monitor Operation on page 9-51.
Make certain that all wheel
nuts are properly tightened.
See “Wheel Nut Torque” under
Capacities and Specifications
on page 10-2.{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 (V6 Engine) on
page 9-71.
Vehicle Service and Care 9-55
2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual
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
speci ed 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.Temperature – A, B, C
The temperature grades are A
(the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire’s resistance
to the generation of heat and
its ability to dissipate heat when
tested under controlled
conditions on a speci ed indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained
high temperature can cause
the material of the tire to
degenerate and reduce tire life,
and excessive temperature
can lead to sudden tire failure.
The grade C corresponds to
a level of performance which all
passenger car tires must
meet under the Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades B and A
represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory
test wheel than the minimum
required by law.
{WARNING
The temperature grade for
this tire is established for a
tire that is properly in ated
and not overloaded.
Excessive speed,
underin ation, or excessive
loading, either separately or
in combination, can cause
heat buildup and possible
tire failure.
Wheel Alignment and
Tire Balance
The tires and wheels on your
vehicle were aligned and balanced
carefully at the factory to give
you the longest tire life and best
overall performance. Adjustments to
wheel alignment and tire balancing
will not be necessary on a regular
basis. However, if you notice
unusual tire wear or your vehicle
pulling to one side or the other,
9-60 Vehicle Service and Care
2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual
the alignment might need to be
checked. If you notice your vehicle
vibrating when driving on a
smooth road, the tires and wheels
might need to be rebalanced.
See your dealer/retailer for proper
diagnosis.
Wheel Replacement
Replace 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/retailer if any of
these conditions exist.
Your dealer/retailer 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 the
wheels, wheel bolts or wheel
nuts, replace them only with new
GM original equipment parts.
This way, you will be sure to have
the right wheel, wheel bolts and
wheel nuts for the vehicle.
{CAUTION
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.Notice: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.
SeeChanging a Flat Tire (V6
Engine) on page 9-71for more
information.
Used Replacement Wheels
{CAUTION
Putting a used wheel on the
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
GM original equipment wheel.
Vehicle Service and Care 9-61
2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual
Tires (cont.)
Pressure Monitor
Operation.....................9-51
Pressure Monitor System . . . 9-49
Removing the Flat Tire......9-73
Removing the Spare Tire
and Tools.....................9-72
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire
and Tools.....................9-78
Tire Sealant and
Compressor Kit .............9-64
Tire Sidewall Labeling .......9-40
Tire Terminology and
De nitions....................9-43
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading .......................9-59
Wheel Alignment and Tire
Balance .......................9-60
Wheel Replacement . . ........9-61
When It Is Time for
New Tires....................9-56Towing
Recreational Vehicle ..........9-85
Towing a Trailer................9-85
Your Vehicle.....................9-84
Transmission
Fluid, Automatic................9-13
Transmission Operation,
Automatic.......................... 8-6
Trunk . . ...............................2-10
Turn and Lane-Change
Signals............................. 4-7
Turn Signal/Multifunction
Lever . ............................... 4-4
U
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading...........................9-59
Using this Manual . .................... ii
V
Vehicle
Control............................8-14
Loading . ..........................8-28
Running While Parked . . . . . . . 8-12
Symbols.............................. iii
Vehicle Data Recording and
Privacy . . . . ......................12-16
Vehicle Identi cation
Number (VIN)...................10-1
Service Parts Identi cation
Label . ..........................10-1
Vehicle, Remote Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Ventilation Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
Visors.................................2-15
Voltmeter Gage....................4-15
INDEX i-9
2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual
W
Warning Lights, Gages and
Indicators . . . . . ...................4-10
Warnings
DIC Warnings and
Messages....................4-27
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . 4-4
Wheels
Alignment and Tire
Balance . . .....................9-60
Different Size . . . ................9-58
Replacement....................9-61
Where to Put the Restraint . . . . 1-38
Windows.............................2-14
Power.............................2-15Windshield
Washer............................. 4-8
Washer Fluid....................9-22
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . 9-23
Wiper Fuses....................9-33
Wipers.............................. 4-8
Winter Driving......................8-25
Y
Your Vehicle and the
Environment.....................11-2
i-10 INDEX
2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual