
Buying New Tires.............9-54
Different Size Tires
and Wheels.....................9-55
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading...........................9-56
Wheel Alignment and
Tire Balance....................9-58
Wheel Replacement..........9-58
Tire Chains.......................9-59
Tire Changing
If a Tire Goes Flat............9-60
Changing a Flat Tire.........9-60
Removing the Spare
Tire and Tools.................9-61
Removing the Flat Tire
and Installing the
Spare Tire
.......................9-62
Storing a Flat or Spare
Tire and Tools.................9-66
Compact Spare Tire..........9-67
Jump Starting
Jump Starting...................9-68
Towing
Towing Your Vehicle.........9-72
Recreational Vehicle
Towing............................9-72
Towing a Trailer................9-72
Appearance Care
Interior Cleaning................9-72
Exterior Cleaning..............9-75
Sheet Metal Damage........9-78
Finish Damage..................9-79
Underbody Maintenance. . . .9-79
Chemical Paint Spotting. . . .9-79
Vehicle Care/Appearance
Materials.........................9-80
Service
For service and parts needs,
visit your dealer/retailer. You will
receive genuine Saturn parts
and Saturn-trained and supported
service people.
Genuine Saturn parts have one of
these marks.
9-2 Vehicle Service and Care
ProCarManuals.com

See your dealer/retailer for details
regarding winter tire availability
and proper tire selection. Also, see
Buying New Tires on page 9-54.
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 the original equipment tires
may not be available for H, V, W,
Y 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 de ne 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.
(B) TPC Spec (Tire
Performance Criteria
Speci cation)
:Original
equipment tires designed to
GM’s speci c tire performance
criteria have a TPC speci cation
code molded onto the sidewall.
GM’s TPC speci cations 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.Passenger (P-Metric) Tire
Example
9-40 Vehicle Service and Care
ProCarManuals.com

Tire Pressure Monitor
Operation
The Tire Pressure Monitor System
(TPMS) is designed to warn the
driver when a low tire pressure
condition exists. TPMS sensors are
mounted onto each tire and
wheel assembly, excluding the
spare tire. The TPMS sensors
monitor the air pressure in the
vehicle’s tires and transmit tire
pressure readings to a receiver
located in the vehicle.
When a low tire pressure condition
is detected, the TPMS illuminates
the low tire pressure warning
light located in the instrument
panel cluster.The low tire pressure warning light
comes on at each ignition cycle
until the tires are in ated to
the correct in ation pressure.
The low tire pressure warning light
may come on in cool weather
when the vehicle is rst started, and
then turn off as you start to drive.
This could be an early indicator that
the air pressure in the tire(s) are
getting low and need to be in ated
to the proper pressure.
You must begin driving before the
TPMS system is operational.
TPMS sensors need to be installed
onto the full-size tire and wheel
assemblies, and the tires adjusted
to the manufacturers’ recommended
tire pressure amount.
A Tire and Load Information label is
attached to the vehicle, and shows
the size of the vehicle’s original
equipment tires and the correct
in ation pressure for the tires when
they are cold. SeeLoading the
Vehicle on page 8-30, for anexample of the Tire and Load
Information label and its location on
the vehicle. Also seeInflation - Tire
Pressure on page 9-46.
The vehicle’s TPMS can warn you
about a low tire pressure condition
but it does not replace normal tire
maintenance. SeeTire Inspection
and Rotation on page 9-51andTires
on page 9-38.
Notice:Liquid tire sealants
could damage the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS) sensors.
Sensor damage caused by
using a tire sealant is not covered
by your warranty. Do not use
liquid tire sealants.
Each TPMS sensor has a unique
identi cation code. Any time
you replace one or more of the
TPMS sensors or rotate the
vehicle’s tires, the identi cation
codes are automatically learned by
the TPMS. This occurs within a
few moments of driving the vehicle
over 19 mph (31 km/h).
9-50 Vehicle Service and Care
ProCarManuals.com