2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA spare tire

Tire Pressure Monitor Operation.....................5-63
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-67
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-68
Buying New Tires.........................................5-69
Different Size Tires and Wheels......................5-71
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-71
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-73
Wheel Replacement......................................5-73
Tire Chains..................................................5-74
If a Tire Goes Flat........................................5-75
Changing a Flat Tire.....................................5-76
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools................5-77
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing the
Spare Tire................................................5-79
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools............5-85
Compact Spare Tire......................................5-88
Appearance Care............................................5-89
Interior Cleaning...........................................5-89
Fabric/Carpet...............................................5-90
Leather.......................................................5-91
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other Plastic
Surfaces..................................................5-91
Care of Safety Belts......................................5-92
Weatherstrips...............................................5-92Washing Your Vehicle...................................5-92
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses.....................5-93
Finish Care..................................................5-93
Windshield and Wiper Blades.........................5-94
Aluminum Wheels.........................................5-94
Tires...........................................................5-95
Sheet Metal Damage.....................................5-95
Finish Damage.............................................5-95
Underbody Maintenance................................5-95
Chemical Paint Spotting.................................5-95
Vehicle Identication......................................5-96
Vehicle Identication Number (VIN).................5-96
Service Parts Identication Label.....................5-96
Electrical System............................................5-96
Add-On Electrical Equipment..........................5-96
Headlamp Wiring..........................................5-97
Windshield Wiper Fuses................................5-97
Power Windows and Other Power Options.......5-97
Fuses and Circuit Breakers............................5-97
Instrument Panel Fuse Block..........................5-97
Underhood Fuse Block..................................5-98
Capacities and Specications........................5-101
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-2

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.
(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.
Passenger (P-Metric) Tire Example
5-54

(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 5-71.
(G) Maximum Cold Ination Load Limit
:Maximum load that can be carried and the
maximum pressure needed to support that load.
(A) Temporary Use Only
:The compact
spare tire or temporary use tire has a tread life of
approximately 3,000 miles (5 000 km) and should
not be driven at speeds over 65 mph (105 km/h).
The compact spare tire is for emergency use when
a regular road tire has lost air and gone at. If your
vehicle has a compact spare tire, seeCompact
Spare Tire on page 5-88andIf a Tire Goes Flat on
page 5-75. Compact Spare Tire Example
5-55

(B) Tire Ply Material:The type of cord and
number of plies in the sidewall and under the tread.
(C) Tire Identication Number (TIN)
:The letters
and numbers following the 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.
(D) Maximum Cold Ination Load Limit
:Maximum load that can be carried and the
maximum pressure needed to support that load.
(E) Tire Ination
:The temporary use tire or
compact spare tire should be inated to 60 psi
(420 kPa). For more information on tire pressure
and ination seeInflation - Tire Pressure on
page 5-60.
(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 size means 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.
5-56

A vehicle specic Tire and Loading Information
label is attached to your vehicle. 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
the Vehicle on page 4-20. 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 5-88.
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.
5-61

Tire Pressure Monitor System
The Tire Pressure Monitor System (TPMS) uses radio
and sensor technology to check tire pressure levels. The
TPMS sensors monitor the air pressure in your vehicle’s
tires and transmit tire pressure readings to a receiver
located in the vehicle.
Each tire, including the spare (if provided), should be
checked monthly when cold and inated to the ination
pressure recommended by the vehicle manufacturer
on the vehicle placard or tire ination pressure label.
(If your vehicle has tires of a different size than the size
indicated on the vehicle placard or tire ination pressure
label, you should determine the proper tire ination
pressure for those tires.)
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been
equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS)
that illuminates a low tire pressure telltale when one or
more of your tires is signicantly under-inated.
Accordingly, when the low tire pressure telltale
illuminates, you should stop and check your tires as soon
as possible, and inate them to the proper pressure.
Driving on a signicantly under-inated tire causes the
tire to overheat and can lead to tire failure. Under-ination
also reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life, and may
affect the vehicle’s handling and stopping ability.Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for proper
tire maintenance, and it is the driver’s responsibility to
maintain correct tire pressure, even if under-ination has
not reached the level to trigger illumination of the
TPMS low tire pressure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a TPMS
malfunction indicator to indicate when the system is
not operating properly. The TPMS malfunction indicator
is combined with the low tire pressure telltale. When
the system detects a malfunction, the telltale will ash
for approximately one minute and then remain
continuously illuminated. This sequence will continue
upon subsequent vehicle start-ups as long as the
malfunction exists.
When the malfunction indicator is illuminated, the system
may not be able to detect or signal low tire pressure as
intended. TPMS malfunctions may occur for a variety
of reasons, including the installation of replacement or
alternate tires or wheels on the vehicle that prevent the
TPMS from functioning properly. Always check the TPMS
malfunction telltale after replacing one or more tires or
wheels on your vehicle to ensure that the replacement or
alternate tires and wheels allow the TPMS to continue to
function properly.
SeeTire Pressure Monitor Operation on page 5-63for
additional information.
5-62

Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) and Industry and Science Canada
The Tire Pressure Monitor System (TPMS) operates
on a radio frequency and complies with Part 15 of
the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions:
1. This device may not cause harmful interference.
2. This device must accept any interference received,
including interference that may cause undesired
operation.
Vehicles with TPMS operate on a radio frequency and
comply with RSS-210 of Industry and Science Canada.
Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause interference.
2. This device must accept any interference received,
including interference that may cause undesired
operation of the device.
Changes or modications to this system by other than
an authorized service facility could void authorization to
use this equipment.
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation
This vehicle may have a Tire Pressure Monitor System
(TPMS). The 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 and wheel assembly. The TPMS sensors
monitor the air pressure in the vehicle’s tires and
transmits the 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 on the instrument
panel cluster.
At the same time a message to check the pressure in a
specic tire appears on the Driver Information Center
(DIC) display. The low tire pressure warning light and the
DIC warning message come on at each ignition cycle
until the tires are inated to the correct ination pressure.
5-63

Using the DIC, tire pressure levels can be viewed by the
driver. For additional information and details about the
DIC operation and displays seeDIC Operation and
Displays on page 3-42andDIC Warnings and Messages
on page 3-49.
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 inated to the proper pressure.
A Tire and Loading Information label, attached to
your vehicle, shows the size of your vehicle’s original
equipment tires and the correct ination pressure for
your vehicle’s tires when they are cold. SeeLoading the
Vehicle on page 4-20, for an example of the Tire and
Loading Information label and its location on your vehicle.
Also seeInflation - Tire Pressure on page 5-60.
Your 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 5-67andTires on page 5-53.
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.TPMS Malfunction Light and Message
The TPMS will not function properly if one or more of
the TPMS sensors are missing or inoperable. When the
system detects a malfunction, the low tire warning light
ashes for about one minute and then stays on for the
remainder of the ignition cycle. A DIC warning message
is also displayed. The low tire warning light and DIC
warning message come on at each ignition cycle until the
problem is corrected. Some of the conditions that can
cause the malfunction light and DIC message to come
on are:
One of the road tires has been replaced with the
spare tire. The spare tire does not have a TPMS
sensor. The TPMS malfunction light and DIC
message should go off once you re-install the road
tire containing the TPMS sensor.
The TPMS sensor matching process was started but
not completed or not completed successfully after
rotating the vehicle’s tires. The DIC message and
TPMS malfunction light should go off once the TPMS
sensor matching process is performed successfully.
See “TPMS Sensor Matching Process” later in this
section.
5-64