2009 SATURN ASTRA spare wheel

When It Is Time for
New Tires.......................9-54
Buying New Tires.............9-54
Different Size Tires and
Wheels............................9-56
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading...........................9-57
Wheel Alignment and
Tire Balance....................9-58
Wheel Replacement..........9-59
Tire Chains.......................9-60
Tire ChangingIf a Tire Goes Flat............9-60
Changing a Flat Tire.........9-61
Removing the Spare Tire
and Tools........................9-62
Removing the Flat Tire
and Installing the
Spare Tire
.......................9-63
Storing a Flat or Spare
Tire and Tools.................9-66
Compact Spare Tire..........9-68
Jump Starting
Jump Starting...................9-69
Towing
Towing Your Vehicle.........9-73
Recreational Vehicle
Towing............................9-73
Towing a Trailer................9-73
Appearance Care
Interior Cleaning................9-73
Exterior Cleaning..............9-76
Sheet Metal Damage........9-79
Finish Damage..................9-79
Underbody Maintenance. . . .9-80
Chemical Paint Spotting. . . .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

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. 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 inated to
the correct ination 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 inated
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 ination pressure for the
tires when they are cold. See
Loading the Vehicle on page 8-30,
for an example of the Tire andLoad Information label and its
location on the vehicle. Also see
Inflation - Tire Pressure on
page 9-47.
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 9-52andTires on page 9-40.
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
identication code. Any time
you replace one or more of the
TPMS sensors or rotate the
vehicle’s tires, the identication
codes are automatically learned by
the TPMS. This occurs within a
few moments of driving the vehicle
over 19 mph (31 km/h).
Vehicle Service and Care 9-51
ProCarManuals.com

TPMS Malfunction Light
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. Some of the
conditions that can cause the
malfunction light 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.
One or more TPMS sensors are
missing or damaged. The TPMS
malfunction light should go off
after the TPMS sensors are
installed and the vehicle is
driven for a few moments over
19 mph (31 km/h). See your
dealer/retailer for service.
Replacement tires or wheels do
not match the vehicle’s original
equipment tires or wheels. Tires
and wheels other than those
recommended for the vehicle
could prevent the TPMS from
functioning properly. SeeBuying
New Tires on page 9-54.
Operating electronic devices or
being near facilities using radio
wave frequencies similar to the
TPMS could cause the TPMS
sensors to malfunction.
If the TPMS is not functioning it
cannot detect or signal a low tire
condition. See your dealer/retailer for
service if the TPMS malfunction light
comes on and stays on.
Tire Inspection and
Rotation
Inspect tires regularly for signs of
wear or damage. Also inspect the
spare tire. For more information
on tire inspection, seeWhen It Is
Time for New Tires on page 9-54.
Rotating vehicle tires helps them
to wear evenly and keeps the
vehicle performing like it
did when tires were new.
Rotate the tires and check
wheel alignment approximately
every 5,000 to 8,000 miles
(8 000 to 13 000 km) or when
unusual tire wear is noted.
See “Scheduled Maintenance”
in the Index of the “Limited
Warranty, Maintenance
and Owner Assistance
Information” manual for more
information. Also check the
wheels for damage, seeWheel
Replacement on page 9-59
for more information.
9-52 Vehicle Service and Care
ProCarManuals.com

Use this pattern when rotating
the vehicle tires. Do not include
the compact spare tire in the
tire rotation.
{CAUTION
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on
the parts to which it is
fastened, can make wheel
bolts become loose after time.
(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
The wheel could come off and
cause a crash. When you
change a wheel, remove any
rust or dirt from places where
the wheel attaches to the
vehicle using a scraper or
wire brush.
Installing wheels with a good
metal-to-metal contact at
the mounting surfaces is
necessary to prevent wheel
bolts from becoming loose.
To prevent corrosion or
rust build-up, lightly coat the
wheel hub center and the
cone-shaped surface of each
wheel bolt with wheel bearing
grease, after a wheel change.SeeChanging a Flat Tire on
page 9-61for information
on installing the tire and wheel
assembly. Also see “Wheel
Bolt Torque” underCapacities
and Specifications on page 10-2.
Adjust the front and rear
tires to the recommended
cold tire ination pressure
shown on the Tire and
Loading Information label.
SeeInflation - Tire Pressure
on page 9-47andLoading the
Vehicle on page 8-30.
Vehicle Service and Care 9-53
ProCarManuals.com

GM’s exclusive TPC Spec system
considers over a dozen critical
specications that impact the overall
performance of your vehicle,
including brake system performance,
ride and handling, traction control,
and tire pressure monitoring
performance. GM’s TPC Spec
number is molded onto the tire’s
sidewall near the tire size. If the tires
have an all-season tread design,
the TPC Spec number will be
followed by an MS for mud and
snow. SeeTire Sidewall Labeling on
page 9-42for additional information.
GM recommends replacing tires
in sets of four. This is because
uniform tread depth on all tires will
help keep your vehicle performing
most like it did when the tires
were new. Replacing less than a
full set of tires can affect the braking
and handling performance of your
vehicle. SeeTire Inspection
and Rotation on page 9-52for
information on proper tire rotation.{CAUTION
Mixing tires could cause you
to lose control while driving.
If you mix tires of different
sizes, brands, or types
(radial and bias-belted tires),
the vehicle may not handle
properly, and you could have
a crash. Using tires of different
sizes, brands, or types may
also cause damage to the
vehicle. Be sure to use the
correct size, brand, and type
of tires on all wheels. It is all
right to drive with the compact
spare temporarily, as it was
developed for use on the
vehicle. SeeCompact Spare
Tire on page 9-68.{CAUTION
If you use bias-ply tires on
the vehicle, the wheel rim
anges could develop cracks
after many miles of driving.
A tire and/or wheel could fail
suddenly, causing a crash.
Use only radial-ply tires with
the wheels on the vehicle.
If you must replace your vehicle’s
tires with those that do not have
a TPC Spec number, make
sure they are the same size,
load range, speed rating, and
construction type (radial and
bias-belted tires) as your vehicle’s
original tires.
Vehicle Service and Care 9-55
ProCarManuals.com

Removing the Spare Tire
and Tools
The equipment you will need is
located in the rear storage area.
1. Open the liftgate. SeeLiftgate
on page 2-6.
2. Lift the oor cover to access the
spare tire and tools.3. Remove the foam pad. Turn the
retainer counterclockwise to
remove it.
4. Remove the spare tire by pulling
it up and out of the trunk.5. The jack and tools are stored
below the spare tire.
6. The tools you will be using
include the jack (A), wheel
wrench (B), screwdriver (C),
and jack handle (D).
9-62 Vehicle Service and Care
ProCarManuals.com

Removing the Flat Tire
and Installing the
Spare Tire
1. If your vehicle has wheel covers,
remove the cover.
Do not try to put a wheel cover
on your compact spare tire.
It will not t. Store the wheel
cover in the trunk until you have
the at tire repaired or replaced.
Notice:Wheel covers will not t
on your vehicle’s compact spare.
If you try to put a wheel cover on
the compact spare, the cover or
the spare could be damaged.
2. If your vehicle has wheel bolt
caps, remove the caps. Store
the caps with the wheel cover.3. Use the wheel wrench to loosen
all the wheel bolts. Do not
remove them yet.Notice:Make sure that the
jack lift head is in the correct
position or you may damage your
vehicle. The repairs would not
be covered by your warranty.
Vehicle Service and Care 9-63
ProCarManuals.com

4. Position the jack lift head at the
jack location nearest the at
tire. The location is indicated by
a mark on the bottom edge
of the vehicle.
5. Put the compact spare tire
near you.
{CAUTION
Getting under a vehicle when it is
jacked up is dangerous. If the
vehicle slips off the jack, you
could be badly injured or killed.
Never get under a vehicle when it
is supported only by a jack.
{CAUTION
Raising your vehicle with the jack
improperly positioned can damage
the vehicle and even make the
vehicle fall. To help avoid
personal injury and vehicle
damage, be sure to t the jack lift
head into the proper location
before raising the vehicle.6. Raise the vehicle by turning the
jack handle clockwise. Raise the
vehicle far enough off the
ground so there is enough room
for the compact spare tire to
t under the vehicle.
7. Remove all of the wheel bolts.
9-64 Vehicle Service and Care
ProCarManuals.com