Adding Equipment to
Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle
Q:Is there anything I might add
to or change about the
vehicle that could keep the
airbags from working
properly?
A:Yes. If you add things that
change the vehicle’s frame,
bumper system, height, front end
or side sheet metal, they may
keep the airbag system from
working properly. Changing or
moving any parts of the front
seats, safety belts, the airbag
sensing and diagnostic module,
steering wheel, instrument
panel, roof-rail airbag modules,
ceiling headliner or pillar
garnish trim, front sensors,
side impact sensors, rollover
sensor module, or airbag wiring
can affect the operation of
the airbag system.In addition, the vehicle has a
passenger sensing system for the
right front passenger position,
which includes sensors that
are part of the passenger seat.
The passenger sensing system
may not operate properly if the
original seat trim is replaced
with non-GM covers, upholstery
or trim, or with GM covers,
upholstery or trim designed for a
different vehicle. Any object, such
as an aftermarket seat heater or a
comfort enhancing pad or device,
installed under or on top of the
seat fabric, could also interfere
with the operation of the
passenger sensing system.
This could either prevent proper
deployment of the passenger
airbag(s) or prevent the
passenger sensing system from
properly turning off the passenger
airbag(s). SeePassenger
Sensing System on page 1-51.If you have questions, call
Customer Assistance. The phone
numbers and addresses for
Customer Assistance are in
Step Two of the Customer
Satisfaction Procedure in
this manual. SeeCustomer
Satisfaction Procedure on
page 7-1.
If the vehicle has rollover
roof-rail airbags, seeDifferent
Size Tires and Wheels on
page 5-59for additional
important information.
Seats and Restraint System 1-57
ProCarManuals.com
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy
Driving habits can affect fuel
mileage. Here are some driving
tips to get the best fuel economy
possible.
Avoid fast starts and accelerate
smoothly.
Brake gradually and avoid abrupt
stops.
Avoid idling the engine for long
periods of time.
When road and weather
conditions are appropriate, use
cruise control, if equipped.
Always follow posted speed limits
or drive more slowly when
conditions require.
Keep vehicle tires properly
in ated.
Combine several trips into a
single trip.
Replace the vehicle’s tires with
the same TPC Spec number
molded into the tire’s sidewall
near the size.
Follow recommended scheduled
maintenance.
Defensive Driving
Defensive driving means “always
expect the unexpected.” The rst
step in driving defensively is to wear
your safety belt — SeeSafety Belts:
They Are for Everyone on page 1-10.
{CAUTION
Assume that other road users
(pedestrians, bicyclists, and other
drivers) are going to be careless
and make mistakes. Anticipate
what they might do and be ready.
In addition:
Allow enough following
distance between you and
the driver in front of you.
Focus on the task of driving.
Driver distraction can cause
collisions resulting in injury or
possible death. These simple
defensive driving techniques could
save your life.
Driving Your Vehicle 4-3
ProCarManuals.com
Loading the Vehicle
It is very important to know how
much weight your vehicle can
carry. This weight is called the
vehicle capacity weight and
includes the weight of all
occupants, cargo, and all
nonfactory-installed options.
Two labels on your vehicle show
how much weight it may properly
carry, the Tire and Loading
Information label and the
Certi cation/Tire label.
{CAUTION
Do not load the vehicle any
heavier than the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR), or
either the maximum front or
rear Gross Axle Weight Rating
(GAWR). If you do, parts on
the vehicle can break, and it
can change the way your
(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
vehicle handles. These could
cause you to lose control and
crash. Also, overloading can
shorten the life of the vehicle.
Tire and Loading Information
Label
A vehicle speci c Tire and
Loading Information label is
attached to the center pillar
(B-pillar) of your vehicle.With the driver’s door open, you
will nd the label attached
below the door lock post
(striker). The tire and loading
information label shows the
number of occupant seating
positions (A), and the maximum
vehicle capacity weight (B) in
kilograms and pounds.
The Tire and Loading Information
label also shows the size of the
original equipment tires (C) and
the recommended cold tire
in ation pressures (D). For more
information on tires and in ation
seeTires on page 5-43and
Inflation - Tire Pressure on
page 5-49.
There is also important loading
information on the vehicle
Certi cation/Tire label. It tells
you the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating (GVWR) and the
Gross Axle Weight Rating
(GAWR) for the front and rear
axle. See “Certi cation/Tire
Label” later in this section.
Example Label
4-28 Driving Your Vehicle
ProCarManuals.com
To tow the vehicle from the front
with all four wheels on the ground:
1. Position the vehicle that will
be towed and secure it to
the towing vehicle.
2. Turn the ignition key to
ACC/ACCESSORY.
3. Shift the transmission to
N (Neutral).
4. Turn fog lamps and all
accessories off.5. To prevent the battery from
draining while the vehicle is
being towed, remove the 2 amp
IGN SW fuse from the instrument
panel fuse block and store it in a
safe location. SeeInstrument
Panel Fuse Block on page 5-80
Notice:If the vehicle is towed
without performing each of the
steps listed under “Dinghy
Towing,” the automatic
transmission could be damaged.
Be sure to follow all steps of the
dinghy towing procedure prior to
and after towing the vehicle.
Notice:If the vehicle has
a four-speed automatic
transmission, it can be dinghy
towed from the front for unlimited
miles at 65 mph (105 km/h).
The vehicle could be damaged If
65 mph (105 km/h) is exceeded
while towing the vehicle. The
repairs would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty. Never
exceed 65 mph (105 km/h) while
towing the vehicle.Once the destination has been
reached:
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Shift the transmission to
P (Park).
3. Reinstall the 2 amp IGN SW fuse
to the instrument panel fuse
block.
4. Turn the ignition key to LOCK/
OFF and remove the key from
the ignition.
Notice:Too much or too
little uid can damage the
transmission. Be sure that the
transmission uid is at the proper
level before towing with all four
wheels on the ground.
Notice:Do not tow a vehicle
with the front drive wheels on the
ground if one of the front tires is a
compact spare tire. Towing with
two different tire sizes on the front
of the vehicle can cause severe
damage to the transmission.
Driving Your Vehicle 4-33
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Tire Inspection and
Rotation............................5-56
When It Is Time for
New Tires.........................5-57
Buying New Tires................5-58
Different Size Tires and
Wheels.............................5-59
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading............................5-60
Wheel Alignment and
Tire Balance.....................5-61
Wheel Replacement.............5-62
Tire Chains.........................5-62
If a Tire Goes Flat...............5-63
Changing a Flat Tire............5-64
Removing the Spare
Tire and Tools...................5-65
Removing the Flat Tire and
Installing the Spare Tire.......5-66
Storing a Flat or Spare
Tire and Tools...................5-70
Compact Spare Tire.............5-71Appearance CareInterior Cleaning..................5-72
Fabric/Carpet......................5-73
Leather..............................5-74
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and
Other Plastic Surfaces.........5-74
Care of Safety Belts............5-74
Weatherstrips......................5-75
Washing Your Vehicle..........5-75
Cleaning Exterior
Lamps/Lenses...................5-75
Finish Care.........................5-76
Windshield and Wiper
Blades..............................5-76
Aluminum Wheels................5-77
Tires..................................5-77
Sheet Metal Damage...........5-78
Finish Damage....................5-78
Underbody Maintenance.......5-78
Chemical Paint Spotting........5-78Vehicle Identi cationVehicle Identi cation
Number (VIN)....................5-79
Service Parts Identi cation
Label...............................5-79
Electrical SystemAdd-On Electrical
Equipment........................5-79
Windshield Wiper Fuses.......5-80
Power Windows and
Other Power Options..........5-80
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers...........................5-80
Instrument Panel
Fuse Block.......................5-80
Underhood Fuse Block.........5-82
Capacities and
Speci cations
Capacities and
Speci cations....................5-86
5-2 Service and Appearance Care
ProCarManuals.com
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.
(D) Tire Identi cation Number
(TIN)
:The letters and numbers
following DOT (Department
of Transportation) code is the
Tire Identi cation 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 5-60.
(G) Maximum Cold In ation
Load Limit
:Maximum load that
can be carried and the maximum
pressure needed to support
that load. Passenger (P-Metric) Tire
Example
5-44 Service and Appearance Care
ProCarManuals.com
(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 5-71andIf a
Tire Goes Flat on page 5-63.(B) Tire Ply Material
:The type
of cord and number of plies in the
sidewall and under the tread.
(C) Tire Identi cation Number
(TIN)
:The letters and numbers
following the DOT (Department
of Transportation) code is the
Tire Identi cation 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 In ation
Load Limit
:Maximum load that
can be carried and the maximum
pressure needed to support
that load.
(E) Tire In ation
:The
temporary use tire or compact
spare tire should be in ated
to 60 psi (420 kPa). For more
information on tire pressure and
in ation seeInflation - Tire
Pressure on page 5-49.(F) Tire Size
:A combination of
letters and numbers de ne 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
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. Compact Spare Tire Example
Service and Appearance Care 5-45
ProCarManuals.com
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.(C) Aspect Ratio
:A two-digit
number that indicates the tire
height-to-width measurements.
For example, if the tire size
aspect ratio is 60, as shown in
item C of the illustration, it would
mean that the tire’s sidewall is
60 percent as high as it is wide.
(D) Construction Code
:A letter
code is used to indicate the type
of ply construction in the tire.
The letter R means radial ply
construction; the letter D means
diagonal or bias ply construction;
and the letter B means
belted-bias ply construction.
(E) Rim Diameter
:Diameter of
the wheel in inches.
(F) Service Description
:These
characters represent the load
index and speed rating of the tire.
The load index represents the
load carry capacity a tire is
certi ed to carry. The speed
rating is the maximum speed a
tire is certi ed to carry a load.
Tire Terminology and
De nitions
Air Pressure:The amount of air
inside the tire pressing outward
on each square inch of the tire.
Air pressure is expressed in
pounds per square inch (psi)
or kilopascal (kPa).
Accessory Weight
:This means
the combined weight of optional
accessories. Some examples
of optional accessories are,
automatic transmission, power
steering, power brakes, power
windows, power seats, and air
conditioning.
Aspect Ratio
:The relationship
of a tire’s height to its width.
Belt
:A rubber coated layer of
cords that is located between the
plies and the tread. Cords may
be made from steel or other
reinforcing materials.
5-46 Service and Appearance Care
ProCarManuals.com