10-50 Vehicle Care
Make certain that all wheel nuts
are properly tightened. See
“Wheel Nut Torque”under
Capacities and Specifications
on
page 12‑2
.
{WARNING
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
changing a wheel, remove any
rust or dirt from places where the
wheel attaches to the vehicle. In
an emergency, 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. See If a Tire Goes Flat
on page 10‑56.
Make sure the spare tire, if the
vehicle has one, is stored
securely. Push, pull, and then try to rotate or turn the tire. If it
moves, tighten the cable. See
Tire Changing
on page 10‑66.
When It Is Time for New
Tires
Various factors, such as
maintenance, temperatures, driving
speeds, vehicle loading, and road
conditions influence when you need
new tires.
One way to tell when it is time for
new tires is to check the treadwear
indicators, which appear when the
tires have only 1.6 mm (1/16 inch) or
less of tread remaining.
The vehicle needs new tires if any
of the following statements are true:
.You can see the indicators at
three or more places around
the tire.
.You can see cord or fabric
showing through the tire's
rubber.
.The tread or sidewall is cracked,
cut, or snagged deep enough to
show cord or fabric.
.The tire has a bump, bulge,
or split.
.The tire has a puncture, cut,
or other damage that cannot be
repaired well because of the size
or location of the damage.
10-52 Vehicle Care
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
on page 10‑49
andTire Rotationon page 10‑49
for information on proper tire
rotation.
{WARNING
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
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
also cause damage to your
vehicle. Be sure to use the
correct size, brand, and type
of tires on all wheels. It is all
right to drive with your
compact spare temporarily, as
it was developed for use on
your vehicle. See Compact
Spare Tire
on page 10‑77.
{WARNING
If you use bias-ply tires on the
vehicle, the wheel rim flanges
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.
Vehicles that have a tire
pressure monitoring system
could give an inaccurate
low-pressure warning if non-TPC
Spec rated tires are installed on
your vehicle. Non-TPC Spec
rated tires may give a
low-pressure warning that is
higher or lower than the proper
warning level you would get with
TPC Spec rated tires. See
Tire
Pressure Monitor System
on
page 10‑44
.
Your vehicle's original
equipment tires are listed on the
Tire and Loading Information
Label. See Vehicle Load Limits
10-54 Vehicle Care
use spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of
25 to 30 cm (10 to 12 inches),
or to some limited-production
tires.
While the tires available on
General Motors passenger cars
and light trucks may vary with
respect to these grades, they
must also conform to federal
safety requirements and
additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC)
standards.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the
wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a
specified government test
course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and
a half (1.5) times as well on thegovernment course as a tire
graded 100. The relative
performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of
their use, however, and may
depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving
habits, service practices, and
differences in road
characteristics and climate.
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
specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and
concrete. A tire marked C may
have poor traction performance. 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 specified 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.
Vehicle Care 10-57
be very bumpy and noisy, but you
can still steer. Gently brake to a
stop, well off the road if possible.
{WARNING
Lifting a vehicle and getting
under it to do maintenance or
repairs is dangerous without the
appropriate safety equipment and
training. If a jack is provided with
the vehicle, it is designed only for
changing a flat tire. If it is used for
anything else, you or others could
be badly injured or killed if the
vehicle slips off the jack. If a jack
is provided with the vehicle, only
use it for changing a flat tire.
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire
and wheel damage by driving slowly
to a level place. Turn on the hazard
warning flashers. See Hazard
Warning Flashers on page 6‑3.
{WARNING
Changing a tire can be
dangerous. The vehicle can slip
off the jack and roll over or fall on
you or other people. You and they
could be badly injured or even
killed. Find a level place to
change your tire. To help prevent
the vehicle from moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put an automatic transmission shift lever in
P (Park), or shift a manual
transmission to 1 (First) or
R (Reverse).
3. Turn off the engine and do not restart while the vehicle
is raised.
4. Do not allow passengers to remain in the vehicle.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
To be certain the vehicle will not
move, put blocks at the front and
rear of the tire farthest away from
the one being changed. That
would be the tire on the other
side, at the opposite end of the
vehicle.
This vehicle may come with a jack
and spare tire or a tire sealant and
compressor kit. To use the jacking
equipment to change a spare tire
safely, follow the instructions below.
Then see Tire Changing
on
page 10‑66. To use the tire sealant
and compressor kit, see Tire
Sealant and Compressor Kit
on
page 10‑58.
10-58 Vehicle Care
When the vehicle has a flat tire (B),
use the following example as a
guide to assist you in the placement
of wheel blocks (A).
A. Wheel Block
B. Flat Tire
The following information explains
how to repair or change a tire.
Tire Sealant and
Compressor Kit
{WARNING
Idling a vehicle in an enclosed
area with poor ventilation is
dangerous. Engine exhaust may
enter the vehicle. Engine exhaust
contains Carbon Monoxide (CO)
which cannot be seen or smelled.
It can cause unconsciousness
and even death. Never run the
engine in an enclosed area that
has no fresh air ventilation. For
more information, seeEngine
Exhaust on page 9‑21.
{WARNING
Over-inflating a tire could cause
the tire to rupture and you or
others could be injured. Be sure
to read and follow the tire sealant
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
and compressor kit instructions
and inflate the tire to its
recommended pressure. Do not
exceed the recommended
pressure.
{WARNING
Storing the tire sealant and
compressor kit or other
equipment in the passenger
compartment of the vehicle could
cause injury. In a sudden stop or
collision, loose equipment could
strike someone. Store the tire
sealant and compressor kit in its
original location.
If this vehicle has a tire sealant and
compressor kit, there may not be a
spare tire, tire changing equipment,
and on some vehicles there may not
be a place to store a tire.
Vehicle Care 10-67
Removing the Spare Tire
The compact spare tire is located
under the vehicle, in front of the rear
bumper. SeeCompact Spare Tire
on page 10‑77for more information
about the compact spare.
A. Rear Convenience Center
B. Lug Wrench
C. Storage Compartment Cap Hole
D. Hoist Shaft E. Compact Spare Tire
F. Retainer
G. Hoist Shaft Assembly
1. Open the storage compartment
door of the convenience center
that is nearest the liftgate and
remove the cap on the bottom of
the storage compartment.
2. Open the carpet cutout that is located through the hole of the
storage compartment.
3. Attach the lug wrench into the hoist shaft.
4. Turn the lug wrench counterclockwise to lower the
spare tire to the ground.
Continue turning the wrench until
the spare tire can be pulled out
from under the vehicle.
5. Tilt the retainer and slip itthrough the wheel opening to
remove the spare tire from the
cable.
10-68 Vehicle Care
6. Turn the wrench clockwise toraise the cable back up after
removing the spare tire.
Do not store a full-size or a flat
road tire under the vehicle. See
“Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and
Tools” later in this section.
To continue changing the flat tire,
see “Removing the Flat Tire and
Installing the Spare Tire” later in this
section.
If the spare tire will not lower, the
secondary latch could be engaged. Do the following to check the cable:
1. Check under the vehicle to see if
the cable is visible.
2. If it is not visible, see Secondary
Latch System on page 10‑74.
If it is visible, first try to tighten
the cable by turning the lug
wrench clockwise until you hear
two clicks or feel it skip twice.
You cannot over-tighten the
cable.
3. Loosen the cable by turning the wrench counterclockwise three
or four turns.
4. If the spare tire has not lowered, tighten the cable all the way and
then loosen it at least two times.
If the spare tire did lower to the
ground, continue with Step 5
under “Removing the Spare Tire
(Vehicles with the Rear
Convenience Center)” listed
previously. 5. If you still cannot lower the spare
tire to the ground, see
Secondary Latch System
on
page 10‑74.
Removing the Flat Tire and
Installing the Spare Tire
1. Do a safety check before proceeding. See If a Tire Goes
Flat
on page 10‑56for more
information.
2. If the vehicle has a wheel cover, loosen the plastic nut caps with
the wheel wrench. They will not
come off. Then, using the flat
end of the wheel wrench, pry
along the edge of the cover until
it comes off. Be careful; the
edges may be sharp. Do not try
to remove the cover with your
bare hands.
Store the wheel cover securely
in the rear of the vehicle until
you have the flat tire repaired or
replaced.
Vehicle Care 10-69
If the vehicle has aluminum
wheels, remove the wheel nut
caps using the wheel wrench.
3. Loosen the wheel nuts—but do
not remove them —using the
lug wrench. For wheels with a
wheel lock key, use the wheel
lock key between the lock nut
and lug wrench. The key is
supplied in the front passenger
door pocket.
Notice: If this vehicle has wheel
locks and an impact wrench is
used to remove the wheel nuts,
the lock nut or wheel lock key could be damaged. Do not use an
impact wrench to remove the
wheel nuts if this vehicle has
wheel locks.
4. To identify the appropriate
jacking location, find the
triangle (A) about 12 inches
(30.5 cm) from the front tire
or (B) about 10.5 inches (27 cm)
from the rear tire.
The triangle is located near each
wheel on the vehicle's exterior.
Notice: If a jack is used to raise
the vehicle without positioning it
correctly, the vehicle could be
damaged. When raising the
vehicle on a jack, avoid contact
with the rear axle control arms.
5. Do not raise the vehicle yet. Put the compact spare tire near you.
{WARNING
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.
{WARNING
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 fit the jack lift
head into the proper location
before raising the vehicle.
6. Attach the lug wrench to the jack, and turn the wrench
clockwise to raise the jack head
3 inches (7.6 cm).