2010 PONTIAC VIBE tire type

RDS relies on receiving specific
information from radio stations and
only works when the information is
available. In rare cases, a radio
station could broadcast incorrect
information that causes the radio
features to work improperly. Contact
the radio station if this happens.
When the radio is tuned to an
RDS station, the station name
or call letters display instead of the
frequency. RDS stations can also
provide the time of day, a program
type (PTY) for current programming,
and the name of the program being
broadcast.
RDS Messages
ALERT:Displays when local
or national emergency
announcements are received.
If the radio tunes to a related network
station for the announcement,
it returns to the original station
when the announcement ends. The announcement should be heard
even if the volume is low or a CD is
playing. If a CD is playing, it will stop
playing during the announcement.
•The RDS alert feature is not
supported by all RDS radio
stations.
•The RDS alert feature cannot be
turned off.
•Alert is not affected by tests of the
emergency broadcast system.
MSG (Message): Displays if the
current RDS station has a message.
The message displays the artist,
song title, call in phone numbers,
etc. If the entire message does
not display, parts of the message
appear every three seconds until
the message is completed.
MSG disappears from the display
once the completed message
has displayed.
Finding a Station
BAND: Press to select AM, FM, or
XM (if equipped).
TUNE ADJ (Tune/Adjust): Turn to
select radio stations.
ySEEK TRACKz: Press to go
to the previous or next radio station.
The radio only stops at stations
with a strong signal.
SCAN: Press to enter scan mode.
The radio will display Scanning, then
goes to the next station, plays for a
few seconds, then continues on to
the next station. Press SCAN again
to stop scanning. The radio only
stops at stations with a strong signal.
INFO (Information) (FM-RDS,
XM™ Satellite Radio Service, and
MP3 Features): Press to display
information for the current FM-RDS,
XM station, or MP3 song. Choose
from Channel, Song, Artist, and
CAT (category).
NO INFO displays when information
is not available from the station.
Infotainment System 6-5

The three types of skids correspond
to the vehicle’s three control
systems. In the braking skid, the
wheels are not rolling. In the steering
or cornering skid, too much speed or
steering in a curve causes tires to
slip and lose cornering force. And in
the acceleration skid, too much
throttle causes the driving wheels
to spin.
If the vehicle starts to slide, ease
your foot off the accelerator pedal
and quickly steer the way you want
the vehicle to go. If you start steering
quickly enough, the vehicle may
straighten out. Always be ready
for a second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when
water, snow, ice, gravel, or other
material is on the road. For safety,
slow down and adjust your driving to
these conditions. It is important to
slow down on slippery surfaces
because stopping distance is longer
and vehicle control more limited.While driving on a surface with
reduced traction, try your best to
avoid sudden steering, acceleration,
or braking, including reducing vehicle
speed by shifting to a lower gear.
Any sudden changes could cause
the tires to slide. You might not
realize the surface is slippery until
the vehicle is skidding. Learn to
recognize warning clues — such as
enough water, ice, or packed snow
on the road to make a mirrored
surface — and slow down when you
have any doubt.
Remember: Any Antilock Brake
System (ABS) helps avoid only the
braking skid.
Driving on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can reduce
vehicle traction and affect your ability
to stop and accelerate. Always drive
slower in these types of driving
conditions and avoid driving through
large puddles and deep-standing or
flowing water.
{CAUTION
Wet brakes can cause crashes.
They might not work as well in
a quick stop and could cause
pulling to one side. You could
lose control of the vehicle.
After driving through a large
puddle of water or a car/vehicle
wash, lightly apply the brake pedal
until the brakes work normally.
Flowing or rushing water creates
strong forces. Driving through
flowing water could cause your
vehicle to be carried away. If this
happens, you and other vehicle
occupants could drown. Do not
ignore police warnings and be
very cautious about trying to
drive through flowing water.
Driving and Operating 8-7

The trailer tongue (A) should weigh
10 to 15 percent of the total loaded
trailer weight (B).
After loading the trailer, weigh
the trailer and then the tongue,
separately, to see if the weights are
proper. If they aren’t, adjustments
might be made by moving some
items around in the trailer.
Total Weight on Your Vehicle’s
Tires
Be sure the vehicle’s tires are
inflated to the upper limit for cold
tires. These numbers can be found
on the Tire-Loading Information
label. SeeVehicle Load Limits on
page 8-12. Make sure not to go over
the GVW limit for the vehicle,
including the weight of the trailer
tongue.
Towing Equipment
Hitches
It is important to have the correct
hitch equipment. Crosswinds, large
trucks going by and rough roads are
a few reasons why the right hitch is
needed.
•The rear bumper on the vehicle is
not intended for hitches. Do not
attach rental hitches or other
bumper-type hitches to it. Use
only a frame-mounted hitch that
does not attach to the bumper.
•Will any holes be made in the
body of the vehicle when the
trailer hitch is installed? If there
are, then be sure to seal the holes
later when the hitch is removed.
If the holes are not sealed, dirt,
water, and deadly carbon
monoxide (CO) from the exhaust
can get into the vehicle. See
Engine Exhaust on page 8-23 .
Safety Chains
Always attach chains between the
vehicle and the trailer. Cross the
safety chains under the tongue of the
trailer to help prevent the tongue
from contacting the road if it
becomes separated from the hitch.
Always leave just enough slack so
the rig can turn. Never allow safety
chains to drag on the ground.
Driving and Operating 8-49

Tire Sidewall Labeling
Useful information about a
tire is molded into its sidewall.
The examples 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 define 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) 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.
(C) Tire Identication Number
(TIN)
:The letters and numbers
following DOT (Department of
Transportation) code is the Tire
Identification 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) Tire Ply Material
:The type
of cord and number of plies
in the sidewall and under
the tread.
(E) 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
see Uniform Tire Quality Grading
on page 9-58.
(F) Maximum Cold Ination
Load Limit
:Maximum load
that can be carried and the
maximum pressure needed
to support that load.
Passenger (P-Metric) Tire
Example
9-44 Vehicle Care

(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 aregular road tire has lost air and
gone flat. If your vehicle has a
compact spare tire. See
Compact
Spare Tire on page 9-68 andIf a
Tire Goes Flat on page 9-62 .
(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 Identification 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 inflated
to 60 psi (420 kPa). For more
information on tire pressure and
inflation see Tire Pressure on
page 9-49.
(F) Tire Size
:A combination
of letters and numbers define a
tire’s width, height, aspect ratio,
construction type, and service
description. The letter T as the
first character in the tire size
means the tire is for temporary
use only.Compact Spare Tire Example
Vehicle Care 9-45

Tire Designations
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 first 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
certified to carry. The speed
rating is the maximum speed a
tire is certified to carry a load.
Tire Terminology and
Denitions
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.
9-46 Vehicle Care

When to Check
Check your tires once a
month or more. Do not forget
to check the compact spare
tire, if the vehicle has one.
The compact spare should be at
60 psi (420 kPa). For additional
information regarding the
compact spare tire, seeCompact
Spare Tire on page 9-68.
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type
gage to check tire pressure.
You cannot tell if your tires
are properly inflated simply by
looking at them. Radial tires may
look properly inflated even when
they are under-inflated. Check
the tire’s inflation 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 firmly onto the valve
to get a pressure measurement.
If the cold tire inflation pressure
matches the recommended
pressure on the Tire and Loading
Information label, no further
adjustment is necessary. If the
inflation pressure is low, add air
until you reach the recommended
amount.
If you overfill 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.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 inflated to
the inflation pressure recommended
by the vehicle manufacturer on the
vehicle placard or tire inflation
pressure label. (If your vehicle has
tires of a different size than the size
indicated on the vehicle placard or
tire inflation pressure label, you
should determine the proper tire
inflation pressure for those tires.)
9-50 Vehicle Care

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 1/16 inch (1.6 mm)
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.
The rubber in tires degrades over
time, even if they are not being used.
This is also true for the spare tire,
if the vehicle has one. Multiple
conditions affect how fast this aging
takes place, including temperatures,
loading conditions, and inflation pressure maintenance. With proper
care and maintenance tires typically
wear out before they degrade due to
age. If you are unsure about the
need to replace the tires as they get
older, consult the tire manufacturer
for more information.
Buying New Tires
GM has developed and matched
specific tires for the vehicle. If you
need replacement tires, GM strongly
recommends that you get tires that
are the same size, brand, load range,
speed rating, and construction type
(radial and bias-belted tires) as the
vehicle’s original tires. This way, the
vehicle will continue to have tires
that are designed to give the same
performance and vehicle safety,
during normal use, as the original
tires. See
Tire Sidewall Labeling on
page 9-44 for additional information.
9-56 Vehicle Care