Black plate (25,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-25
{WARNING
You can be seriously injured by a
twisted belt. In a crash, you would
not have the full width of the belt
to spread impact forces. If a belt
is twisted, make it straight so it
can work properly, or ask your
dealer to fix it.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
All seating positions in the vehicle
have a lap-shoulder belt.
If you are using a rear seating
position with a detachable safety
belt and the safety belt is not
attached, see“Returning the
Seat to the Seating Position” under
Third Row Seats on page 3‑13
for instruction on reconnecting
the safety belt to the mini-buckle.
The following instructions explain
how to wear a lap-shoulder belt
properly.
1. Adjust the seat, if the seat is adjustable, so you can sit up
straight. To see how, see “Seats”
in the Index.
2. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you. Do not let it
get twisted.
The lap-shoulder belt may lock if
you pull the belt across you very
quickly. If this happens, let the
belt go back slightly to unlock it.
Then pull the belt across you
more slowly.
Black plate (39,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-39
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.
Passenger (P‐Metric) Tire Example
(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) TPC Spec (Tire
Performance Criteria
Specification)
:Original
equipment tires designed to
GM's specific tire performance
criteria have a TPC specification
code molded onto the sidewall.
GM's TPC specifications 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 Identification
Number (TIN)
:The letters
and numbers following the DOT
(Department of Transportation)
code are 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.
(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
see Uniform Tire Quality
Grading on page 10‑57.
Black plate (41,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-41
(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.
(G) TPC Spec (Tire
Performance Criteria
Specification)
:Original
equipment tires designed to
GM's specific tire performance
criteria have a TPC specification
code molded onto the sidewall.
GM's TPC specifications meet
or exceed all federal safety
guidelines.
Tire Designations
Tire Size
The following is 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.
Black plate (42,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
10-42 Vehicle Care
(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 carrying 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
Definitions
Air Pressure:The amount
of air inside the tire pressing
outward on each square inch
of the tire. Air pressure is
expressed in psi (pounds per
square inch) or kPa (kilopascal). Accessory Weight
: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.
Bead
:The tire bead contains
steel wires wrapped by steel
cords that hold the tire onto
the rim. Bias Ply Tire
:A pneumatic
tire in which the plies are laid
at alternate angles less than
90 degrees to the centerline
of the tread.
Cold Tire Pressure
:The
amount of air pressure in a tire,
measured in kPa (kilopascal)
or psi (pounds per square inch)
before a tire has built up heat
from driving. See Tire Pressure
on page 10‑45.
Curb Weight
:The weight of a
motor vehicle with standard and
optional equipment including
the maximum capacity of fuel,
oil, and coolant, but without
passengers and cargo.
Black plate (57,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-57
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading
Quality grades can be found
where applicable on the tire
sidewall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width.
For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA
Temperature A
The following information relates
to the system developed by the
United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), which grades tires
by treadwear, traction, and
temperature performance.
This applies only to vehicles
sold in the United States.
The grades are molded on the
sidewalls of most passenger
car tires. The Uniform TireQuality Grading (UTQG)
system does not apply to deep
tread, winter-type snow tires,
space-saver, or temporary use
spare tires, tires with nominal
rim diameters of 10 to 12 inches
(25 to 30 cm), 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.
All Passenger Car Tires Must
Conform to Federal Safety
Requirements In Addition
To These Grades.
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 (1½) times as well on
the government 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.
Black plate (59,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-59
Wheel Alignment and Tire
Balance
The tires and wheels were
aligned and balanced at the
factory to provide the longest tire
life and best overall performance.
Adjustments to wheel alignment and
tire balancing will not be necessary
on a regular basis. However, check
the alignment if there is unusual tire
wear or if the vehicle is pulling to
one side or the other. If the vehicle
vibrates when driving on a smooth
road, the tires and wheels might
need to be rebalanced. See your
dealer for proper diagnosis.
Wheel Replacement
Replace any wheel that is bent,
cracked, or badly rusted or
corroded. If wheel nuts keep coming
loose, the wheel, wheel bolts, and
wheel nuts should be replaced.
If the wheel leaks air, replace it.
Some aluminum wheels can be
repaired. See your dealer if any
of these conditions exist.
Your dealer will know the kind of
wheel that is needed.
Each new wheel should have
the same load-carrying capacity,
diameter, width, offset, and be
mounted the same way as the
one it replaces.
Replace wheels, wheel bolts,
wheel nuts, or Tire Pressure Monitor
System (TPMS) sensors with new
GM original equipment parts.{WARNING
Using the wrong replacement
wheels, wheel bolts, or wheel
nuts can be dangerous. It could
affect the braking and handling
of the vehicle. Tires can lose air,
and cause loss of control, causing
a crash. Always use the correct
wheel, wheel bolts, and wheel
nuts for replacement.
Notice: The wrong wheel can
also cause problems with
bearing life, brake cooling,
speedometer or odometer
calibration, headlamp aim,
bumper height, vehicle ground
clearance, and tire or tire chain
clearance to the body and
chassis.
See If a Tire Goes Flat on
page 10‑61 for more information.