Page 110 of 630
Periodic Safety Checks You Should Make Outside
The Vehicle
Tires
Examine tires for excessive tread wear and uneven wear
patterns. Check for stones, nails, glass, or other objects
lodged in the tread or sidewall. Inspect the tread for cuts
and cracks. Inspect sidewalls for cuts, cracks and bulges.
Check the wheel nuts for tightness. Check the tires
(including spare) for proper cold inflation pressure.
Lights
Have someone observe the operation of brake lights and
exterior lights while you work the controls. Check turn
signal and high beam indicator lights on the instrument
panel.
Door Latches
Check for positive closing, latching, and locking.
Fluid Leaks
Check area under vehicle after overnight parking for fuel,
engine coolant, oil, or other fluid leaks. Also, if gasoline
fumes are detected or if fuel, power steering fluid, or
brake fluid leaks are suspected, the cause should be
located and corrected immediately.
108 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
Page 299 of 630

Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC) Display
The Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC) features
a driver-interactive display that is located in the instrument
cluster. For further information, refer to “Electronic Vehicle
Information Center (EVIC)”.
9. Park/Headlight ON Indicator — If Equipped
This indicator will illuminate when the park
lights or headlights are turned on.
10. Tire Pressure Monitoring Telltale Light —
If Equipped
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and in-
flated 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 vehicleplacard or tire inflation pressure label, you should deter-
mine the proper tire inflation pressure for those tires.)
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been
equipped with a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
that illuminates a low tire pressure telltale when one or
more of your tires is significantly under-inflated. Accord-
ingly, when the low tire pressure telltale illuminates, you
should stop and check your tires as soon as possible, and
inflate them to the proper pressure. Driving on a signifi-
cantly under-inflated tire causes the tire to overheat and
can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation also reduces fuel
efficiency and tire tread life, and may affect the vehicle’s
handling and stopping ability.Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for proper
tire maintenance, and it is the driver ’s responsibility to
maintain correct tire pressure, even if under-inflation has
not reached the level to trigger illumination of the TPMS
low tire pressure telltale.
4
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 297
Page 391 of 630

▫Tire Identification Number (TIN)...........438
▫Tire Terminology And Definitions..........439
▫Tire Loading And Tire Pressure...........440
TIRES — GENERAL INFORMATION.........445
▫Tire Pressure........................445
▫Tire Inflation Pressures.................446
▫Radial Ply Tires......................448
▫All Season Tires – If Equipped............449
▫Summer Or Three Season Tires – If Equipped. .449
▫Snow Tires..........................449
▫Spare Tire Matching Original Equipped Tire
And Wheel – If Equipped................450
▫Compact Spare Tire – If Equipped.........451▫Full Size Spare – If Equipped.............452
▫Limited-Use Spare – If Equipped..........452
▫Tire Spinning........................453
▫Tread Wear Indicators..................453
▫Life Of Tire.........................454
▫Replacement Tires.....................455
TIRE CHAINS (TRACTION DEVICES).......456
TIRE ROTATION RECOMMENDATIONS.....457
TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR SYSTEM (TPMS) . .459
▫Base System.........................461
▫Premium System – If Equipped............464
▫General Information...................468
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 389
Page 439 of 630

EXAMPLE:
Service Description:
95= Load Index
— A numerical code associated with the maximum load a tire can carry
H= Speed Symbol
— A symbol indicating the range of speeds at which a tire can carry a load corresponding to
its load index under certain operating conditions
— The maximum speed corresponding to the speed symbol should only be achieved under
specified operating conditions (i.e., tire pressure, vehicle loading, road conditions, and
posted speed limits)
Load Identification:
....blank....= Absence of any text on the sidewall of the tire indicates a Standard Load (SL) tire
Extra Load (XL)= Extra load (or reinforced) tire
Light Load (LL)= Light load tire
C, D, E, F, G= Load range associated with the maximum load a tire can carry at a specified pressure
Maximum Load— Maximum load indicates the maximum load this tire is designed to carry
Maximum Pressure— Maximum pressure indicates the maximum permissible cold tire inflation pressure for
this tire
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 437
Page 441 of 630

EXAMPLE:
DOT MA L9 ABCD 0301
01= Number representing the year in which the tire was manufactured (two digits)
—01 means the year 2001
— Prior to July 2000, tire manufacturers were only required to have one number to represent the
year in which the tire was manufactured. Example: 031 could represent the 3rd week of 1981 or 1991
Tire Terminology And Definitions
Term Definition
B-PillarThe vehicle B-Pillar is the structural member of the body located behind
the front door.
Cold Tire Inflation PressureCold tire inflation pressure is defined as the tire pressure after the vehicle
has not been driven for at least 3 hours, or driven less than 1 mile
(1.6 km) after sitting for a three hour period. Inflation pressure is
measured in units of PSI (pounds per square inch) or kPa (kilopascals).
Maximum Inflation PressureThe maximum inflation pressure is the maximum permissible cold tire
inflation pressure for this tire. The maximum inflation pressure is molded
into the sidewall.5
STARTING AND OPERATING 439
Page 442 of 630
Term Definition
Recommended Cold Tire Inflation
PressureVehicle manufacturer’s recommended cold tire inflation pressure as
shown on the tire placard.
Tire PlacardA paper label permanently attached to the vehicle describing the
vehicle’s loading capacity, the original equipment tire sizes and the
recommended cold tire inflation pressures.
Tire Loading And Tire Pressure
Tire And Loading Information Placard Location
NOTE:The proper cold tire inflation pressure is listed on
the driver ’s side B-Pillar or the rear edge of the driver’s
side door.
Tire Placard Location
440 STARTING AND OPERATING
Page 443 of 630
Tire And Loading Information PlacardThis placard tells you important information about the:
1) number of people that can be carried in the vehicle
2) total weight your vehicle can carry
3) tire size designed for your vehicle
4) cold tire inflation pressures for the front, rear, and
spare tires.
Loading
The vehicle maximum load on the tire must not exceed
the load carrying capacity of the tire on your vehicle. You
will not exceed the tire’s load carrying capacity if you
adhere to the loading conditions, tire size, and cold tire
inflation pressures specified on the Tire and Loading
Information placard and in the “Vehicle Loading” section
of this manual.
Tire and Loading Information Placard
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 441
Page 447 of 630

WARNING!
Overloading of your tires is dangerous. Overloading
can cause tire failure, affect vehicle handling, and
increase your stopping distance. Use tires of the
recommended load capacity for your vehicle. Never
overload them.
TIRES — GENERAL INFORMATION
Tire Pressure
Proper tire inflation pressure is essential to the safe and
satisfactory operation of your vehicle. Three primary
areas are affected by improper tire pressure:
Safety
WARNING!
•Improperly inflated tires are dangerous and can
cause collisions.
•Under-inflation increases tire flexing and can re-
sult in over-heating and tire failure.
•Over-inflation reduces a tire’s ability to cushion
shock. Objects on the road and chuckholes can
cause damage that result in tire failure.
•Over-inflated or under-inflated tires can affect ve-
hicle handling and can fail suddenly, resulting in
loss of vehicle control.
•Unequal tire pressures can cause steering prob-
lems. You could lose control of your vehicle.
(Continued)
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 445