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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 (if
equipped), or brake fluid leaks are suspected, the cause
should be located and corrected immediately.
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If the ABS light is on, the brake system should be serviced
as soon as possible to restore the benefits of Anti-Lock
brakes. If the ABS light does not turn on when the
ignition switch is turned to the ON/RUN position, have
the light inspected by an authorized dealer.
8. Tire Pressure Monitoring Telltale Light — If EquippedEach 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 vehicle
placard or tire inflation pressure label, you should deter-
mine the proper tire inflation pressure for those tires.)
As an added safetyfeature, 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.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a TPMS
malfunction indicator to indicate when the system is not
operating properly. The TPMS malfunction indicator is
combined with the low tire pressure telltale. When the
system detects a malfunction, the telltale will flash for
approximately one minute and then remain continuously
4
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POWER STEERING .....................485
▫ Power Steering Fluid Check ..............486
PARKING BRAKE ..................... .487
ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS) .........489
▫ Anti-Lock Brake Warning Light ............491
ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEM . . . .492
▫ Traction Control System (TCS) ............492
▫ Brake Assist System (BAS) ...............493
▫ Electronic Stability Control (ESC) ..........494
▫ Trailer Sway Control (TSC) ..............498
▫ Hill Start Assist (HSA) .................499
TIRE SAFETY INFORMATION .............502
▫ Tire Markings ....................... .502▫
Tire Identification Number (TIN) ...........507
▫ Tire Terminology And Definitions ..........509
▫ Tire Loading And Tire Pressure ...........510
TIRES — GENERAL INFORMATION ........514
▫ Tire Pressure ....................... .514
▫ Tire Inflation Pressures .................516
▫ Tire Pressures For High Speed Operation . . . .517
▫ Radial Ply Tires ..................... .517
▫ All Season Tires – If Equipped ............518
▫ Summer Or Three Season Tires –
If Equipped ......................... .518
▫ Snow Tires ......................... .519
▫ Spare Tire Matching Original Equipped Tire
And Wheel – If Equipped ................519
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EXAMPLE:
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
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Tire Terminology And Definitions
TermDefinition
B-Pillar The vehicle B-Pillar is the structural member of the body located
behind the front door.
Cold Tire Inflation Pressure Cold 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 Pressure The maximum inflation pressure is the maximum permissible
cold tire inflation pressure for this tire. The maximum inflation
pressure is molded into the sidewall.
Recommended Cold Tire Inflation Pres- sure Vehicle manufacturer’s recommended cold tire inflation pressure
as shown on the tire placard.
Tire Placard A 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.
5
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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 And Loading Information Placard
Thisplacard tells you important information about the:
1) number of people that can be carried in the vehicle
2) total weight your vehicle can carryB-PillarLocation for Tire And Loading Information
Placard
Tire and Loading Information Placard
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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.
NOTE:Under a maximum loaded vehicle condition,
gross axle weight ratings (GAWRs) for the front and rear
axles must not be exceeded. For further information on
GAWRs, vehicle loading, and trailer towing, refer to
“Vehicle Loading” in this section. To determine the maximum loading conditions of your
vehicle, locate the statement “The combined weight of
occupants and cargo should never exceed XXX lbs or
XXX kg” on the Tire and Loading Information placard.
The combined weight of occupants, cargo/luggage and
trailer tongue weight (if applicable) should never exceed
the weight referenced here.
Steps For Determining Correct Load Limit
1. Locate the statement “The combined weight of occu-
pants and cargo should never exceed XXX lbs or
XXX kg” on your vehicle’s placard.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that will be riding in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and pas- sengers from XXX lbs or XXX kg.
5
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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)
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