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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 proper 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.
102 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
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6. Park/Headlight ON Indicator
This indicator will illuminate when the park
lights or headlights are turned on.
7. Front Fog Light Indicator — If Equipped
This indicator will illuminate when the front fog
lights are on.
8. Tire Pressure Monitoring Telltale Light
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).
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.
Accordingly, when the low tire pressure telltale illumi-
nates, you should stop and check your tires as soon as
possible and inflate them to the proper pressure. Driving
on a significantly 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
266 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL
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!DRIVING THROUGH WATER.............414
▫Flowing/Rising Water..................414
▫Shallow Standing Water.................414
!ELECTRIC POWER STEERING.............416
!FUEL SAVER TECHNOLOGY 5.7L ENGINE
ONLY — IF EQUIPPED..................417
!PARKING BRAKE......................418
!BRAKE SYSTEM.......................420
!ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEM . . . .421
▫Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)............421
▫Traction Control System (TCS)............423
▫Brake Assist System (BAS)...............424
▫Electronic Stability Control (ESC)..........425
▫Hill Start Assist (HSA).................428
▫Ready Alert Braking...................430
▫Rain Brake Support....................430
▫ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light And
ESC OFF Indicator Light................431
▫Synchronizing ESC....................432
!TIRE SAFETY INFORMATION.............432
▫Tire Markings........................432
▫Tire Identification Number (TIN)...........436
▫Tire Terminology And Definitions..........437
▫Tire Loading And Tire Pressure...........439
!TIRES — GENERAL INFORMATION........444
▫Tire Pressure........................444
▫Tire Inflation Pressures.................446
▫Tire Pressures For High Speed Operation . . . .447
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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:
Absence of the following load identification symbols on the sidewall of the tire indicates a Standard Load (SL) tire:
•XL= Extra load (or reinforced) tire, or
•LL= Light load tire or
•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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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
TermDefinition
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 three hours, or driven
less than 1 mile (1.6 km) after sitting for a minimum of three
hours. Inflation pressure is measured in units of PSI (pounds per
square inch) or kPa (kilopascals).
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TermDefinition
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.
Recommended Cold Tire Inflation
Pressure
Vehicle manufacturer’s recommended cold tire inflation pressure
as shown on the tire placard.
Tire PlacardA label permanently attached to the vehicle describing the vehi-
cle’s loading capacity, the original equipment tire sizes and the
recommended cold tire inflation pressures.
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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.
Example Tire Placard Location (Door)
Example Tire Placard Location (B-Pillar)
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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.
Tire And Loading Information Placard
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