wheel alignment BUICK RAINIER 2005 Owner's Manual

Service............................................................5-3
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-4
Adding Equipment to the Outside of Your
Vehicle......................................................5-5
Fuel................................................................5-5
Gasoline Octane............................................5-5
Gasoline Specications....................................5-5
California Fuel...............................................5-5
Additives.......................................................5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-7
Filling Your Tank............................................5-7
Filling a Portable Fuel Container.......................5-9
Checking Things Under the Hood....................5-10
Hood Release..............................................5-10
Engine Compartment Overview.......................5-12
Engine Oil...................................................5-16
Engine Oil Life System..................................5-19
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-20
Automatic Transmission Fluid.........................5-22
Engine Coolant.............................................5-24
Radiator Pressure Cap..................................5-27
Engine Overheating.......................................5-27
Cooling System............................................5-29
Engine Fan Noise.........................................5-34
Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-35
Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-36Brakes........................................................5-37
Battery........................................................5-40
Jump Starting...............................................5-41
All-Wheel Drive..............................................5-46
Rear Axle.......................................................5-46
Front Axle......................................................5-47
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-48
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-48
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker,
and Parking Lamps....................................5-49
Taillamps and Turn Signal Lamps...................5-49
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-50
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-51
Tires..............................................................5-53
Tire Sidewall Labelling...................................5-54
Tire Terminology and Denitions.....................5-57
Ination - Tire Pressure.................................5-59
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-60
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-62
Buying New Tires.........................................5-62
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-63
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-64
Wheel Replacement......................................5-65
Tire Chains..................................................5-66
Accessory Inator.........................................5-67
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

A Tire and Loading Information label is attached to the
vehicle’s center pillar (B-pillar), below the driver’s
door latch. This label shows your vehicle’s original
equipment tires and the correct ination pressures for
your tires when they are cold. The recommended
cold tire ination pressure, shown on the label, is the
minimum amount of air pressure needed to support your
vehicle’s maximum load carrying capacity.
For additional information regarding how much weight
your vehicle can carry, and an example of the tire
and loading information label, seeLoading Your Vehicle
on page 4-43. How you load your vehicle affects
vehicle handling and ride comfort, never load your
vehicle with more weight than it was designed to carry.
When to Check
Check your tires once a month or more.
Also, check the tire pressure of the spare tire.
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire
pressure. You cannot tell if your tires are properly inated
simply by looking at them. Radial tires may look properly
inated even when they’re underinated. Check the tire’s
ination 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 rmly onto the valve to get a pressure
measurement. If the cold tire ination pressure matches
the recommended pressure on the tire and loading
information label, no further adjustment is necessary. If
the pressure is low, add air until you reach the
recommended amount.
If you overll the tire, release air by pushing on the
metal stem in the center of the tire valve. Recheck 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 Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be rotated every 5,000 to 8,000 miles
(8 000 to 13 000 km).
Any time you notice unusual wear, rotate your tires as
soon as possible and check wheel alignment. Also
check for damaged tires or wheels. SeeWhen It Is Time
for New Tires on page 5-62andWheel Replacement
on page 5-65for more information.
Make sure the spare tire is stored securely. Push, pull,
and then try to rotate or turn the tire. If it moves,
use the wheel wrench to tighten the cable. For
information on storing or removing the spare tire, see
Changing a Flat Tire on page 5-69.
5-60

Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specied government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and
a half (1.5) 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 signicantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits, service practices and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction – AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A,
B, and C. Those grades represent the tire’s ability
to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specied government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance. Warning: The traction grade
assigned to this tire is based on straight-ahead braking
traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction characteristics.
Temperature – A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire’s resistance to the generation of heat
and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions on a specied indoor laboratory test
wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause thematerial of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead to sudden tire failure.
The grade C corresponds to a level of performance which
all passenger car tires must meet under the Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109. Grades B and A
represent higher levels of performance on the laboratory
test wheel than the minimum required by law.
Warning: The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly inated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed, underination, or
excessive loading, either separately or in combination,
can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
The tires and wheels on your vehicle were aligned and
balanced carefully at the factory to give you the longest
tire life and best overall performance. Adjustments to
wheel alignment and tire balancing will not be necessary
on a regular basis. However, if you notice unusual tire
wear or your vehicle pulling to one side or the other, the
alignment may need to be checked. If you notice your
vehicle vibrating when driving on a smooth road, your
tires and wheels may need to be rebalanced. See your
dealer for proper diagnosis.
5-64

Spare Tire.....................................................5-82
Installing....................................................5-72
Removing...................................................5-70
Storing.......................................................5-80
Specications, Capacities...............................5-102
Speedometer..................................................3-27
Starting Your Engine.......................................2-20
Steering........................................................4-10
Steering Wheel Controls, Audio.......................3-121
Steering Wheel, Tilt Wheel................................. 3-6
Storage Areas
Center Console Storage Area........................2-47
Convenience Net.........................................2-49
Glove Box..................................................2-46
Luggage Carrier..........................................2-47
Overhead Console.......................................2-46
Rear Floor Storage Lid.................................2-48
Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow......................4-42
Sun Visors.....................................................2-16
Sunroof.........................................................2-50
T
Tachometer....................................................3-27
Taillamps
Turn Signal Lamps......................................5-49
Theft-Deterrent, Radio....................................3-121Theft-Deterrent Systems...................................2-16
Content Theft-Deterrent................................2-16
Passlock
®...................................................2-18
Throttle, Adjustable..........................................2-21
Tilt Wheel........................................................ 3-6
Tires.............................................................5-53
Aluminum Wheels, Cleaning..........................5-88
Buying New Tires........................................5-62
Chains.......................................................5-66
Changing a Flat Tire....................................5-69
Cleaning....................................................5-89
If a Tire Goes Flat.......................................5-68
Ination -- Tire Pressure...............................5-59
Inspection and Rotation................................5-60
Installing the Spare Tire................................5-72
Removing the Flat Tire.................................5-72
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools...............5-70
Secondary Latch System..............................5-77
Spare Tire..................................................5-82
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools............5-80
Tire Sidewall Labelling..................................5-54
Tire Terminology and Denitions....................5-57
Uniform Tire Quality Grading.........................5-63
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance.................5-64
Wheel Replacement.....................................5-65
When It Is Time for New Tires......................5-62
12

Top Strap......................................................1-36
Top Strap Anchor Location...............................1-37
Towing
Recreational Vehicle.....................................4-50
Towing a Trailer..........................................4-50
Your Vehicle...............................................4-50
Traction
Assist System (TAS)...................................... 4-8
Transmission
Fluid, Automatic...........................................5-22
Transmission Operation, Automatic....................2-22
Trip Odometer................................................3-27
Turn and Lane-Change Signals.......................... 3-7
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever........................... 3-7
U
Understanding Radio Reception.......................3-122
Uniform Tire Quality Grading............................5-63
V
Vehicle
Control........................................................ 4-5
Damage Warnings........................................... iv
Symbols......................................................... iv
Vehicle Customization, DIC..............................3-50Vehicle Data Collection and Event Data
Recorders.................................................... 7-9
Vehicle Identication
Number (VIN).............................................5-91
Service Parts Identication Label...................5-91
Vehicle Personalization
Memory Seat..............................................2-51
Ventilation Adjustment......................................3-24
Visors...........................................................2-16
Voltmeter Gage..............................................3-32
W
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators................3-25
Warnings
DIC Warnings and Messages........................3-47
Hazard Warning Flashers............................... 3-6
Other Warning Devices.................................. 3-6
Safety and Symbols......................................... iii
Vehicle Damage.............................................. iv
Wheels
Alignment and Tire Balance..........................5-64
Replacement...............................................5-65
Where to Put the Restraint...............................1-35
Windows.......................................................2-14
Power........................................................2-15
Windshield
Backglass, and Wiper Blades, Cleaning..........5-88
13