width CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV 2008 Owners Manual

Q: What is wrong with this?
A: The belt is twisted across the body. { CAUTION: 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/retailer to x it.
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Driving Across an Incline Sooner or later, an off-road trail will probably go across
the incline of a hill. If this happens, you have to decide
whether to try to drive across the incline. Here are some
things to consider:
{ CAUTION: Driving across an incline that is too steep will
make your vehicle roll over. You could be
seriously injured or killed. If you have any
doubt about the steepness of the incline, do
not drive across it. Find another route instead.
A hill that can be driven straight up or down
may be too steep to drive across. When you
go straight up or down a hill, the length of the
wheel base — the distance from the front wheels
to the rear wheels — reduces the likelihood
the vehicle will tumble end over end. But when
you drive across an incline, the much more narrow
track width — the distance between the left and
right wheels — may not prevent the vehicle
from tilting and rolling over. Also, driving across
an incline puts more weight on the downhill wheels.
This could cause a downhill slide or a rollover. Surface conditions can be a problem when you
drive across a hill. Loose gravel, muddy spots,
or even wet grass can cause the tires to slip
sideways, downhill. If the vehicle slips sideways,
it can hit something that will trip it — a rock, a rut,
etc. — and roll over.
Hidden obstacles can make the steepness of the
incline even worse. If you drive across a rock with the
uphill wheels, or if the downhill wheels drop into a rut
or depression, your vehicle can tilt even more.
For reasons like these, you need to decide carefully
whether to try to drive across an incline. Just because the
trail goes across the incline does not mean you have to
drive it. The last vehicle to try it might have rolled over.
When driving across an incline that is not too steep, the
vehicle can hit some loose gravel and start to slide
downhill. If you feel your vehicle starting to slide
sideways, turn downhill. This should help straighten out
the vehicle and prevent the side slipping. However, a
much better way to prevent this is to get out and “walk
the course” so you know what the surface is like
before you drive it.
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Headlamp aiming is done with the vehicle’s low-beam
headlamps. The high-beam headlamps will be correctly
aimed if the low-beam headlamps are aimed properly.
To adjust the vertical aim:
1. Open the hood. See Hood Release on page 5-11
for more information.
2. Locate the center of
the projector lens
of the low-beam
headlamp.
3. Record the distance from the ground to the center
of the projector lens of the low-beam headlamp. 4. At a wall, measure from the ground upward (A) to
the recorded distance from Step 3 and mark it.
5. Draw or tape a horizontal line (B) on the wall the
width of the vehicle at the height of the mark
in Step 4.
Notice: Do not cover a headlamp to improve beam
cut-off when aiming. Covering a headlamp may
cause excessive heat build-up which may cause
damage to the headlamp.
6. Turn on the low-beam headlamps and place a
piece of cardboard or equivalent in front of the
headlamp not being adjusted. This allows only the
beam of light from the headlamp being adjusted
to be seen on the at surface.
5-49

Tire Sidewall Labeling Useful information about a tire is molded into the
sidewall. The following illustration is an example
of a typical P-Metric tire sidewall.
(A) Tire Size :
The tire size code is a combination
of letters and numbers used to dene 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
Specication) :
Original equipment tires designed
to GM’s specic tire performance criteria have
a TPC specication code molded onto the sidewall.
GM’s TPC specications 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 Identication Number (TIN) :
The letters
and numbers following DOT code are the Tire
Identication 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 5-74 .Passenger (P-Metric) Tire
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(G) Maximum Cold Ination Load Limit :
Maximum load that can be carried and the
maximum pressure needed to support that load.
For information on recommended tire pressure
see Inflation - Tire Pressure on page 5-62
and Loading Your Vehicle on page 4-35 .
Tire Size The following examples show the different parts of
a tire size.
(A) Passenger (P-Metric) Tire :
The United States
version of a metric tire sizing system. The letter P
as the rst 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 75,
as shown in item C of the light truck (LT-Metric)
tire illustration, it would mean that the tire’s
sidewall is 75% 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.
(E) Rim Diameter :
Diameter of the wheel in
inches.
(F) Service Description :
The service description
indicates the load range and speed rating of a
tire. The load index can range from 1 to 279.
Speed ratings range from A to Z.Passenger (P-Metric) Tire
5-58

Tire Terminology and Denitions Air Pressure :
The amount of air inside the
tire pressing outward on each square inch of the
tire. Air pressure is expressed in pounds per
square inch (psi) or kilopascal (kPa).
Accessory Weight :
This means 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 pounds per square inch
(psi) or kilopascals (kPa) before a tire has built up
heat from driving. See Inflation - Tire Pressure
on page 5-62 .
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.
DOT Markings :
A code molded into the sidewall
of a tire signifying that the tire is in compliance
with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)
motor vehicle safety standards. The DOT code
includes the Tire Identication Number (TIN),
an alphanumeric designator which can also identify
the tire manufacturer, production plant, brand,
and date of production.
GVWR :
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.
See Loading Your Vehicle on page 4-35 .
GAWR FRT :
Gross Axle Weight Rating for
the front axle. See Loading Your Vehicle on
page 4-35 .
5-59

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 Tire Quality 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. 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.
5-74

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 (except some
aluminum wheels, which can sometimes be repaired).
See your dealer/retailer if any of these conditions exist.
Your dealer/retailer will know the kind of wheel you need.
Each new wheel should have the same load-carrying
capacity, diameter, width, offset, and be mounted
the same way as the one it replaces.
If you need to replace any of your wheels, wheel bolts,
wheel nuts, or Tire Pressure Monitor System (TPMS)
sensors, replace them only with new GM original
equipment parts. This way, you will be sure to have the
right wheel, wheel bolts, wheel nuts, and TPMS
sensors for your vehicle. { CAUTION: Using the wrong replacement wheels, wheel
bolts, or wheel nuts on your vehicle can be
dangerous. It could affect the braking and
handling of your vehicle, make your tires lose
air and make you lose control. You could have
a collision in which you or others could be
injured. 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 Changing a Flat Tire on page 5-79 for more
information.
5-76