tire type CHEVROLET ASTRO PASSENGER 1994 1.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine right lane. (Remember that your right outside mirror is convex\
. The vehicle you just passed may seem to be farther away from you than
it
really is.)
Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on two-lane roads.
Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.
Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly. Even though the
brake lights are not flashing, it may be slowing down or starting to turn.
If you’re being passed, make it easy for the following driver to get
ahead of you. Perhaps you can ease a little to the right.
Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what happens when the three
control systems (brakes, steering and acceleration) don’t have enough
friction where the tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep
trying to steer and const tly seek an
escape route or area of less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle. Defensive drivers avoid
most skids by taking reasonable care suited to existing conditions, and by
not “overdriving” those conditions. But skids are always possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your Vehicle’s three control systems.
In the braking skid your wheels aren’t rolling. In the steering or cornering
skid, too much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and lose
cornering force. And in the acceleration skid too much throttle causes the
driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best handled by easing your
foot off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the accelerator pedal and
quickly steer the
way you want the vehicle to go. If you start steering
quickly enough, your vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction
is reduced when water, snow, ice, gravel, or other
material is on the road. For safety, you’ll
want to slow down and adjust your
driving to these conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and vehicle control more
limited.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have a GM dealer or a professional towing service tow your vehicle.
They can provide the right equipment and know how
to tow it without
damage.
If your vehicle has been changed or modified since it was factory-new by
adding aftermarket items like fog lamps, aero skirting, or special tires and
wheels, these things can be damaged during towing.
Before you do anything, turn on the hazard warning flashers.
When you call, tell the towing service:
That, if your vehicle has all-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive \
with fog
lamps, it cannot be towed from the front with sling-type equipment.
That your vehicle has rear-wheel drive, or that it has the
The make, model, and year of your vehicle.
all-wheel-drive
option.
0 Whether you can still move the shift lever.
0 If there was an accident, what was damaged.
When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition key off. The steering
wheel should be clamped in a straight-ahead position, with a clamping
device designed for towing service.
Do not use the vehicle’s steering
column lock for this. The transmission should be in “N” (Neutral) and the
parking brake released.
If your vehicle has the all-wheel drive option, it can only be towed with all
four wheels off the ground.
A dolly must be used under the un-raised
wheels when towing or the vehicle must be transported
on a flat bed carrier.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Inflation - Tire Pressure
The Certificatioflire label which is on the rear edge of the driver’s door,
shows the correct inflation pressures for your tires, when they’re cold.
“Cold” means your vehicle has been sitting for at least three hours or driven
no more than a mile.
NOTICE:
Don’t let anyone tell you that underinflation or overinflation is
all right.
It’s not. If your tires don’t have enough air
(underinflation) you can get:
0 Too much flexing
Too much heat
Tire overloading
0 Bad wear
0 Bad handling
0 Bad fuel economy.
If your tires have too much air (overinflation), you can get:
@ Unusual wear
0 Bad handling
6 Rough ride
6 Needless damage from road hazards.
When to Check
Check your tires once a month or more.
Don’t forget your compact spare tire. It should be at
60 psi (420 kPa).
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire pressure. Simply looking
at the tires will not tell you the pressure, especially if you have radial tires
- which may look properly inflated even if they’re underinflate\
d.
If your tires have valve caps, be sure to put them back
on. They help prevent
leaks by keeping out dirt and moisture.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If you ever replace your tires with those not having a TPC Spec number,
make sure they are the same size, load range, speed rating and construction
type (bias, bias-belted
or radial) as your original tires.
_1 - .. .
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
The following information relates to the system developed by the United
States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration which grades tires
by treadwear, traction and temperature performance. (This applies only to
vehicles sold
in the United States.)
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear rate of the
tire
when tested under controlled conditions on a specified government test
course. For example,
a tire graded 150 would wear one and a half (1 1/2)
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 significantly from the norm due to variations in
driving habits, service practices and differences in road characteristics and
climate.
Traction - A, 8, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest are: A, B, and C. They represent
the tire’s ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specified 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 braking
(straight-ahead) traction tests and does not include cornering (turning)
traction.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Temperature - A, By 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 specified indoor laborat\
ory test
wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause the material 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 inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation, or
excessive loading, either separately or in combination, can cause heat
buildup and possible tire failure.
These grades are molded on the sidewalls
of passenger car tires.
While the tires available as standard or optional equipment on General
Motors vehicles may vary with respect to these grades, all suc\
h tires meet General Motors performance standards and have been approved for use
on
General Motors vehicles. All passenger type (P Metric) tires must conform
to Federal safety requirements
in addition to these grades.
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
The wheels on your vehicle were aligned and balanced carefully at \
the
factory to give you the longest tire life and best overall performance.
In most cases, you will not need to have your wheels aligned again.
However, if you notice unusual tire wear or your vehicle pulling
one way or
the other, the alignment may need
to be reset. If you notice your vehicle
vibrating when driving on a smooth road, your wheels may need \
to be
rebalanced.
Wheel Replacement
Replace any wheel that is bent, cracked or badly rusted. 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
GM dealer if any of these conditions exist.
Your dealer will know the kind of wheel
you need.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Tire Chains
NOTICE:
If your vehicle has P245/60R15 size tires, don’t use tire chains;
they can damage your vehicle.
If you have other size tires, use tire chains only where legal and
only when you must. Use only
SAE Class “S” type chains that
are the proper size for your tires. Install them on the rear axle
tires and tighten them
as tightly as possible with the ends
securely fastened. Drive slowly and follow the chain
manufacturer’s instructions. If you can hear the chains
contacting your vehicle, stop and retighten them.
If the contact
continues, slow down until it stops. Driving too fast with chains
on will damage your vehicle.
Appearance Care
P
Remember, cleaning products can be hazardous. Some are toxic. Others can
burst into flame if you strike a match or get them on a hot part
of the
vehicle. Some are dangerous if
you breathe their fumes in a closed space.
When you use anything from
a container to clean your vehicle, be sure to
follow the manufacturer’s warnings and instructions. And alway\
s open your
doors or windows when you’re cleaning the inside.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Never use these to clean your vehicle:
Paint Thinner
Turpentine
Lacquer Thinner
Nail Polish Remover
Gasoline
0 Benzene
Naphtha
Carbon Tetrachloride
Acetone
They can all be hazardous
- some more than others - and they can all
damage your vehicle, too.
Don’t use any of these unless this manual says you can. In many uses, these
will damage your vehicle:
Alcohol
Laundry Soap
Bleach
Reducing Agents
Cleaning the Inside of Your
Use a vacuum cleaner often to get rid of dust and loose dirt. Wipe vinyl or
leather with a clean, damp cloth.
Your GM dealer has two GM cleaners,
a solvent-type spot lifter and a
foam-type powdered cleaner. They
will clean normal spots and stains very
well.
Do not use them on vinyl or leather.
Here are some cleaning tips:
0
0
0
0
0
Always read the instructions on the cleaner label.
Clean
up stains as soon as you can - before they set.
Use a clean cloth or sponge, and change to a clean area often. A soft
brush may be used if stains are stubborn.
Use solvent-type cleaners
in a well-ventilated area only. If you use
them, don’t saturate the stained area.
If a ring forms after spot cleaning, clean the entire area immediately or
it will set.
6-55