tire type CHEVROLET UPLANDER 2009 1.G Owners Manual

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, the wheels are
not 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.
Remember: Any traction control system helps avoid only
the acceleration skid. If your traction control system is
off, then an acceleration skid is 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 will 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.While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration, or
braking, including reducing vehicle speed by shifting to a
lower gear. Any sudden changes could cause the tires to
slide. You may not realize the surface is slippery until
your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues — such as enough water, ice, or packed snow on
the road to make a mirrored surface — and slow down
when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any Antilock Brake System (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving
because some drivers are likely to be impaired — by
alcohol or drugs, with night vision problems, or by fatigue.
Night driving tips include:
Drive defensively.
Do not drink and drive.
Reduce headlamp glare by adjusting the inside
rearview mirror.
Slow down and keep more space between you and
other vehicles because headlamps can only light up
so much road ahead.
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Watch for animals.
When tired, pull off the road.
Do not wear sunglasses.
Avoid staring directly into approaching headlamps.
Keep the windshield and all glass on your vehicle
clean — inside and out.
Keep your eyes moving, especially during turns or
curves.
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime.
But, as we get older, these differences increase.
A 50-year-old driver might need at least twice as much
light to see the same thing at night as a 20-year-old.
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can reduce vehicle traction
and affect your ability to stop and accelerate. Always
drive slower in these types of driving conditions
and avoid driving through large puddles and
deep-standing or owing water.
{CAUTION:
Wet brakes can cause crashes. They might not
work as well in a quick stop and could cause pulling
to one side. You could lose control of the vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle of water or a
car/vehicle wash, lightly apply the brake pedal until
the brakes work normally.
Flowing or rushing water creates strong forces.
Driving through owing water could cause your
vehicle to be carried away. If this happens, you and
other vehicle occupants could drown. Do not ignore
police warnings and be very cautious about trying to
drive through owing water.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. Water can build up under
your vehicle’s tires so they actually ride on the water. This
can happen if the road is wet enough and you are going
fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning, it has
little or no contact with the road.
There is no hard and fast rule about hydroplaning.
The best advice is to slow down when the road is wet.
4-13

The effect of tongue weight is about 1.5 times the actual
weight. Dividing the 900 lbs (408 kg) by 1.5 leaves you
with being able to handle only 600 lbs (272 kg) of tongue
weight. Since tongue weight is usually at least 10 percent
of total loaded trailer weight, you can expect that the
largest trailer your vehicle can properly handle is
6,000 lbs (2 721 kg).
It is important that you make sure your vehicle does not
exceed any of its ratings — GCWR, GVWR, RGAWR,
Maximum Trailer Rating or Tongue Weight. The
only way to be sure you are not exceeding any of
these ratings is to weigh your vehicle and trailer.
Total Weight on Your Vehicle’s Tires
Be sure your vehicle’s tires are inated to the upper
limit for cold tires. You will nd these numbers on
the Certication/Tire label at the rear edge of the driver’s
door or seeLoading the Vehicle on page 4-19. Then
be sure you do not go over the GVW limit for your
vehicle, including the weight of the trailer tongue.
Hitches
It is important to have the correct hitch equipment.
Crosswinds, large trucks going by, and rough roads are
a few reasons why you will need the right hitch. Here
are some rules to follow:
The bumpers on your vehicle are not intended
for hitches. Do not attach rental hitches or other
bumper-type hitches to them. Use only a
frame-mounted hitch that does not attach to
the bumper.
Will you have to make any holes in the body of your
vehicle when you install a trailer hitch?
If you do, remember to seal the holes later when you
remove the hitch. If you do not seal them, deadly
carbon monoxide (CO) from your exhaust can get
into your vehicle. SeeEngine Exhaust on page 2-41.
Dirt and water can, too.
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Tire Sidewall Labeling
Useful information about a tire is molded into its
sidewall. The examples below show a typical
passenger vehicle tire and a compact spare tire
sidewall.(A) Tire Size
:The tire size 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 (Department of
Transportation) code is 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. Passenger (P-Metric) Tire Example
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(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 seeUniform Tire Quality
Grading on page 5-67.
(G) Maximum Cold Ination Load Limit
:Maximum load that can be carried and the
maximum pressure needed to support that load.(A) Temporary Use Only
:The compact
spare tire or temporary use tire has a tread life of
approximately 3,000 miles (5 000 km) and should
not be driven at speeds over 65 mph (105 km/h).
The compact spare tire is for emergency use when
a regular road tire has lost air and gone at. If your
vehicle has a compact spare tire, seeCompact
Spare Tire on page 5-88andIf a Tire Goes Flat
on page 5-73.
(B) Tire Ply Material
:The type of cord and
number of plies in the sidewall and under the
tread.
(C) Tire Identication Number (TIN)
:The letters
and numbers following the DOT (Department of
Transportation) code is 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.
(D) Maximum Cold Ination Load Limit
:Maximum load that can be carried and the
maximum pressure needed to support that load.
Compact Spare Tire Example
5-49

(E) Tire Ination:The temporary use tire or
compact spare tire should be inated to 60 psi
(420 kPa). For more information on tire pressure
and ination seeInflation - Tire Pressure on
page 5-54.
(F) Tire Size
:A combination of letters and
numbers dene a tire’s width, height, aspect
ratio, construction type, and service description.
The letter T as the rst character in the tire
size means the tire is for temporary use only.
(G) 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.Tire Size
The following illustration shows an example of a
typical passenger vehicle 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.
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(C) Aspect Ratio:A two-digit number that
indicates the tire height-to-width measurements.
For example, if the tire size aspect ratio is 60, as
shown in item C of the illustration, it would mean
that the tire’s sidewall is 60 percent 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
:These characters
represent the load range and speed rating of the
tire. The load index represents the load carry
capacity a tire is certied to carry. The load index
can range from 1 to 279. The speed rating is
the maximum speed a tire is certied to carry
a load. Speed ratings range from A to Z.
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.
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When to Check
Check your tires once a month or more. Do not
forget to check the compact spare tire, it should
be at 60 psi (420 kPa). For additional information
regarding the compact spare tire, seeCompact
Spare Tire on page 5-88.
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 are
under-inated. 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
ination 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.
Re-check 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.
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GM recommends replacing tires in sets of four.
This is because uniform tread depth on all tires
will help keep your vehicle performing most like
it did when the tires were new. Replacing less
than a full set of tires can affect the braking
and handling performance of your vehicle.
SeeTire Inspection and Rotation on page 5-62
for information on proper tire rotation.
{CAUTION:
Mixing tires could cause you to lose control
while driving. If you mix tires of different
sizes, brands, or types (radial and bias-belted
tires), the vehicle may not handle properly,
and you could have a crash. Using tires of
different sizes, brands, or types may also
cause damage to your vehicle. Be sure to
use the correct size, brand, and type of
tires on all wheels. It is all right to drive
with your compact spare temporarily, as
it was developed for use on your vehicle.
SeeCompact Spare Tire on page 5-88.
{CAUTION:
If you use bias-ply tires on the vehicle, the
wheel rim anges could develop cracks after
many miles of driving. A tire and/or wheel
could fail suddenly, causing a crash. Use
only radial-ply tires with the wheels on the
vehicle.
If you must replace your vehicle’s tires with those
that do not have a TPC Spec number, make
sure they are the same size, load range, speed
rating, and construction type (radial and
bias-belted tires) as your vehicle’s original tires.
Vehicles that have a tire pressure monitoring
system could give an inaccurate low-pressure
warning if non-TPC Spec rated tires are installed
on your vehicle. Non-TPC Spec rated tires
may give a low-pressure warning that is higher
or lower than the proper warning level you would
get with TPC Spec rated tires. SeeTire Pressure
Monitor System on page 5-57.
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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.
5-67