OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE 2003 Owners Manual

Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires you need, look at
the Certificationflire label.
The tires installed on your vehicle when it was new had a
Tire Petformance Criteria Specification (TPC Spec)
number on each tire’s sidewall. When you get new tires,
get ones with that same TPC Spec number. That way
your vehicle will continue to have tires that are designed
to give proper endurance, handling, speed rating,
traction, ride and other things during normal service on
your vehicle. If your tires have an all-season tread design,
the TPC number will be followed by an
“MS” (for mud
and snow).
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. Mixing tires coul-.
Lause you to lose control
while driving. If you mix tires of different sizes
or types (radial and bias-belted tires), the
vehicle may not handle properly, and you
could have a crash. Using tires
of different
sizes may also cause damage to your vehicle.
Be sure to use the same size and type tires on
all wheels. It’s
all right to drive with your
compact spare temporarily,
it was developed
for use on your vehicle. See “Compact Spare
Tire”
in the index.
If you use bias-ply
1 1s on your vehicle, the
wheel rim flanges 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 your vehicle.
5-64

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, 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
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
Performance Criteria (TPC) standards.
-.-A -A-l:*:---l fi,,,,,I ill^+-”, T:”- It=~Ullt=lllelltb allu ~UUI~IUIIQI UCIICI~~ lvlulula I IIG
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
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 significantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits, service practices and differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction - AA, A, 9, 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 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 straight-ahead braking
traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
wrrlerir~ly, ilydlupih1Gl^ly, wr pea“ tIdwuI I cII la1 c~wz;I 1aL1t-a. ._ - - 1. A..- -A: - .- -L. -+--:-+:--
5-65

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 specified indoor
laboratory 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.
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.
Scheduled wheel alignment and wheel balancing are
not needed. 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
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
if any of these conditions exist.
Your dealer 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.
5-66

If you need to replace any of your wheels, wheel bolts or
wheel nuts, replace them only with new GM original
equipment parts. This way, you will be sure to have the
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.
I
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 5-70 for more
information.
Used Replacement WI els
Putting a used wheel on your vehicle is
dangerous. You can’t know how it’s been used
or how far it’s been driven. It could fail suddenly
and cause a crash. If you have to replace a
wheel, use a new
GM original equipment wheel.
Tire Chains
Notice: 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 front tires and tighten them as tightly
as possible with the ends securely fastened.
Drive slowly and follow the chain manufacturer’s
your vehicle, stop and retighten them. If the contact continues, slow down until
it stops. Driving too
fast or spinning the wheels with chains on will
damage your vehicle.
!-- -I-~---I’- ~- - If . L IL- -L-.-- --.-*-.-a:--. I~IS1ruC;LIVIIs. II yuu ual~ Ileal ~lle Glla~llb GUIILQ~LII~~
5-67

Accessory Inflator
Your vehicle may have an air inflator. With it, you can
inflate things like air mattresses and basketballs,
and you can also use it to bring your tires up to the
proper pressure.
The air inflator is located in the rear compartment on
the driver’s side. To remove the cover, pull the tab
on the cover and pull it
off.
This is the switch for
the air inflator.
There may be an air inflator kit stored in the glove box.
It includes a 20-foot
(6 m) hose with an air pressure
gage and nozzle adapters.
....___ ting something too much can make it
explode, and you or others could be injured.
Be sure to read the inflator instructions, and
inflate any object only
to its recommended
pressure.
To use your air inflator system, do the following:
1. Turn the ignition to ACCESSORY or RUN.
2. Attach the appropriate nozzle adapter, if required,
to the end
of the hose that has the pressure gage.
3. Attach that end of the hose to the object you wish
to inflate.
4. Remove the protective cap covering the outlet.
5. Attach the other end of the hose to the outlet.
6. Press the accessory inflator switch. The light in the
switch will come on to show the system is working.
If the air inflator system does not turn on or the
light does not come on, the fuse may be blown or
installed incorrectly. See
Fuses and Circuit Breakers on
page 5-96 or see your dealer for service.
5-68

Your air inflator will automatically shut off after about
10 minutes. The light in the switch will blink. After about
one minute you can use the system again. Press the
inflator switch and the indicator light will come on.
Notice: Don’t run your air inflator for longer than
30 minutes at one time. If you do, you may damage
the system.
After running the air inflator for
30 minutes, wait at least
10 minutes before restarting the air inflator.
To turn off the inflator, do the following:
1. Press the switch and detach the hose, first from the
2. Put the protective cap back on.
3. Place the inflator kit tools in the pouch, and store in
inflated
object, then from the outlet.
the glove box.
To put the cover back on, line up the tabs at the back
of the cover and put it in place. Push down the tab
to secure the cover.
If a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out” while you’re driving,
especially
if you maintain your tires properly. If air
goes out of a tire, it’s much more likely to leak out
slowly. But if you should ever have a “blowout”, here are
a few tips about what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot
off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel firmly.
Steer to maintain lane position, and then gently brake
to a stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like
a skid and may require the same correction you’d use
in a skid. In any rear blowout, remove your foot from
the accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the way you want the vehicle to go. It may
be very bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer.
Gently brake to a stop
- well off the road if possible.
If a tire goes flat, the next part shows how to use
your jacking equipment to change a flat tire safely.
5-69

Changing a Flat Tire
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage
by driving
slowly to a level place. Turn on your
hazard v.--nin- 'lashers.
Chan,,,lg a tire can cause an injury. The
vehicle can
slip off the jack and roll over you
or other people.
You and they could be badly
injured. Find a level place to change your tire.
To help prevent the vehicle from moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put the shift lever in PARK (P).
3. Turn off the engine.
To be even more certain the vehicle won't
move, you can put blocks at the front and
rear of the tire farthest away from the one
being changed. That would be the tire on
the other side
of the vehicle, at the
opposite end. The following
steps will tell you how to use the jack and
change a tire.
5-70

Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
To remove the tools, do the following:
1. Remove the side convenience net.
2. Open the jack storage compartment by lifting up the
tab and pulling the cover
off.
A. Jack
9. Strap
C. Bracket
D. Wing Nut
E. Jacking Instructions
F. Bag and Tools
G. Tire Bag and Cable
(AWD only)
3. Remove the jack and jacking tools by loosening
the wing nut and bracket.
4. Separate the plastic pouch from the jack and
remove the jacking tools (folding wrench and
extension) from the pouch.
5-71

C
The tools you’ll be using include the jack (A),
extension
(B) and folding wrench (C).
The compact spare tire is located under the rear of
the vehicle. See “Compact Spare Tire” later in this
section for more information about the compact spare. To
remove the compact spare tire, do the following:
B
-C
A. Hoist Shaft
B. Hoist Assembly
C. Retainer
D. Compact Spare Tire E. Extension
(Chisel End)
F. Folding Wrench
I. Attach the folding wrench to the extension and
insert the chisel end on an angle through the
hole in the rear bumper and into the hoist shaft.
2. Turn the folding wrench counterclockwise to lower
the compact spare tire to the ground. Continue to
turn the wrench
so the compact spare tire can
be pulled out from under the vehicle.
5-72

3. To remove the compact spare tire from the cable,
tilt the retainer at the end
of the cable so it can be
pulled up through the wheel opening.
-. If your vehicle is an all-wheel-drive vehicle, after
removing the compact spare tire turn the wrench
clockwise to raise the cable back up.
On an AWD vehicle, you can not store
a full-size
tire under the vehicle. It should be stowed inside the
vehicle by the cable provided. See “Storing the
Flat Tire on an All-Wheel-Drive Vehicle” later
in
this section.
If you have a front-wheel-drive vehicle, the hoist is
used to store a full-size or a flat road tire under
the vehicle. See “Storing the Spare Tire and
Tools”
and “Storing the Flat Tire on a Front-Wheel-Drive
Vehicle” later
in this section.
If the compact spare tire will not lower, check under the
vehicle to see
if the tire is hanging loose and the cable
end and spring under the wheel plate are missing. If
so,
the secondary latch system is engaged. See “Secondary
Latch System” later
in this section.
To continue changing the flat tire see “Removing the
Flat Tire and Installing the Spare Tire” later in this
section.
5-73