tire pressure SATURN SKY 2007 User Guide

Radial Ply Tire:A pneumatic tire in which the
ply cords that extend to the beads are laid at
90 degrees to the centerline of the tread.
Rim:A metal support for a tire and upon which
the tire beads are seated.
Sidewall:The portion of a tire between the tread
and the bead.
Speed Rating:An alphanumeric code assigned
to a tire indicating the maximum speed at
which a tire can operate.
Traction:The friction between the tire and the
road surface. The amount of grip provided.
Tread:The portion of a tire that comes into
contact with the road.
Treadwear Indicators:Narrow bands, sometimes
called wear bars, that show across the tread of
a tire when only 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) of tread
remains. SeeWhen It Is Time for New Tires
on page 296.UTQGS (Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards):A tire information system that
provides consumers with ratings for a tire’s
traction, temperature, and treadwear. Ratings
are determined by tire manufacturers using
government testing procedures. The ratings are
molded into the sidewall of the tire. SeeUniform
Tire Quality Grading on page 299.
Vehicle Capacity Weight:The number of
designated seating positions multiplied by
150 lbs (68 kg) plus the rated cargo load.
SeeLoading Your Vehicle on page 225.
Vehicle Maximum Load on the Tire:Load on
an individual tire due to curb weight, accessory
weight, occupant weight, and cargo weight.
Vehicle Placard:A label permanently attached
to a vehicle showing the vehicle’s capacity
weight and the original equipment tire size and
recommended ination pressure. See “Tire
and Loading Information Label” underLoading
Your Vehicle on page 225.
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Ination - Tire Pressure
Tires need the correct amount of air pressure to
operate effectively.
Notice:Do not let anyone tell you that
under-ination or over-ination is all right.
It is not. If your tires do not have enough air
(under-ination), you can get the following:
Too much exing
Too much heat
Tire overloading
Premature or irregular wear
Poor handling
Reduced fuel economy
If your tires have too much air (over-ination),
you can get the following:
Unusual wear
Poor handling
Rough ride
Needless damage from road hazardsA 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 225. How you
load your vehicle affects vehicle handling and
ride comfort, never load your vehicle with more
weight than it was designed to carry.
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When to Check
Check your tires once a month or more.
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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If your vehicle has Goodyear Eagle F1-GS1
P245/45R18 size tires, they are directional
tires and must roll in a certain direction for the
best overall performance. The direction is shown
by an arrow on the tire sidewall. Because
these tires are directional, they should be rotated
as shown here. These tires should only be
moved from front to rear and rear to front on
the same side of the vehicle.After the tires have been rotated, adjust the front
and rear ination pressures as shown on the
Tire and Loading Information label. SeeLoading
Your Vehicle on page 225for an example of
the Tire and Loading Information label and
its location on your vehicle. Make certain that all
wheel nuts are properly tightened. See “Wheel
Nut Torque” underCapacities and Specications
on page 331.
{CAUTION:
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the parts to
which it is fastened, can make wheel nuts
become loose after a time. The wheel could
come off and cause a crash. When you
change a wheel, remove any rust or dirt
from places where the wheel attaches to
the vehicle. In an emergency, you can use
a cloth or a paper towel to do this; but be
sure to use a scraper or wire brush later,
if you need to, to get all the rust or dirt off.Directional Tires
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When It Is Time for New Tires
One way to tell when it
is time for new tires is
to check the treadwear
indicators, which will
appear when your tires
have only 1/16 inch
(1.6 mm) or less of
tread remaining.
You need a new tire if any of the following
statements are true:
You can see the indicators at three or more
places around the tire.
You can see cord or fabric showing through
the tire’s rubber.
The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut, or
snagged deep enough to show cord or fabric.
The tire has a bump, bulge, or split.
The tire has a puncture, cut, or other damage
that cannot be repaired well because of the
size or location of the damage.
Buying New Tires
Saturn has developed and matched specic tires
for your vehicle. The original equipment tires
installed on your vehicle, when it was new,
were designed to meet General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria Specication (TPC spec)
system rating. If you need replacement tires,
Saturn strongly recommends that you get tires
with the same TPC spec rating. This way, your
vehicle will continue to have tires that are designed
to give the same performance and vehicle safety,
during normal use, as the original tires.
GM’s exclusive TPC spec system considers over
a dozen critical specications that impact the
overall performance of your vehicle, including
brake system performance, ride and handling,
traction control, and tire pressure monitoring
performance. GM’s TPC spec number is molded
onto the tire’s sidewall by the tire manufacturer.
If the tires have an all-season tread design,
the TPC spec number will be followed by a MS,
for mud and snow. SeeTire Sidewall Labeling
on page 287for additional information.
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A. Air Compressor
B. Tire Sealant Canister
C. Air Compressor
Accessory Plug
D. On/Off SwitchE. Air Pressure Gage
F. Air Compressor
Inator Hose
G. Sealant
Filling HoseIf the at tire is due to a slow leak caused by a nail
or other similar road hazard, the tire inator kit may
be used to temporarily repair the damaged tire.
After temporarily repairing a tire using the tire
inator kit, it is recommended to take your
vehicle to an authorized Saturn retailer within
100 miles (161 kilometers) of driving to have the
tire inspected and repaired. If the sealant is
not removed from the tire within 100 miles
(161 kilometers) of driving, it is more likely that the
tire may get damaged and have to be replaced.
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4. Attach the sealant lling hose (A) onto the tire
valve stem. Turn it clockwise until it is tight.
Make sure the inator kit on/off switch (B) is
in the O (off) position.
5. Plug the air compressor accessory plug (C)
into an accessory power outlet in the vehicle.
SeeAccessory Power Outlet(s) on page 121
for more information.
{CAUTION:
Idling the engine in a closed-in place or
with the climate control system off can
cause deadly carbon monoxide (CO).
SeeEngine Exhaust on page 91.
6. Start the vehicle. SeeStarting the Engine
on page 80for more information. The
vehicle must be running while using the
air compressor.
{CAUTION:
Inating something too much can make
it explode, and you or others could be
injured. Be sure to read the inator
instructions, and inate the tire to its
recommended pressure. Do not exceed
36 psi (248 kPa).
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7. Push the inator kit switch to the I (on)
position.
The inator kit will force sealant and air into
the tire. Sealant may leak from the puncture
hole until the vehicle is driven and the hole
has sealed.
8. Make sure there is a proper connection
between the tire valve stem and the
sealant lling hose by looking at the air
pressure gage. If there is not a pressure
reading while the compressor is running,
the connection between the inator kit and
the tire is bad.
Check the attachment between the sealant
lling hose and the tire valve stem.
9. Inate the tire up to the recommended
ination pressure, found on the Tire and
Loading Information label located on
the vehicle’s center pillar (B-pillar) below the
vehicle’s door latch, using the air pressure
gage on the top of the unit.
The pressure gage reading is slightly high
while the compressor is on. Turn the
compressor off to get an accurate pressure
reading.Notice:If the recommended pressure cannot
be reached after 15 minutes, the vehicle
should not be driven farther. Damage to the
tire is severe and the sealant will not be
effective. Remove the air compressor plug
from the accessory power outlet and unscrew
the inating hose from the tire valve. See
Roadside Assistance Program on page 359.
10. Push the inator kit switch to the O (off)
position once the correct tire pressure is
obtained.
11. Turn off the engine.
12. Unplug the air compressor accessory plug
from the accessory power outlet in the
vehicle.
13. Disconnect the sealant lling hose from the
tire valve stem, by turning it counterclockwise,
and replace the tire valve stem cap.
Be careful when handling the tire inator
components as they may be hot after usage.
14. Wrap the sealant lling hose around the air
compressor channel to stow it in its original
location.
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15. Stow the air compressor accessory plug back
in the air compressor. To do this, wrap the
air compressor accessory plug, snap in
the plug, and then push in the bottom and
then the top of the wrapped air compressor
accessory plug.
16. If the at tire was
able to inate to
the recommended
ination pressure,
remove the
maximum speed
label from the
sealant canister.
Place it in a highly visible location such as
the inside of the upper left corner of the
windshield or to the face of the radio/clock.
The maximum speed label reminds you
to drive cautiously and not to exceed 55 mph
(90 km/h) until you have the damaged tire
inspected and repaired.
{CAUTION:
Storing the tire inator kit or other
equipment in the passenger compartment
of the vehicle could cause injury.
In a sudden stop or collision, loose
equipment could strike someone. Store
the tire inator kit in the proper place.
17. Return the equipment to the proper storage
location in the trunk of your vehicle. You may
need to loosen the retention strap to wrap
it around the inator kit and foam container.
To do this, pull apart the strap and loosen
the strap at the quick release buckle.
Then snap the buckle together, pull the strap
tight, and secure the loose end of the strap
by mating the ends.
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18. Immediately drive the vehicle 5 miles (8 km)
to distribute the sealant evenly in the tire.
Stop at a safe location and check the
tire pressure, refer to Steps 1 through 8 under
“Using the Air Compressor without Sealant”
next in this section. If the tire pressure
has fallen more then 10 psi (68 kPa), below
the recommended ination pressure, stop
driving the vehicle. The tire is too damaged for
the sealant to work. SeeRoadside Assistance
Program on page 359.
If the tire pressure has not dropped more than
10 psi (68 kPa) from the recommended
ination pressure, you can inate the tire back
up to the recommended ination pressure.
19. Dispose of the sealant canister at a local
retailer or in accordance with your local
state codes and practices.
After using the sealant canister, replace it
with a new canister from a retailer.
20. After temporarily repairing a tire with the
emergency at tire repair kit, take your
vehicle to an authorized retailer to have
the tire inspected and repaired.Using the Air Compressor without
Sealant
To use the air compressor by itself to inate a tire,
do the following:
1. Remove the air compressor accessory plug
from the air compressor.
2. Unlock the air compressor hose from the
sealant canister by pulling up on the lever.
3. Pull the air compressor inator hose from
the sealant canister.
4. Push the air compressor inator hose onto
the tire valve stem and push the lever down
to secure in place.
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