tire pressure SATURN VUE HYBRID 2007 User Guide

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 352.
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 264.
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 264.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 hazards
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A Tire and Loading Information label is attached to
the vehicle’s center pillar, below the driver’s
door latch. This label lists your vehicle’s original
equipment tires and shows 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, see
Loading Your Vehicle on page 264. How you load
your vehicle affects vehicle handling and ride
comfort. Never load your vehicle with more weight
than it was designed to carry.
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’re 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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High Speed Operation
{CAUTION:
Driving at high speeds, 100 mph
(160 km/h) or higher, puts an additional
strain on tires. Sustained high-speed
driving causes excessive heat build up
and can cause sudden tire failure. You
could have a crash and you or others
could be killed. Some high-speed rated
tires require ination pressure adjustment
for high speed operation. When speed
limits and road conditions are such that a
vehicle can be driven at high speeds,
make sure the tires are rated for high
speed operation, in excellent condition,
and set to the correct cold tire ination
pressure for the vehicle load.If you will be driving your vehicle at speeds of
100 mph (160 km/h) or higher, where it is legal,
set the cold ination pressure to the maximum
ination pressure shown on the tire sidewall, or
35 psi (244 kPa), whichever is lower. See the
example following. When you end this high-speed
driving, return the tires to the cold ination
pressure shown on the Tire and Loading
Information label. SeeLoading Your Vehicle on
page 264.
Example:
You will nd the maximum load and ination
pressure molded on the tire’s sidewall, in small
letters, near the rim ange. It will read something
like this: Maximum load 690 kg (1521 lbs)
300 kPa (44 psi) Max. Press.
For this example, you would set the ination
pressure for high-speed driving at 35 psi (244 kPa)
for the front and rear tires.
Racing or other competitive driving may affect the
warranty coverage of your vehicle. See your
warranty booklet for more information.
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Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be rotated every 5,000 to 8,000 miles
(8 000 to 13 000 km).
Any time you notice unusual wear, rotate your
tires as soon as possible and check wheel
alignment. Also check for damaged tires or wheels.
SeeWhen It Is Time for New Tires on page 349
andWheel Replacement on page 353for more
information.
The purpose of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear for all tires on the vehicle. The rst
rotation is the most important. See “Scheduled
Maintenance” for additional information.When rotating your tires, always use the correct
rotation pattern shown here.
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 264, for an example of
the tire and loading information label and
its location on your vehicle.
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Buying New Tires
GM 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,
GM 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 340for additional information.{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 your
vehicle’s wheels.
{CAUTION:
If you use bias-ply tires on your 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 your vehicle.
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The kit includes the following:
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 can 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 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 154
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 125.
6. Start the vehicle. SeeStarting the Engine
(Automatic Engine Start/Stop) on page 113
for 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 forces sealant and air into the
tire. Sealant can 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 413for
more information.
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 could 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.
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.
17. 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.18. Return the equipment to the proper storage
location in the rear of your vehicle. To do
this, insert the tire inator kit back into
the foam container and place the foam
container onto the storage bracket. Securely
tighten down the foam container with the
foam retainer bolt.
{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.
19. Reverse Steps 1 through 4 under Accessing
the Tire Inator Kit earlier in this section.
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20. 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 413for more information.
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.
21. Dispose of the sealant canister at a local
retailer or in accordance with any local,
state, and provincial codes and practices.
After using the sealant canister, replace it with
a new canister from a retailer.
22. 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.
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