width CADILLAC XT6 2021 Owner's Manual

Cadillac XT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14574701) -
2021 - CRC - 2/8/21
VEHICLE CARE 339
Tire Sidewall Labeling
Useful information about a tire is
molded into its sidewall. The
examples show a typical passenger
vehicle tire and a compact spare
tire sidewall.
Passenger (P-Metric) Tire Example
(1) Tire Size:The tire size is a
combination of letters and
numbers used to define a
particular tire's width, height,
aspect ratio, construction type,
and service description. See the
“Tire Size ”illustration in this
section. (2) TPC Spec (Tire Performance
Criteria Specification)
:Original
equipment tires designed to GM's
specific tire performance criteria
have a TPC specification code
molded onto the sidewall. GM's
TPC specifications meet or exceed
all federal safety guidelines.
(3) 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.
DOT Tire Date of Manufacture
:
The last four digits of the TIN
indicate the tire manufactured
date. The first two digits represent
the week and the last two digits,
the year. For example, the third
week of the year 2020 would have
a 4-digit DOT date of 0320. Week
01 is the first full week (Sunday
through Saturday) of each year. (4) Tire Identification Number
(TIN)
:The letters and numbers
following the DOT (Department of
Transportation) code are the Tire
Identification 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.
(5) Tire Ply Material
:The type
of cord and number of plies in the
sidewall and under the tread.
(6) Uniform Tire Quality
Grading (UTQG)
:Tire
manufacturers are required to
grade tires based on three
performance factors: tread wear,
traction, and temperature
resistance. For more information
see Uniform Tire Quality Grading
0 354.

Cadillac XT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14574701) -
2021 - CRC - 2/8/21
340 VEHICLE CARE
(7) Maximum Cold Inf lation
Load Limit
:Maximum load that
can be carried and the maximum
pressure needed to support
that load.
Compact Spare Tire Example
(1) Tire Ply Material:The type
of cord and number of plies in the
sidewall and under the tread.
(2) Temporary Use Only
:The
compact spare tire or temporary
use tire should not be driven at
speeds over 80 km/h (50 mph).
The compact spare tire is for
emergency use when a regular road tire has lost air and gone flat.
If the vehicle has a compact spare
tire, see
Compact Spare Tire 0364
and
If a Tire Goes Flat 0357.
(3) Tire Identification Number
(TIN)
:The letters and numbers
following the DOT (Department of
Transportation) code are the Tire
Identification 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.
(4) Maximum Cold Inf lation
Load Limit
:Maximum load that
can be carried and the maximum
pressure needed to support
that load.
(5) Tire Inf lation
:The temporary
use tire or compact spare tire
should be inflated to 420 kPa (60 psi). For more information on
tire pressure and inflation see
Tire
Pressure 0343.
(6) Tire Size
:A combination of
letters and numbers define a tire's
width, height, aspect ratio,
construction type, and service
description. The letter “T”as the
first character in the tire size
means the tire is for temporary
use only.
(7) TPC Spec (Tire Performance
Criteria Specification)
:Original
equipment tires designed to GM's
specific tire performance criteria
have a TPC specification code
molded onto the sidewall. GM's
TPC specifications meet or exceed
all federal safety guidelines.
Tire Designations
Tire Size
The example shows a typical
passenger vehicle tire size.

Cadillac XT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14574701) -
2021 - CRC - 2/8/21
VEHICLE CARE 341
Passenger (P-Metric) Tire
(1) Passenger (P-Metric) Tire:
The United States version of a
metric tire sizing system. The
letter "P" as the first character in
the tire size means a passenger
vehicle tire engineered to
standards set by the U.S. Tire and
Rim Association.
(2) Tire Width
:The 3-digit
number indicates the tire section
width in millimeters from sidewall
to sidewall.
(3) Aspect Ratio
:A 2-digit
number that indicates the tire
height-to-width measurements.
For example, if the tire size aspect
ratio is 75, as shown in item (3) of the illustration, it would mean
that the tire's sidewall is
75 percent as high as it is wide.
(4) 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.
(5) Rim Diameter
:Diameter of
the wheel in inches.
(6) Service Description
:These
characters represent the load
index and speed rating of the tire.
The load index represents the load
carrying capacity a tire is certified
to carry. The speed rating is the
maximum speed a tire is certified
to carry a load.
Tire Terminology and
Definitions
Air Pressure:The amount of air
inside the tire pressing outward
on each square inch of the tire. Air pressure is expressed in kPa
(kilopascal) or psi (pounds per
square inch).
Accessory Weight
:The combined
weight of optional accessories.
Some examples of optional
accessories are automatic
transmission, 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 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.

Cadillac XT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14574701) -
2021 - CRC - 2/8/21
VEHICLE CARE 355
also conform to federal safety
requirements and additional
General Motors Tire Performance
Criteria (TPC) standards.
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
All Passenger Car Tires Must
Conform to Federal Safety
Requirements In Addition To
These Grades.
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 one-half
(1½) times as well on the
government course as a tiregraded 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
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, cornering,
hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.Temperature
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 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

Cadillac XT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14574701) -
2021 - CRC - 2/8/21
356 VEHICLE CARE
loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause heat
buildup and possible tire failure.
Wheel Alignment and Tire
Balance
The tires and wheels were aligned and
balanced at the factory to provide the
longest tire life and best overall
performance. Adjustments to wheel
alignment and tire balancing are not
necessary on a regular basis. Consider
an alignment check if there is unusual
tire wear or the vehicle is significantly
pulling to one side or the other. Some
slight pull to the left or right,
depending on the crown of the road
and/or other road surface variations
such as troughs or ruts, is normal.
If the vehicle is vibrating when driving
on a smooth road, the tires and
wheels may need to be rebalanced.
See your dealer for proper diagnosis.
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 nutsshould be replaced. If the wheel leaks
air, replace it. Some aluminum wheels
can be repaired. See your dealer if any
of these conditions exist.
Your dealer will know the kind of
wheel that is needed.
Each new wheel should have the same
load-carrying capacity, diameter,
width, offset, and be mounted the
same way as the one it replaces.
Replace wheels, wheel bolts, wheel
nuts, or Tire Pressure Monitor System
(TPMS) sensors with new GM original
equipment parts.
{Warning
Using the wrong replacement
wheels, wheel bolts, or wheel nuts
can be dangerous. It could affect
the braking and handling of the
vehicle. Tires can lose air and cause
loss of control, resulting in a crash.
Always use the correct wheel, wheel
bolts, and wheel nuts for
replacement.
Caution
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.
Used Replacement Wheels
{Warning
Replacing a wheel with a used one
is dangerous. How it has been used
or how far it has been driven may
be unknown. It could fail suddenly
and cause a crash. When replacing
wheels, use a new GM original
equipment wheel.
Tire Chains
{Warning
If the vehicle has 265/45R21 size
tires, do not use tire chains. There
is not enough clearance. Tire chains
(Continued)