tire type CHEVROLET ASTRO 1997 2.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0 Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder and
start your left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you
are far enough
ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front in your
inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal
and move back
into the right lane. (Remember that
your right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle
you
just passed may seem to be farther away from you
than
it really is.)
0 Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on
two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.
Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps are not flashing, it may
be slowing down or starting
to turn.
If you’re being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you
can ease a little to the right.
Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems (brakes, steering
and acceleration) don’t have enough friction where the
tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying to steer and
constantly seek
an escape route or area of less danger.
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, your wheels
aren’t 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have a GM dealer or a professional towing
service tow your vehicle. They can provide the right
equipment and know how to tow
it without damage. See
“Roadside Assistance”
in the Index.
If your vehicle has been changed or modified since it
was factory-new by adding aftermarket items like fog
lamps, aero skirting, or special tires and wheels, these
things can be damaged during towing.
Before
you do anything, turn on the hazard
warning flashers.
When
you call, tell the towing service:
Whether your vehicle has rear-wheel drive or the
all-wheel-drive option.
That your vehicle cannot be towed from the front or
The make, model and year of your vehicle.
Whether you can still move the shift lever.
If there was an accident, what was damaged.
rear
with sling-type equipment.
I A CAUTION:
To help avoid injury to you or others:
Never let passengers ride in a vehicle that is
Never tow faster than safe or posted speeds.
Never tow with damaged parts not
Never get under your vehicle after it has
Always use separate safety chains on each
Use T-hooks on front or rear of vehicle.
being towed.
fully
secured.
been lifted by the tow truck.
side when towing
a vehicle.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Inflation -- Tire Pressure
The CertificationRire label, which is on the rear edge of
the driver’s door, shows the correct inflation pressures
for your
tires when they’re cold. “Cold” means your
vehicle has been sitting for at least three hours or driven
no more than
1 mile (1.6 km).
NOTICE:
Don’t let anyone tell you that underinflation or
overinflation is all right.
It’s not. If your tires
don’t have enough
air (underinflation), you can
get the following:
Too much flexing
Too much heat
0 Tire overloading
Bad wear
Bad handling
Bad fuel economy.
NOTICE: (Continued) NOTICE: (Continued)
If your tires have too much air
(overinflation),
you can get the following:
0 Unusual wear
0 Bad handling
Rough ride
0 Needless damage from road hazards.
When
to Check
Check your tires once a month or more.
Don’t forget your compact spare tire.
It should be at
60 psi (420 kPa).
How to Check
use a
good quality pocket-type gage to check tire
pressure.
You can’t tell if your tires are properly inflated
simply by looking at them. Radial tires may look
properly inflated even when they’re underinflated.
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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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When It’s Time for New Tires
- One way to tell when it’s
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.
The tire has a bump, bulge or split.
0 The tire has a puncture, cut or other damage that
can’t be repaired well because of the size or location
of the damage.
Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires you need, look at
the Certificationrnire label.
You need
a new tire if any of the following statements
are true:
0 You can see the indicators at three or more places
around the tire.
0 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 tires installed
on your vehicle when
it was new had
a Tire Performance 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 1 /r CAUTION:
Mixing tires could cause 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, though.
It was developed for use on your vehicle.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
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
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 specified government test course. For
example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and a half
(1 1/2) 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Tire Chains Appearance Care
Remember, cleaning products can be hazardous. Some
are toxic. Others can burst
into flame if you strike a
match or get them on
a hot part of the vehicle. Some are
dangerous
if you breathe their fumes in a closed space.
When you use anything from
a container to clean your
vehicle, be sure to follow the manufacturer’s warnings
and instructions. And always open your doors
or
windows when you’re cleaning the inside.
Never use these to clean your vehicle:
NOTICE:
If your vehicle has P235/65R15 size tires, don’t
use tire chains. They can damage your vehicle
because there’s not enough clearance.
If you have other size tires, 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 rear axle
tires and tighten them as tightly
as possible with
the ends securely fastened. Drive
slowly and
follow the chain manufacturer’s instructions. If
you can hear the chains contacting 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.
0 Gasoline
Benzene
Naphtha
0 Carbon Tetrachloride
0 Acetone
a Paint Thinner
Turpentine
0 Lacquer Thinner
0 Nail Polish Remover
They can
all be hazardous -- some more than
others
-- and they can all damage your vehicle, too.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Don’t use any of these unless this manual says you can.
In many uses, these will damage your vehicle:
Alcohol
Laundry Soap
Bleach
0 Reducing Agents
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle
Use a vacuum cleaner often to get rid of dust and loose
dirt. Wipe vinyl or leather with a clean, damp cloth.
Your GM dealer has two cleaners, a solvent-type spot
lifter and a foam-type powdered cleaner. They will clean
normal spots and stains very well.
Do not use them on
vinyl or leather.
Here are some cleaning tips:
1. Always read the instructions on the cleaner label.
2. Clean up stains as soon as you can -- before they set.
3. Use a clean cloth or sponge, and change to a clean
area often. A soft brush may be used if stains
are stubborn.
4. Use solvent-type cleaners in a well-ventilated area
only. If you use them, don’t saturate the stained area.
5. If a ring forms after spot cleaning, clean the entire
area immediately or it will set.
Using Foam-Type Cleaner on Fabric
1. Vacuum and brush the area to remove any loose dirt.
2. Always clean a whole trim panel or section. Mask
surrounding trim along stitch or welt lines.
3. Mix Multi-Purpose Powdered Cleaner following the
directions
on the container label.
4. Use suds only and apply with a clean sponge. Don’t
saturate the material and don’t rub it roughly.
5. As soon as you’ve cleaned the section, use a sponge
to remove the suds.
6. Rinse the section with a clean, wet sponge.
7. Wipe off what’s left with a slightly damp paper towel
or cloth.
8. Dry it immediately with a blow dryer.
9. Wipe with a clean cloth.
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