tire type CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1994 Owners Manual

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.
A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best handled by easing your
foot off
the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the accelerator pedal and
quickly steer the way you want the vehicle to
go. If you start steering
quickly enough, your vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice, gravel, or other material
is on the road. For safety, you’ll want to slow down and adjust your driving
to
these conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery surfaces because
stopping distance will be longer and vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface
with reduced traction, try your best to avoid
sudden steering, acceleration, or braking (including engine braking by
shifting to a lower gear).
Any sudden changes could cause the tires to slide.
You may not realize the surface is slippery
until your vehicle is skidding.
Learn to recognize warning clues
- such as enough water, ice or packed
snow on the road to make a “mirrored surface”
- and slow down when you
have
any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock braking
system (ABS) helps avoid only the
braking skid.
Driving Guidelines
This multipurpose passenger vehicle is defined as a utility vehicle in
Consumer Information Regulations issued by the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the United States Department of
Transportation. Utility vehicles have higher ground clearance and a narrower
track to make them capable
of performing in a wide variety of off-road
applications. Specific design characteristics give them
a higher center of
gravity than ordinary cars.
An advantage of the higher ground clearance is a
better view of the road allowing you to anticipate problems. They are not
designed for cornering at the same speeds as conventional 2-wheel drive
vehicles any more than low-slung
sports cars are designed to perform
satisfactorily under off-road conditions.
If at all possible, avoid sharp turns or
abrupt maneuvers. As
with other vehicles of this type, failure to operate this
vehicle correctly may result in loss of control or vehicle rollover.
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You can operate some vehicles at reduced inflation pressures only when
you’ll be carrying reduced loads. On those vehicles, the minimum cold
inflation pressures for a typical reduced load are printed on the “Improved
Ride Tire Pressure” label located on the driver’s door. Weigh the vehicle to
find the load on each tire and see the label for the minimum cold inflation
pressures for that load.
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:
Too much flexing
Too much heat
Tire overloading
Bad wear
Bad handling
Bad fuel economy.
If your tires have too much air (overinflation), you can get:
0 Unusual wear
Bad handling
Rough ride
Needless damage from road hazards.
When to Check
Check your tires once a month or more. Also, check the tire pressure of the
spare tire.
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire pressure. Simply looking
at the tires will not tell you the pressure, especially
if you have radial tires
- which may look properly inflated even if they’re underinflated.
If your tires have valve caps, be sure to put them back on. They help prevent
leaks by keeping out dirt and moisture.
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Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires you need, look at the
CertificatiodTire label.
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 a “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.
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.)
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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Traction - A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest are: A, B, and C. They 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 braking
(straight-ahead) traction tests and does not include cornering (turning)
traction.
Temperature - A, By 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.
These grades are molded on the sidewalls of passenger car tires.
While the tires available as standard or optional equipment on General
Motors vehicles may vary with respect to these grades, all such tires meet
General Motors performance standards and have been approved for use on
General Motors vehicles. All passenger type
(P Metric) tires must conform
to Federal safety requirements in addition to these grades.
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.
In most cases, you will not need to have your wheels aligned again.
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.
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Tire Chains
NOTICE:
If your vehicle has LT265/75R16 size tires, don’t use tire chains;
they can damage your vehicle.
If you have a tire size other than LT265/75Rl6, 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 tires
of the rear axle. 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 with chains
on will damage your vehicle.
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 brea.the 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.
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Never use these to clean your vehicle:
0 Gasoline
0 Benzene
Naphtha
0 Carbon Tetrachloride
Acetone
0 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.
NOTICE:
Don’t use any of these unless this manual says you can. In many
uses, these will damage your vehicle:
0 Laundry Soap
0 Bleach
0 Reducing Agents
CIeaning 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 GM 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:
0 Always read the instructions on the cleaner label.
Clean up stains as soon as you can - before they set.
Use a clean cloth or sponge, and change to a clean area often. A soft
Use solvent-type cleaners in a well-ventilated area only. If you use
If a ring forms after spot cleaning, clean the entire area immediately or
brush
may be used if stains are stubborn.
them, don’t saturate the stained area.
it will set.
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