tire type GMC SIERRA 2003 Owner's 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 is 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 brake system (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
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Recreational Vehicle Towing
Recreational vehicle towing means towing your vehicle
behind another vehicle—such as behind a motorhome.
The two most common types of recreational vehicle
towing are known as“dinghy towing”(towing your
vehicle with all four wheels on the ground) and“dolly
towing”(towing your vehicle with two wheels on
the ground and two wheels up on a device known as
a“dolly”).
Your vehicle was not designed to be towed with any of
its wheels on the ground. If your vehicle must be
towed, seeTowing Your Vehicle on page 4-46.
Notice:Towing an all-wheel-drive vehicle with all
four wheels on the ground, or even with only two of
its wheels on the ground, will damage drivetrain
components. Don’t tow an all-wheel-drive vehicle if
any of its wheels will be on the ground.
Loading Your Vehicle
The Certication/Tire label is found on the rear edge of
the driver’s door.
The label shows the size of your original tires and the
ination pressures needed to obtain the gross weight
capacity of your vehicle. This is called the GVWR (Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating). The GVWR includes the
weight of the vehicle, all occupants, fuel and cargo.
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Windshield Wiper Blade
Replacement
Windshield wiper blades should be inspected at least
twice a year for wear and cracking. SeeAt Least Twice
a Year on page 6-10for more information.
Replacement blades come in different types and are
removed in different ways. For proper type and length,
seeNormal Maintenance Replacement Parts on
page 5-100.To replace the windshield wiper blade assembly do the
following:
1. Lift the wiper arm and turn the blade until it is
facing away from the windshield.
2. Push the release lever and slide the wiper assembly
toward the driver’s side of the vehicle.
3. Install a new blade by reversing Steps 1 and 2.
Tires
Your new vehicle comes with high-quality tires made by
a leading tire manufacturer. If you ever have questions
about your tire warranty and where to obtain service,
see your GMC Warranty booklet for details.
{CAUTION:
Poorly maintained and improperly used tires
are dangerous.
•Overloading your tires can cause
overheating as a result of too much
friction. You could have an air-out and a
serious accident. See“Loading Your
Vehicle”in the Index.
CAUTION: (Continued)
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CAUTION: (Continued)
•
Underinflated tires pose the same danger
as overloaded tires. The resulting accident
could cause serious injury. Check all tires
frequently to maintain the recommended
pressure. Tire pressure should be checked
when your tires are cold.
•Overinflated tires are more likely to be
cut, punctured or broken by a sudden
impact—such as when you hit a pothole.
Keep tires at the recommended pressure.
•Worn, old tires can cause accidents.
If your tread is badly worn, or if your tires
have been damaged, replace them.
Inflation -- Tire Pressure
The Certification/Tire 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 muchflexing
•Too much heat
•Tire overloading
•Bad wear
•Bad handling
•Bad fuel economy
If your tires have too much air (overinflation), you
can get the following:
•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. 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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Buying New Tires
Tofind out what kind and size of tires you need, look at
the Certification/Tire label.
The tires installed on your vehicle when it was new had
a Tire Performance Criteria Specifications (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.
{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
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
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. If your vehicle has 17 inch road tires
(those originally installed on your vehicle) it is
all right to drive with the 16 inch spare tire that
came with your vehicle. When new, your vehicle
included a spare tire and wheel assembly with
the same overall diameter as your vehicle’s
road tires and wheels. Because this spare tire
was developed for use on your vehicle, it will
not affect vehicle handling or cause damage to
your vehicle.
{CAUTION:
If you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle, the
wheel rimflanges 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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Uniform Tire Quality Grading
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
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 (1.5) 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.
Traction–AA, A, B, C
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.
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Tire Chains
{CAUTION:
Don’t use tire chains. There’s not enough
clearance. Tire chains used on a vehicle without
the proper amount of clearance can cause
damage to the brakes, suspension or other
vehicle parts. The area damaged by the tire
chains could cause you to lose control of your
vehicle and you or others may be injured in a
crash. Use another type of traction device only
if its manufacturer recommends it for use on
your vehicle and tire size combination and road
conditions. Follow that manufacturer’s
instructions. To help avoid damage to your
vehicle, drive slowly, readjust or remove the
device if it’s contacting your vehicle, and don’t
spin your wheels. If you dofind traction devices
that willfit, install them on the rear tires.
If a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to“blowout”while you’re driving,
especially if you maintain your tires properly. If air goes
out of a tire, it’s much more likely to leak out slowly.
But if you should ever have a“blowout”, here are a few
tips about what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, theflat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheelfirmly.
Steer to maintain lane position, and then gently brake to
a stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a
skid and may require the same correction you’d use
in a skid. In any rear blowout, remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the way you want the vehicle to go. It may be
very bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently
brake to a stop—well off the road if possible.
If a tire goesflat, the next part shows how to use your
jacking equipment to change aflat tire safely.
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Spare Tire
Your vehicle, when new, had a fully inflated spare tire.
A spare tire may lose air over time, so check its
inflation pressure regularly. SeeInflation -- Tire Pressure
on page 5-57andLoading Your Vehicle on page 4-47
for information regarding proper tire inflation and loading
your vehicle. For instruction on how to remove, install
or store a spare tire, seeChanging a Flat Tire on
page 5-65.
After installing the spare tire on your vehicle, you should
stop as soon as possible and make sure the spare is
correctly inflated. Have the damaged orflat road
tire repaired or replaced as soon as you can and
installed back onto your vehicle. This way, a spare tire
will be available in case you need it again.
If your vehicle has a spare tire that does not match your
vehicle’s original road tires and wheels in size and
type, do not include the spare in the tire rotation.
Appearance Care
Remember, cleaning products can be hazardous. Some
are toxic. Others can burst intoflames 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 cleanyour vehicle, be sure to follow the manufacturer’s
warnings and instructions. And always open your doors
or windows when you’re cleaning the inside.
Neveruse these to clean your vehicle:
•Gasoline
•Benzene
•Naphtha
•Carbon Tetrachloride
•Acetone
•Paint Thinner
•Turpentine
•Lacquer Thinner
•Nail Polish Remover
They can all be hazardous–some more than
others–and they can all damage your vehicle, too.
Don’t use any of these unless this manual says you can.
In many uses, these will damage your vehicle:
•Alcohol
•Laundry Soap
•Bleach
•Reducing Agents
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Engine Specifications
Engine VIN Code Type Spark Plug Gap
VORTEC™6000 U V8 0.060 inches (1.52 mm)
Wheels and Tires
Wheel Nut Torque 140 lb ft (190Y)
Tire Pressure See the Certification/Tire label on the rear edge of the
driver’s door.
Normal Maintenance
Replacement Parts
Part Number
Oil Filter*PF44
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter* A1518C
Passenger Compartment Air Filter Kit** 52485513
PCV Valve*CV2001–C
Spark Plugs41–974*/PZTR5A15 NGK
Fuel Filter*GF626
Wiper Blades**15153642
TypeITTA
*ACDelco
®Part No.
**GM Part No.
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