flat tire GMC TERRAIN 2010 Owner's Guide

9-60 Vehicle Care
The vehicle needs new tires if any
of the following statements are true:
.You can see the indicators at
three or more places around
the tire.
.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 tire has a bump, bulge,
or split.
.The tire has a puncture, cut,
or other damage that cannot be
repaired well because of the size
or location of the damage.
The rubber in tires degrades over
time. This is also true for the spare
tire, if the vehicle has one, even
if it is not being used. Multiple
conditions affect how fast this aging
takes place, including temperatures,
loading conditions, and inflation
pressure maintenance. With proper
care and maintenance tires typically wear out before they degrade due to
age. If you are unsure about the
need to replace the tires as they get
older, consult the tire manufacturer
for more information.
Buying New Tires
GM has developed and matched
specific 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
Specification (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 specifications 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 near the tire size. If the
tires have an all‐season tread
design, the TPC Spec number
will be followed by an MS for
mud and snow. See
Tire
Sidewall Labeling
on page 9‑46
for additional information.
GM recommends replacing tires
in sets of four. This is because
uniform tread depth on all tires
will help keep your vehicle
performing most like it did when
the tires were new. Replacing
less than a full set of tires can
affect the braking and handling
performance of your vehicle.

9-64 Vehicle Care
Temperature–A, B, 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 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.Wheel Alignment and Tire
Balance
The tires and wheels on the vehicle
were aligned and balanced carefully
at the factory to give the longest tire
life and best overall performance.
Adjustments to wheel alignment and
tire balancing will not be necessary
on a regular basis. However, if there
is unusual tire wear or the vehicle
pulls to one side or the other, the
alignment should be checked. If the
vehicle vibrates when driving on a
smooth road, the tires and wheels
might need to be rebalanced. See
your dealer/retailer for proper
diagnosis.

Vehicle Care 9-65
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 nuts should be replaced.
If the wheel leaks air, replace it
(except some aluminum wheels,
which can sometimes be repaired).
See your dealer/retailer if any of
these conditions exist.
Your dealer/retailer will know the
kind of wheel you need.
Each new wheel should have the
same load-carrying capacity,
diameter, width, offset, and be
mounted the same way as the
one it replaces.If you need to replace any of the
wheels, wheel bolts, wheel nuts,
or Tire Pressure Monitor System
(TPMS) sensors, replace them only
with new GM original equipment
parts. This way, you will be sure to
have the right wheel, wheel bolts,
wheel nuts, and TPMS sensors for
the vehicle.
{WARNING
Using the wrong replacement
wheels, wheel bolts, or wheel
nuts on your vehicle can be
dangerous. It could affect the
braking and handling of your
vehicle, make your tires lose air
and make you lose control. You
could have a collision in which
you or others could be injured.
Always use the correct wheel,
wheel bolts, and wheel nuts for
replacement.Notice:
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.
See If a Tire Goes Flat
on
page 9‑67for more information.

Vehicle Care 9-67
If a Tire Goes Flat
It is unusual for a tire to blowout
while you are driving, especially if
you maintain your vehicle's tires
properly. If air goes out of a tire, it is
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, the flat tire
creates a drag that pulls the vehicle
toward that side. Take your foot off
the accelerator pedal and grip the
steering wheel firmly. Steer tomaintain 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 would 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.{WARNING
Lifting a vehicle and getting
under it to do maintenance or
repairs is dangerous without the
appropriate safety equipment and
training. If a jack is provided with
the vehicle, it is designed only for
changing a flat tire. If it is used for
anything else, you or others could
be badly injured or killed if the
vehicle slips off the jack. If a jack
is provided with the vehicle, only
use it for changing a flat tire.

9-68 Vehicle Care
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire
and wheel damage by driving slowly
to a level place. Turn on the hazard
warning flashers. SeeHazard
Warning Flashers on page 5‑3.
{WARNING
Changing a tire can be
dangerous. The vehicle can slip
off the jack and roll over or fall on
you or other people. You and they
could be badly injured or even
killed. Find a level place to
change your tire. To help prevent
the vehicle from moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put an automatic transmission shift lever in
P (Park), or shift a manual
transmission to 1 (First) or
R (Reverse).
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
3. Turn off the engine and donot restart while the vehicle
is raised.
4. Do not allow passengers to remain in the vehicle.
To be certain the vehicle will not
move, put blocks at the front and
rear of the tire farthest away from
the one being changed. That
would be the tire on the other
side, at the opposite end of the
vehicle.
When the vehicle has a flat tire (B),
use the following example as a
guide to assist you in the placement
of wheel blocks (A).
A. Wheel Block
B. Flat Tire
The following information explains
how to repair or change a tire.

Vehicle Care 9-69
Tire Changing
Removing the Spare Tire and
Tools
To access the spare tire and tools:
1. Open the liftgate. SeeLiftgate
(Manual)
on page 1‑8or
Liftgate (Power) on page 1‑9.
2. Lift the load floor up.
3. Remove the extension (A), wheel wrench (B) and jack (C).
Place the tools next to the tire
being changed.
4. Turn the retainer nutcounterclockwise and remove
the spare tire.
5. Place the spare tire next to the tire being changed.
Removing the Flat Tire and
Installing the Spare Tire
1. Do a safety check beforeproceeding. See If a Tire Goes
Flat
on page 9‑67for more
information.
2. For vehicles with wheel nut caps, turn the wheel wrench
counterclockwise to loosen and
remove them.
Do not try to remove plastic caps
from the cover or center cap.
3. For vehicles with a wheel cover or center cap, pull the cover or
center cap away from the wheel
to remove it. Store the wheel
cover in the cargo area until you
have the flat tire repaired or
replaced.

9-70 Vehicle Care
4. Turn the wheel wrenchcounterclockwise to loosen all
the wheel nuts, but do not
remove them yet.
5. Place the jack near the flat tire. Notice:
Make sure that the jack
lift head is in the correct position
or you may damage your vehicle.
The repairs would not be covered
by your warranty.
Front
Rear
6. Position the jack lift head at the jack location nearest the flat tire.
The location is indicated by a
mark on the bottom edge of the
front and rear door plastic
molding. The jack must not be
used in any other position.

Vehicle Care 9-71
Place the jack notch (A) under
the frame rail seam (B).
7. Put the compact spare tire near you.
{WARNING
Getting under a vehicle when it is
jacked up is dangerous. If the
vehicle slips off the jack, you
could be badly injured or killed.
Never get under a vehicle when it
is supported only by a jack.
{WARNING
Raising your vehicle with the jack
improperly positioned can
damage the vehicle and even
make the vehicle fall. To help
avoid personal injury and vehicle
damage, be sure to fit the jack lift
head into the proper location
before raising the vehicle.
{WARNING
Lifting a vehicle and getting under
it to do maintenance or repairs is
dangerous without the
appropriate safety equipment and
training. If a jack is provided with
the vehicle, it is designed only for
changing a flat tire. If it is used for
anything else, you or others could
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
be badly injured or killed if the
vehicle slips off the jack. If a jack
is provided with the vehicle, only
use it for changing a flat tire.
8. Fit the jack handle extensiononto the jack by sliding the hook
through the end of the jack.

Vehicle Care 9-73
12. Remove all of the wheel nuts.
13. Remove the flat tire.
{WARNING
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the
parts to which it is fastened, can
make wheel nuts become loose
after time. The wheel could come
off and cause an accident. When
changing a wheel, remove any
rust or dirt from places where the
wheel attaches to the vehicle. In
an emergency, use a cloth or a
paper towel to do this; but be sure
to use a scraper or wire brush
later, if needed, to get all the rust
or dirt off. SeeIf a Tire Goes Flat
on page 9‑67.
14. Remove any rust or dirt from
the wheel bolts, mounting
surfaces, and spare wheel.
15. Place the compact spare tire on the wheel-mounting surface.
{WARNING
Never use oil or grease on bolts
or nuts because the nuts might
come loose. The vehicle's wheel
could fall off, causing a crash.

Vehicle Care 9-75
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire
and Tools
{WARNING
Storing a jack, a tire, 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 all these in
the proper place.To store the flat tire:
1. Remove the cable package. The
cable is stored in a plastic bag
under the compact spare tire.
2. Remove the small center cap by tapping the back of the cap with
the extension of the shaft, if the
vehicle has aluminum wheels. 3. Put the flat tire in the rear
storage area with the valve stem
pointing toward the rear of the
vehicle.
4. Pull the cable (A) through the
door striker (D) then the center
of the wheel (C).