tire type Oldsmobile Aurora 1998 Owner's Manuals

Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vel-ucle.
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.
Remember: Any traction control system helps avoid
only the acceleration skid.
If your traction control system is off, then an
acceleration skid is also 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.

Total Weight on Your Vehicle’s Tires
Be sure your vehicle’s tires are inflated to the upper
limit for cold tires. You’ll find these numbers on
the Tire-Loading Information label at the rear edge
of the driver’s door or see “Loading Your Vehicle”
in the Index. Then be sure you don’t go over the
GVW limit for your vehicle, including the weight
of the trailer tongue.
Hitches
It’s important to have the correct hitch equipment.
Crosswinds, large trucks going by and rough roads are a
few reasons why you’ll need the right hitch, Here are
some rules to follow:
The rear bumper on your vehicle is not intended for
hitches.
Do not attach rental hitches or other
bumper-type hitches to it. Use only a frame-mounted
hitch that does not attach to the bumper.
Will you have to make any holes in the body of your
vehicle when you install a trailer hitch?
If you do,
then be sure to seal the holes later when you remove
the hitch. If you don’t seal them, deadly carbon
monoxide (CO) from your exhaust can get into your
vehicle (see “Carbon Monoxide” in the Index). Dirt
and water can, too.
Safety Chains
You should always attach chains between your vehicle
and your trailer. Cross the safety chains under the tongue
of the trailer
so that the tongue will not drop to the road
if it becomes separated from the hitch. Instructions
about safety chains may be provided by the hitch
manufacturer or by the trailer manufacturer. Follow the
manufacturer’s recommendation for attaching safety
chains and do not attach them to the bumper. Always
leave just enough slack
so you can turn with your rig.
And, never allow safety chains to drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
Does your trailer have its own brakes?
Be sure to read and follow the instructions for the trailer
brakes
so you’ll be able to install, adjust and maintain
them properly.
Because you have anti-lock brakes, do not try to tap into
your vehicle’s brake system.
If you do, both brake
systems won’t work well, or at all.

13. Remove the cables in reverse order to prevent
electrical shorting. Take care that they don’t touch
each other or any other metal.
A. Heavy Metal Engine
Part
B. Good Battery
C. Dead Battery
Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have a retailer or a professional towing service
tow your vehicle. 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
instructions and illustrations may not be correct.
Before
you do anything, turn on the hazard
warning flashers.
When you call, tell the towing service:
That your vehicle cannot be towed from the front
That your vehicle has front-wheel drive.
with
sling-type equipment.
0 The make, model and year of your vehicle.
0 Whether you can still move the shift lever.
0 If there was an accident, what was damaged.
5-8

Bulb Replacement
For any bulb changing procedure not listed in this
section, contact your retailer’s service department.
For the type of bulb to use, see “Replacement Bulbs” in
the Index.
Halogen Bulbs
‘ A CAUTION:
A
Exterior Front Bulbs
1
Halogen bulbs have pressurized gas inside and
can burst if you drop or scratch the bulb. You or
others could be injured. Be sure to read and
follow the instructions on the bulb package.
A. Front Turn Signal
B. Headlamps
The entire front headlamp assembly must be removed to
replace
the headlamps and front turn signal bulbs. You
may find it easier
to remove the air cleaner assembly
when replacing bulbs on
the driver’s side.
If more hand clearance is required, remove the air
cleaner assembly as instructed in Steps 1 through
3
earlier in this section.
6-33

Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
Replacement blades come in different types and are
removed in different ways. Here’s how
to remove the
type with a release hole:
1. Pull the windshield wiper arm away from
the windshield.
2. Insert a small screwdriver into the hole (A) and
pull the blade assembly
off the wiper arm (B).
3. Push the new wiper blade securely on the wiper arm.
For the proper windshield wiper blade length and
type, see “Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts” in
the Index.
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 Aurora Warranty booklet
for details.
Poorly maintained and improperly used tires
are dangerous.
0 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)

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 Wa).
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.
Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be rotated every 6,000 to 8,000 miles
(10 000 to 13 000 km). Any time you notice unusual
wear, rotate your tires as soon as possible and check
wheel alignment. Also check for damaged tires or wheels.
See “When It’s Time for New Tires” and
“Wheel
Replacement” later in this section for more information.
The purpose
of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear for all tires on the vehicle. The first
rotation is the most important. See “Scheduled
Maintenance Services” in the Index for scheduled
rotation intervals. When
rotating your tires, always use the correct
rotation pattern shown here.
Don’t include the compact spare tire in your
tire rotation.
After the tires have been rotated, adjust the front and
rear inflation pressures as shown
on the Tire-Loading
Information label. Make certain that all wheel nuts
are properly tightened. See “Wheel Nut Torque” in
the Index.

Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires you need, look at
the Tire-Loading Information 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 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. 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.
If you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle, the
wheel rim flanges 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.
6-47

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.
Traction -- A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are A, B,
and C, and 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, 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.
6-48

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 “Changing a Flat Tire” in the Index for more
information.
Used Replacement Wheels
Putting
a used wheel on your vehicle is
dangerous. You can’t know how it’s been used or
how far it’s been driven. It could fail suddenly
and cause an accident. If you have to replace
a
wheel, use a new GM original equipment wheel.
Tire Chains
NOTICE:
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 front 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.
6-50

Power Steering
Pump Only ....................... 1 pint (0.5 L)
Complete System ............... 1.5 pints (0.7 L)
Tire Pressures ...... See Tire-Loading Information
label on the rear edge
of the driver’s doox
Wheel Nut Torque .......... 100 lb-ft (140 Nam)
Refrigerant (R=134a),
Air Conditioning
.... See refrigeran.t charge label
under the hood.
NOTE: All capacities are approximate. When adding,
be sure to fill
to the appropriate level as recommended
in this manual.
Air Conditioning Refrigerants
Not all air conditioning refrigerants are the same.
If the air conditioning system
in your vehicle needs
refrigerant, be sure the proper refrigerant is used.
If
you’re not sure, ask your retailer.
Engine Specifications
VIN Engine Code ........................... C
Type
.................................... V8
Displacement ............................. 4 L
Horsepower ............................. 250
Compression Ratio
...................... 10.3: 1
Firing Order ................... 1-2-7-3-4-5-6-8
Thermostat Temperature
Specification
................... 180°F (82°C)
Normal Maintenance
Replacement Parts
Air Cleaner Element .......... AC Type A-1096C
Engine Oil Filter
................ AC Type PF-58
Gap:
0.050 inch (1.52 mm)
Spark Plugs
................... AC Type 4
1-929
Windshield Wiper Blades
Type
............................... 6.32Pin
Length
..................... 22 inches (56 cm)