OLDSMOBILE AURORA 2003 Owners Manual

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 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.
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.
Scheduled wheel alignment and wheel balancing are
not needed. 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.
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
if any of these conditions exist.
Your dealer 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.
5-68
ProCarManuals.com

If you need to replace any of your wheels, wheel bolts
or wheel nuts, replace them only with new GM
original equipment parts. This way, you will be sure to
have the right wheel, wheel bolts and wheel nuts
for your vehicle.
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
ociometer caiibration, neaaiamp aim, bumper neigh,
vehicle ground clearance and tire or tire chain
clearance to the body and chassis.
Used Rep'-cement '"'heels
--
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 a crash.
If you have to
replace a wheel, use a new
GM original
equipment wheel.
See
Changing a Flat Tire on page 5-71 for more
information.
5-69
ProCarManuals.com

Tire Chains
If your vehicle has P235/55R17 size tires, 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 do find traction devices that will fit,
install them on the front tires.
Notice: If your vehicle has a tire size other than
P235/55R17 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 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.
If a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out” 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, the flat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot
off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel firmly.
Steer to maintain lane position, and then gently brake to
a stop well out of the traffic lane.
5-70
ProCarManuals.com

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 goes flat, the next part shows how to use your
jacking equipment
to change a flat tire safely.
Changing a Flat Tire
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly to
a level place. Turn on your
hazard warning flashers. Changing a tire can cause an in-
y. The
vehicle can
slip off the jack and roll over you
or other people. You and they could be badly injured. Find a level place to change your tire.
To help prevent the vehicle from moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put the shift lever in PARK (P).
3. Turn off the engine.
To be even more certain the vehicle won’t move, you can 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 of the vehicle, at the
opposite end.
5-7 1
ProCarManuals.com

b
The following steps will tell you how to use the jack and
change a tire.
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
The equipment you’ll need is in the trunk.
Instructions for changing your tires are on the inside of
the tire cover. You can rest the cover near you for
easy reference while you change the tire.
1. Lift the tire cover to gain access to the compact
spare tire and jacking equipment. See
Compact
Spare Tire on page 5-81 for more information.
5-72
ProCarManuals.com

2. Remove the wheel wrench and jack from the jack
3. Remove the compact spare tire from the trunk.
container.
A
The tools you’ll
be using include the jack (A) and wheel
wrench
(B).
Removing the Wheel Covers
insert the hooked end of the wheel wrench in one of the
two small notches in the center cover and pry the
cover
off. Do not drop the cover or lay it face down, as
it could be scratched or damaged.
5-73
ProCarManuals.com

Removing the Flat Tire and Installing
the Spare Tire
1. Position the wheel wrench securely over the wheel
nuts and turn the wrench counterclockwise to
loosen the wheel nuts, but don't remove them.
3. Turn the wheel wrench counterclockwise by hand to
lower the jack head until it fits under the vehicle.
2. Attach the wheel wrench to the bolt on the end of
the jack to create a jack handle.
5-74
ProCarManuals.com

I I
4. Near each wheel well is a notch in the frame to
position the jack head. Position the jack under
the vehicle and raise the jack head until it fits firmly
against the sheet metal.
Do not raise the vehicle
yet. Put the compact spare tire near you.
.
Getting u..-er a vehicle when it is ja,..ed 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. Raising
, -ur vehic-- ____ h the jack imk.
Jpe..,
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.
5. Raise the vehicle by turning the wheel wrench
clockwise on the jack. Raise the vehicle far
enough
off the ground so there’s enough room for
the compact spare tire to fit underneath the
wheel well.
6. Remove all the wheel nuts and take off the flat tire.
5-75
ProCarManuals.com

7. Remove any rust or dirt
from the wheel bolts,
mounting surfaces
and spare wheel.
Rust or dirt on the wheel, or on the parts to
which
it is fastened, can make the wheel nuts
become loose after a time. The wheel could
come
off and cause an accident. When you
change a wheel, remove any rust or
dirt from
the places where the wheel attaches to the vehicle.
In an emergency, you can use a cloth
or a paper towel to do this; but be sure to use
a scraper or wire brush later, if you need to, to
get all the
rust or dirt off.
Never use oil or grease on studs or nuts. If
you do, the nuts might come loose. Your wheel
could fall
off, causing a serious accident.
I I
8. Place the compact spare tire on the wheel-mounting
surface.
5-76
ProCarManuals.com

9. Put the wheel nuts
back on with the
rounded end
of the
nuts toward the wheel.
Tighten each nut by
hand until the wheel
is held against
the hub.
If a nut cannot be tightened by hand, use the wheel
wrench, and see your dealer right away.
10. Lower the vehicle by turning the wheel wrench
counterclockwise. Lower the jack completely.
5-77
ProCarManuals.com