tires OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA 1998 Owner's Manual

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.
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 injury. 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. nrn 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.
The following steps will tell you how to use the jack and
change
a tire.
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NOTICE:
When the compact spare is installed, don’t take
your vehicle through an automatic car wash with
guide rails. The compact spare can get caught on
the rails. That can damage the tire and wheel,
and maybe other parts
of your vehicle.
Don’t use your compact spare on other vehicles.
And don’t
mix your compact spare tire or wl~eel with
other wheels or tires. They won’t fit. Keep your spare
tire and its wheel together.
NOTICE:
Tire chains won’t fit your compact spare. Using
them can damage your vehicle and can damage
the chains too. Don’t use tire chains on your
compact spare.
If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow
What you don‘t want to do when your vehicle is stuck is
to spin your wheels too fast. The method known
as
“rocking” can help you get out when you‘re stuck. but
you must use caution.
If you let your tires spin at high speed, they can
explode, and you or others could be in,jured. And,
the transmission or other parts
of the vehicle can
overheat. That could cause an engine
compartment fire or other damage. When you’re
stuck, spin the wheels as little as possible. Don’t
spin the wheels above 35 mph
(55 kmh) as shown
on the speedometer.
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NOTICE:
Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of your vehicle as well as the tires. If you spin the wheels
too fast while shifting your transmission back
and forth, you can destroy your transmission.
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle,
see "Tire Chains"
in the Index.
Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out
First, turn your- steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around
your front wheels. Then shift back
and forth between
REVERSE (R) and a forward gear,
spinning the wheels as
little as possible. Release the
accelerator pedal while you
shift, and press lightly on
the accelerator pedal when the transmission is in gear. If
that doesn't get you out after a few tries, you may need
to be towed out. Or, you can use your recovery hooks
if
your vehicle has them. If you do need to be towed out,
see "Towing Your Vehicle''
in the Index.
Using the Recovery Hooks
Your vehicle is equipped with recovery hooks. The
recovery
hooks are provided at the front of your vehicle.
You may need to use them
if you're stuck off-road
and need to be pulled to someplace where you can
continue driving.
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Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Here you will find information about the care of your vehicle. This section begins with service and fuel information,
and then it shows how to check important fluid and lubricant levels. There is also t\
echnical information about your
vehicle, and a part devoted to its appearance care.
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6- 3
6-5
6-6
6-8
6-8
6-11
6- 15
6- 16
6-20
6-22
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6-26
6-26
6-26 6-27 Service
Fuel
Fuels in Foreign Countries
Filling Your Tank
Filling a Portable Fuel Container
Checking Things Under the
Hood
Engine Oil
Air Cleaner
Automatic Transmission Fluid
All-Wheel Drive
Rear Axle
Engine Coolant Radiator Pressure Cap
Thermostat
Power Steering Fluid
Windshield Washer Fluid
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6-35
6-37
6-44
6-45
6-47
6-48
6-52
6-53
6-53
6-54
6-60 6-60
6-6
1
Brakes
Battery
Bulb Replacement
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
Tires Appearance Care
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle
Care
of Safety Belts
Cleaning the Outside of Your Vehicle
Appearance Care Materials Chart
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
Service Parts Identification Label
Electrical System
Replacement Bulbs
Capacities and Specifications
Air Conditioning Refrigerants
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Some driving conditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are first applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean something is wrong with
your bra
cz k es.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are necessary to help
prevent brake pulsation. When tires are rotated, inspect
brake pads for wear and evenly torque wheel nuts
in the
proper sequence to
GM specifications.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
See “Brake System Inspection” in Section
7 of this
manual under Part
C “Periodic Maintenance
Inspections.’’
.e Pedal Travel
See your retailer if the brake pedal does not return to
normal height, or
if there is a rapid increase in pedal
travel. This could be a sign
of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you make a brake stop, your disc brakes
adjust for wear.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a modern vehicle is complex.
Its many parts have to be
of top quality and work well
together
if the vehicle is to have really good braking.
Your vehicle was designed and tested
with top-quality
GM brake parts. When you replace parts of your braking
system
-- for example, when your brake linings wear
down and you have to have new ones put in
-- be sure
you get new approved
GM replacement parts. If you
don’t, your brakes may no longer work properly. For
example, if someone puts in brake linings that are wrong
for your vehicle, the balance between your front and
rear brakes can change
-- for the worse. The braking
performance you’ve come
to expect can change in many
other ways
if someone puts in the wrong replacement
brake parts.
Battery
Every new vehicle has a Delco Freedom@ battery. You
never have to add water to one of these. When it’s time
for
a new battery, we recommend a Delco Freedom
battery. Get one that has the replacement number shown
on the original battery’s label.
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6. Put the blade assembly pivot in the wiper arm
hook. Pull up until the pivot locking tab locks in
the hook slot.
7. Carefully lower the wiper arm and blade assembly
onto
the windshield.
Backglass Wiper Blade Replacement
See “Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement“ in this
section
for instructions on how to change the backglass
wiper blade. The backglass wiper blade
will not lock in
a vertical position like the windshield wiper blade, so
care should be used when pulling it away from
the vehicle.
Tires
Your new vehicle comes with high-quality tires made by
a leading tire manufxturer. If you ever have questions
about your tire warranty and where to obtain service, see
your
GM Warranty booklet for details.
A c; TTmT .ON:
Poorly maintained and improperly u5 - __ tires
are dangerous.
0
0
0
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. 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.
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Inflation -- Tire Pressure
The CertificatiodTire label, which is on the driver’s
door edge, above the door latch, 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 (I .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 much flexing
0 Too much heat
Tire overloading
0 Bad wear
0 Bad handling
0 Bad fuel economy.
NOTICE: (Continued)
I NOTICE: (Continued) I
If your tires have too much air (overinflation),
you can get the following:
0 Unusual wear
Bad handling
0 Rough ride
0 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.
If you have a compact spare tire, it should be at
60 psi (420 kPa).
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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Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be rotated every 6,000 to 8,000 miles
(10 000 to I3 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
lrniform 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.
If your vehicle has a compact spare tire, don’t include it
in your tire rotation.
After the tires have been rotated, adjust the front and
rear inflation pressures as shown
on the
CertificatiodTire label. Make certain that all wheel nuts
are properly tightened. See “Wheel
Nut Torque’‘ in
the Index.
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the parts to which
it is fastened, can make 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 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. (See
“Changing a Flat Tire” in the Index.)
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When It’s Time for New Tires
I One way to tell when it’s
time .for new tires is to
check the treadwear
indicators, which
will
appear when your tires have
only 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) or
less of tread remaining.
You need a new tire
if any of-. the following statements
are true:
You can see the indicators at three or more places
around the tire.
a You can see cord or fabric showing through the
tire’s rubber.
0 The tire has a bump, bulge or split.
The tire has a puncture, cut or other damage that
can’t be repaired well because
of the size or location
of the damage.
Buying New Tires
To find 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 Specification (TPC Spec)
number on each tire’s sidewall. When you get new tires,
get ones
with that same ?’PC 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 durinz 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 yo~~r tires with those not having a
TPC Spec number, make sure they are the same size,
The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut or snagged deep load
range, speed rating and construction type (bias,
bias-belted or radial) as your original tires.
enough to show cord or fabric.
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I 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 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
(if you have one). It
was developed for use on
your vehicle.
A CAUTION:
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.
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.
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