tire pressure OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA 1998 Owners Manual

Here’s how anti-lock works. Let’s say the road is wet.
You’re driving safely. Suddenly an animal jumps out in
front
of you. The anti-lock system
can change the brake pressure
faster than
any driver could. The computer is
programmed to make the most of available tire and
road conditions.
You slam on the brakes. Here’s what happens with ABS.
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If one
of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer will
separately work the brakes at each front wheel and at
both rear wheels.
You can steer around the obstacle while braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on
wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly.
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Getting out on the downhill (low) side of a vehicle
stopped across an incline is dangerous. If the
vehicle rolls over, you could be crushed or killed.
Always get out on the uphill (high) side of the
vehicle and stay well clear of the rollover path.
Driving in Mud, Sand, Snow or Ice
When you drive in mud, snow or sand, your wheels won’t
get good traction. You can’t accelerate as quickly, turning is
more difficult, and you’ll need longer braking distances.
It’s best to use
a low gear when you’re in mud -- the
deeper the mud, the lower the gear. In really deep mud, the
idea is to keep your vehicle moving
so you don’t get stuck.
When you drive on sand, you’ll sense
a change in wheel
traction. But
it will depend upon how loosely packed the
sand is. On loosely packed sand (as on beaches
or sand
dunes) your tires will tend to sink into the sand. This has
an effect on steering, accelerating and braking. You may
want
to reduce the air pressure in your tires slightly
when driving on
sand. This will improve traction. Hard packed snow and ice offer the worst tire traction. On
these surfaces, it’s very easy to lose control. On wet ice, for
example, the traction is
so poor that you will have difficulty
accelerating. And
if you do get moving, poor steering and
difficult braking can cause you to slide out
of control.
Driving on frozen lakes, ponds or rivers can be
dangerous. Underwater springs, currents under
the ice, or sudden thaws can weaken the ice. Your
vehicle could fall through the ice and you and
your passengers could drown. Drive your vehicle
on safe surfaces only.
Driving in Water
Light rain causes no special off-road driving problems.
But heavy rain can mean flash flooding, and flood
waters demand extreme caution.
Find out how deep the water is before you drive through
it. If it’s deep enough to cover your wheel hubs, axles or
exhaust pipe, don‘t
try it -- you probably won’t get
through. Also. water that deep can damage your axle
and other vehicle parts.
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Driving too fast through large water puddles or even
going through some car washes can cause problems, too.
The water may affect your brakes. Try to avoid puddles.
But if you can‘t, try to slow down before you hit them.
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They won’t work
as well in a quick
stop and may cause pulling to
one side. You could lose control
of the vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle
of water or
a car wash, apply your brake pedal lightly until
your brakes work normally.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up
under your tires that they can actually ride on the water.
This can happen
if the road is wet enough and you’re
it has little or no contact with the road.
Hydroplaning doesn’t happen often.
But it can if your
tires
do not have much tread or if the pressure in one or
more is low.
It can happen if a lot of water is standing on
the road.
If you can see reflections from trees, telephone
poles
or other vehicles, and raindrops “dimple” the
water’s surface, there could be hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning
LISLI~~Y happens at higher speeds. There
just
isn’t a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning. The
best advice is to slow down when
it is raining.
L qoing fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning,
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Here are some things you can check before a trip:
Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked
all levels?
Lamps: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
Tires: They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip.
Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are the tires all inflated to the
recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip a short
time to avoid
a major storm system?
Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps?
Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as “highway hypnosis”?
Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel? Call
it
highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch of road with the
same scenery, along with the
hum of the tires on the road,
the drone of the engine, and the rush
of the wind against
the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Don’t let it happen
to you! If
it does, your vehicle can leave the road in less
than a second, and you could crash and be injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be
aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:
Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead
and to the sides. Check your mirrors and your
instruments frequently.
If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest, service
or parking area and take a nap, get some exercise, or
both. For safety, treat drowsiness on the highway as
an emergency.
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Loading Your Vehicle
The Certificationnire label is found on the driver’s door
edge, above the door latch. The label shows the size of
your original tires and the inflation pressures needed to
obtain the gross weight capacity of your vehicle. This is
called the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR). The
GVWR includes the weight
of the vehicle, all occupants,
fuel, cargo and trailer tongue weight,
if pulling a trailer. The
Certificatioflire label also tells you the maximum
weights for the front and rear axles, called Gross Axle
Weight Rating (GAWR).
To find out the actual loads on
your front and rear axles, you need to go to a weigh
station and weigh your vehicle. Your retailer can help
you with this. Be sure to spread out your load equally on
both sides of the centerline.
Never exceed the GVWR
for your vehicle, or the
GAWR for either the front
or rear axle.
If you do have a heavy load, you should spread it out.
Similar appearing vehicles may have different GVWR’s
and payloads. Please note your vehicle’s
CertificationITire label or consult your retailer for
additional details.
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/-A
L
A. Retainer
B. Rubber Band (Some Models)
C. Work Gloves
D. Mat
E. Jack Storage Cover
E Wheel Blocks
G. Hub Cap Removal Tool (some models)
H. Wheel Wrench
I. Jack
J. Jacking Instructions
A CAUTION: A --
Make sure the tire and carrier are secure.
Driving with the tire or carrier unlatched could
injure pedestrians or damage the vehicle.
Compact Spare Tire (If Equipped)
Although the compact spare tire was fully inflated when
your vehicle was new,
it can lose air after a time.
Check the inflation pressure regularly. It should be
60 psi (420 Wa).
After installing the compact spare on your vehicle,
you should stop as
soon as possible and make sure
your spare tire is correctly inflated. The compact spare
is made to perform well at speeds up to
65 mph
(105 km/h) for distances up to 3,000 miles (5 000 km),
so you can finish your trip and have your full-size tire
repaired or replaced where you want. Of course, it’s best
to replace your spare with a full-size tire as soon as you
can. Your spare will last longer and be in good shape in
case you need it again.
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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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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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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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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.
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0
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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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