spare tire Oldsmobile Bravada 2003 Owner's Manuals

Before You Go Off-Roading
There are some things to do before you go out. For
example, be sure to have all necessary maintenance
and service work done. Check to make sure all
underbody shields (if
so equipped) are properly
attached.
Is there enough fuel? Is the spare tire fully
inflated? Are the fluid levels up where they should be?
What are the local laws that apply to off-roading
where you’ll be driving?
If you don’t know, you should
check with law enforcement people in the area. Will you
be on someone’s private land? If
so, be sure to get
the necessary permission.
Loading Your Vehicle for Off-Road
Driving
There are some important things to remember about
how to load your vehicle.
0 The heaviest things should be on the load floor and
forward
of your rear axle. Put heavier items as far
forward as you can.
Be sure the load is secured properly, so driving on
the off-road terrain doesn’t toss things around.
m
0 Largo on the load floor piled h.,.rer than
the seatbacks can be thrown forward during a sudden stop. You or your passengers could be injured. Keep cargo
below the top of the seatbacks.
Unsecured cargo on the load floor can be
tossed about when driving over rough
terrain. You or your passengers can be struck by flying objects. Secure the cargo
properly.
0 Heavy loads on the roof raise the vehicle’s
center
of gravity, making it more likely to
roll over. You can be seriously or fatally
injured
if the vehicle rolls over. Put heavy
loads inside the cargo area, not on the
roof. Keep cargo in the cargo area
as far
forward and low as possible.
You’ll find other important information in this manual.
See
Loading Your Vehicle on page 4-4 1, Luggage
Carrier on page 2-42 and Tires on page 5-52.
4-1 6

Inflation -- Tire Pressure
The Certificationnire 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 (1.6 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:
0 Too much flexing
Too much heat
0 Tire overloading
Bad wear
0 Bad handling
0 Bad fuel economy
If your tires have too much air (overinflation), you
can get the following:
0 Unusual wear
0 Bad handling
0 Rough ride
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.
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 7,500 miles (12 500 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 Is Time
for New Tires
on page 5-55 and Wheel Replacement
on page 5-58 for more information.
Make sure the spare tire
is stored securely. Push, pull,
and then try
to rotate or turn the tire. If it moves,
use the wheel wrench to tighten the cable. See
Changing a Flat Tire on page 5-62.
5-53

Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the
tire sidewall between tread shoulder and maximum
section width.
For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
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 5) 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 - AA, A, 9, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A,
B, and C. Those grades 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 straight-ahead braking
traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction characteristics.
5-57

Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
The following steps will tell you how to use the jack and
change a tire.
The jacking equipment you will need is stored under the
rear seat
on the passenger's side of the vehicle. See
Rear Seat Operation on page 1-6 for more information on
accessing the jacking equipment under the rear seat.
5-63

The tools you'll be using include the wheel wrench (A),
tire blocks (B), extension (socket end) (C), handle
(jack end)
(D), and jack (E).
The following instructions explain how to remove the
spare tire mounted underneath your vehicle.
Notice: Never remove or restow a tire from/to a
storage position under the vehicle while the vehicle
is supported by a jack. Always tighten the tire
fully against the underside
of the vehicle when
restowing.
f
1. To remove the underbody-mounted spare, insert
the socket end of the extension on a
45" angle
downward into the hoist drive shaft hole. This will
be exposed when the rear gate is open and is
just above the rear bumper. Be sure the socket end
of the extension connects into the hoist shaft.
5-64

2. Turn the wheel wrench counterclockwise to lower
the spare tire. Keep turning the wheel wrench until
the spare tire can be pulled out from under the
vehicle.
If the spare tire does not lower to the ground, the
secondary latch is engaged causing the tire
not to lower. See “Secondary Latch System” later in
this section.
When the tire has been completely lowered, tilt the
retainer at the end of the cable and pull it through
the wheel opening. Pull the tire out from under
the vehicle.
Notice:
To help avoid vehicle damage, do not drive
the vehicle before the cable is restored.
3. Put the spare tire near the flat tire.
4. Position the chisel end of
your wheel wrench in the
notch of the center
cap and pry
off the
center cap.
See “Removing the Flat Tire and Installing the Spare
Tire” later in this section to continue changing the flat tire.
5-65

Secondary Latch System
Your vehicle has an underbody mounted tire hoist
assembly equipped with
a secondary latch system. It’s
designed to stop the spare or flat road tire from
suddenly falling
off your vehicle if the cable holding the
spare tire
is damaged. For the secondary latch to
work, the tire must be stowed with the valve stem
pointing
up. See “Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools”
for instructions on storing the spare or flat tire correctly.
Before beginning this procedure read all the
instructions. Failure to read and follow the
instructions could damage the hoist assembly
and you and others could get hurt. Read and
follow the instructions listed below. Someone standing too close during the
procedure could be injured by the
jack. If the
spare tire does not slide
off the jack
completely, make sure no one is behind you
or
on either side of you as you pull the jack out
from the spare.
1
To release the spare tire from the secondary latch do
the following:
5-66

1. Check under the vehicle
to see
if the cable is
visible.
2. If it is not visible, proceed to Step 6.
If visible, first try to tighten the cable by turning the
wheel wrench clockwise until you hear two clicks
or feel it skip twice. You cannot overtighten
the cable.
3. Loosen the cable by turning the wheel wrench
counterclockwise three or four turns.
4. Repeat this procedure at least two times.
If the spare tire lowers to the ground, continue with
Step
2 of “Removing the Spare Tire and Tools”
earlier in this section.
approximately
6 inches (15 cm) of cable is exposed.
5. Turn the wrench counterclockwise until
6. Attach the jack handle, extension and the wheel
wrench to the jack and place it under the vehicle
towards the front of the rear bumper. Position
the center lift point of the jack under the center of
the spare tire.
7. Turn the wrench clockwise to raise the jack until it
lifts the end fitting.
8. Continue raising the jack until the spare tire stops
moving upward and is held firmly in place. The
secondary latch has released and the spare tire is
balancing on the jack.
5-67

9.
10. Lower the jack by turning the wheel wrench
counterclockwise. Keep lowering the jack until the
spare tire slides
off the jack or is hanging by
the cable.
Disconnect the jack handle from the jack and
carefully remove the jack. Use one hand to push
against the spare while firmly pulling the jack out
from under the spare tire with the other hand.
If the spare tire is hanging from the cable, insert the
jack handle, extension and wheel wrench into the
hoist shaft hole in the bumper, on an angle, and turn
the wheel wrench counterclockwise
to lower the
spare the rest of the way.
11. Tilt the retainer at the end of the cable and pull it
through the wheel opening. Pull the tire out from
under the vehicle.
12. If the cable is hanging under the vehicle, turn the
wheel wrench in the hoist shaft hole in the bumper
clockwise to raise the cable back up.
Have the hoist assembly inspected as soon as you can.
You will not be able to store a spare or flat tire using
the hoist assembly until it has been repaired or replaced.
5-68

Removing the Flat Tire and Installing
the Spare Tire
'- 1. Using the wheel wrench,
loosen all the wheel nuts.
Don't remove them yet.
Front
2. Turn the jack adjusting knob clockwise by hand to
3. Place the handle, extension and wheel wrench onto
raise the
jack lift head.
the jack.
5-69