OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS 1997 Owners Manual

bulb socket and twist it .less than one-quarter of a
turn to the left.
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2. Fkll back the trunk trim.
A. Back-up Lamps
B. Taillamp
C. Rear Turn Signal Lamp
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5. Carefully remove the backplate, by pulling up on the
,four outer tabsand: two inner tabs.
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Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement Tires
Replacement blades come in different types and are
removed in different ways. For the proper type and
length, see “Capacities and Specifications’’ in the Index.
Here’s how
to remove the Sheppard’s Hook type:
1. Pull the windshield wiper arm away from the
windshield.
2. Push the release lever and slide the wiper assembly
toward the driver’s side of the vehicle.
3. Install a new blade by reversing Steps 1 and 2.
Your new Oldsmobile comes with high-quahty
tires made by
a leading tire manufacturer. If you ever
have questions about your tire warranty and where to
obtain service, see your Oldsmobile Warranty booklet
for details.
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Poorly maintained and improperly used tires
are dangerous.
Overloading your
tires can cause overheating
as a result of too much friction. You could
have
an airout 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.
CAUTION: (Continued)
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0 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.
Inflation -- Tire Pressure
The Tire-Loading Information label, which is located on
the driver’s side rear passenger door, 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:
Too much flexing
Too much heat
0 Tire overloading
Bad wear
Bad handling
Bad fuel economy.
If your tires have too much air (overinflation),
you can get the following:
Unusual wear
Bad handling
Rough ride
0 Needless damage from road hazards.
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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 Ea).
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 darnaged 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
dl 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.
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When It's Time for New Tires
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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 Speclfication (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.
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It’s all right to drive with your compact spare,
though.
It was developed for use on your vehicle.
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Uniform Tire Quality Grading
The following information relates to the system developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Adrninistration, 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.
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