tire type PONTIAC BONNEVILLE 2003 Owners Manual

Notice: Adding some electrical equipment to your
vehicle can damage
it or keep other things from
working as they should. This wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty. Check with your dealer before adding electrical equipment, and never use anything
that exceeds the amperage rating.
When adding electrical equipment, be sure to follow the
proper installation instructions included with the
equipment.
Notice: Power outlets are designed for accessory
plugs only.
Do not hang any type of accessory
or accessory bracket from the plug. Improper use of
the power outlet can cause damage not covered
by your warranty.
Ashtrays and Cigarette Lighter
Push down on the cover to reveal the front ashtray.
To clean the ashtray,
lift it out by pulling on the finger
holes on each side.
On models without a console, an ashtray is located
underneath the instrument panel.
To clean the ashtray,
lift it out by pulling up on the tabs on either side.
It snaps back into place.
To open a rear ashtray, lift the cover
Notice: Don’t put papers or other flammable
items into your ashtrays. Hot cigarettes or other
smoking materials could ignite them, causing
a damaging fire.
The cigarette lighter is located next to the storage tray.
To use a lighter, just push the center in all the way
and let
it go. When it is ready, the center will pop back
out by itself. Pull out the entire unit to use it.
Notice: Don’t hold a cigarette lighter in with your
hand while
it is heating. If you do, it won’t be able to
back away from the heating element when it’s
ready. That can make
it overheat, damaging the
lighter and the heating element.
The cigarette lighter will only operate when the ignition
key is in
ON and for 10 minutes after turning the
ignition
OFF. If you would like the lighter to operate
regardless of ignition position, and for extended periods
of time, see “Engine Compartment Fuse Block under
Fuses and Circuit Breakers on page 5-92 or see
your dealer.
3-24

Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not
“overdriving” those conditions. But skids are always
possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle’s
three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels
aren’t rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too
much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip
and lose cornering force. And in the acceleration
skid, too much throttle causes the driving wheels
to spin.
A cornering skid is best handled by easing your foot off
the accelerator pedal.
If you have the traction control system, remember: It
helps avoid only the acceleration skid.
If you do not have
traction control, or
if the system is off, then an
acceleration skid is also best handled by easing your
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If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want
the vehicle
to go. If you start steering quickly enough,
your vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready
for a second skid
if it occurs.
If you have Stabilitrak@, you may see the STABILITY
SYSTEM ACTIVE message on the Driver Information
Center. See “Stability System Active Message”
under
DIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-60.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road. For safety, you’ll
want to slow down and adjust your driving
to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration
or braking (including engine braking by shifting to a
lower gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires
to slide. You may not realize the surface is slippery
until your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues
- such as enough water, ice or packed snow
on the road to make a “mirrored surface”
- and slow
down when you have any doubt.
Fiemember: Any anii-iock brake sysiem (AESj neips
avoid only the braking skid.
4-1 5

Weight of the Trailer Tongue
The tongue load (A) of any trailer is an important weight
to measure because it affects the total or gross weight
of your vehicle. The Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW)
includes the curb weight of the vehicle, any cargo you
may carry in it, and the people who will be riding in
the vehicle. And
if you tow a trailer, you must add the
tongue load to the GVW because your vehicle will
be carrying that weight, too. See
Loading Your Vehicle
on page 4-34 for more information about your
vehicle’s maximum load capacity.
A B
If you’re using a weight-carrying hitch or a
weight-distributing hitch, the trailer tongue (A) should
weigh
10-15 percent of the total loaded trailer
weight (B).
After you’ve loaded your trailer, weigh the trailer and
then the tongue, separately, to see
if the weights
are proper.
If they aren’t, you may be able to get them
right simply by moving some items around in the
trailer.
Total Weight on Your Vehicle’s Tires
Be sure your vehicle’s tires are inflated to the upper limit
for cold tires. You’ll find these numbers on the
Tire-Loading Information label at the rear edge of the
driver’s door or see
Loading Your Vehicle on page 4-34.
Then be sure you don’t go over the GVW limit for
your vehicle, including the weight of the trailer tongue.
Hitches
It’s important to have the correct hitch equipment.
Crosswinds, large trucks going by and rough roads are
a few reasons why you’ll need the right hitch. Here
are some rules to follow:
The rear bumper on your vehicle is not intended for
hitches.
Do not attach rental hitches or other
bumper-type hitches to it.
Use only a
frame-mounted hitch that does not attach to the
bumper.
4-38

See the example below. When you end this high-speed
driving, return to the cold inflation pressure shown on
the Tire-Loading Information label.
Example:
You’ll find maximum load and inflation pressure molded
on the tire’s sidewall, in small letters near the rim
flange. It will read something like this: Maximum load
690
kg (1521 Ibs) @ 300 kPa (44 psi) Max. Press.
For this example, you would set the inflation pressure
for high-speed driving at
35 psi (244 kPa).
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
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
Needless damage from road hazards
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 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 keenin9 out dirt and
moisture.
5-63

When It Is Time for New Tires
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
YOU can see cord or tabric snowing tnrougn tne
around the tire.
tire’s rubber.
The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut or snagged
deep enough to show cord or fabric.
The tire has a bump, bulge or split.
b 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 Tire-Loading Information 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 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.
5-67

Mixing tires couh :ause 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, though.
It was developed for
use on your vehicle.
I
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.
5-68
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

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 slowiy 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.
5-7 1

Removing the Spare Tire and Tools 5. Remove the wheel wrench, jack and the spare tire
from the trunk.
The equipment you’ll need is in the trunk.
1. Pull the carpeting from the floor of the trunk.
2. Remove the retainer, then lift and remove the cover.
3. Remove the compact spare tire. See Compact
Spare Tire on page 5-81 for more information
about the compact spare tire.
4. Unscrew the wing nuts to remove the container that
holds the wrench and jack. The
tools you’ll be using include the jack
(A) and wheel
wrench
(B).
Removing the Wheel Covers and
Wheel Nut Caps
If your vehicle has aluminum wheels and a center cover
hides the wheel nuts, remove the center cover by
using the flat end
of the wrench to pry it off. Do not drop
the cover or lay it face down,
as it could become
scratched or damaged.
Do not use a hammer or mallet
on this type of cover.
5-74