spare tire PONTIAC G5 2008 User Guide

Buying New Tires
GM has developed and matched specic tires for
your vehicle. The original equipment tires installed
on your vehicle, when it was new, were designed to
meet General Motors Tire Performance Criteria
Specication (TPC Spec) system rating. If you need
replacement tires, GM strongly recommends that
you get tires with the same TPC Spec rating. This
way, your vehicle will continue to have tires that are
designed to give the same performance and vehicle
safety, during normal use, as the original tires.
GM’s exclusive TPC Spec system considers over
a dozen critical specications that impact the
overall performance of your vehicle, including brake
system performance, ride and handling, traction
control, and tire pressure monitoring performance.
GM’s TPC Spec number is molded onto the tire’s
sidewall near the tire size. If the tires have an
all-season tread design, the TPC Spec number will
be followed by an MS for mud and snow. SeeTire
Sidewall Labeling on page 5-49for additional
information.GM recommends replacing tires in sets of four.
This is because uniform tread depth on all tires will
help keep your vehicle performing most like it did
when the tires were new. Replacing less than a full
set of tires can affect the braking and handling
performance of your vehicle. SeeTire Inspection
and Rotation on page 5-62for information on
proper tire rotation.
{CAUTION:
Mixing tires could cause you to lose
control while driving. If you mix tires of
different sizes, brands, or types (radial and
bias-belted tires), the vehicle may not
handle properly, and you could have a
crash. Using tires of different sizes,
brands, or types may also cause damage
to your vehicle.Be sure to use the correct
size, brand, and type of tires on all wheels.
It is all right to drive with your compact
spare temporarily, as it was developed for
use on your vehicle. SeeCompact Spare
Tire on page 5-85.
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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 (NHTSA), 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 (UTQG)
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 specied
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 signicantly from
the norm due to variations in driving habits, service
practices, and differences in road characteristics
and climate.
Traction – AA, A, B, 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 specied
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.
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When you have a at tire, use the following example a
a guide to assist you in the placement of wheel blocks.
The following information tells you how to use the jack
and change a tire.Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
The equipment you will need is located in the trunk.
Base Models
1. Open the trunk. SeeTrunk on page 2-12for more
information.
2. Lift the trunk liner to access the spare tire and tools.
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A. Cover
B. Retainer
C. Spare Tire
D. Wing Nut
E. Jack and Wheel Wrench
F. Bolt
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3. Remove the retainer (B) that holds down the spare
tire. SeeCompact Spare Tire on page 5-85for
more information.
4. Remove the spare tire (C) by gently pulling it up
and out of the trunk.
5. Remove the wing nut (D) that holds the jack and
remove the jack and wheel wrench (E).Uplevel Models
1. Open the trunk. SeeTrunk on page 2-12for
more information.
2. Lift the trunk liner to access the spare tire and tools.
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A. Retainer
B. Jack and Wheel Wrench
C. Spare Tire
D. Foam Support
E. Bolt
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3. Remove the retainer (A) that holds down the jack,
wheel wrench (B) and spare tire (C).
4. Remove the spare tire by gently pulling it up and
out of the trunk.
The tools you will be using include the jack (A) and
wheel wrench (B).You will need to turn the plastic wheel nut
counterclockwise to loosen the wheel wrench from
the jack.
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Press the button and then pull on the end of the wheel
wrench to extend the handle.
Removing the Flat Tire and
Installing the Spare Tire
1. It is recommended that you do a safety check
before preceding. SeeChanging a Flat Tire on
page 5-72
2. If your vehicle has plastic wheel covers, use the
wheel wrench to loosen the plastic wheel nut caps.
Once you have loosened the plastic wheel nut caps
with the wheel wrench, you can nish loosening
them with your ngers. The plastic nut caps do not
come off.
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7. Raise the jack head until it ts rmly in the vehicle’s
frame, where the notch is located, nearest the
at tire.
8. Put the compact spare tire near the at tire.
{CAUTION:
Getting under a vehicle when it is jacked up is
dangerous. If the vehicle slips off the jack, you
could be badly injured or killed. Never get under
a vehicle when it is supported only by a jack.
{CAUTION:
Raising your vehicle with the jack improperly
positioned can damage the vehicle and even
make the vehicle fall. To help avoid personal
injury and vehicle damage, be sure to t the
jack lift head into the proper location before
raising the vehicle.9. Raise the vehicle by turning the jack handle
clockwise. Raise the vehicle far enough off the
ground so there is enough room for the compact
spare tire to t under the vehicle.
10. Remove all of the
wheel nuts.
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{CAUTION:
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the parts to which
it is fastened, can make wheel nuts become
loose after 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 needed, to get all the rust or dirt off. See
Changing a Flat Tire on page 5-72.
11. Remove any rust or dirt
from the wheel bolts,
mounting surfaces, and
spare wheel.12. Place the compact spare tire on the wheel-mounting
surface.{CAUTION:
Never use oil or grease on studs or nuts.
Because the nuts might come loose. The
vehicle’s wheel could fall off, causing a crash.
13. Reinstall the wheel nuts with the rounded end of
the nuts toward the wheel. Tighten each nut by
hand until the wheel is held against the hub.
14. Lower the vehicle by turning the jack handle
counterclockwise. Lower the jack completely.
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