wheel alignment PONTIAC GRAND AM 2005 Owners Manual

Service............................................................5-3
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-4
Adding Equipment to the Outside of Your
Vehicle......................................................5-5
Fuel................................................................5-5
Gasoline Octane............................................5-5
Gasoline Specifications....................................5-5
California Fuel...............................................5-5
Additives.......................................................5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-7
Filling Your Tank............................................5-7
Filling a Portable Fuel Container.......................5-9
Checking Things Under the Hood....................5-10
Hood Release..............................................5-10
Engine Compartment Overview.......................5-12
Engine Oil...................................................5-15
Engine Oil Life System..................................5-18
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-20
Automatic Transaxle Fluid..............................5-21
Engine Coolant.............................................5-22
Engine Overheating.......................................5-24
Cooling System............................................5-26
Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-31
Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-32
Brakes........................................................5-33
Battery........................................................5-36
Jump Starting...............................................5-37Bulb Replacement..........................................5-42
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-42
Headlamps..................................................5-42
Front Turn Signal and Parking Lamps..............5-43
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL).........5-44
Taillamps, Turn Signal, and Stoplamps............5-44
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-45
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-45
Tires..............................................................5-46
Tire Sidewall Labelling...................................5-47
Tire Terminology and Definitions.....................5-49
Inflation - Tire Pressure.................................5-52
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-53
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-54
Buying New Tires.........................................5-55
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-56
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-57
Wheel Replacement......................................5-57
Tire Chains..................................................5-59
If a Tire Goes Flat........................................5-60
Changing a Flat Tire.....................................5-61
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools................5-62
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing the
Spare Tire................................................5-64
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools............5-69
Compact Spare Tire......................................5-70
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire
pressure. You cannot tell if your tires are properly inflated
simply by looking at them. Radial tires may look properly
inflated even when they are under-inflated. Check the
tire’s inflation pressure when the tires are cold. Cold
means your vehicle has been sitting for at least
three hours or driven no more than 1 mile (1.6 km).
Remove the valve cap from the tire valve stem. Press
the tire gage firmly onto the valve to get a pressure
measurement. If the cold tire inflation pressure matches
the recommended pressure on the Tire and Loading
Information label, no further adjustment is necessary. If
the inflation pressure is low, add air until you reach
the recommended amount.
If you overfill the tire, release air by pushing on the
metal stem in the center of the tire valve. Re-check the
tire pressure with the tire gage.
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 5,000 to 8,000 miles
(8 000 to 13 000 km).
Any time you notice unusual wear, rotate your tires as
soon as possible and check wheel alignment. Also check
for damaged tires or wheels. SeeWhen It Is Time for
New Tires on page 5-54andWheel Replacement on
page 5-57for more information.
The purpose of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear for all tires on the vehicle. The first rotation
is the most important. SeeScheduled Maintenance on
page 6-4.
When rotating your tires, always use the correct rotation
pattern shown here.
Do not include the compact spare tire in your tire
rotation.
5-53

Temperature – A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire’s resistance to the generation
of heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained high temperature can
cause the material of the tire to degenerate and
reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can lead to
sudden tire failure. The grade C corresponds to a
level of performance which all passenger car tires must
meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades B and A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel than the
minimum required by law.
Warning: The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation, or
excessive loading, either separately or in combination,
can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
The wheels on your vehicle were aligned and balanced
carefully at the factory to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
If you notice unusual tire wear or your vehicle pulling
one way or the other, the alignment may need to
be reset. If you notice your vehicle vibrating when driving
on a smooth road, your wheels may need to be
rebalanced.
Wheel Replacement
Replace any wheel that is bent, cracked or badly rusted
or corroded. If wheel nuts keep coming loose, the
wheel, wheel bolts and wheel nuts should be replaced.
If the wheel leaks air, replace it (except some
aluminum wheels, which can sometimes be repaired).
See your dealer if any of these conditions exist.
Your dealer will know the kind of wheel you need.
Each new wheel should have the same load-carrying
capacity, diameter, width, offset and be mounted
the same way as the one it replaces.
5-57

T
Tachometer....................................................3-24
Taillamps
Turn Signal, and Stoplamps..........................5-44
Theft-Deterrent, Radio.....................................3-67
Theft-Deterrent Systems...................................2-15
Passlock
®...................................................2-15
Tilt Wheel........................................................ 3-7
Tires.............................................................5-46
Aluminum Wheels, Cleaning..........................5-76
Buying New Tires........................................5-55
Chains.......................................................5-59
Changing a Flat Tire....................................5-61
Cleaning....................................................5-76
Compact Spare Tire.....................................5-70
If a Tire Goes Flat.......................................5-60
Inflation -- Tire Pressure...............................5-52
Inspection and Rotation................................5-53
Installing the Spare Tire................................5-64
Removing the Flat Tire.................................5-64
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools...............5-62
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools............5-69
Tire Sidewall Labelling..................................5-47
Tire Terminology and Definitions....................5-49
Uniform Tire Quality Grading.........................5-56
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance.................5-57Tires (cont.)
Wheel Replacement.....................................5-57
When It Is Time for New Tires......................5-54
Top Strap......................................................1-39
Top Strap Anchor Location...............................1-41
Towing
Recreational Vehicle.....................................4-35
Towing a Trailer..........................................4-38
Your Vehicle...............................................4-35
Traction
Enhanced Traction System (ETS).................... 4-8
Enhanced Traction System (ETS)
Active Light.............................................3-29
Enhanced Traction System (ETS)
Warning Light..........................................3-28
Transaxle
Fluid, Automatic...........................................5-21
Transaxle Operation, Automatic.........................2-20
Trip Odometer................................................3-24
Trunk............................................................2-11
Trunk Lamps..................................................3-18
Turn and Lane-Change Signals.......................... 3-8
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever........................... 3-8
U
Understanding Radio Reception........................3-69
Uniform Tire Quality Grading............................5-56
11

V
Vehicle
Control........................................................ 4-5
Damage Warnings........................................... iv
Service Soon Light......................................3-35
Symbols......................................................... iv
Vehicle Data Collection and Event Data
Recorders.................................................... 7-9
Vehicle Identification
Number (VIN).............................................5-79
Service Parts Identification Label...................5-79
Ventilation Adjustment......................................3-21
Visors...........................................................2-14
W
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators................3-22
Warnings
Hazard Warning Flashers............................... 3-6
Other Warning Devices.................................. 3-7
Safety and Symbols......................................... iii
Vehicle Damage.............................................. iv
Washer Fluid, Low Warning Light......................3-35Wheels
Alignment and Tire Balance..........................5-57
Replacement...............................................5-57
Where to Put the Restraint...............................1-39
Windows.......................................................2-13
Power........................................................2-14
Windshield
Wiper Blades, Cleaning................................5-75
Windshield Washer........................................... 3-9
Fluid..........................................................5-32
Windshield Wiper
Blade Replacement......................................5-45
Fuses........................................................5-80
Windshield Wiper Lever...................................3-10
Winter Driving................................................4-25X
XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna System................3-70
Y
Your Vehicle and the Environment....................... 6-2
12