spare tire PONTIAC GRAND PRIX 2005 Owners Manual

Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-66
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-68
Buying New Tires.........................................5-68
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-69
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-70
Wheel Replacement......................................5-71
Tire Chains..................................................5-72
If a Tire Goes Flat........................................5-73
Tire Inator Kit.............................................5-74
Changing a Flat Tire.....................................5-82
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools................5-83
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing
the Spare Tire..........................................5-85
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools............5-91
Compact Spare Tire......................................5-93
Appearance Care............................................5-94
Fabric/Carpet...............................................5-94
Vinyl...........................................................5-96
Leather.......................................................5-96
Instrument Panel..........................................5-96
Interior Plastic Components............................5-96
Glass Surfaces.............................................5-96
Care of Safety Belts......................................5-97
Weatherstrips...............................................5-97Washing Your Vehicle...................................5-97
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses.....................5-97
Finish Care..................................................5-98
Windshield and Wiper Blades.........................5-98
Aluminum Wheels.........................................5-99
Tires...........................................................5-99
Sheet Metal Damage...................................5-100
Finish Damage...........................................5-100
Underbody Maintenance...............................5-100
Chemical Paint Spotting...............................5-100
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials................5-101
Vehicle Identication.....................................5-102
Vehicle Identication Number (VIN)................5-102
Service Parts Identication Label...................5-102
Electrical System..........................................5-103
Add-On Electrical Equipment.........................5-103
Headlamp Wiring........................................5-103
Windshield Wiper Fuses...............................5-103
Power Windows and Other Power Options......5-103
Fuses and Circuit Breakers..........................5-103
Instrument Panel Fuse Block........................5-104
Underhood Fuse Block................................5-105
Capacities and Specications........................5-108
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-2

Tire Sidewall Labelling
Useful information about a tire is molded into its
sidewall. The examples below show a typical passenger
vehicle tire and a compact spare tire sidewall.
(A) Tire Size:The tire size is a combination of letters
and numbers used to dene a particular tire’s width,
height, aspect ratio, construction type and service
description. See the “Tire Size” illustration later in this
section for more detail.(B) TPC Spec (Tire Performance Criteria
Specication):Original equipment tires designed to
GM’s specic tire performance criteria have a TPC
specication code molded onto the sidewall. GM’s TPC
specications meet or exceed all federal safety
guidelines.
(C) DOT (Department of Transportation):The
Department of Transportation (DOT) code indicates that
the tire is in compliance with the U.S. Department of
Transportation Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
(D) Tire Identication Number (TIN):The letters and
numbers following DOT (Department of Transportation)
code is the Tire Identication Number (TIN). The
TIN shows the manufacturer and plant code, tire size,
and date the tire was manufactured. The TIN is molded
onto both sides of the tire, although only one side
may have the date of manufacture.
(E) Tire Ply Material:The type of cord and number of
plies in the sidewall and under the tread.
(F) Uniform Tire Quality Grading (UTQG):Tire
manufacturers are required to grade tires based on
three performance factors: treadwear, traction and
temperature resistance. For more information see
Uniform Tire Quality Grading on page 5-69.
(G) Maximum Cold Ination Load Limit:Maximum
load that can be carried and the maximum pressure
needed to support that load. Passenger (P-Metric) Tire Example
5-59

(A) Temporary Use Only:The compact spare tire or
temporary use tire has a tread life of approximately
3,000 miles (5 000 km) and should not be driven
at speeds over 65 mph (105 km/h). The compact spare
tire is for emergency use when a regular road tire
has lost air and gone at. If your vehicle has a compact
spare tire, seeCompact Spare Tire on page 5-93
andIf a Tire Goes Flat on page 5-73.
(B) Tire Ply Material:The type of cord and number of
plies in the sidewall and under the tread.(C) Tire Identication Number (TIN):The letters
and numbers following the DOT (Department of
Transportation) code is the Tire Identication Number
(TIN). The TIN shows the manufacturer and plant code,
tire size, and date the tire was manufactured. The
TIN is molded onto both sides of the tire, although only
one side may have the date of manufacture.
(D) Maximum Cold Ination Load Limit:Maximum
load that can be carried and the maximum pressure
needed to support that load.
(E) Tire Ination:The temporary use tire or compact
spare tire should be inated to 60 psi (420 kPa).
For more information on tire pressure and ination see
Ination - Tire Pressure on page 5-64.
(F) Tire Size:A combination of letters and numbers
dene a tire’s width, height, aspect ratio, construction
type and service description. The letter T as the
rst character in the tire size means the tire is for
temporary use only.
(G) TPC Spec (Tire Performance Criteria
Specication):Original equipment tires designed to
GM’s specic tire performance criteria have a TPC
specication code molded onto the sidewall. GM’s TPC
specications meet or exceed all federal safety
guidelines. Compact Spare Tire Example
5-60

Ination - Tire Pressure
Tires need the correct amount of air pressure to operate
effectively.
Notice:Do not let anyone tell you that
under-ination or over-ination is all right. It is not.
If your tires do not have enough air (under-ination),
you can get the following:
Too much exing
Too much heat
Tire overloading
Premature or irregular wear
Poor handling
Reduced fuel economy
If your tires have too much air (over-ination), you
can get the following:
Unusual wear
Poor handling
Rough ride
Needless damage from road hazardsA Tire and Loading Information label is attached to the
vehicle’s center pillar (B-pillar), below the driver’s
door latch. This label shows your vehicle’s original
equipment tires and the correct ination pressures for
your tires when they are cold. The recommended
cold tire ination pressure, shown on the label, is the
minimum amount of air pressure needed to support your
vehicle’s maximum load carrying capacity.
For additional information regarding how much weight
your vehicle can carry, and an example of the tire
and loading information label, seeLoading Your Vehicle
on page 4-33. How you load your vehicle affects
vehicle handling and ride comfort, never load your
vehicle with more weight than it was designed to carry.
When to Check
Check your tires once a month or more. Do not forget
to check the compact spare tire, it should be at
60 psi (420 kPa). For additional information regarding
the compact spare tire, seeCompact Spare Tire
on page 5-93.
5-64

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 ination pressures as shown on the Tire and
Loading Information label.
Reset the Tire Ination Monitor System. SeeTire
Pressure Monitor System on page 5-65.
Make certain that all wheel nuts are properly tightened.
See “Wheel Nut Torque” underCapacities and
Specications on page 5-108.
{CAUTION:
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the parts to
which it is fastened, can make wheel nuts
become loose after a 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 you need to, to
get all the rust or dirt off. SeeChanging a Flat
Tire on page 5-82.
5-67

{CAUTION:
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. It’s all right to drive with your
compact spare temporarily, it was developed
for use on your vehicle. SeeCompact Spare
Tire on page 5-93.
{CAUTION:
If you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle, the
wheel rim anges 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.
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.
5-69

When you have a at tire, use the following example as a
guide to assist you in the placement of wheel blocks.
The following information will tell you next how to use
the jack and change a tire.Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
The equipment needed to change a tire is in the trunk.
1. Open the trunk. SeeTrunk on page 2-13for more
information.
2. Remove the convenience net, if equipped, by
removing the net hook attachments.
3. Lift up the carpet.
4. Turn the center nut on
the compact spare tire
cover counterclockwise
to remove it.
5-83

5. Remove the compact spare tire. SeeCompact
Spare Tire on page 5-93for more information.6. Turn the nut holding the jack counterclockwise and
remove it. Then remove the jack and wrench.
5-84

7. The tools you will be using include the jack (A)
extension and protector/guide (B) and the wheel
wrench (C).
Removing the Flat Tire and
Installing the Spare Tire
Removing Bolt-On Wheel Covers with
Nut Caps on Steel Wheels
If the vehicle has steel wheel covers with functional,
plastic nut caps, do the following:
1. Loosen the nut
caps by turning the
wheel wrench in a
counterclockwise
direction. If needed,
nish loosening them
by hand. The nut caps
will not come off.
2. Use the at end of the wheel wrench to pry along
the edge of the cover until it comes off.
The edge of the wheel cover could be sharp,
so do not try to remove the cover with bare hands.
Do not drop or lay the cover face down, as it
could become scratched or damaged.
5-85

Removing Bolt-On Wheel Covers with
Center Caps on Steel Wheels
If the vehicle has steel wheel covers with center caps,
the wheel nuts are behind the caps. To remove, do
the following:
1. Pry off the center caps by inserting the at end of
the wheel wrench at the notch on the cap.
2. Use the wheel wrench to loosen the plastic wheel
nut caps in a counterclockwise direction. If needed,
nish loosening them by hand. The nut caps will
not come off.
3. Use the at end of the wheel wrench and pry along
the edge of the cover until it comes off.
The edge of the wheel cover could be sharp,
so do not try to remove the cover with bare hands.
Do not drop or lay the cover face down, as it
could become scratched or damaged.
Once you have removed the wheel cover, center cap,
or nut caps, use the following procedure to remove
the at tire and install the spare tire.1. Using the wheel wrench, loosen all the wheel nuts.
Do not remove them yet.
{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.
5-86