spare tire PONTIAC TORRENT 2006 Owners Manual

{CAUTION:
If you were to carry things on the adjustable
panel when it is in the upper (cargo cover) or
center positions, during a sudden vehicle
movement or a crash, those things could be
thrown around in the vehicle. You or others
could be injured. When it is in the upper or
center position, always secure any cargo on
the oor beneath the panel/cover.
To use the panel in the center position, do the following:
1. Insert the front corners of the panel into the
middle guides.
2. Slide the panel forward.
3. Press down and pull rearward on the back of
the panel to lock it in place.
The panel can be used in this position when you have
to place a at or spare tire in the rear cargo area.To use the panel in the upper position, do the following:
1. Insert the front corners of the panel into the
top guides.
2. Slide the panel forward.
3. Press down and pull rearward on the back of
the panel to lock it in place.
This can be used as a cargo cover for the rear area.
The panel may be installed either carpet or plastic side
up. The panel may also be used as a table in this
position. See “Table” following for more information.
2-38

If a Tire Goes Flat........................................5-62
Changing a Flat Tire.....................................5-62
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools................5-64
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing the
Spare Tire................................................5-65
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools............5-72
Compact Spare Tire......................................5-73
Appearance Care............................................5-74
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle.................5-74
Fabric/Carpet...............................................5-75
Leather.......................................................5-76
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other Plastic
Surfaces..................................................5-76
Care of Safety Belts......................................5-77
Weatherstrips...............................................5-77
Washing Your Vehicle...................................5-77
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses.....................5-78
Finish Care..................................................5-78
Windshield and Wiper Blades.........................5-78Aluminum Wheels.........................................5-79
Tires...........................................................5-80
Sheet Metal Damage.....................................5-80
Finish Damage.............................................5-80
Underbody Maintenance................................5-80
Chemical Paint Spotting.................................5-80
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials..................5-81
Vehicle Identication......................................5-82
Vehicle Identication Number (VIN).................5-82
Service Parts Identication Label.....................5-82
Electrical System............................................5-83
Add-On Electrical Equipment..........................5-83
Windshield Wiper Fuses................................5-83
Power Windows and Other Power Options.......5-83
Fuses and Circuit Breakers............................5-83
Instrument Panel Fuse Block..........................5-84
Engine Compartment Fuse Block....................5-85
Capacities and Specications..........................5-88
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-2

Tire Sidewall Labeling
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
seeUniform Tire Quality Grading on page 5-58.
(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
5-47

(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 5-73
andIf a Tire Goes Flat on page 5-62.(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
seeInation - Tire Pressure on page 5-52.
(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
5-48

A 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 4-31. 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 5-73.
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire
pressure. You cannot tell if your tires are properly
inated simply by looking at them. Radial tires may look
properly inated even when they are under-inated.
Check the tire’s ination 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 rmly onto the valve to get a pressure
measurement. If the cold tire ination pressure matches
the recommended pressure on the Tire and Loading
Information label, no further adjustment is necessary.
If the ination pressure is low, add air until you reach
the recommended amount.
If you overll 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.
5-53

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 5-55andWheel Replacement
on page 5-60for more information.
The purpose of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear for all tires on the vehicle. The rst 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.
After the tires have been rotated, adjust the front and
rear ination pressures as shown on the Tire and
Loading Information label.
Make certain that all wheel nuts are properly tightened.
See “Wheel Nut Torque” underCapacities and
Specications on page 5-88.
5-54

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 by the tire
manufacturer. 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 5-47for additional information.{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. See
Compact Spare Tire on page 5-73.
5-56

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 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.
5-58

Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
The spare tire is located under the load oor in the
rear cargo area. You may need to remove the
rear compartment storage panel/cover and/or the table
to access the load oor. SeeRear Compartment
Storage Panel/Cover on page 2-37andTable on
page 2-39for more information.
To access the spare tire and tools, do the following:
1. Lift the load oor up and pull it out of the vehicle
and set it aside.2. Remove the bolt retaining the spare tire.
3. Remove the compact spare tire. SeeCompact
Spare Tire on page 5-73for more information.
4. Locate the jack and wheel wrench, which are
located on the driver’s side of the rear cargo
area, behind an access door. Pull out the access
door to reach them.
5-64

5. Remove the wing-bolt
on the jack and then
remove it.
6. Remove the hook and loop fastener straps holding
the bag containing the wheel wrench. Remove the
wheel wrench from the bag.
7. Fold out the socket portion of the wrench from
the handle.Removing the Flat Tire and
Installing the Spare Tire
You must take off the wheel cover or hubcap,
if equipped, to reach the wheel bolts.
1. Loosen all ve
hex-shaped plastic
caps by turning
the wheel wrench
counterclockwise.
Do not try to
remove plastic
caps from the cover
or center cap.
2. Pull the cover or center cap away from the wheel.
3. Use the wheel wrench to loosen all the wheel
nuts. Do not remove them yet.
5-65