tires PONTIAC VIBE 2004 Owner's Manual

A. Tire Size
B. Department of Transportation (DOT)
C. Tire Identi®cation Number (TIN)
D. Tire Ply Material
E. Uniform Tire Quality Grading (UTQG)
F. Maximum Cold In¯ation Load Limit
Tire Size:The tire size is a combination of letters and
numbers used to de®ne a particular tire's width,
height, aspect ratio, construction type and service
description. See the ªTire Sizeº illustration later in this
section for more detail.
Department of Transportation (DOT):The
Department of Transportation (DOT) code indicates that
the tire is in compliance with the U.S. Department of
Transportation Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.Tire Identi®cation Number (TIN):The letters and
numbers following DOT code are the Tire Identi®cation
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.
Tire Ply Material:The type of cord and number of plies
in the sidewall and under the tread.
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 5-72.
Maximum Cold In¯ation Load Limit:Maximum load
that can be carried and the maximum pressure
needed to support that load. For information on
recommended tire pressure see
In¯ation Ð Tire
Pressure on page 5-67andLoading Your Vehicle on
page 4-32.
5-63

Load Index:An assigned number ranging from 1 to
279 that corresponds to the load carrying capacity of
a tire.
Maximum Load Rating:The load rating for a tire at
the maximum permissible in¯ation pressure for that tire.
Maximum Loaded Vehicle Weight:The sum of
curb weight; accessory weight; vehicle capacity weight;
and production options weight.
Maximum Permissible In¯ation Pressure:The
maximum cold in¯ation pressure to which a tire may
be in¯ated.
Normal Occupant Weight:The number of occupants a
vehicle is designed to seat multiplied by 150 pounds
(68 kg). See
Loading Your Vehicle on page 4-32.
Occupant Distribution:Designated seating positions.
Outward Facing Sidewall:The side of a asymmetrical
tire that has a particular side that faces outward
when mounted on a vehicle. The side of the tire that
contains a whitewall, bears white lettering or bears
manufacturer, brand and or model name molding that is
higher or deeper than the same moldings on the
other sidewall of the tire.Passenger (P-Metric) Tire:A tire used on passenger
cars and some light duty trucks and multipurpose
vehicles.
Recommended In¯ation Pressure:Vehicle
manufacturer's recommended tire in¯ation pressure
shown on the tire placard. See
In¯ation -- Tire Pressure
on page 5-67andLoading Your Vehicle on page 4-32.
Radial Ply tire:A pneumatic tire in which the ply cords
that extend to the beads are laid at substantially
90 degrees to the centerline of the tread.
Rim:A metal support for a tire or a tire and tube
assembly upon which the tire beads are seated.
Sidewall:The portion of a tire between the tread and
the bead.
Speed Rating:An alphanumeric code assigned to a
tire indicating the maximum speed at which a tire
can operate.
Traction:The friction between the tire and the road
surface. The amount of grip provided.
Treadwear Indicators:Narrow bands, sometimes
called ªwear bars,º that show across the tread of a tire
when only 2/32 inch of tread remains. See
When It
Is Time for New Tires on page 5-70.
5-66

Tread Width:The width of the tire's tread.
UTQGS:Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards, a tire
information system that provides consumers with
ratings for a tire's traction, temperature and treadwear.
Ratings are determined by tire manufacturers using
government testing procedures. The ratings are molded
into the sidewall of the tire. See
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading on page 5-72.
Vehicle Capacity Weight:Is the number of designated
seating positions multiplied by 150 pounds (68 kg)
plus the rated cargo load. See
Loading Your Vehicle
on page 4-32
Vehicle Maximum Load on the Tire:Load on an
individual tire due to curb weight, accessory weight,
occupant weight and cargo weight.
Vehicle Placard:A label permanently attached to a
vehicle showing original equipment tire size and
the recommended cold in¯ation pressure. See
Loading
Your Vehicle on page 4-32.
In¯ation Ð Tire Pressure
The tire and loading information label, shows the correct
in¯ation pressures for your tires when they're cold.
ªColdº means your vehicle has been sitting for at least
three hours or driven no more than 1 mile (1.6 km).
See
Loading Your Vehicle on page 4-32.
Notice:
Don't let anyone tell you that underin¯ation
or overin¯ation is all right. It's not. If your tires
don't have enough air (underin¯ation), you can get
the following:
·Too much ¯exing
·Too much heat
·Tire overloading
·Bad wear
·Bad handling
·Bad fuel economy
If your tires have too much air (overin¯ation), you
can get the following:
·Unusual wear
·Bad handling
·Rough ride
·Needless damage from road hazards
5-67

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 in¯ated
simply by looking at them. Radial tires may look
properly in¯ated even when they're underin¯ated.
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 in¯ation pressure matches
the recommended pressure on the Tire and Loading
Information label, no further adjustment is necessary. If
the in¯ation pressure is low, add air until you reach
the recommended amount.
If you over®ll the tire, release air by pushing on the
metal stem in the center of the tire valve. Recheck 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. See
When It Is Time
for New Tires on page 5-70andWheel Replacement
on page 5-74for 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. See
Part A: Scheduled
Maintenance Services on page 6-4for scheduled
rotation intervals.
5-68

When rotating your tires, always use the correct rotation
pattern shown here.
Tires should only be moved from front to rear and rear
to front on the same side of the vehicle.
Don't include the compact spare tire in your tire rotation.After the tires have been rotated, adjust the front and
rear in¯ation pressures as shown on the Tire and
Loading Information label. Make certain that all wheel
nuts are properly tightened. See ªWheel Nut Torqueº
under
Capacities and Speci®cations on page 5-101.
{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. See ªChanging a Flat
Tireº in the Index.
5-69

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
around the tire.
·You can see cord or fabric showing through the
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.
·The tire has a puncture, cut or other damage that
can't be repaired well because of the size or
location of the damage.
5-70

Buying New Tires
To ®nd out what kind and size of tires you need, look
at the tire and loading information label. For more
information about this label and where to ®nd it, see
Loading Your Vehicle on page 4-32.
Make sure the replacements are the same size,
load capacity, speed rating and construction type
(bias, bias-belted or radial) as your original tires.
{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.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
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. See ªCompact Spare
Tireº in the index.
{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.
5-71

Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the
tire sidewall between tread shoulder and maximum
selection width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
The following information relates to the system
developed by the Unites 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.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a speci®ed government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and
a half (1
1¤2) 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 signi®cantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits, service practices and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction Ð 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 speci®ed 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.
5-72

Temperature Ð 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 speci®ed 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 in¯ated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed, underin¯ation, 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.
Scheduled wheel alignment and wheel balancing are
not needed. However, 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.
5-73

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.
If you need to replace any of your wheels, wheel bolts
or wheel nuts, replace them only with new GM
original equipment parts. This way, you will be sure to
have the right wheel, wheel bolts and wheel nuts
for your vehicle.{CAUTION:
Using the wrong replacement wheels, wheel
bolts or wheel nuts on your vehicle can be
dangerous. It could affect the braking and
handling of your vehicle, make your tires lose
air and make you lose control. You could have
a collision in which you or others could be
injured. Always use the correct wheel, wheel
bolts and wheel nuts for replacement.
Notice:The wrong wheel can also cause problems
with bearing life, brake cooling, speedometer or
odometer calibration, headlamp aim, bumper height,
vehicle ground clearance and tire or tire chain
clearance to the body and chassis.
See
Changing a Flat Tire on page 5-77for more
information.
5-74