winter tires SATURN ASTRA 2008 Owners Manual

{CAUTION
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral)
or with the ignition off is
dangerous. The brakes will
have to do all the work of
slowing down and they could
get so hot that they would not
work well. You would then have
poor braking or even none
going down a hill. You could
crash. Always have the engine
running and the vehicle in gear
when going downhill.
Stay in your own lane. Do not
swing wide or cut across the
center of the road. Drive at
speeds that let you stay in your
own lane.
Top of hills: Be alert — something
could be in your lane (stalled car,
accident).
Pay attention to special road
signs (falling rocks area, winding
roads, long grades, passing or
no-passing zones) and take
appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter
driving:
Have your vehicle in good shape
for winter.
You might want to put winter
emergency supplies in your
vehicle.
Include an ice scraper, a small
brush or broom, a supply of
windshield washer uid, a rag, some
winter outer clothing, a small shovel,
a ashlight, a red cloth, and reective
warning triangles. And, if you will be
driving under severe conditions,
include a small bag of sand, a pieceof old carpet, or a couple of burlap
bags to help provide traction. Be sure
you properly secure these items in
your vehicle.
Also seeTires on page 9-38.
Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places
where the tires meet the road
probably have good traction.
However, if there is snow or ice
between the tires and the road, you
can have a very slippery situation.
You have a lot less traction, or grip,
and need to be very careful.
What is the worst time for this? Wet
ice. Very cold snow or ice can be
slick and hard to drive on. But wet ice
can be even more trouble because it
can offer the least traction of all.
Driving and Operating 8-27
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Vehicle Service
and Care
Service
Service...............................9-2
Accessories and
Modications.....................9-3
California Proposition 65
Warning............................9-3
California Perchlorate
Materials Requirements.....9-3
Doing Your Own
Service Work....................9-4
Adding Equipment to the
Outside of the Vehicle......9-4
Owner Checks
Owner Checks....................9-5
Hood Release.....................9-5
Engine Compartment
Overview...........................9-6
Engine Oil..........................9-7
Engine Oil Life System.......9-9
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. . . .9-11
Automatic Transmission
Fluid................................9-12
Manual Transmission
Fluid................................9-12
Hydraulic Clutch................9-12
Engine Coolant.................9-12
Pressure Cap....................9-15
Engine Overheating...........9-15
Cooling System.................9-16
Power Steering Fluid.........9-20
Windshield Washer Fluid. . . .9-20
Windshield Wiper Blade
Replacement...................9-21
Brakes..............................9-22
Battery..............................9-25
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming..............9-26
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement.............9-28
Halogen Bulbs..................9-28
Front Turn Signal Lamps. . .9-28
Taillamps
(Five-Door Hatchback).....9-29
Taillamps
(Three-Door Hatchback). . .9-30
License Plate Lamp..........9-32
Replacement Bulbs...........9-33
Electrical System
Add-On Electrical
Equipment.......................9-33
Headlamp Wiring..............9-33
Windshield Wiper Fuses. . . .9-34
Power Windows and
Other Power Options.......9-34
Fuses...............................9-34
Engine Compartment
Fuse Block......................9-34
Rear Compartment
Fuse Block......................9-36
Tires
Tires.................................9-38
Winter Tires......................9-39
Tire Sidewall Labeling.......9-40
Tire Terminology and
Denitions.......................9-43
Ination - Tire Pressure. . . .9-46
High-Speed Operation.......9-47
Tire Pressure Monitor
System............................9-48
Tire Pressure Monitor
Operation........................9-50
Tire Inspection and
Rotation..........................9-51
When It Is Time for
New Tires.......................9-53
Vehicle Service and Care 9-1
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CAUTION (Continued)
Worn, old tires can cause
accidents. If your tread
is badly worn, or if your
tires have been damaged,
replace them.
SeeHigh-Speed Operation
on page 9-47for ination
pressure adjustment for
high speed driving.
Low-Prole Tires
If the vehicle has 225/40ZR18
or 215/45R18 size tires, they
are classied as low-prole
performance tires. These tires
are designed for very responsive
driving on wet or dry pavement.
You may also notice more
road noise with low-prole
performance tires and that they
tend to wear faster.
Notice:If the vehicle has
low-prole tires, they are
more susceptible to damage
from road hazards or curb
impact than standard prole
tires. Tire and/or wheel
assembly damage can occur
when coming into contact with
road hazards like, potholes,
or sharp edged objects,
or when sliding into a curb.
The vehicle warranty does not
cover this type of damage.
Keep tires set to the correct
ination pressure and,
when possible avoid contact
with curbs, potholes, and
other road hazards.Winter Tires
If the vehicle has 225/40ZR18 or
215/45R18 size tires, they are
classied as low-prole performance
tires. These tires are designed for
very responsive driving on wet or dry
pavement. If you expect to drive
on snow or ice covered roads often,
you may want to get winter tires
for your vehicle. All season tires
provide good overall performance on
most surfaces but they may not
offer the traction you would like or
the same level of performance
as winter tires on snow or ice
covered roads.
Winter tires, in general, are
designed for increased traction on
snow and ice covered roads.
With winter tires, there may be
decreased dry road traction,
increased road noise, and shorter
tire tread life. After switching to
winter tires, be alert for changes in
vehicle handling and braking.
Vehicle Service and Care 9-39
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See your dealer/retailer for details
regarding winter tire availability
and proper tire selection. Also, see
Buying New Tires on page 9-54.
If you choose to use winter tires:
Use tires of the same brand and
tread type on all four wheel
positions.
Use only radial ply tires of the
same size, load range, and
speed rating as your original
equipment tires.
Winter tires with the same speed
rating as the original equipment tires
may not be available for H, V, W,
Y and ZR speed rated tires.
If you choose winter tires with a
lower speed rating, never exceed
the tire’s maximum speed capability.
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.Passenger (P-Metric) Tire
Example
9-40 Vehicle Service and Care
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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 moldedon 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.
9-56 Vehicle Service and Care
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T
Tachometer.........................4-13
Taillamps....................9-29, 9-30
Theft-Deterrent, Radio...........6-24
Theft-Deterrent Systems......... 2-7
Content Theft-Deterrent....... 2-9
Immobilizer........................ 2-7
Immobilizer Operation......... 2-8
Tilt Wheel............................. 4-4
Tire
Pressure Light..................4-19
Tires..................................9-38
Buying New Tires.............9-54
Chains............................9-59
Changing a Flat Tire.........9-60
Compact Spare Tire..........9-67
Different Size...................9-55
High-Speed Operation.......9-47
If a Tire Goes Flat............9-60
Ination - Tire Pressure.....9-46Tires (cont.)
Inspection and Rotation.....9-51
Installing the Spare Tire.....9-62
Pressure Monitor
Operation.....................9-50
Pressure Monitor
System........................9-48
Removing the Flat Tire......9-62
Removing the Spare
Tire and Tools...............9-61
Storing a Flat or Spare
Tire and Tools...............9-66
Tire Sidewall Labeling.......9-40
Tire Terminology and
Denitions....................9-43
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading.......................9-56
Wheel Alignment and
Tire Balance.................9-58
Wheel Replacement..........9-58Tires (cont.)
When It Is Time for
New Tires....................9-53
Winter Tires.....................
9-39
Towing
Recreational Vehicle..........9-72
Towing a Trailer................9-72
Your Vehicle.....................9-72
Traction
Stabilitrak
®System...........8-19
Transmission
Fluid, Automatic................9-12
Fluid, Manual...................9-12
Transmission Operation,
Automatic.......................... 8-5
Transmission Operation,
Manual............................. 8-9
Trip Odometers....................4-13
Turn and Lane-Change
Signals............................. 4-8
Turn Signal/Multifunction
Lever................................ 4-4
INDEX i-9
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U
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading...........................9-56
Using this Manual..................... ii
V
Vehicle
Control............................8-17
Loading...........................8-30
Parking Your....................8-13
Running While Parked.......8-14
Service Soon Light...........4-24
Symbols.............................. iii
Vehicle Data Recording
and Privacy....................11-15
Vehicle Identication
Number (VIN)...................10-1
Service Parts
Identication Label.........10-1
Ventilation Adjustment............. 7-4
Visors.................................2-11
W
Warning Lights, Gages
and Indicators..................4-11
Warnings
DIC Warnings and
Messages....................4-37
Hazard Warning Flashers.... 4-4
Wheels
Alignment and Tire
Balance.......................9-58
Different Size...................9-55
Replacement....................9-58
Where to Put the Restraint....1-43
Windows.............................2-10
Power .............................2-10
Windshield
Washer...........................4-10
Washer Fluid....................9-20
Wiper Blade
Replacement................9-21Windshield (cont.)
Wiper Fuses....................9-34
Wipers.............................. 4-9
Windshield, Rear Washer/
Wiper..............................4-10
Winter Driving......................8-27
Winter Driving Mode Light.....4-23
Winter Tires........................9-39
i-10 INDEX
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