wheel SATURN ION 2007 Service Manual

Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement....... 327
Tires............................................................ 328
Winter Tires (Red Line)............................. 329
Tire Sidewall Labeling............................... 330
Tire Terminology and Denitions............... 334
Ination - Tire Pressure............................. 337
High-Speed Operation............................... 338
Tire Inspection and Rotation...................... 339
When It Is Time for New Tires.................. 341
Buying New Tires...................................... 341
Different Size Tires and Wheels................ 343
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..................... 344
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance............ 346
Wheel Replacement.................................. 346
Tire Chains............................................... 348
If a Tire Goes Flat.................................... 349
Changing a Flat Tire................................. 350
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools.......... 351
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing
the Spare Tire....................................... 356
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools...... 362
Compact Spare Tire.................................. 365Appearance Care........................................ 366
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle.......... 366
Fabric/Carpet............................................. 367
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other
Plastic Surfaces..................................... 368
Care of Safety Belts.................................. 369
Weatherstrips............................................ 369
Washing Your Vehicle............................... 369
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses................ 370
Finish Care............................................... 370
Windshield and Wiper Blades.................... 370
Aluminum Wheels...................................... 371
Tires......................................................... 372
Sheet Metal Damage................................. 372
Finish Damage.......................................... 372
Underbody Maintenance............................ 372
Chemical Paint Spotting............................ 373
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials............ 373
Vehicle Identication.................................. 374
Vehicle Identication Number (VIN)........... 374
Service Parts Identication Label............... 374
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
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Brake Wear
Your vehicle has front disc brakes and rear drum
brakes or rear disc brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that
make a high-pitched warning sound when the
brake pads are worn and new pads are needed.
The sound may come and go or be heard all
the time your vehicle is moving, except when you
are pushing on the brake pedal rmly.
{CAUTION:
The brake wear warning sound means that
soon the brakes will not work well. That
could lead to an accident. When you hear
the brake wear warning sound, have your
vehicle serviced.
Notice:Continuing to drive with worn-out
brake pads could result in costly brake repair.Some driving conditions or climates may cause a
brake squeal when the brakes are rst applied
or lightly applied. This does not mean something
is wrong with your brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are necessary to help
prevent brake pulsation. When tires are rotated,
inspect brake pads for wear and evenly tighten
wheel nuts in the proper sequence to Saturn
specications.
The rear drum brakes do not have wear indicators,
but if you ever hear a rear brake rubbing noise,
have the rear brake linings inspected immediately.
Also, the rear brake drums should be removed
and inspected each time the tires are removed for
rotation or changing. When you have the front
brake pads replaced, have the rear brakes
inspected, too.
Brake linings should always be replaced as
complete axle sets.
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Low-Prole Performance Tire
(Red Line)
If your vehicle has 215/45ZR17 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 your 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. Your GM
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 (Red Line)
If your vehicle has 215/45ZR17 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. The
low-prole performance tires 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.
See your retailer for details regarding winter tire
availability and proper tire selection. Also, see
Buying New Tires on page 341.
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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 your
original equipment tires may not be available for H,
V, W 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.
Passenger (P-Metric) Tire Example
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(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.
Tire Size
The following illustration shows an example of a
typical passenger vehicle tire size.
(A) Passenger (P-Metric) Tire:The United States
version of a metric tire sizing system. The letter P
as the rst character in the tire size means a
passenger vehicle tire engineered to standards set
by the U.S. Tire and Rim Association.
(B) Tire Width:The three-digit number indicates
the tire section width in millimeters from sidewall
to sidewall.(C) Aspect Ratio:A two-digit number that
indicates the tire height-to-width measurements.
For example, if the tire size aspect ratio is
60, as shown in item C of the illustration, it would
mean that the tire’s sidewall is 60 percent as
high as it is wide.
(D) Construction Code:A letter code is used to
indicate the type of ply construction in the tire.
The letter R means radial ply construction;
the letter D means diagonal or bias ply
construction; and the letter B means belted-bias
ply construction.
(E) Rim Diameter:Diameter of the wheel in
inches.
(F) Service Description:These characters
represent the load range and speed rating of the
tire. The load index represents the load carry
capacity a tire is certied to carry. The load index
can range from 1 to 279. The speed rating is
the maximum speed a tire is certied to carry a
load. Speed ratings range from A to Z.
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The low-prole performance tires, size
215/45ZR17, require tire ination pressure
adjustment when driving your vehicle at speeds of
100 mph (160 km/h) or higher. Set the cold tire
ination pressure to 33 psi (227 kPa) for the front
and rear tires when operating your vehicle at
high-speed conditions.
When you end high-speed driving, return the tires
to the cold ination pressure shown on the Tire
and Loading Information Label. SeeLoading Your
Vehicle on page 250andInation - Tire Pressure
on page 337.
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 341
andWheel Replacement on page 346for
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 391.
When rotating non-directional tires, always use the
correct rotation pattern shown here.Non-Directional Tires
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If your vehicle has 215/45ZR17 size tires, they are
directional tires and must roll in a certain direction
for the best overall performance. The direction is
shown by an arrow on the tire sidewall. Because
these tires are directional, they should be rotated as
shown here. These tires should only be moved from
front to rear and rear to front on the same side of
the vehicle.
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. SeeLoading
Your Vehicle on page 250for an example of
the tire and loading information label and
its location on your vehicle. Make certain that all
wheel nuts are properly tightened. See “Wheel Nut
Torque” underCapacities and Specications on
page 384.
{CAUTION:
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the parts to
which it is fastened, can make wheel bolts
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 350.Directional Tires
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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 330for 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,
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
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.
SeeCompact Spare Tire on page 365.
{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.
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If you must replace your vehicle’s tires with those
that do not have a TPC Spec number, make
sure they are the same size, load range, speed
rating, and construction type (radial and
bias-belted tires) as your vehicle’s original tires.
Your vehicle’s original equipment tires are listed on
the Tire and Loading Information label. This
label is attached to the vehicle’s center pillar
(B-pillar). SeeLoading Your Vehicle on page 250,
for more information about the Tire and Loading
Information label and its location on your vehicle.
Different Size Tires and Wheels
If you add wheels or tires that are a different size
than your original equipment wheels and tires,
this may affect the way your vehicle performs,
including its braking, ride and handling
characteristics, stability, and resistance to rollover.
Additionally, if your vehicle has electronic
systems such as, anti-lock brakes, traction control,
and stability control, the performance of these
systems can be affected.
{CAUTION:
If you add different sized wheels, your
vehicle may not provide an acceptable
level of performance and safety if tires not
recommended for those wheels are
selected. You may increase the chance
that you will crash and suffer serious
injury. Only use Saturn specic wheel and
tire systems developed for your vehicle,
and have them properly installed by a
Saturn certied technician.
SeeBuying New Tires on page 341and
Accessories and Modications on page 270for
additional information.
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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.
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
specied 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 inated
and not overloaded. Excessive speed,
underination, or excessive loading, either
separately or in combination, can cause heat
buildup and possible tire failure.
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