spare wheel SATURN VUE 2007 Owners Manual

Off-Road Driving
This off-road guide is for vehicles that have
all-wheel drive. If your vehicle does not have
all-wheel drive, you should not drive off-road
unless you are on a level, solid surface.
Many of the same design features that help make
your vehicle responsive on paved roads during
poor weather conditions — features like all-wheel
drive — help make it much better suited for off-road
use. Its higher ground clearance also helps your
vehicle step over some off-road obstacles. But
your vehicle does not have features like special
underbody shielding and a transfer case low gear
range, things that are usually thought necessary for
extended or severe off-road service.
Also, seeBraking on page 234.
The airbag system is designed to work properly
under a wide range of conditions, including off-road
usage. Observe safe driving speeds, especially
on rough terrain. As always, wear your safety belt.
Off-road driving can be great fun. But it does
have some denite hazards. The greatest of these
is the terrain itself.“Off-roading” means you have left the North
American road system behind. Traffic lanes are
not marked. Curves are not banked. There are
no road signs. Surfaces can be slippery, rough,
uphill, or downhill. In short, you have gone
right back to nature.
Off-road driving involves some new skills. And
that is why it is very important that you read
this guide. You will nd many driving tips and
suggestions. These will help make your off-road
driving safer and more enjoyable.
Before You Go Off-Roading
There are some things to do before you go out.
For example, be sure to have all necessary
maintenance and service work done. Is there
enough fuel? Is the spare tire fully inated? Are the
uid levels up where they should be? What are
the local laws that apply to off-roading where you
will be driving? If you do not know, you should
check with law enforcement people in the area.
Will you be on someone’s private land? If so,
be sure to get the necessary permission.
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Once you have reached your destination, do the
following:
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Shift the transmission to REVERSE (R) for a
manual transmission. Shift the transmission to
PARK (P) for an automatic transmission.
3. Turn the ignition key to LOCK and remove the
key from the ignition.
4. Reinstall the large IGN fuse.
Notice:Too much or too little uid can
damage the transmission. Be sure that the
transaxle uid is at the proper level before
towing with all four wheels on the ground.
Notice:Don’t tow a vehicle with the front drive
wheels on the ground if one of the front tires
is a compact spare tire. Towing with two
different tire sizes on the front of the vehicle
can cause severe damage to the transmission.Dolly Towing (All-Wheel-Drive Vehicles)
All-wheel-drive vehicles should not be towed with
two wheels on the ground. To properly tow
these vehicles, they should be placed on a
platform trailer with all four wheels off of the
ground or dinghy towed from the front.
Dolly Towing
(Front-Wheel-Drive Vehicles)
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Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement....... 364
Tires............................................................ 366
Tire Sidewall Labeling............................... 367
Tire Terminology and Denitions............... 371
Ination - Tire Pressure............................. 374
Tire Inspection and Rotation...................... 375
When It Is Time for New Tires.................. 377
Buying New Tires...................................... 377
Different Size Tires and Wheels................ 379
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..................... 380
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance............ 382
Wheel Replacement.................................. 382
Tire Chains............................................... 384
If a Tire Goes Flat.................................... 385
Changing a Flat Tire................................. 386
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools.......... 387
Removing the Flat Tire and
Installing the Spare Tire......................... 391
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools...... 397
Compact Spare Tire.................................. 398Appearance Care........................................ 399
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle.......... 399
Fabric/Carpet............................................. 400
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and
Other Plastic Surfaces........................... 401
Care of Safety Belts.................................. 402
Weatherstrips............................................ 402
Washing Your Vehicle............................... 402
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses................ 403
Finish Care............................................... 403
Windshield and Wiper Blades.................... 404
Aluminum Wheels...................................... 404
Tires......................................................... 405
Sheet Metal Damage................................. 405
Finish Damage.......................................... 405
Underbody Maintenance............................ 406
Chemical Paint Spotting............................ 406
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials............ 407
Vehicle Identication.................................. 408
Vehicle Identication Number (VIN)........... 408
Service Parts Identication Label............... 408
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
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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
Saturn 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.
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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When towing your vehicle with all four wheels
on the ground, the vehicle’s odometer will
not record the miles generated while towing.
Keep a record of how many miles your vehicle
was towed so they can be added to the mileage
on the vehicle’s odometer when following your
maintenance schedule for recommended services.
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. SeeLoading
Your Vehicle on page 279.
Make certain that all wheel nuts are properly
tightened. See “Wheel Nut Torque” under
Capacities and Specications on page 414.
{CAUTION:
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the parts to
which it is fastened, can make wheel nuts
become loose after 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 needed, to get all the rust or dirt
off. SeeChanging a Flat Tire on page 386.
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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 367for 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 398.
{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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The following information will tell you how to use
the jack and change a tire.
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
The tools you will need are located on the
driver’s side of the rear cargo area. To access the
tools, do the following:
1. Remove the
wing-bolt from
the jack.
2. Remove the jack and wheel wrench.
3. Remove the straps holding the bag containing
the wheel wrench. Then remove the wheel
wrench from the bag.
4. Fold out the socket portion of the wrench from
the handle.
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5. Remove the wheel retainer bolt holding down
the spare tire by turning it counterclockwise.
6. Remove the compact spare tire. SeeCompact
Spare Tire on page 398for more information.The tools you will be using include the jack (A)
and wheel wrench (B).
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Removing the Flat Tire and
Installing the Spare Tire
The wheel cover or hubcap needs to be removed
in order to reach the wheel bolts.
For steel wheels with full plastic covers and
aluminum wheels with large circular center caps,
do the following:
1. It is recommended that a safety check is done
before preceding. SeeChanging a Flat Tire
on page 386for more information.
2. Loosen all plastic
caps by turning the
wheel wrench
counterclockwise.
Do not try to remove
plastic caps from
the cover or
center cap.
3. Pull the cover or center cap away from the
wheel and place it in the trunk.When reinstalling full plastic covers or center
caps, tighten all the plastic caps hand snug, then
tighten with the wheel wrench an additional
one-quarter of a turn.
1. Use the wheel wrench to loosen all the wheel
nuts. Do not remove them yet.
2. Attach the wheel
wrench to the jack
bolt head and
rotate the wheel
wrench clockwise.
That will raise the lift
head a little.
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8. Remove any rust or
dirt from the wheel
bolts, mounting
surfaces and
spare wheel.
9. Place the compact spare tire on the
wheel-mounting surface.
{CAUTION:
Never use oil or grease on studs or nuts.
Because the nuts might come loose. The
vehicle’s wheel could fall off, causing a
serious accident.
10. Reinstall the wheel nuts. Tighten each nut by
hand until the wheel is held against the hub.11. Lower the vehicle by turning the jack handle
counterclockwise.
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