Buying New Tires - Pontiac Solstice 2008 Owner's Manual

Buying New Tires

GM has developed and matched specific 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 Specification
(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 specifications 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 near the
tire size. If the tires have an all-season tread design,
the TPC spec number will be followed by a MS, for mud
and snow. See Tire Sidewall Labeling on page 5-53
for additional information.
GM recommends replacing tires in sets of four. This is
because uniform tread depth on all tires will help keep
your vehicle performing most like it did when the tires
were new. Replacing less than a full set of tires can affect
the braking and handling performance of your vehicle.
See Tire Inspection and Rotation on page 5-65 for
information on proper tire rotation.
5-68
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 your
vehicle's wheels.
CAUTION:
{
If you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle,
the wheel rim flanges 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.