Tires need the correct amount of air pressure to operate effectively.

Notice: Do not let anyone tell you that under-inflation or over-inflation is all right. It is not. If your tires do not have enough air (under-inflation), you can get the following:

A Tire and Loading Information label is attached to the vehicle's center pillar, below the driver's door latch. This label lists your vehicle's original equipment tires and shows the correct inflation pressures for your tires when they are cold. The recommended cold tire inflation pressure, shown on the label, is the minimum amount of air pressure needed to support your vehicle's maximum load carrying capacity.

For additional information regarding how much weight your vehicle can carry, and an example of the tire and loading information label, see Loading the Vehicle . How you load your vehicle affects vehicle handling and ride comfort, never load your vehicle with more weight than it was designed to carry.

Check your tires once a month or more. Do not forget to check the compact spare tire, if your vehicle has one. The compact spare should be at 60 psi (420 kPa). For additional information regarding the compact spare tire, see Compact Spare Tire .

Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire pressure. You cannot tell if your tires are properly inflated simply by looking at them. Radial tires may look properly inflated even when they are underinflated. Check the tire's inflation pressure when the tires are cold. Cold means your vehicle has been sitting for at least three hours or driven no more than 1 mile (1.6 km).

Remove the valve cap from the tire valve stem. Press the tire gage firmly onto the valve to get a pressure measurement. If the cold tire inflation pressure matches the recommended pressure on the Tire and Loading Information label, no further adjustment is necessary. If the inflation pressure is low, add air until you reach the recommended amount.

If you overfill the tire, release air by pushing on the metal stem in the center of the tire valve. Re-check 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.

Caution: Driving at high speeds, 100 mph (160 km/h) or higher, puts an additional strain on tires. Sustained high-speed driving causes excessive heat build up and can cause sudden tire failure. You could have a crash and you or others could be killed. Some high-speed rated tires require inflation pressure adjustment for high speed operation. When speed limits and road conditions are such that a vehicle can be driven at high speeds, make sure the tires are rated for high speed operation, in excellent condition, and set to the correct cold tire inflation pressure for the vehicle load.

The CTS-V high-performance tires, size 245/45R18 96V and P245/45ZR18 96W require inflation pressure adjustment when driving your vehicle at speeds of 100 mph (160 km/h) or higher. Set the cold tire inflation pressure to the maximum inflation pressure shown on the tire sidewall, or 41 psi (282 kPa), whichever is lower. See the example following.

Example:

You will find the maximum load and inflation pressure molded on the tire's sidewall, in small letters, near the rim flange. It will read something like this: Maximum load 710 kg (1565 lbs) 350 kPa (51 psi) Max. Press.

For this example, you would set the cold inflation pressure for high-speed driving at 41 psi (282 kPa)

When you end high-speed driving, return the tires to the cold inflation pressures shown on the tire and loading information label. See Loading the Vehicle .