1996 BUICK CENTURY wheel

Front Towing
Tow Limit,s -- 35 mph (56 krn/h), 50 miles (80 km)
Before hooking up to a tow truck, be sure to read all the
information in “Towing Your Vehicle” earlier in this part.
Don’t have your vehicle towed on the front wheels,
unless you must. If the vehicle must be towed on the
front wheels, don’t exceed the above limits or your
transaxle will be damaged. If these limits must be
exceeded, then the front wheels have to be supported
on
a dolly.
1. Attach T-hook chains behind the front wheels, into
the bottom of the floor pan, on both sides.
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p.
F
4. Attach a separate safety chain around the outboard
end
of each lower control arm.
Rear Towing
Before hooking up to a tow truck, be sure to read all
the information
in “Towing Your Vehicle” earlier in
this section.
1. Attach T-hook chains on both sides in the slotted
holes
in the floor pan, just ahead of the rear wheels.
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If a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out” while you’re driving,
especially
if you maintain your tires properly. If air goes
out of a tire, it’s much more likely to leak out slowly.
But
if you should ever have a “blowout,” here are a few
tips about what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that,side. Take your foot
off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel fely.
Steer to maintain lane position, and then gently brake to
a stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve; acts much like a
skid and may require
the same correction you’d use in a
skid. In any rear blowout, remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the way you want the vehicle to
go. It may be
very bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently
brake to a
stop -- well off ‘the road if possible.
If a tire goes flat, the next part shows how to use your
jacking equipment to change a flat tire safely.
Changing a Flat Tire
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly to a level place. Turn on your hazard’
warning flashers.
I
Changing a tire can cause an injury. The vehicle
can slip
off the jack and roll over you or other
‘people. You and they could be badly injured.
Find a level place to change your tire. To help
prevent the vehicle from moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put the shift lever in PARK (P).
3. ”urn off the engine.
To be even more certain the vehicle won’t ‘move,
you can put blocks at the front and rear of the
tire farthest away from the one being changed.
That would be the tire on the other side of the
vehicle,
at the opposite end.
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The following steps will tell you how to use the jack and
change a tire.
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
Some steps apply to all models, others to just the
sedan or wagon models. Follow the steps listed for
your vehicle.
The tools
you’ll be using include the jack (A) and wheel
wrench
(B).
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Sedan
The equipment you’ll need is stored in the trunk.
1. Pull the carpeting from the floor of the trunk.
2. Turn the center retainer bolt on the compact spare
tire housing counterclockwise to remove it, then lift
the tire cover.
3. Lift off the jack and remove the spare tire.
4. Remove the wheel wrench from the bag.
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Wagon
The equipment you’ll need is stored in the rear of
your vehicle.
1. Fold down the third seat, if so equipped. Then
remove the housing that covers the spare tire
by
carefully pushing in on the top edge of the cover and
pulling it away from the vehicle. Then lift up.
2. Remove the wing nut from the center of the spare
3. Remove the spare tire.
tire
and remove the adapter.
4. Turn the two wing nuts counterclockwise and
remove the
jack retainer plate. Then pull out the jack
and wheel wrench.
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Standard Wheel Cover Wire Wheel Cover
You
will be using the flat end of the wheel wrench to
remove the wheel cover. Pry along the edge
of the wheel
cover until it comes
off.
Removing the wire wheel cover requires this wire wheel
key wrench.
A. Put the flat end into the notch and carefully pry the
small center cover off.
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B. Remove the theft deterrent wheel nut by placing
the key end of the wire wheel wrench over the
nut and turning it to the left. Pull off the wire
wheel cover.
C. Next, attach the wheel wrench to the bolt on the end
of the jack. Raise the jack a little by rotating the
wheel wrench clockwise
(to the right).
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing the
Spare Tire
1. Using the wheel wrench, loosen all the wheel nuts.
Don't remove them yet.
2. Position the jack under the vehicle nearest the
tire to be changed. The jack location should be
approximately
5 inches (12.7 cm) from the
wheel well.
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