1996 CHEVROLET ASTRO Owners Manual

11. Lower the vehicle by turning the ratchet
counterclockwise. Lower
the jack completely.
12. Tighten the wheel nuts
firmly in a criss-cross
sequence as shown.
Turn the ratchet
clockwise with the
UP mark facing you.
A
11 CAUTION:
Incorrect wheel nuts or improperly tightened
wheel nuts can cause the wheel to become loose
and even come
off. This could lead to an accident.
Be sure to use the correct
wheel nuts. If you have
to replace them, be sure to get new
GM original
equipment wheel nuts.
Stop somewhere
as soon as you can and have
the nuts tightened with
a torque wrench to
100 Ib-ft (140 Nom).
I
5-33

NOTICE:
Improperly tightened wheel nuts can lead to
brake pulsation and rotor damage.
To avoid
expensive brake repairs, evenly tighten the wheel
nuts in the proper sequence and to the proper
torque specification.
13. Remove the wheel blocks.
I NOTICE:
Wheel covers won't fit on your compact spare. If
you try to put a wheel cover on your compact
spare, you could damage the cover or the spare. Storing
a jack, a tire or other equipment in the
passenger compartment
of the vehicle could
cause injury. In a sudden stop or collision, loose
equipment could strike someone. Store all these
in the proper place.
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1.
2.
3.
Put the flat tire on the ground at the rear of the
vehicle, with the valve stem pointed down.
Tilt retaining bar downward and through the wheel
opening. Make sure it is fully seated across the
underside of the wheel. Attach the ratchet, with the
UP side facing you, to the extension.
Put the
flat end of the extension on an angle through
the hole in the rear door frame, above the bumper.
Turn the ratchet clockwise until the tire is against the
underside
of the vehicle.
You will
feel two “clicks” when the tire is up all the
way. Try to move the tire with your hands to make
sure it is securely in place.
The compact spare is for temporary use only. Replace
the compact spare tire with a full-size tire
as soon as
you can. See “Compact Spare Tire” in the Index. See
the storage instructions label to restore your compact
spare properly.
Return the jacking equipment
to its proper location.
I 4
3
I. Jacking Tool Storage
Bag
2. Jack
3. Bracket
4. Jacking Instruction
Tag
5. BoltKcrew
6. Wheel Blocks
7, Washer
8. Nut
5-35

Compact Spare Tire
Although the compact spare tire was fully inflated when
your vehicle was new, it can lose air after a time. Check
the inflation pressure regularly. It should be
60 psi
(420 Wa).
After installing the compact spare on your vehicle, you
should stop as soon as possible and make sure your
spare tire
is correctly inflated. The compact spare is
made to perform well at posted speed limits for
distances up to
3,000 miles (5 000 km), so you can
fini.sh your trip and have your full-size tire repaired or
replaced where you want. Of course, it’s best to replace
your spare with a full-size tire as soon as you can. Your
spare will last longer and be in good shape in case
you
need it again.
NOTICE:
I
When the compact spare is installed, don’t take
your vehicle through an automatic car wash with
guide rails. The compact spare can get caught on
the rails. That can damage the tire and wheel,
and maybe other parts
of your vehicle.
Don’t use
your compact spare on other vehicles.
And don’t mix your compact spare tire or wheel with
other wheels or tires. They won’t fit. Keep your spare
tire and its wheel together.
NOTICE:
Tire chains won’t fit your compact spare. Using
them can damage your vehicle and can damage
the chains too. Don’t use tire chains on’your
compact spare.
5-36

If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice
or Snow
What you don’t want to do when your vehicle is stuck is
to spin your wheels too fast. The method known as
“rocking” can help
you get out when you’re stuck, but
you must use caution.
A CAUTION:’
I
If you let your tires spin at high speed, they can
explode, and you or others could be injured.
And, the transmission or other parts of the
vehicle can overheat. That could cause an engine
compartment fire or other damage. When you’re
stuck, spin the wheels
as little as possible. Don’t
~ spin the wheels above 35 mph (55 km/h) as shown
~ on the speedometer.
I
NOTICE:
Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of your
vehicle
as well as the tires. If you spin the wheels
too fast while shifting your transmission back
and forth, you can destroy your transmission.
For information about using tire chains
on your vehicle,
see “Tire Chains” in
the Index.
Rocking your vehicle to get it out:
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your front wheels. Then shift back
and forth between REVERSE
(R) and a forward gear,
spinning the wheels as little as possible. Release the
accelerator pedal while you shift, and press lightly
on
the accelerator pedal when the transmission is in gear. If
that doesn’t get
you out after a few tries, you may need
to be towed out. If you do need to be towed out, see
“Towing Your Vehicle’’’ in the Index.
5-37

NOTES
5-38

Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Here you will find information about the care of your vehicle.
This section begins with service and fuel information, and then it shows how
to check important fluid and lubricant
levels. There is also technical information about your
vehicle, and a part devoted to its appearance care.
Service
Your GM dealer knows your vehicle best and wants you
to be happy with it. We hope you’ll go to your dealer for
all your service needs. You’ll
get genuine GM parts and
GM-trained and supported service people. We
hope
you’ll want to keep your GM vehicle all GM.
Genuine GM parts have one
of these marks:
n
Delco
6-1

Doing Your Own Service Work
If you want to do some of your own service work, you’ll
want to get the proper GM Service Manual. It tells you
much more about how to service your vehicle than this
manual can.
To order the proper service manual, see
“Service and Owner Publications” in the Index.
Your vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting
to do your own service work, see “Servicing Your
Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle” in the Index.
You should keep a record with all parts receipts and list
the mileage and the date
of any service work you
perform. See “Maintenance Record” in the Index.
I A CAUTION:
You can be injured and your vehicle could be
damaged if you try to do service work on
a
vehicle without knowing enough about it.
Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, and the proper replacement
parts and tools before you attempt any
vehicle maintenance task.
Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts and
other fasteners. “English” and “metric”
fasteners can be easily confused. If you use
the wrong fasteners, parts can later break
or fall
off. You could be hurt.
6-2