1996 CHEVROLET CAVALIER Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If a Tire Goes Flr Changing a Flat Tire
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 firmly.
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.
If a tire goes rlat, 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 an automatic transaxle shift lever in
PARK (P), or shift a manual transaxle to
FIRST
(1) or REVERSE (R).
3. lbrn 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.
5-21

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine need is in the t&. Turn
the center retainer nut
on
the compact spare cover
counterclockwise to
remove it.
Lift
and remove the cover. See “Compact Spare Tire”
later in this section for more information about the
compact spare.
The following steps will tell
you how to use the jack and
change a tire.
5-22

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Turn the wing nut counterclockwise and
remove it. Then lift
off the
adapter and remove the
spare tire. Remove the
jack and wheel wrench
from the trunk. Yo1
vehicle’s jack and wheel wrench are stored in a foam
tray. Remove the band around the jack.
The tools you’ll be using include the jack
(A) and wheel
wrench
(B).
5-23

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Removing the Fiat Tire and Installing the
Spare Tire
Remove the wheel nut caps (you may need to
use the wheel wrench to
loosen and remove
them,
if your fingers do
not fit into this small
area).
2. Then use the wheel wrench to loosen all the wheel
nuts. Don’t remove them yet.
L 3A

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 3. On some models, a cover plate must be removedbto
find the wheel nuts. Carefully use the wedge end of
the wheel wrench to
pry it off.
1-1
18” (46cm) 18” (46cm)
4. Position the jack and raise the jack head until it fits
firmly into the notch in the vehicle’s frame nearest
the flat tire. Put the compact sparc *re
1 LT you.
1
Getting under a vehicle when it is jacked up is
dangerous. If the vehicle slips off the jack, you
could be badly injured or killed. Never get under
a vehicle when it is supported only by a jack.
I I
5-25

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I NOTICE:
I I
Raising your vehicle with the jack improperly
positioned will damage the vehicle or may allow
the vehicle to fall off the jack. Be sure to fit the
jack lift head into the proper location before
raising your vehicle.
Do not jack or lift the vehicle using the oil pan.
Pans could crack and begin to leak fluid.
1
A
n
5. Raise the vehicle by rotating the wheel wrench
clockwise. Raise the vehicle far enough
off the ground
so there is enough room for the spare tire to fit.
5-26

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 6. Remove all of the wheel nuts.
7. Remove the wheel cover from the wheel, if your
vehicle has them. Then remove the flat tire.
8. Remove any rust or dirt
from the wheel bolts,
mounting surfaces and spare wheel.
A CAUTION:
I- -
Rust or dirt on the wheel, or on the parts to which
it is fastened, can make the wheel nuts become
loose after
a time. The wheel could come off and
cause an accident. When you change
a wheel,
remove any rust or dirt from the 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 you
need to, to get
all the rust or dirt off.
5-27

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Never use oil or grease on stud! r nuts. If you
do, the nuts might come loose. Your wheel could
fall off, causing a serious accident.
Replace the wheel nuts
with the rounded end
of the nuts toward the
wheel. Tighten each
nut by hand or with
the wheel wrench
until the wheel is held
against the hub.
10. Lower the vehicle by rotating the wheel wrench
counterclockwise. Lower the jack completely.