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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
firmly.
Steer to maintain lane position, and then gently bralie 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
A CAUTILN:
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 transmission shift
lever in
PARK (P), or shift a manual
transmission to
FIRST (1) or
REVERSE (a).
3. Turn 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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Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
The equipment you’ll need is in the right (passenger)
rear area behind the trim panel.
First you must remove the close-out panel. See
“Close-Out Panel” in the Index.
On convertible models, you must also remove the
convertible top protection panel. It’s at
the upper back
the trunk. Turn the two screw
knobs under the trunk
edge a quarter turn left (counterclockwise) to remove
the panel.
The following steps will tell you how to use the jack and
change
a tire.
i
of
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Each wheel has one locknut in place of the standard
wheel nut.
A special wheel lock key (removal tool) and
instructions are located in the center console. Attach
the wheel lock key to the socket
of the wheel wrench.
Remove the locking wheel nut by turning
counterclockwise.
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4. 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.
Remove all the wheel nuts and take off the flat tire.
5. Remove any rust or dirt
from the wheel bolts,
mounting surfaces and
spare wheel.
A CAUTION:’
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.
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7. Lower the vehicle by rotating the wheel wrench
counterclockwise. Lower the jack completely.
a. Tighten the wheel
nuts firmly in a
criss-cross sequence
as shown.
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 lb-ft
(140 Nom).
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Gasoline vapor is highly flammable. It burns
violently, and that can cause very bad injuries.
Don’t smoke if you’re near gasoline or refueling
your vehicle. Keep sparks, flames, and smoking
materials away from gasoline.
To take off the cap, turn it slowly to the left
(counterclockwise).
I
n
If you get gasoline on yourself’ and then
something ignites
it, you could be badly burned.
Gasoline can spray out
on you if you open the
fuel filler cap
too quickly. This spray can happen
if your tank
is nearly full, and is more likely in
hot weather. Open the fuel filler cap slowly and
wait for any “hiss” noise to stop. Then unscrew
the cap all the
way.
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4.
5.
6.
7.
Pull off the assembly from the outside.
To remove a socket with a tab, press the tab and turn
the socket counterclockwise.
To remove a socket
without a tab, turn
the socket counterclockwise.
To remove the bulb, push in and turn it
counterclockwise, then pull it out.
Reverse the steps with
a new bulb.
Rear Sidemarker.
I
I P
To replace a rear sidemarker bulb:
1. Remove the screw from the sidemarker assembly.
2. To pull out the bulb housing, tilt the housing to
remove
the tabbed end.
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3. Turn counterclockwise and pull out the socket and
the bulb.
4. Pull out the bulb.
5. Reverse the steps with a new bulb.
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
Replacement blades come in different types and are
removed in different ways.
To remove the wiper blade assembly:
1. Lift the wiper arm until it locks into an
upright position.
2. Press the locking tab down while sliding the blade
assembly
down.
L
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