1997 Oldsmobile Achieva Owner's Manuals

5. Then replace the pressure cap. Be sure the pressure
cap is tight.
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 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.
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ianging 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.
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. I'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. The following
steps will tell
you how to use the jack and
change a tire.
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Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
Lift and remove the cover. (See “Compact Spare Tire”
later in this section for more information about the
compact spare.) You will find
the jacking instructions
label on the underside of the tire cover. 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.
Your vehicle’s jack and wheel wrench are store in
a
foam tray.
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The tools you'll be using include the jack (A) and wheel
wrench
(B).
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing the
Spare Tire
1. Remove the wheel nut caps, if your vehicle has them
(you may need to use the wheel wrench to loosen
and remove them, if your fingers do not fit into this
small area).
2. On some models, a cover plate must be removed to
find the wheel nuts. Carefully use the wedge end
of
the wheel wrench to pry it off.
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3. Then use the wheel wrench to loosen all the wheel
nuts. Don’t remove them yet.
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 spare tire near
you.

c
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.
Raising your vehicle with the jack improperly
positioned can damage the vehicle and even
make the vehicle fall.
To help avoid personal
injury and vehicle damage, be sure
to fit the jack
lift head into the proper location before raising your vehicle.
1 NOTICE: I
Do not jack or lift the vehicle using the oil pan.
Pans could crack and begin to leak fluid.
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.
6. Remove all of the wheel nuts.
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7. Remove the wheel cover from the wheel, if your
vehicle has them. Then take
off the flat tire.
8. Remove any rust or dirt
from the wheel bolts, mounting surfaces and
spare wheel.
A CAUTION:
Rust or dirt on the w , 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.

Never use oil or grease on studs or nuts. If you
do, the nuts might come loose. Your wheel could
fall off, causing a serious accident.
9. Replace the wheel nuts
with the cone 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.
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