1998 PONTIAC FIREBIRD change wheel

Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have a GM dealer or a professional towing
service tow your vehicle.
If your vehicle has been changed or modified since it
was factory-new by adding aftermarket items like fog
lamps, aero skirting, or special tires and wheels, these
instructions may not be correct.
Before
you do anything, turn on the hazard
warning flashers.
When
you call, tell the towing service:
0
0
0
0
0
That your vehicle cannot be towed from the front or
rear with sling-type equipment.
That your vehicle has rear-wheel drive.
The make, model and year of your vehicle.
Whether
you can still move the shift lever.
If there was
an accident, what was damaged.
When the towing service arrives, let the tow operator
know that this manual contains detailed towing
instructions and illustrations. The operator may want
to see them.
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To help avoid injury to you or others:
Never let passengers ride in a vehicle that is
Never tow faster than safe or posted speeds.
Never tow with damaged parts not
fully secured.
0 Never get under your vehicle after it has
been lifted
by the tow truck.
Always secure the vehicle on each side with
separate safety chains when towing it.
0 Never use J-hooks. Use T-hooks instead.
being
towed.
5-8

If a Tire Goes Flat 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 flat, avoid further
tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly to a level place.
Turn on your hazard
warning flashers.
I
A CAUTION:
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 (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.
5-27

3. Raise the vehicle by rotating the wheel wrench to
the right (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.
4. 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.
5-35

After the tires have been rotated, adjust the front and
rear inflation pressures as shown on the Tire-Loading
Information label. Make certain that
all wheel nuts
are properly tightened. See “Wheel Nut Torque” in
the Index.
1 A CAUTION:
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the parts to which
it
is fastened, can make 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 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. (See
“Changing
a Flat Tire” in the Index.) When
It’s Time for New Tires
One
way to tell when it’s
time for new
tires is to
check the treadwear
indicators, which will
appear when
your tires have
only
1/16 inch (1.6 mm) or
less
of tread remaining.
You need a new tire
if any of the following statements
are true:
You can see the indicators at three or more places
around the tire.
You can see cord or fabric showing through the
tire’s rubber.
The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut or snagged deep
enough
to show cord or fabric.
The tire has a bump, bulge or split.
0 The tire has a puncture, cut or other damage that
can’t be repaired well because
of the size or location
of the damage.
6-48

Transmitters. Matching to Your Vehicle .............. 2-9
Transmitters. Synchronization ...................... 2-8
Transportation. Courtesy .......................... 8-8
T-Top Sunshades ............................... 2-67
lTYUsers ..................................... 8-5
Turn Signal and Lane Change Indicators ............. 2-47
Turn SignaVMultifunction Lever ................... 2-46
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer ................ 4-37
Twin Lift-off Roof Panels ........................ 2-62
Tripodometer ................................. 2-79
underbody Flushing Service ..................... 7-35
Underbody Maintenance ......................... 6-60
Underhood Electrical Center ...................... 6-66
Vehicle
Controlofa
.................................. 4-5
Damagewarnings .............................. iv
Dimensions
................................. 6-70
Identification Number ......................... 6-62
Loading .................................... 4-30
Storage ..................................... 6-37
Ventilation System ............................... 3-6
Visor Vanity Mirror ............................. 2-61
Visors. Sun .................................... 2-61
Voltmeter ..................................... 2-8 1 warning
Devices
............................... 5-3
Warning Lights. Gages and Indicators ............... 2-79
Warranty Information ............................ 8-10
Washer Fluid. Windshield .................. 2-49. 6-32
Washing Your Vehicle ........................... 6-57
Weatherstrips .................................. 6-57
wheel
Alignment .................................. 6-51
Nut Torque ............................. 5.37. 6.68
Replacement ................................. 6-51
Wrench ..................................... 5-30
Windows ..................................... 2-45
Manual ..................................... 2-45
Power ...................................... 2-45
Windshield Washer ............................. 2-49
Fluid .................................. 2.49. 6.32
Fluid Level Check ............................ 7-32
Windshield Wipers .............................. 2-48
Blade Replacement ........................... 6-42
Fuses ...................................... 6-63
Winter Driving ................................. 4-25
Wiper Blade Check ............................. 7-33
Wiring. Headlamp .............................. 6-63
WreckerTowing ................................. 5-8
Wrench. Wheel. ................................ 5-30
9-12