1998 PONTIAC GRAND AM Owners Manual

Removing the Flat Tire and Installing the
Spare Tire
1. 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.
3. 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.
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11 A CAUTION:
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 A CAUTION:
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
the vehicle.
L II
n
.A
4. Raise the vehicle by rotating the wheel wrench to the
right. Raise the vehicle
far enough off the ground so
there is enough room for the spare tire to fit.
5. Remove all of the wheel nuts.
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6. Remove the wheel cover from the wheel, if your flat
tire
has one. Then take off the flat tire.
7. Remove any rust or dirt
from the wheel bolts,
mounting surfaces
and
spare wheel.
/11 CAUTl -1:
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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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.
8. Replace the wheel nuts
I with the rounded end of
the nuts toward the
wheel. Tighten each nut
by hand until the wheel is held against the hub.
n
9. Lower the vehicle by rotating the wheel wrench to
the left. Lower the jack completely.
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10. Tighten the wheel nuts
firmly in a crisscross
sequence, as shown.
' A CAUTION: I I
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 N*m).
I 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.
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.
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Storing the Flat Tire and Tools
A CAUTION:
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.
I I
Store the flat tire in the compact spare tire compartment.
Place the
tire in the compartment, then secure the
adapter, extension (aluminum wheels only) and wing
bolt. Place the cover and nut on top
of the flat tire. Store
the jack and wheel wrench in the
foam tray.
m H
A. Wrench
B. Jack
C. Flat Road Tire
D. Adapter E.
Extension (Aluminum
E Wing Nut
G. Cover
H. Nut
Wheels Only)
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Storing the Snare Tire and Tools
I
Storing a jack, a tire or other equipment in the
passenger compartment
of the vehicle could
cause
iqjury. In a sudden stop or collision, loose
equipment could strike someone. Store all these
in the proper 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 replace your compact spare
into your
trunk properly.
m G
4. Wrench
B. Jack
C. Spare Tire
D. Adapter
E. Wing Nut
E Cover
G. Nut
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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 Pa).
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 speeds up to
65 mph
(105 km/h) for distances up to 3,000 miles (5 000 km),
so you can finish 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:
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.
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