1999 BUICK CENTURY wheel

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5-21
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.
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 the shift lever in PARK (P).
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.
The following steps will tell you how to use the jack and
change a tire.

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5-23
3. Turn the nut holding the jack counterclockwise and
remove it. Then remove the jack and wrench.The tools you'll be using include the jack (A), extension
and protection guide (B) and wheel wrench (C).

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5-24 Wheel Center Caps
To remove a center cap, use
the wrench to pry gently at
the notch. Don't use a tool
that is narrower than the
wrench to pry at this notch.
Then pry off the cap.
Wheel Covers
If your vehicle is equipped
with wheel covers, be sure
to use a wheel wrench to
begin the process of
loosening the plastic wheel
nut caps.
They won't come off. You will only be able to loosen
them. Once you have loosened the plastic nut caps with
the wheel wrench, if needed, you can finish loosening
them with your fingers.
Then, using the flat end of the wheel wrench, pry along
the edge of the wheel cover until it comes off. Be
careful; the edge may be sharp. Don't try to remove the
cover with your bare hands.

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5-25 Removing the Flat Tire and Installing the
Spare Tire
1. Using the wheel wrench, loosen all the wheel nuts.
Don't remove them yet.
2. Turn the jack handle clockwise to raise the jack lift
head a few inches.
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.
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.

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5-26
3. For jacking at the vehicle's front location, put the
jack lift head about 6 inches (15 cm) from the rear
edge of the front wheel opening or just behind the
two bolts as shown.4. For jacking at the vehicle's rear location, put the jack
lift head about 5 inches (13 cm) from the front edge
of the rear wheel opening or just behind the off
-set
as shown.
Put the compact spare tire near you.

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5. Raise the vehicle by turning the jack handle
clockwise. Raise the vehicle far enough off the
ground for the spare tire to fit under the vehicle.
6. Remove all wheel nuts and take off the flat tire.
7. Remove any rust or dirt
from the wheel bolts,
mounting surfaces and
spare wheel.
8. Install the spare tire.
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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CAUTION:
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 rounded end of
the nuts toward the
wheel. Tighten each nut
by hand until the wheel
is held against the hub.
10. Lower the vehicle by turning the jack handle
counterclockwise. Lower the jack completely.

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11. Tighten the wheel nuts
firmly in a crisscross
sequence as shown.
CAUTION:
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).
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.
Don't try to put the wheel cover on your compact
spare tire. It won't fit. Store the wheel cover in the
trunk until you have the flat tire repaired or replaced.
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.