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5-
5-1
Section 5 Problems on the Road
Here you'll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the road.
5
-2 Hazard Warning Flashers
5
-3 Other Warning Devices
5
-3 Jump Starting
5
-9 Towing Your Vehicle
5
-9 Engine Overheating5
-12 Cooling System
5
-18 If a Tire Goes Flat
5
-19 Changing a Flat Tire
5
-30 Compact Spare Tire
5
-31 If You're Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow
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5-18
5. Then replace the pressure cap. Be sure the arrows on
the pressure cap line up like this.
Start the engine and allow it to warm up. If the CHECK
COOLANT LEVEL message does not appear on the
Driver Information Center, coolant is at the proper fill
level. If a CHECK COOLANT LEVEL message does
appear, repeat Steps 1 to 3 and reinstall the pressure cap
or see your dealer.
If a Tire Goes Flat
It's unusual for a tire to ªblow outº 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 ªblowout,º 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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5-19
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. Put the shift lever in PARK (P).
2. Set the parking brake firmly.
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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5-22 Removing the Wheel Cover
Models with Center Wheel Cover
For models having aluminum wheels with a center
wheel cover, use the flat end of the wheel wrench to
gently pry the wheel covers off. Be careful not to scratch
the aluminum wheel edge and don't try to remove it
with your hands.
For models having wheel nuts exposed, use the wheel
wrench to remove the wheel nut covers.
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing the
Spare Tire
1. Using the wheel wrench, loosen all the wheel nuts.
Don't remove them yet.
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5-25
7. Remove all wheel nuts and take off the flat tire.
8. Remove any rust or dirt
from the wheel bolts,
mounting surfaces and
spare wheel.
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.
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. Place the
spare tire on the
wheel
-mounting
surface.
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5-28
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.
13. Don't try to put a wheel cover on your compact
spare tire. It won't fit. Store the wheel cover and
lug nut caps 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.
Storing the Flat Tire and Tools
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.
After you've put the compact spare tire on your vehicle,
you'll need to store the flat tire in your trunk.
Store the flat tire as far forward in the trunk as possible.
Store the jack and wheel wrench in their compartment in
the trunk. For storage, the jack must be raised until the
screw end is flush with the edge of the jack.
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5-30
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 kPa).
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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6-40
The vehicle should be properly prepared as follows:
The vehicle should be placed so the headlamps are
25 ft. (7.6 m) from a light colored wall or other
flat surface.
The vehicle must have all four tires on a perfectly
level surface which is level all the way to the wall or
other flat surface.
The vehicle should be placed so it is perpendicular to
the wall or other flat surface.
The vehicle should not have any snow, ice or mud
attached to it.
The vehicle should be fully assembled and all other
work stopped while headlamp aiming is being done.
The vehicle should be normally loaded with a full
tank of fuel and one person or 160 lbs. (75 kg) on
the driver's seat.
Tires should be properly inflated.
Headlamp aiming is done with the vehicle low beam
lamps. The high beam lamps will be correctly aimed if
the low beam lamps are aimed properly.
The headlamp aiming devices are under the hood near
the headlamps.
If you believe your headlamps need horizontal
(left/right) adjustment, follow the horizontal aiming
procedure. If you believe your headlamps need only
vertical (up/down) adjustment, follow only the vertical
aiming procedure.
Adjustment screws can be turned with an E8 Torx
socket or T15 Torx screwdriver.