2002 BUICK RANDEZVOUS Owner's Manual

5-26
3. Loosen the cable by turning the wrench
counterclockwise three or four turns.
4. Repeat this procedure at least two times.
5. If you still cannot lower the spare tire to the ground,
see ªSecondary Latch Systemº later in this section.
6. If the spare tire did lower to the ground, continue
with Step 6 under ªRemoving the Spare Tire
(Vehicles with the Rear Convenience/Cargo Tray)º.
Secondary Latch System
Your vehicle has an underbody mounted tire hoist
assembly equipped with a secondary latch system. It's
designed to stop the compact spare tire from suddenly
falling off your vehicle if the cable holding the spare tire
is damaged. For the secondary latch to work, the tire
must be stowed with the valve stem pointing down. See
ªStoring the Spare Tire and Toolsº in the Index for
instructions on storing the spare tire correctly.
CAUTION:
Before beginning this procedure read all the
instructions. Failure to read and follow the
instructions could damage the hoist assembly
and you and others could get hurt. Read and
follow the instructions listed below.
To release the spare tire from the secondary latch,
do the following:
CAUTION:
Someone standing too close during the procedure
could be injured by the jack. If the spare tire does
not slide off the jack completely, make sure no one
is behind you or on either side of you as you pull
the jack out from under the spare.
1. If the cable is not visible, start this procedure
at Step 3.

5-27
2. Turn the wrench counterclockwise until
approximately 6 inches (15 cm) of cable is exposed.
3. Attach the folding wrench to the jack and raise the
jack at least 10 turns.
4. Place the jack under the vehicle, ahead of the rear
bumper. Position the center lift point of the jack
under the center of the spare tire.5. Turn the folding wrench clockwise to raise the jack
until it lifts the secondary latch spring.
6. Keep raising the jack until the spare tire stops
moving upward and is held firmly in place, this lets
you know that the secondary latch has released

5-28
7. Lower the jack by turning the folding wrench
counterclockwise. Keep lowering the jack until
the spare tire is resting on the folding wrench.8. Grasp the spare tire with both hands and pull it out
from under the vehicle.
9. Reach under the vehicle and remove the folding
wrench and jack.
10. When the spare tire has been completely lowered,
tilt the retainer and slip it through the wheel opening.
11. If the cable is hanging, turn the wrench clockwise
to raise the cable back up.
Have the hoist assembly inspected as soon as you can.
You will not be able to store a spare or flat tire using the
hoist assembly until it has been repaired or replaced.

5-29 Removing the Flat Tire and Installing
the Spare Tire
1. If there is a wheel cover, loosen the plastic nut caps
with the wheel wrench. They won't come off. Then,
using the flat end of the wheel wrench, pry along the
edge of the cover until it comes off. Be careful; the
edges may be sharp. Don't try to remove the cover
with your bare hands.
If your vehicle has aluminum wheels, remove the
wheel nut caps using the wheel wrench.
2. Loosen the wheel
nuts
-- but do not
remove them
-- using
the folding wrench.
(Turn the handle about
180 degrees, then flip
the handle back to
the starting position.
This avoids taking the
wrench off the lug nut
for each turn.)For wheels with a wheel lock key, use the wheel lock
key between the lock nut and folding wrench. The key
is supplied in the front passenger door pocket.
NOTICE:
To help avoid damage to lock nut or wheel lock
key, do not use an impact wrench with this key.
3. Near each wheel,
there is a notch in
the vehicle's body.
Position the jack and
raise the jack head
until it fits firmly
into the notch in the
vehicle's frame nearest
the flat tire.

5-30
NOTICE:
Do not place the jack under the rear axle control
arms. Only use the areas shown for proper
jack location.
Do not raise the vehicle yet. Put the compact spare
tire near you.
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.

5-31
4. Attach the folding wrench
to the jack, and turn
the wrench clockwise
to raise the jack head
3 inches (7.6 cm).
5. Raise the vehicle by turning the folding wrench
clockwise in the jack. Raise the vehicle far enough
off the ground so that there is enough room for the
spare tire to fit under the wheel well.
6. Remove all the wheel nuts and take off the flat tire.
7. 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.

5-32
8. Install the spare tire and put the wheel nuts back on
with the rounded end of the nuts toward the wheel.
Tighten each nut by hand until the wheel is held
against the hub.
9. Lower the vehicle by attaching the folding wrench to
the jack and turning the wrench counterclockwise.
Lower the jack completely.
10. 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).

5-33
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.
11. Don't try to put a wheel cover on the compact spare
tire. It won't fit. Store the wheel cover securely in
the rear of the vehicle 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 a Flat or Spare 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.
CAUTION:
The underbody-mounted spare tire needs to be
stored with the valve stem pointing down. If the
spare tire is stored with its valve stem pointing
upwards, its secondary latch won't work properly,
and the spare tire could loosen and suddenly fall
from your vehicle. If this happened when your
vehicle was being driven, the tire might contact
a person or another vehicle, causing injury and,
of course, damage to itself as well. Be sure the
underbody
-mounted spare tire is stored with its
valve stem pointing down.