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If a Tire Goes Flat
It is unusual for a tire to blowout while you are driving,
especially if you maintain your vehicle’s tires properly.
If air goes out of a tire, it is 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 would
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.{CAUTION:
Lifting a vehicle and getting under it to do
maintenance or repairs is dangerous without
the appropriate safety equipment and training.
The jack provided with your vehicle is
designed only for changing a at tire. If it is
used for anything else, you or others could be
badly injured or killed if the vehicle slips off
the jack. Use the jack provided with your
vehicle only for changing a at tire.
If a tire goes flat, the next part shows how to use the
jacking equipment to change a flat tire safely.
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.
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{CAUTION:
Changing a tire can be dangerous. The vehicle
can slip off the jack and roll over or fall on you
or other people. You and they could be badly
injured or even killed. Find a level place to
change your tire. To help prevent the vehicle
from moving:
1. Set the parking brake rmly.
2. Put an automatic transaxle shift lever in
PARK (P), or shift a manual transaxle to
FIRST (1) or REVERSE (R).
3. Turn off the engine and do not restart
while the vehicle is raised.
4. Do not allow passengers to remain in the
vehicle.
To be even more certain the vehicle will not
move, you should 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, at the opposite end of the vehicle.When you have a flat tire, use the following example as
a guide to assist you in the placement of wheel
blocks.
The following information will tell you how to use the
jack and change a tire.
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Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
The compact spare tire and tools you will need are
located in the trunk.
A. Jack
B. Wheel WrenchC. Jack Handle
D. Screwdriver
1. Open the trunk or liftgate. SeeTrunk (Sedan) on
page 2-9orLiftgate (Hatchback) on page 2-11for
more information.
2. Lift the trim cover.3. Remove the foam tray.
4. Remove the jack, the jack handle and the wheel
wrench from the foam tray.
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5. Turn the retainer counterclockwise and remove it
from the compact spare.
6. Remove the compact spare tire. SeeCompact
Spare Tire on page 5-66for more information.
Removing the Flat Tire and
Installing the Spare Tire
1. If your vehicle has wheel covers, loosen the four
plastic caps by hand or by using the wheel wrench.
The plastic nuts do not come off of the cover.
2. Remove the wheel cover using the flat end of the
jack handle or the screwdriver. Pry along the edge
of the wheel cover until it comes off.
3. Use the wheel wrench to loosen all the wheel nuts.
Do not remove them yet.
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4. Locate the notch in the frame near each wheel
which the jack head fits in.
5. Position the jack and raise the jack head until it fits
firmly into the notch in the vehicle’s frame nearest
the flat tire.
6. Put the compact spare tire near you.7. Insert the jack handle into the jack and the wheel
wrench onto the end of the jack handle.
{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. Hatchback shown, Sedan similar
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