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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
The tools you'll be using include the jack (A),
extension (B) and folding wrench (C).
The compact spare tire is located under the vehicle,
ahead of the rear bumper. See ªCompact Spare Tireº
later in this section for more information about the
compact spare. To remove the compact spare tire,
do the following:A. Hoist Shaft
B. Hoist Assembly
C. Retainer
D. Compact Spare TireE. Extension
(Chisel End)
F. Folding Wrench
1. Attach the folding wrench to the extension and insert
the chisel end on an angle through the hole in the
rear bumper and into the hoist shaft.
2. Turn the folding wrench counterclockwise to lower
the spare tire to the ground. Continue to turn the
wrench so the compact spare tire can be pulled out
from under the vehicle.
Page 357 of 486

5-24
3. To remove the compact spare tire from the cable, tilt
the retainer at the end of the cable so it can be pulled
up through the wheel opening.4. If your vehicle is an all
-wheel-drive vehicle, after
removing the compact spare tire turn the wrench
clockwise to raise the cable back up.
On and AWD vehicle, you can not store a full
-size
tire under the vehicle. It should be stowed inside
the vehicle by the cable provided. See ªStoring the
Flat Tire on an All
-Wheel-Drive Vehicleº later in
this section.
If you have a front
-wheel-drive vehicle, the hoist is
used to store a full
-size or a flat road tire under the
vehicle. See ªStoring the Spare Tire and Toolsº and
ªStoring the Flat Tire on a Front
-Wheel-Drive
Vehicleº later in this section.
If the compact spare tire will not lower, check under the
vehicle to see if the tire is hanging loose and the cable
end and spring under the wheel plate are missing. If so
the secondary latch system is engaged. See ªSecondary
Latch Systemº later in this section.
To continue changing the flat tire see ªRemoving
the Flat Tire and Installing the Spare Tireº later in
this section.
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5-27
1. Place the jack under the vehicle, ahead of the rear
bumper. Position the center lift point of the jack
under the center of the compact spare tire.
2. Turn the folding wrench clockwise to raise the jack
until it lifts the secondary latch devise under the
wheel plate.
3. Keep raising the jack until the compact spare tire
stops moving upward and is held firmly in place, this
lets you know that the secondary latch has released.
4. Lower the jack by turning the folding wrench
counterclockwise. Keep lowering the jack until the
compact spare tire is resting on the folding wrench.5. Grasp the compact spare tire with both hands and
pull it out from under the vehicle.
6. Reach under the vehicle and remove the folding
wrench and jack.
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.
Page 361 of 486
5-28 Removing the Flat Tire and Installing the
Spare Tire
1. 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's door pocket.
NOTICE:
To help avoid damage to the lock nut or the
wheel lock key, do not use an impact wrench
with this key.
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5-30
3. Attach the folding
wrench to the jack, and
turn the wrench
clockwise to raise the
jack head a few inches.
4. Raise the vehicle by turning the folding wrench
clockwise in the jack. Raise the vehicle far enough
off the ground so there is enough room for the
compact spare tire to fit under the wheel well.
5. Remove all the wheel nuts and take off the flat tire.6. 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.
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5-31
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.
7. Install the compact 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.
8. Lower the vehicle by attaching the folding wheel
wrench to the jack and turning the wrench
counterclockwise. Lower the jack completely.
Page 379 of 486

6-7
To remove the fuel cap, turn it slowly to the left
(counterclockwise). The fuel cap has a spring in it; if
you let go of the cap too soon, it will spring back to
the right.
CAUTION:
If you get gasoline on yourself and then
something ignites it, you could be badly burned.
Gasoline can spray out on you if you open the
fuel cap too quickly. This spray can happen if
your tank is nearly full, and is more likely in hot
weather. Open the fuel cap slowly and wait for
any ªhissº noise to stop. Then unscrew the cap all
the way.
Be careful not to spill gasoline. Clean gasoline from
painted surfaces as soon as possible. See ªCleaning the
Outside of Your Vehicleº in the Index.When you put the fuel cap back on, turn it to the right
(clockwise) until you hear a clicking sound. Make sure
you fully install the cap. The diagnostic system can
determine if the fuel cap has been left off or improperly
installed. This would allow fuel to evaporate into the
atmosphere. See ªMalfunction Indicator Lampº in
the Index.
The malfunction indicator lamp (SERVICE ENGINE
SOON or CHECK ENGINE light) will come on if the
fuel cap is not properly reinstalled.
NOTICE:
If you need a new fuel cap, be sure to get the
right type. Your dealer can get one for you. If you
get the wrong type, it may not fit properly. This
may cause your malfunction indicator lamp to
light and may damage your fuel tank and
emissions system. See ªMalfunction Indicator
Lampº in the Index.