2003 CHEVROLET CAVALIER Owners Manual

Tire Chains
{CAUTION:
If your vehicle has P195/65R15 or P205/55R16
size tires, don't use tire chains, there's not
enough clearance.
Tire chains used on a vehicle without the
proper amount of clearance can cause damage
to the brakes, suspension or other vehicle
parts. The area damaged by the tire chains
could cause you to lose control of your vehicle
and you or others may be injured in a crash.
Use another type of traction device only if its
manufacturer recommends it for use on your
vehicle and tire size combination and road
conditions. Follow that manufacturer's
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
instructions. To help avoid damage to your
vehicle, drive slowly, readjust or remove the
device if it's contacting your vehicle, and don't
spin your wheels.
If you do ®nd traction devices that will ®t,
install them on the front tires.
Notice:If your vehicle has a tire size other than
P195/65R15 or P205/55R16 size tires, use tire chains
only where legal and only when you must. Use
only SAE Class ªSº type chains that are the proper
size for your tires. Install them on the front tires
and tighten them as tightly as possible with the ends
securely fastened. Drive slowly and follow the
chain manufacturer's instructions. If you can hear
the chains contacting your vehicle, stop and
retighten them. If the contact continues, slow down
until it stops. Driving too fast or spinning the
wheels with chains on will damage your vehicle.
5-59

If a Tire Goes Flat
It's unusual for a tire to ªblowoutº 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 ¯at tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel ®rmly.
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.{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 ¯at, the next part shows how to use your
jacking equipment to change a ¯at tire safely.
5-60

Changing a Flat Tire
If a tire goes ¯at, avoid further tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly to a level place. Turn on your
hazard warning ¯ashers.
{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 ®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.
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.
5-61

Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
The equipment you'll need
is located in the trunk.
1. Turn the center retainer nut on the compact spare
tire cover counterclockwise to remove it.2. Lift and remove the cover. See
Compact Spare Tire
on page 5-70for more information about the
compact spare tire.
5-62

3. Turn the wing bolt
counterclockwise and
remove it. Then lift
off the adapter
and remove the
compact spare tire.
4. Your vehicle's jack and wheel wrench are stored in
a foam tray. Remove the jack and wheel wrench
from the trunk. Remove the band around the jack.The tools you'll be using include the jack (A) and wheel
wrench (B).
5-63

Removing the Flat Tire and Installing
the Spare Tire
1. If your vehicle is equipped with wheel covers, use
the wheel wrench to begin loosening the plastic
wheel nut caps. Once you have loosened the plastic
wheel nut caps with the wheel wrench you can
®nish loosening them with your ®ngers. Using the
¯at end of the wheel wrench, pry along the edge of
the wheel cover until it comes off.
If your vehicle has alloy wheels, ®rst remove the
decorative nut caps (if equipped) using the
wheel wrench.2. Then use the wheel wrench to loosen all the wheel
nuts. Don't remove them yet.
3. Near each wheel well is a notch in the frame which
the jack head ®ts in. The front notch is 9 inches
(23 cm) back from the front wheel well. The
rear notch is 8 inches (20 cm) forward from the rear
wheel well. As is shown in the diagram above, if
your vehicle has ¯ared side moldings, both front and
rear notches are 18 inches (46 cm) from the
wheel wells.
Position the jack and raise the jack head until it ®ts
®rmly into the notch in the vehicle's frame nearest
the ¯at tire. Put the compact spare tire near you.
5-64

{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 ®t the
jack lift head into the proper location before
raising the vehicle.4. Raise the vehicle by turning the jack handle
clockwise. Raise the vehicle far enough off the
ground so there is enough room for the compact
spare tire to ®t underneath the wheel well.
5. Remove all of the wheel nuts.
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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.
{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. Place the compact spare tire on the wheel-mounting
surface.
8. Reinstall 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.
5-66