Page 392 of 478

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.
5-82
Page 394 of 478
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
The jack and wheel blocks are located under a cover
near the passenger side rear seat.
To remove the jack and wheel blocks, do the following:
1. Remove the jack cover by turning the two wing nuts
one-quarter turn counterclockwise and pulling the
jack cover off.A. Wheel Blocks
B. Knob
C. Wing Nut
D. Retaining HookE. Jack
F. Jack Head
G. Mounting Bracket Rear Seat (Passenger Side) Jack Cover
5-84
Page 395 of 478
2. Release the jack (E) from the mounting bracket (G)
by turning the knob (B) on the jack counterclockwise
to lower the jack head (F) from the mounting
bracket.
3. Remove the wheel blocks (A) attached to the
jack (E) by turning the wing nut (C)
counterclockwise. Place the wheel blocks where
needed as indicated in the previous Caution.
The tools for changing a ¯at tire are located in the
passenger's side Top-Box Storage unit.
To remove the tools, do the following:
1. Open the top door on the passenger's side Top-Box
Storage Box. Use the ignition/door key to unlock it if
it is locked. See
Top-Box Storage on page 2-71for more information on the Top-Box Storage unit.
2. Remove the black pouch from the Top-Box.
You now have all of the tools you will need to lower
the spare tire and change a ¯at.
You'll use the jack handle extensions and the wheel
wrench to remove the underbody-mounted spare tire.Top-Box Storage (Passenger Side)
5-85
Page 396 of 478
A. Spare Tire
(Valve Stem
Pointed Down)
B. Hoist Assembly
C. Hoist Cable
D. Tire Retainer
E. Hoist Shaft
F. Hoist End of
Extension ToolG. Hoist Shaft
Access Hole
H. Wheel Wrench
I. Jack Handle
Extensions
J. Hoist Lock
(If Equipped)Follow these instructions to lower the spare tire:
1. If your vehicle is equipped with a hoist lock (J),
open the spare tire lock cover on the bumper
and use the ignition key to remove the lock.
2. Assemble the wheel wrench (H) and the two jack
handle extensions (I) as shown.
5-86
Page 398 of 478
6. When the tire has been
lowered, tilt the
retainer (D) at the end
of the cable so it
can be pulled up
through the wheel
opening.
7. Put the spare tire near the ¯at tire.Removing the Flat Tire and Installing
the Spare Tire
Use the following pictures and instructions to remove
the ¯at tire and raise the vehicle.
The tools you'll be using include the bottle jack (A), the
wheel blocks (B), the jack handle (C), the jack handle
extensions (D), and the wheel wrench (E).
5-88
Page 399 of 478
1. Remove the center cap by placing the chisel end of
the wheel wrench in the slot on the wheel and
gently prying the cap out.2. Use the wheel wrench to loosen all the wheel nuts.
Turn the wheel wrench counterclockwise to loosen
the wheel nuts. Don't remove the wheel nuts yet.
5-89
Page 402 of 478
4. Remove all the wheel
nuts and take off the
¯at tire.
5. 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.
5-92
Page 411 of 478

11. Lower the jack by turning the wheel wrench
counterclockwise. Keep lowering the jack until the
spare tire slides off the jack or is hanging by
the cable.
{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 the spare.
12. Disconnect the jack handle from the jack and
carefully remove the jack. Use one hand to push
against the spare while ®rmly pulling the jack out
from under the spare tire with the other hand.
If the spare tire is hanging from the cable, insert the
hoist handle, extension and wheel wrench into
the hoist shaft hole in the bumper and turn
the wheel wrench counterclockwise to lower the
spare the rest of the way.13. Tilt the retainer at the
end of the cable and
pull it through the
wheel opening. Pull the
tire out from under
the vehicle.
14. If the cable is hanging under the vehicle, turn
the wheel 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 ¯at tire using
the hoist assembly until it has been replaced.
To continue changing the ¯at tire, see ªRemoving the
Flat Tire and Installing the Spare Tireº earlier in
this section.
5-101