2004 DODGE NEON flat tire

Replacement Tires
The tires on your new vehicle provide a balance of many
characteristics. They should be inspected regularly for
wear and correct cold tire inflation pressure. The manu-
facturer strongly recommends that you use tires equiva-
lent to the originals in size, quality and performance
when replacement is needed (see the paragraph on tread
wear indicators). Refer to the Tire and Loading Informa-
tion placard for the size designation of your tire. The
service description and load identification will be found
on the original equipment tire. Failure to use equivalent
replacement tires may adversely affect the safety, han-
dling, and ride of your vehicle. We recommend that you
contact your original equipment or an authorized tire
dealer with any questions you may have on tire specifi-
cations or capability.WARNING!
²Do not use a tire, wheel size or rating other than
that specified for your vehicle. Some combina-
tions of unapproved tires and wheels may change
suspension dimensions and performance charac-
teristics, resulting in changes to steering, han-
dling, and braking of your vehicle. This can cause
unpredictable handling and stress to steering and
suspension components. You could lose control
and have an accident resulting in serious injury or
death. Use only the tire and wheel sizes with load
ratings approved for your vehicle.
²Never use a tire with a smaller load index or
capacity, other than what was originally equipped
on your vehicle. Using a tire with a smaller load
index could result in tire overloading and failure.
You could lose control and have an accident.
²Failure to equip your vehicle with tires having
adequate speed capability can result in sudden
tire failure and loss of vehicle control.
138 STARTING AND OPERATING

WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES
CONTENTS
mHazard Warning Flasher.................152
mIf Your Engine Overheats................152
mJacking And Tire Changing...............153
NPreparations For Jacking................154
NInstructions.........................154
mJump-Starting Procedures If Battery Is Low...157
mDriving On Slippery Surfaces.............159
NAcceleration.........................159NTraction............................160
mFreeing A Stuck Vehicle.................160
mTowing A Disabled Vehicle...............161
NWith Ignition Key.....................161
NWithout The Ignition Key...............162
NTowing This Vehicle Behind Another Vehicle
(Flat Towing With All Four Wheels On The
Ground)............................162
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NOTE:The spare tire well is designed to hold the
compact spare tire or a deflated (flat) tire. A fully inflated
tire will not fit in the spare tire well.
JUMP-STARTING PROCEDURES IF BATTERY IS
LOW
WARNING!
Take care to avoid the radiator cooling fan whenever
the hood is raised. It can start anytime the ignition
switch is on. You can be hurt by the fan.
WARNING!
Do not attempt to push or tow your vehicle to get it
started. Vehicles equipped with an automatic trans-
axle cannot be started this way. Unburned fuel could
enter the catalytic converter and once the engine has
started, ignite and damage the converter and vehicle.
If the vehicle has a discharged battery, booster cables
may be used to obtain a start from another vehicle.
This type of start can be dangerous if done improp-
erly, so follow this procedure carefully.
1. Wear eye protection and remove any metal jewelry
such as watch bands or bracelets that might make an
inadvertent electrical contact.
2. When boosting from a battery in another vehicle, park
that vehicle within booster cable reach but without
letting the vehicles touch. Set parking brake, place auto-
matic transaxle in PARK (manual transaxle in NEU-
TRAL) and turn ignition to OFF for both vehicles.
3. Turn off the heater, radio and all unnecessary electrical
loads.
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 157
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WARNING!
Rapid acceleration on slippery surfaces is danger-
ous. Unequal traction can cause sudden pulling of
the front wheels. You could lose control of the
vehicle and possibly have an accident. Accelerate
slowly and carefully whenever there is likely to be
poor traction (ice, snow, wet, mud, loose sand, etc.).
Traction
When driving on wet or slushy roads, it is possible for a
wedge of water to build up between the tire and road
surface. This is hydroplaning and may cause partial or
complete loss of vehicle control and stopping ability. To
reduce this possibility, the following precautions should
be observed:
1. Slow down during rainstorms or when roads are
slushy.
2. Slow down if road has standing water or puddles.
3. Replace tires when tread wear indicators first become
visible.4. Keep tires properly inflated.
5. Maintain enough distance between your vehicle and
the vehicle in front of you to avoid a collision in a sudden
stop.
FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE
If your vehicle becomes stuck in mud, sand or snow, it
can often be moved by a rocking motion. Turn your
steering wheel right and left to clear the area around the
front wheels. Then shift back and forth between Reverse
and First gear. Usually the least accelerator pedal pres-
sure to maintain the rocking motion without spinning the
wheels is most effective.
160 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

Temperature Grades
The temperature grades are A (highest), B, and C, repre-
senting the tire's resistance to the generation of heat and
its ability to dissipate heat when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the material of the
tire to degenerate and reduce tire life, and excessive
temperature can lead to sudden tire failure. The grade C
corresponds to a level of performance which all passen-
ger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard No. 109. Grades B and A represent
higher levels of performance on the laboratory test wheel
than the minimum required by law.WARNING!
The temperature grade is established for a tire that is
properly inflated and not overloaded. Excessive
speed, underinflation, or excessive loading, either
separately or in combination, can cause heat buildup
and possible tire failure.
IF YOU NEED CONSUMER ASSISTANCE 227
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Brake System.......................123,185
Anti-Lock........................... 124
Hoses.............................. 185
Master Cylinder...................... 186
Parking............................ 121
Warning Light........................ 78
Brakes............................123,185
Brake/Transmission Interlock.............. 116
Break-In Recommendations, New Vehicle...... 46
Bulb Replacement...................196,197
Calibration, Compass..................... 54
Capacities, Antifreeze (Engine Coolant)...... 200
Capacities, Fluid....................... 200
Caps, Filler
Fuel............................... 145
Carbon Monoxide Warning............... 145
Cassette Tape and Player Maintenance........ 98
Cassette Tape Player...................84,86
Catalytic Converter..................... 173
Caution, Exhaust Gas..................... 47
CD Changer.....................87,92,93,99
CD Player...........................89,91CD Player Maintenance.................. 101
Cellular Phone......................... 102
Center High Mounted Stop Light........... 199
Central Door Locks...................... 15
Central Locking......................... 15
Chains, Tire........................... 139
Changing A Flat Tire.................... 153
Charging System Light................... 80
Chart, Tire Sizing....................... 126
Child Restraint......................... 39
Child Safety Locks....................... 16
Circuit Breakers........................ 195
Cleaning
Glass.............................. 194
Headlights.......................... 193
Climate Control........................ 102
Clock................................. 83
Compact Disc Changer................... 99
Compact Disc Maintenance............... 101
Compact Spare Tire..................... 136
Compass.............................. 51
Compass Calibration..................... 54
Compass Variance....................... 53
INDEX 231
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Speed Control........................65,82
Speedometer........................... 79
Speedometer and Odometer...........75,76,77
Starting.............................. 114
Engine Fails to Start................... 115
Starting Procedures..................... 114
Steering
Power............................. 125
Tilt Column.......................... 64
Wheel Lock.......................... 13
Storage, Vehicle........................ 196
Sun Roof.............................. 68
Sunroof Maintenance..................... 69
Supplemental Restraint System - Airbag....... 31
Synthetic Engine Oil..................... 172
Tachometer............................ 79
Tape Player............................ 98
Temperature Control, Automatic............ 102
Temperature Gauge, Engine Coolant.......82,153
Theft Alarm............................ 20
Theft System........................... 20
Theft System Arming..................... 20Theft System Disarming................... 21
Tilt Steering Column..................... 64
Tire and Loading Information Placard....... 129
Tire Identification Number (TIN)........... 128
Tire Markings......................... 125
Tire Safety Information................... 125
Tires ...........................48,133,226
Air Pressure......................... 133
Alignment.......................... 139
Chains............................. 139
Changing........................... 153
Compact Spare....................... 136
General Information................... 133
High Speed......................... 135
Inflation Pressures.................... 134
Jacking............................. 153
Load Capacity....................129,130
Quality Grading...................... 226
Radial............................. 136
Replacement......................... 138
Rotation............................ 141
Safety...........................125,133
Sizes............................... 126
INDEX 239
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