2005 PONTIAC VIBE Owners Manual

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 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.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
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 at 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.
5-75

Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
The jack, wheel wrench, jack handle and spare tire
are stowed in the rear of the vehicle, underneath the
oor of the cargo area. To remove the spare tire
and tools do the following:
1. Turn the two lock
knobs on the oor of
the cargo area to
UNLOCK.
2. Lift up the cargo area oor panel, remove the hook
attached to the bottom side of the panel and hook it
over the weatherstripping.
Notice:If you do not put the hook in the proper
location, you could damage your vehicle. Always put
the hook in the proper location in order to avoid
damaging the vehicle.
3. Remove the jack from the tray on the right side of
the compartment and the jack handle and wheel
wrench from the top side of the compartment.
5-76

4. Unscrew the center retaining nut and lift up the
plastic tray to expose the compact spare tire.5. Unscrew the center bolt from the compact spare tire
and pull out the compact spare tire. SeeCompact
Spare Tire on page 5-86
5-77

The tools you’ll be using include the jack (A), jack
handle (B) and wheel wrench (C).
Removing the Flat Tire and
Installing the Spare Tire
1. Attach the jack handle to the jack.
2. Turn the jack handle clockwise to raise the lift head
a little.
3. Using the wheel wrench, loosen all the wheel nuts.
Don’t remove them yet.
5-78

4. Position the jack and raise the jack lift head to t
over the car ange between the two notches.
{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.
5-79

5. 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.6. Remove all the wheel
nuts and take off the
at tire.
7. Install the spare tire.
5-80

{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.8. Remove any rust or dirt
from the wheel bolts,
mounting surfaces
and spare wheel.
9. Place the compact spare tire on the wheel-mounting
surface.
{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.
5-81

10. 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.11. Lower the vehicle by turning the jack handle
counterclockwise. Lower the jack completely.
5-82