2006 CHEVROLET IMPALA 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 vehicle’s
hazard warning ashers. SeeHazard Warning Flashers
on page 3-6for more information.
{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 the shift lever in PARK (P).
3. Turn off the engine and do not restart
while the vehicle is raised.
4. Do not allow passengers to remain in
the vehicle.
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 your vehicle has 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 next how to use
the jack and change a tire.
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Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
The equipment you will need is located in the trunk.
1. Open the trunk. SeeTrunk on page 2-13for more
information.
2. Remove the convenience net if the vehicle has one.
3. Lift the handle on the spare tire cover. The handle
may hook on the front edge of the trunk’s
weatherstrip to hold the cover out of the way.4. Turn the wing nut counterclockwise and remove it.
5. Remove the compact spare tire.
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6. Turn the nut holding the jack counterclockwise and
remove it. Then remove the jack and wrench.The tools you will need to change a tire include the
jack (A), extension and protection guide (B), and
wheel wrench (C).
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Removing the Flat Tire and
Installing the Spare Tire
Your vehicle may have aluminum wheels with exposed
wheel nuts. Use the wheel wrench to loosen all the
wheel nuts. Do not remove them yet.
Or, your vehicle may have steel wheel covers.
To remove the steel wheel covers and wheel nut caps,
loosen the plastic nut caps with the wheel wrench in
a counterclockwise direction. If needed, you can nish
loosening them with your ngers. The plastic nut
caps will not come off.Use the at end of the wheel wrench and pry along the
edge of the cover until it comes off. The edge of the
wheel cover could be sharp, so do not try to remove it
with your bare hands. Do not drop the cover or lay
it face down, as it could become scratched or damaged.
Once you have removed the wheel cover, use the
following procedure to remove the at tire and install
the spare tire.
1. Turn the wheel
wrench once on each
wheel nut to loosen
them. Do not remove
them yet.
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2. For all wheel types, nd the jacking location using
the diagram above and the corresponding hoisting
notches located on the bottom side of the plastic
molding. The notches in the plastic molding
are marked with a triangle shape to help you
nd them.
The front location is about 7.0 inches (17.7 cm)
from the rear edge of the front wheel well. The rear
location is about 4.5 inches (11.4 cm) from the
rear edge of the wheel well.
3. Put the compact spare tire near you.
{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.
5-77

{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.
4. Raise the vehicle by turning the jack handle
clockwise. Raise the vehicle far enough off the
ground for the compact spare tire to t underneath
the wheel well of the vehicle.
5. Remove all wheel nuts and take off the at tire.
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{CAUTION:
Rust or dirt on the wheel, or on the parts to
which it is fastened, can make the wheel nuts
become loose after 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 needed, to get
all the rust or dirt off.
6. Remove any rust or dirt
from the wheel bolts,
mounting surfaces
and spare wheel.7. Install the compact spare tire.{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.
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.
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9. Lower the vehicle by turning the jack handle
counterclockwise. Lower the jack completely.
{CAUTION:
Incorrect wheel nuts or improperly tightened
wheel nuts can cause the wheel to come loose
and even come off. This could lead to an
accident. Be sure to use the correct wheel
nuts. If you have to replace them, be sure to
get new GM original equipment wheel nuts.
Stop somewhere as soon as you can and have
the nuts tightened with a torque wrench to the
proper torque specication. SeeCapacities
and Specifications on page 5-99for wheel nut
torque specication.
Notice:Improperly tightened wheel nuts can lead
to brake pulsation and rotor damage. To avoid
expensive brake repairs, evenly tighten the wheel
nuts in the proper sequence and to the proper
torque specication. SeeCapacities and
Specifications on page 5-99for the wheel nut
torque specication.
5-80