2007 BUICK LACROSSE spare

{CAUTION:
Mixing tires could cause you to lose
control while driving. If you mix tires of
different sizes, brands, or types (radial
and bias-belted tires), the vehicle may not
handle properly, and you could have a
crash. Using tires of different sizes,
brands, or types may also cause damage
to your vehicle. Be sure to use the correct
size, brand, and type of tires on all
wheels. It is all right to drive with your
compact spare temporarily, as it was
developed for use on your vehicle. See
Compact Spare Tire on page 437.
{CAUTION:
If you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle,
the wheel rim anges could develop
cracks after many miles of driving. A tire
and/or wheel could fail suddenly, causing
a crash. Use only radial-ply tires with the
wheels on your vehicle.
If you must replace your vehicle’s tires with those
that do not have a TPC Spec number, make
sure they are the same size, load range, speed
rating, and construction type (radial and
bias-belted tires) as your vehicle’s original tires.
Your vehicle’s original equipment tires are listed on
the Tire and Loading Information label. This
label is attached to the vehicle’s center pillar
(B-pillar). SeeLoading Your Vehicle on page 319,
for more information about the Tire and Loading
Information label and its location on your vehicle.
419

Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable on
the tire sidewall between tread shoulder and
maximum section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which
grades tires by treadwear, traction, and
temperature performance. This applies only to
vehicles sold in the United States. The grades are
molded on the sidewalls of most passenger car
tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading (UTQG)
system does not apply to deep tread, winter-type
snow tires, space-saver, or temporary use
spare tires, tires with nominal rim diameters of
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm), or to some
limited-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors
passenger cars and light trucks may vary with
respect to these grades, they must also conform
to federal safety requirements and additional
General Motors Tire Performance Criteria (TPC)
standards.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specied
government test course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and a half (1.5) times
as well on the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative performance of tires
depends upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart signicantly from
the norm due to variations in driving habits, service
practices, and differences in road characteristics
and climate.
Traction – AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A, B, and C. Those grades represent the tire’s
ability to stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on specied
government test surfaces of asphalt and concrete.
A tire marked C may have poor traction
performance.
Warning:The traction grade assigned to this tire
is based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning, or peak traction characteristics.
421

The following information will tell you next how to
use the jack and change a tire.
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
The equipment you will need is located in the trunk.
1. Open the trunk. SeeTrunk on page 100for
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.
427

4. Turn the wing nut counterclockwise and
remove it.
5. Remove the compact spare tire.6. Turn the nut holding the jack counterclockwise
and remove it. Then remove the jack and
wrench.
428

The tools you will need to change a tire include
the jack (A), extension and protection guide (B),
and wheel wrench (C).
Removing the Flat Tire and
Installing the Spare Tire
You vehicle may have wheels with exposed wheel
nuts. If so, go to the Removing the Wheel Nuts
section. If the vehicle has steel wheel covers with
center caps, the wheel nuts are hidden behind the
cap. To remove the wheel cover, do the following:
1. Remove the center cap by using the at end
of the wheel wrench at the notch on the cap.
Removing the Center Cap
429

2. Use the wheel wrench to loosen the plastic
wheel nut caps, if the vehicle has them, in a
counterclockwise direction.
If needed, nish loosening them by hand.
The nut caps will not come off of the wheel
cover.
3. Use the at end of the wheel wrench and pry
along the edge of the cover until it comes off.
Pull off the wheel cover and set it aside.
The edge of the wheel cover could be sharp,
so do not try to remove the cover with your
bare hands. Do not drop the cap or lay it face
down, as it could become scratched or
damaged.
If the vehicle has aluminum wheels and wheel
center caps, the wheel nuts are hidden behind the
center cap. Remove the center cap by using
the at end of the wheel wrench at the notch.
Do not drop the cap or lay it facedown, as it could
become scratched or damaged.Once you have removed the wheel cover or
center cap, use the following procedure to remove
the at tire and install the spare tire.
1. Place the wheel wrench securely over
the wheel nut. Turn the wheel wrench
counterclockwise to loosen all the wheel
nuts, but do no remove them yet.
2. Turn the jack handle clockwise to raise
the jack lift head.
Removing the Wheel Nuts
430

3. Find the jacking location using the diagram
above and corresponding triangular-shaped
hoisting notches located on the underside
of the vehicle’s plastic molding.
The front location is about 6.5 inches (16.5 cm)
from the rear edge of the front wheel well.
The rear location is about 9 inches (22.8 cm)
from the front edge of the rear wheel well.
4. 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.
431

5. Raise the vehicle by turning the jack handle
clockwise. Raise the vehicle far enough off
the ground for the compact spare tire to
t under the vehicle.6. Remove all wheel
nuts and take off
the at tire.
432