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Secondary Latch System
Your vehicle has an underbody-mounted tire
hoist assembly equipped with a secondary latch
system. It is designed to stop the spare tire
from suddenly falling off your vehicle if the cable
holding the spare tire is damaged. For the
secondary latch to work, the tire must be stored
with the valve stem pointing up. SeeStoring
a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools on page 478
for instructions on storing the spare or at tire
correctly.
{CAUTION:
Before beginning this procedure read all
the instructions. Failure to read and follow
the instructions could damage the hoist
assembly and you and others could get
hurt. Read and follow the instructions
listed next.
{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.
To release the spare tire from the secondary latch,
do the following:
1. Check under the
vehicle to see if
the cable is visible.
If it is not visible,
proceed to Step 6.
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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.
Notice:If you drive away before the spare tire
or secondary latch system cable has been
reinstalled, you could damage your vehicle.
Always reinstall this cable before driving your
vehicle.
14. Turn the wheel wrench clockwise to raise the
cable back up if the cable is hanging under
the vehicle.
Have the hoist assembly inspected as soon as
you can. You will not be able to store a spare
tire using the hoist assembly until it has been
repaired or replaced.Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and
Tools
{CAUTION:
Storing a jack, a tire, or other equipment
in the passenger compartment of the
vehicle could cause injury. In a sudden
stop or collision, loose equipment could
strike someone. Store all these in the
proper place.
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{CAUTION:
The underbody-mounted spare tire needs
to be stored with the valve stem pointing
up. If the spare tire is stored with the
valve stem pointing downward, its
secondary latch will not work properly
and the spare tire could loosen and
suddenly fall from your vehicle. If this
happened when your vehicle was being
driven, the tire might contact a person or
another vehicle, causing injury and, of
course, damage to itself as well. Be sure
the underbody-mounted spare tire is
stored with its valve stem pointing up.
Notice:An aluminum wheel with a at tire
should always be stored under the vehicle with
the hoist. However, storing it that way for an
extended period could damage the wheel.
To avoid this, always stow the wheel properly
with the valve stem pointing up and have
the wheel repaired as soon as possible.Follow this diagram to store the
underbody-mounted at or spare tire.
A. Wheel Wrench
B. Hoist Shaft
C. Extension
D. Retainer
E. Spare or Flat Tire
(Valve Stem
Pointed Up)
1. Put the tire (E) on the ground at the rear of
the vehicle.
2. Remove the hubcap, if the vehicle has one,
from the at tire by tapping the backside of
the hubcap with the wheel wrench (A). Store in
a safe location until the at tire is repaired.
Once the tire is repaired, replace the hubcap.
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A. Handle
B. Wheel Wrench
C. Instruction LabelD. Extension(s)
E. Knob
F. Wheel Blocks and Jack
1. Attach the handle (A), wheel wrench (B),
and extension (D) in the slots provided.
2. Roll up the instruction label (C) and return
to the slot in the tool kit.
3. Assemble the wheel blocks (F) to the jack.
4. Turn the knob (E) on the jack clockwise to
raise the jack head.
5. Return the rear seat to its proper position.
Spare Tire
Your vehicle, when new, had a fully-in ated spare
tire. A spare tire may lose air over time, so check its
in ation pressure regularly. SeeIn ation - Tire
Pressure on page 447andLoading Your Vehicle
on page 349for information regarding proper tire
in ation and loading your vehicle. For instruction on
how to remove, install or store a spare tire, see
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing the Spare Tire
on page 469andStoring a Flat or Spare Tire and
Tools on page 478.
After installing the spare tire on your vehicle, you
should stop as soon as possible and make
sure the spare is correctly in ated. Have the
damaged or at road tire repaired or replaced as
soon as you can and installed back onto your
vehicle. This way, a spare tire will be available
in case you need it again.
Do not mix tires and wheels of different sizes,
because they will not t. Keep your spare tire
and its wheel together.
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