Page 241 of 293

Check the inflation pressure of the
compact spare tire every time you
check the other tires. It should be
inflated to:
Follow these precautions:
Never exceed 50 mph (80 km/h).
This tire gives a harsher ride and
less traction on some road
surfaces. Use greater caution
while driving. Do
not mount snow chains on the
compact spare tire.
Do not use the compact spare tire
if you are towing a trailer.
Replace the tire when you can see
the tread wear indica tor bars. The
replacement should be the same size
and design tire, mounted on the
same wheel. The spare tire is not
designed to be mounted on a regular
wheel, and the spare wheel is not
designed for mounting a regular tire.
Use
the compact spare tire as a
temporary replacement only. Get
your regular tire repaired or replaced,
and put it back on your vehicle as
soon as you can.
Do not use your compact spare
tire on another vehicle unless it is
thesamemakeandmodel.
Turn of f the VSA system (see
pages and ). Driving with
thecompactsparetiremay
activate the VSA.
On models with manual
transmission, do not drive f or a
long period with the compact
spare tire mounted on a f ront
wheel; it will damage the limited
slip dif f erential.182 183
V6 models
Compact Spare Tire
240
INDICATOR LOCATION MARK
TREAD WEAR INDICATOR BAR
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)
Page 242 of 293

CONT INUED
Park the vehicle on f irm, level and
non-slippery ground. Put the
transmission in Park (automatic)
or reverse (manual). Apply the
parking brake.The tools are in the trunk. Open
the trunk and raise the trunk f loor
by lif ting up on the back edge.
Turn on the hazard warning lights,
and turn the ignition switch to the
LOCK (0) position. Have all
passengers get out of the vehicle
while you change the tire. Take the tool kit out of the trunk.
Unscrew the wing bolt and take
the spare tire out of its well.
If you have a f lat tire while driving,
stop in a saf e place to change it.
Drive slowly along the shoulder until
you get to an exit or an area that is
far away from the traffic lanes.
5. 4. 3.
2. 1.
Changing a Flat Tire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
241
TRUNK FLOOR
SPARE TIRE JACK
TOOL KIT
The vehicle can easily roll off
the jack, seriously injuring
anyone underneath.
Follow the directions for
changing a tire exactly, and
never get under the vehicle
when it is supported only by the
jack.
Page 243 of 293
The jack is behind a cover in the
right f ender. Remove the cover by
turning the handle counterclock-
wise, then pulling on the cover.Turn the jack’s end bracket
counterclockwise to loosen it, then
remove the jack.
Loosen each wheel nut 1/2 turn
with the wheel nut wrench.
6.
7.8.
Changing a Flat Tire
242
JACK
WHEEL NUTS
WHEEL NUTS
Page 244 of 293
Place the jack under the jacking
point nearest the tire you need to
change. Turn the end bracket
clockwise until the top of the jack
contacts the jacking point. Make
sure the jacking point tab is
restinginthejacknotch.Use the extension and the wheel
nut wrench as shown to raise the
vehicle until the f lat tire is of f the
ground.
Remove the wheel nuts, then
remove the f lat tire. Handle the
wheel nuts caref ully; they may be
hot from driving. Place the flat tire
on the ground with the outside
surface facing up.Do not attempt to forcibly pry the
wheel cover of f with a screwdriver or
other tool. The wheel cover cannot
be removed without f irst removing
the wheel nuts.
9.
10.
11.
CONT INUED
U.S. VP, LX, and Canadian DX-G
Changing a Flat Tire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
243
JACKING POINT WHEEL WRENCH EXTENSION WHEEL NUTS
Page 245 of 293
Bef ore mounting the spare tire,
wipeanydirtoff themounting
surface of the wheel and hub with
a clean cloth. Wipe the hub
carefully;itmaybehotfrom
driving.Put on the spare tire. Put the
wheel nuts back on f inger-tight,
then tighten them in a crisscross
pattern with the wheel nut wrench
until the wheel is f irmly against
the hub. Do not try to tighten the
wheel nuts f ully.
Lower the vehicle to the ground,
and remove the jack.
Tighten the wheel nuts securely in
the same crisscross pattern. Have
the wheel nut torque checked at
the nearest automotive service
f acility.
Tighten the wheel nuts to:
12.
15.
13.
14.
Changing a Flat Tire
244
BRAKE HUB
80 lbf·ft (108 N·m , 11 kgf·m)
Page 246 of 293
Remove the center cap before
storing the f lat tire in the trunk
well.Remove the spacer cone f rom the
wing bolt, turn it over, and put it
back on the bolt.Securetheflattirebyscrewing
the wing bolt back into its hole.
Store the jack in its holder. Turn
the jack’s end bracket to lock it in
place. Replace the cover. Store the
tools.
Place the flat tire face down in the
spare tire well. Store the wheel cover or center
cap in the trunk. Make sure it does
not get scratched or damaged.
21. 19.
20.
16.
17.
18.
Changing a Flat Tire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
245
WING BOLT
SPACER CONE
Loose items can fly around the
interiorinacrashandcould
seriously injure the occupants.
Store the wheel, jack, and tools
securely before driving.
Page 247 of 293

Diagnosing why the engine won’t
start falls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn the
ignition switch to the START (III)
position:
You hear nothing, or almost
nothing. The engine’s starter
motor does not operate at all, or
operates very slowly.
You can hear the starter motor
operating normally, or the starter
motor sounds like it is spinning
faster than normal, but the engine
does not start up and run. Wh
en you turn the ignition switch to
the START (III) position, you do not
hear the normal noise of the engine
trying to start. You may hear a
clicking sound, a series of clicks, or
nothing at all. Check
these things:
Check the transmission interlock.
If you have a manual transmission,
the clutch pedal must be pushed
all the way to the floor or the
starter will not operate. With an
au tomatic transmission, it must be
in Park or neutral.
Turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position. Turn on the
headlights, and check their
brightness. If the headlights are
very dim or do not come on at all,
the battery is discharged. See on page .248
If theEngineWon’tStart
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
Jump Starting
246
Page 248 of 293

In this case, the starter motor’s
speed sounds normal, or even faster
than normal, when you turn the
ignition switch to the START (III)
position, but the engine does not run.
Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Refer to
on page .
Are you using a properly coded
key? An improperly coded key will
cause the immobilizer system
indicator in the instrument panel
to blink rapidly (see page ). Do
you have fuel? Check the fuel
gauge; the low fuel indicator may
not be working.
There may be an electrical
problem, such as no power to the
fuel pump. Check all the fuses
(see page ).
If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the
engine, either the battery is dis-
ch arged or the connections are
co rroded. Check the condition of
the battery connections (see page
). You can then try jump
starting the vehicle from a booster
battery (see page ).
Turn
the ignition switch to the
START (III) position. If the
headlights do not dim, check the
condition of the fuses. If the fuses
areOK,thereisprobably
something wrong with the
electrical circuit for the ignition
switch or starter motor. You will
need a qualified mechanic to
determine the problem (see
on page ). Ifyoufindnothingwrong,youwill
need
a qualified mechanic to find the
problem. See
on page .
169
75 257
262
235 248 262
T he Starter Operates Normally
Starting the
Engine
Emergency T owing Emergency T owing
If theEngineWon’tStart
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
247