2009 PONTIAC VIBE Owners Manual

Tire Changing
If a Tire Goes Flat
It is unusual for a tire to blowout
while you are driving, especially if
you maintain your vehicle’s tires
properly. If air goes out of a tire, it is
much more likely to leak out slowly.
But if you should ever have a
blowout, here are a few tips about
what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the at tire
creates a drag that pulls the vehicle
toward that side. Take your foot off
the accelerator pedal and grip thesteering wheel rmly. Steer to
maintain lane position, and then
gently brake to a stop well out of
the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a
curve, acts much like a skid and
may require the same correction
you would use in a skid. In any
rear blowout remove your foot
from the accelerator pedal. Get the
vehicle under control by steering the
way you want the vehicle to go. It
may be very bumpy and noisy, but
you can still steer. Gently brake to a
stop, well off the road if possible.
{CAUTION
Lifting a vehicle and getting under
it to do maintenance or repairs is
dangerous without the appropriate
safety equipment and training. If a
jack is provided with the vehicle, it
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. If a jack is provided
with the vehicle, only use it for
changing a at tire.
If a tire goes at, the next part
shows how to use the jacking
equipment to change a at tire
safely.
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2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner 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 the hazard
warning ashers. SeeHazard
Warning Flashers on page 4-3.
{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
transmission shift lever in
P (Park), or shift a manual
transmission to 1 (First) or
R (Reverse).
(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
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 certain the vehicle will not
move, 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 tells you
how to use the jack and change
a tire.
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2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual

Removing the Spare Tire
and Tools
A. Compact Spare Tire
B. Jack
C. Cargo Area Floor(s)
D. Tire/Wheel Retainer Nut
E. Jack Handle
F. Wheel WrenchTo remove the spare tire and tools:
1. Turn the two lock knobs on the
cargo area oor (C) to UNLOCK.
2. Lift up and remove the both
of the cargo area oors (C).3. Remove the hook holding the
jack (B) and remove the jack (B).
4. Remove the jack handle (E)
and wheel wrench (F) from
the passenger side of the
cargo area.
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2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual

5. Remove the tire/wheel
retainer (D) from the compact
spare tire (A) and remove
the compact spare tire (A).
SeeCompact Spare Tire on
page 9-70.
6. Place the compact spare tire (A)
next to the at tire.
Removing the Flat Tire
and Installing the
Spare Tire
1. Do a safety check before
proceeding. SeeChanging
a Flat Tire on page 9-62.
2. If the vehicle has steel wheels
with plastic wheel nut caps,
loosen the plastic wheel
nut caps. You may need the
wheel wrench to loosen them.
Do not pry off wheel covers that
have plastic wheel nut caps.
3. Remove the wheel cover and set
it off to the side.
4. Attach the jack handle to the jack
and turn clockwise to raise the
lift head a little.5. Loosen all the wheel nuts.
Do not remove them yet.
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6. 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.7. Turn 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.
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2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual

8. Remove the wheel nuts and the
at tire.
9. Install the spare tire.
{CAUTION
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the
parts to which it is fastened, can
make 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 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.
SeeChanging a Flat Tire on
page 9-62.10. Remove any rust or dirt from
the wheel bolts, mounting
surfaces and spare wheel.
11. Place the compact spare tire on
the wheel-mounting surface.
{CAUTION
Never use oil or grease on bolts
or nuts because the nuts might
come loose. The vehicle’s wheel
could fall off, causing a crash.
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12. 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.
13. Turn the jack handle
counterclockwise. Lower
the jack completely.{CAUTION
Incorrect or improperly tightened
wheel nuts can cause the wheel
to come loose and even come off.
This could lead to a crash. If you
have to replace them, be sure to
get new 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 10-2for 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 10-2for the wheel nut
torque specication.14. Tighten the wheel nuts rmly
in a crisscross sequence as
shown.
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2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual

Storing a Flat or Spare
Tire and Tools
Storing the Compact
Spare Tire
{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.A. Compact Spare Tire
(Valve Stem Pointed Down)
B. Jack
C. Cargo Area Floor
D. Tire/Wheel Retainer Nut
E. Jack Handle
F. Wheel Wrench
1. Place the jack handle (E) and
wheel wrench (F) back in their
original location in the passenger
side of the cargo area.2. Place the jack (B) back in its
original location on the driver
side of the cargo area and close
the latch over the jack (B).
3. Place the compact spare tire (A),
valve stem pointed down, back
in its original location in the
center of the cargo area.
4. Turn the tire/wheel retainer
nut (D) clockwise to secure it
on the compact spare tire (A).
5. Close the cargo area oor (C).
Storing the Full-Size Flat Tire
{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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2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual