2009 PONTIAC VIBE flat tire

Buying New Tires.............9-54
Different Size Tires and
Wheels............................9-56
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading...........................9-56
Wheel Alignment and
Tire Balance....................9-58
Wheel Replacement..........9-59
Tire Chains.......................9-60
Tire Changing
If a Tire Goes Flat............9-61
Changing a Flat Tire.........9-62
Removing the Spare
Tire and Tools.................9-63
Removing the Flat Tire
and Installing the
Spare Tire
.......................9-64
Storing a Flat or Spare
Tire and Tools.................9-68
Compact Spare Tire..........9-70
Jump Starting
Jump Starting...................9-71
Towing
Towing Your Vehicle.........9-75
Recreational Vehicle
Towing............................9-75
Towing a Trailer................9-77
Appearance Care
Interior Cleaning................9-83
Exterior Cleaning..............9-86
Sheet Metal Damage........9-89
Finish Damage..................9-89
Underbody Maintenance. . . .9-90
Chemical Paint Spotting. . . .9-90
Service
For service and parts needs, visit
your dealer/retailer. You will receive
genuine GM parts and GM-trained
and supported service people.
Genuine GM parts have one
of these marks:
9-2 Vehicle Service and Care
2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual

(A) Temporary Use Only:The
compact spare tire or temporary
use tire has a tread life of
approximately 3,000 miles
(5 000 km) and should not be
driven at speeds over 65 mph
(105 km/h). The compact spare
tire is for emergency use when a
regular road tire has lost air and
gone at. If your vehicle has a
compact spare tire. SeeCompact
Spare Tire on page 9-70andIf a
Tire Goes Flat on page 9-61.(B) Tire Ply Material
:The type
of cord and number of plies
in the sidewall and under
the tread.
(C) Tire Identication Number
(TIN)
:The letters and numbers
following the DOT (Department
of Transportation) code is the
Tire Identication Number (TIN).
The TIN shows the manufacturer
and plant code, tire size, and
date the tire was manufactured.
The TIN is molded onto both
sides of the tire, although only
one side may have the date of
manufacture.
(D) Maximum Cold Ination
Load Limit
:Maximum load that
can be carried and the maximum
pressure needed to support
that load.(E) Tire Ination
:The
temporary use tire or compact
spare tire should be inated
to 60 psi (420 kPa). For more
information on tire pressure and
ination seeInflation - Tire
Pressure on page 9-47.
(F) Tire Size
:A combination
of letters and numbers dene a
tire’s width, height, aspect ratio,
construction type, and service
description. The letter T as the
rst character in the tire size
means the tire is for temporary
use only.
Compact Spare Tire Example
Vehicle Service and Care 9-43
2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual

Tire Inspection and
Rotation
We recommend that you
regularly inspect the vehicle’s
tires, including the spare tire, for
signs of wear or damage. See
When It Is Time for New Tires on
page 9-54for more information.
Tires should be rotated every
5,000 to 8,000 miles (8 000 to
13 000 km). SeePart A:
Scheduled Maintenance
Services on page 11-3.
The purpose of a regular tire
rotation is to achieve a uniform
wear for all tires on the vehicle.
This will ensure that the vehicle
continues to perform most like it
did when the tires were new.
Any time you notice unusual
wear, rotate the tires as soon
as possible and check wheel
alignment. Also check for
damaged tires or wheels.
SeeWhen It Is Time for NewTires on page 9-54andWheel
Replacement on page 9-59for
more information.
When rotating the vehicle’s tires,
always use the correct rotation
pattern shown here.
Tires should only be moved from
front to rear and rear to front on
the same side of the vehicle.
Do not include the compact
spare tire in the tire rotation.
After the tires have been rotated,
adjust the front and rear ination
pressures to the amounts
shown on the Tire and
Loading Information label.SeeInflation - Tire Pressure on
page 9-47andLoading the
Vehicle on page 8-32.
{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.
Make certain that all wheel
nuts are properly tightened.
See “Wheel Nut Torque” under
Capacities and Specifications
on page 10-2.
Vehicle Service and Care 9-53
2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual

Wheel Replacement
Replace any wheel that is bent,
cracked or badly rusted or corroded.
If wheel nuts keep coming loose,
the wheel, wheel bolts and wheel
nuts should be replaced. If the
wheel leaks air, replace it (except
some aluminum wheels, which can
sometimes be repaired). See your
dealer/retailer if any of these
conditions exist.
Your dealer/retailer will know the
kind of wheel you need.
Each new wheel should have
the same load-carrying capacity,
diameter, width, offset and be
mounted the same way as the
one it replaces.If you need to replace any of the
wheels, wheel bolts or wheel
nuts, replace them only with new
GM original equipment parts.
This way, you will be sure to have
the right wheel, wheel bolts and
wheel nuts for the vehicle.
{CAUTION
Using the wrong replacement
wheels, wheel bolts, or wheel
nuts on your vehicle can be
dangerous. It could affect the
braking and handling of your
vehicle, make your tires lose
air and make you lose control.
You could have a collision in
which you or others could be
injured. Always use the correct
wheel, wheel bolts, and wheel
nuts for replacement.Notice:The wrong wheel can
also cause problems with bearing
life, brake cooling, speedometer
or odometer calibration, headlamp
aim, bumper height, vehicle
ground clearance, and tire or tire
chain clearance to the body and
chassis.
SeeChanging a Flat Tire on
page 9-62for more information.Used Replacement Wheels
{CAUTION
Putting a used wheel on the
vehicle is dangerous. You cannot
know how it has been used
or how far it has been driven.
It could fail suddenly and cause
a crash. If you have to replace a
wheel, use a new GM original
equipment wheel.
Vehicle Service and Care 9-59
2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner 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.
Vehicle Service and Care 9-61
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.
9-62 Vehicle Service and Care
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.
9-64 Vehicle Service and Care
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.
9-66 Vehicle Service and Care
2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual