If a Tire Goes Flat
It is unusual for a tire to blow out while you are driving,
especially if you maintain the tires properly. If air goes
out of a tire, it is much more likely to leak out slowly.
See Tires
on page 6‑62for additional information.
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 flat tire creates a drag that pulls
the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel firmly.
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.
The vehicle has no spare tire, no tire changing
equipment, and no place to store a tire. The vehicle, when new, had run-flat tires. This type of
tire can operate effectively with no air pressure, so you
will not need to stop on the side of the road to change
a flat tire. You can just keep on driving. The shorter
the distance you drive and the slower the speed, the
greater the chance that the run-flat tire will not have to
be replaced. Run-flat tires perform so well without any
air that a Tire Pressure Monitor System (TPMS) is used
to alert you if a tire has lost pressure. See
Run-Flat
Tires
on page 6‑69and Tire Pressure Monitor Systemon page 6‑72.
{WARNING:
Special tools and procedures are required to
service a run-flat tire. If these special tools and
procedures are not used you or others could
be injured and the vehicle could be damaged.
Always be sure the proper tools and procedures,
as described in the service manual, are used.
To order a service manual, see Service Publications
Ordering Information on page 8‑16.
6-89
