10-56 Vehicle Care
If you need to replace any of your
wheels, wheel bolts or wheel nuts,
replace them only with new Saturn
original equipment parts. This way,
you will be sure to have the right
wheel, wheel bolts and wheel nuts
for your vehicle.
{WARNING
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.
See If a Tire Goes Flat
on
page 10‑57for more information.
Used Replacement Wheels
{WARNING
Putting a used wheel on your
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 Saturn original
equipment wheel.
Tire Chains
{WARNING
Do not use tire chains. There is
not enough clearance. Tire chains
used on a vehicle without the
proper amount of clearance can
cause damage to the brakes,
suspension or other vehicle parts.
The area damaged by the tire
chains could cause you to lose
control of the vehicle and you or
others may be injured in a crash.
Use another type of traction
device only if its manufacturer
recommends it for use on the
vehicle and tire size combination
and road conditions. Follow that
manufacturer's instructions.
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Vehicle Care 10-57
WARNING (Continued)
To help avoid damage to the
vehicle, drive slowly, readjust
or remove the device if it is
contacting the vehicle, and do not
spin the vehicle's wheels. If you
do find traction devices that will
fit, install them on the front tires.
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 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.
{WARNING
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 flat 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 flat tire.
If a tire goes flat, avoid further
tire and wheel damage by
driving slowly to a level place.
Turn on the hazard warning
flashers. See Hazard Warning
Flashers on page 6‑4.
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10-58 Vehicle Care
{WARNING
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 firmly.
2. Put an automatic transmission shift lever in
P (Park), or shift a manual
transmission to 1 (First) or
R (Reverse).
3. Turn off the engine and do not restart while the vehicle
is raised.
4. Do not allow passengers to remain in the vehicle.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
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.
This vehicle may come with a jack
and spare tire or a tire sealant and
compressor kit. To use the jacking
equipment to change a spare tire
safely, follow the instructions below.
Then see Tire Changing
on
page 10‑67. To use the tire sealant
and compressor kit, see Tire
Sealant and Compressor Kit
on
page 10‑59.
When the vehicle has a flat tire (B),
use the following example as a
guide to assist you in the placement
of wheel blocks (A).
A. Wheel Block
B. Flat Tire
The following information explains
how to repair or change a tire.
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Vehicle Care 10-59
Tire Sealant and
Compressor Kit
{WARNING
Idling a vehicle in an enclosed
area with poor ventilation is
dangerous. Engine exhaust may
enter the vehicle. Engine exhaust
contains Carbon Monoxide (CO)
which cannot be seen or smelled.
It can cause unconsciousness
and even death. Never run the
engine in an enclosed area that
has no fresh air ventilation. For
more information, seeEngine
Exhaust on page 9‑21.
{WARNING
Over-inflating a tire could cause
the tire to rupture and you or
others could be injured. Be sure
to read and follow the tire sealant
and compressor kit instructions
and inflate the tire to its
recommended pressure. Do not
exceed the recommended
pressure.
{WARNING
Storing the tire sealant and
compressor kit 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 the tire
sealant and compressor kit in its
original location. If this vehicle has a tire sealant and
compressor kit, there may not be a
spare tire, tire changing equipment,
and on some vehicles there may not
be a place to store a tire.
The tire sealant and compressor
can be used to temporarily seal
punctures up to ¼ inch (6 mm) in
the tread area of the tire. It can
also be used to inflate an under
inflated tire.
If the tire has been separated from
the wheel, has damaged sidewalls,
or has a large puncture, the tire is
too severely damaged for the tire
sealant and compressor kit to be
effective. See
Roadside Assistance
Program on page 13‑5.
Read and follow all of the tire
sealant and compressor kit
instructions.
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Vehicle Care 10-63
16. If the flat tire was able to inflateto the recommended inflation
pressure, remove the
maximum speed label from the
sealant canister (E) and place
it in a highly visible location.
The label is a reminder not to
exceed 55 mph (90 km/h) until
the damaged tire is repaired or
replaced.
17. Return the equipment to its original storage location in the
vehicle.
18. Immediately drive the vehicle 5 miles (8 km) to distribute the
sealant in the tire. 19. Stop at a safe location and
check the tire pressure. Refer
to Steps 1 through 11 under
“Using the Tire Sealant and
Compressor Kit without
Sealant to Inflate a Tire
(Not Punctured).”
If the tire pressure has fallen
more than 10 psi (68 kPa)
below the recommended
inflation pressure, stop driving
the vehicle. The tire is too
severely damaged and the tire
sealant cannot seal the tire.
SeeRoadside Assistance
Program on page 13‑5.
If the tire pressure has
not dropped more than
10 psi (68 kPa) from the
recommended inflation
pressure, inflate the tire to
the recommended inflation
pressure. 20. Wipe off any sealant from the
wheel, tire, and vehicle.
21. Dispose of the used sealant canister (E) and sealant/air
hose (F) assembly at a local
dealer/retailer or in accordance
with local state codes and
practices.
22. Replace it with a new canister available from your dealer/
retailer.
23. After temporarily sealing a tire using the tire sealant and
compressor kit, take the
vehicle to an authorized dealer/
retailer within a 100 miles
(161 km) of driving to have the
tire repaired or replaced.
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10-68 Vehicle Care
Removing the Spare Tire
The compact spare tire is located
under the vehicle, in front of the rear
bumper. SeeCompact Spare Tire
on page 10‑77for more information
about the compact spare.
A. Rear Convenience Center
B. Lug Wrench
C. Storage Compartment Cap Hole
D. Hoist Shaft E. Compact Spare Tire
F. Retainer
G. Hoist Shaft Assembly
1. Open the storage compartment
door of the convenience center
that is nearest the liftgate and
remove the cap on the bottom of
the storage compartment.
2. Open the carpet cutout that is located through the hole of the
storage compartment.
3. Attach the lug wrench into the hoist shaft.
4. Turn the lug wrench counterclockwise to lower the
spare tire to the ground.
Continue turning the wrench until
the spare tire can be pulled out
from under the vehicle.
5. Tilt the retainer and slip itthrough the wheel opening to
remove the spare tire from the
cable.
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Vehicle Care 10-69
6. Turn the wrench clockwise toraise the cable back up after
removing the spare tire.
Do not store a full-size or a flat
road tire under the vehicle. See
“Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and
Tools” later in this section.
To continue changing the flat tire,
see “Removing the Flat Tire and
Installing the Spare Tire” later in this
section.
If the spare tire will not lower, the
secondary latch could be engaged. Do the following to check the cable:
1. Check under the vehicle to see if
the cable is visible.
2. If it is not visible, see Secondary
Latch System on page 10‑76.
If it is visible, first try to tighten
the cable by turning the lug
wrench clockwise until you hear
two clicks or feel it skip twice.
You cannot over-tighten the
cable.
3. Loosen the cable by turning the wrench counterclockwise three
or four turns.
4. If the spare tire has not lowered, tighten the cable all the way and
then loosen it at least two times.
If the spare tire did lower to the
ground, continue with Step 5
under “Removing the Spare
Tire (Vehicles with the Rear
Convenience Center)” listed
previously. 5. If you still cannot lower the
spare tire to the ground, see
Secondary Latch System
on
page 10‑76.
Removing the Flat Tire and
Installing the Spare Tire
1. Do a safety check before proceeding. See If a Tire Goes
Flat
on page 10‑57for more
information.
2. If the vehicle has a wheel cover, loosen the plastic nut caps with
the wheel wrench. They will not
come off. Then, using the flat
end of the wheel wrench, pry
along the edge of the cover until
it comes off. Be careful; the
edges may be sharp. Do not try
to remove the cover with your
bare hands.
Store the wheel cover securely
in the rear of the vehicle until
you have the flat tire repaired or
replaced.
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10-70 Vehicle Care
If the vehicle has aluminum
wheels, remove the wheel nut
caps using the wheel wrench.
3. Loosen the wheel nuts—but do
not remove them —using the
lug wrench. For wheels with a
wheel lock key, use the wheel
lock key between the lock nut
and lug wrench. The key is
supplied in the front passenger
door pocket. Notice:
If this vehicle has wheel
locks and an impact wrench is
used to remove the wheel nuts,
the lock nut or wheel lock key
could be damaged. Do not use an
impact wrench to remove the
wheel nuts if this vehicle has
wheel locks.4. To identify the appropriate
jacking location, find the
triangle (A) about 12 inches
(30.5 cm) from the front tire
or (B) about 10.5 inches (27 cm)
from the rear tire.
The triangle is located near each
wheel on the vehicle's exterior. Notice:
If a jack is used to raise
the vehicle without positioning it
correctly, the vehicle could be
damaged. When raising the
vehicle on a jack, avoid contact
with the rear axle control arms.
5. Do not raise the vehicle yet. Put
the compact spare tire near you.
{WARNING
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.
{WARNING
Raising your vehicle with the jack
improperly positioned can
damage the vehicle and even
make the vehicle fall.
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