2011 CADILLAC DTS Owners Manual

Black plate (83,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
Changing a Flat Tire
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly to a level place, well off the road,
if possible. Turn on the hazard warning flashers. See
Hazard Warning Flashers on page 4‑3.
{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 the shift lever in P (Park).
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 even more certain the vehicle will not move,
you should 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 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 use the jack
and change a tire.
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Black plate (84,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
The equipment needed is in the trunk. To access the
equipment:1. Open the trunk. See Trunk
on page 3‑12for more
information.
2. Press the area at the front of the handle
located on the cover so
that the back edge
raises.
3. Grab the handle andremove the cover.
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Black plate (85,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
4. Turn the wing nut to remove the retainer that holdsthe wrench and jack.
5. Remove the wheel wrench, jack and spare tire from the trunk. See Spare Tire
on page 6‑93for
more information.
The tools to be used are the jack (A) and the wheel
wrench (B).
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Black plate (86,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing
the Spare Tire
1. Do a safety check before proceeding. SeeChanging a Flat Tireon page 6‑83for more
information.
2. For models having aluminum wheels with a center wheel cover, use the flat end of the wheel
wrench to gently pry the wheel covers off. Store
the wheel cover and lug nut caps in the trunk
until you have the flat tire repaired or replaced. Be careful not to scratch the aluminum wheel edge
and do not try to remove it with your hands. Then
loosen the wheel nuts with the wheel wrench. Do
not remove them yet.
3. For models with exposed lug nuts, loosen them
using the wheel wrench. Do not remove them yet.
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Black plate (87,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
4. Find the jacking location from the diagram aboveand use the corresponding cutouts located in the
plastic molding.
The front location is (A) 8.5 inches (21 cm) from
the rear edge of the front wheel well, and the rear
location (B) is 3.5 inches (8.5 cm) from the front
edge of the rear wheel well.
The notches may also be labeled JACK with an
arrow pointing to the jacking location on the
vehicle.
{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. To help avoid personal
injury and vehicle damage, be sure to fit the jack
lift head into the proper location before raising the
vehicle.
Notice: If you position the jack under the rocker
molding and attempt to raise the vehicle, you could
break the molding and/or cause other damage to
your vehicle. Always position the jack so that when
the jack head is raised, it will fit firmly in the notch
located inboard from the rocker molding.
5. Turn the jack handle counterclockwise to lower the jack lift head until the jack fits under the vehicle.
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Black plate (88,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
6. Raise the jack until the metal flange fits firmly intothe channel of the jack head.
7. Put the spare tire near you.8. Raise the vehicle by turning the jack handle clockwise. Raise the vehicle far enough off the
ground for the spare tire to fit under the vehicle.
9. Remove all wheel nuts and the flat tire.
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Black plate (89,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
10. Remove any rust or dirtfrom the wheel bolts,
mounting surfaces, and
spare wheel.
{WARNING:
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 changing a wheel, remove any
rust or dirt from places where the wheel attaches
to the vehicle. In an emergency, 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. See Changing a Flat Tire
on
page 6‑83
. 11. Place the spare tire on the wheel-mounting
surface.
{WARNING:
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.
12. Put the wheel nuts back on with the
rounded end of the
nuts toward the wheel.
Tighten each nut by
hand until the wheel is
held against the hub.
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Black plate (90,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
13. Lower the vehicle by turning the jack handlecounterclockwise. Lower the jack completely.
{WARNING:
Wheel nuts that are improperly or incorrectly
tightened can cause the wheels to become loose
or come off. The wheel nuts should be tightened
with a torque wrench to the proper torque
specification after replacing. Follow the torque
specification supplied by the aftermarket
manufacturer when using accessory locking
wheel nuts. See Capacities and Specifications
on
page 6‑112
for original equipment wheel nut
torque specifications.
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 specification. See Capacities and
Specifications
on page 6‑112for the wheel nut
torque specification.
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