Page 587 of 650

Î
CONT INUED
If you have a f lat tire while driving,
pull over saf ely. Drive slowly along
the shoulder until you get to an area
far away from traffic lanes.Park the vehicle on f irm, level, and
non-slippery ground. Put the
transmission in Park (automatic)
or reverse (manual). Apply the
parking brake.
Turn on the hazard warning lights,
and turn the ignition switch to
the LOCK (0) position. Have all
passengers get out of the vehicle
while you change the tire.
Open the trunk. Raise the trunk
f loor lid by lif ting up on the back
edge.
3.
2. 1.
Changing a Flat Tire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
583
The vehicle can easily roll off
the jack, seriously injuring
anyone underneath.
Follow the directions for
changing a tire exactly, and
never get under the vehicle
when it is supported only by the
jack.
11/01/14 19:36:08 31TK4630_588
Î
Models equipped with the keyless access
system have an engine start/stop button
instead of an ignition switch. VEHICLE OFF
(LOCK) Mode is the equivalent of LOCK (0).
For more information, see pages 184 and 187.
:
2012 TL
Page 588 of 650
Loosen each wheel nut 1/2 turn
with the wheel nut wrench.
Take the tool case out of the spare
tire.
Unscrew the wing bolt and take
the spare tire out of its well.
Take the jack out of the tool kit
case. Placethejackunderthejacking
point nearest the tire you need to
change. Turn the end bracket
clockwise until the top of the jack
contacts the jacking point. Make
sure the jacking point tab is
restinginthejacknotch.
Place blocks in front and back of
the wheel diagonally opposite the
tire you are changing.
7. 8.
6. 4.
5. 9.
Changing a Flat Tire
584
WHEEL NUT WRENCH
EXTENSION JACK WHEEL NUT
WRENCH
JACKING POINTS
11/01/14 19:36:19 31TK4630_589
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
2012 TL
Page 589 of 650
CONT INUED
Bef ore mounting the spare tire,
wipe any dirt of f the mounting
surface of the wheel and hub with
a clean cloth. Wipe the hub
carefully;itmaybehotfrom
driving.
Remove the wheel nuts, then
remove the f lat tire. Handle the
wheel nuts caref ully; they may be
hot from driving. Place the flat tire
on the ground with the outside
surface facing up.
Use the extension and the wheel
nut wrench as shown to raise the
vehicle until the f lat tire is of f the
ground.
10.
11. 12.
Changing a Flat Tire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
585
BRAKE HUB
WHEEL NUT WRENCH EXTENSION
11/01/14 19:36:27 31TK4630_590
2012 TL
Page 590 of 650
Tighten the wheel nuts securely in
the same crisscross pattern. Have
the wheel nut torque checked at
the nearest automotive service
f acility.
Tighten the wheel nuts to:
Remove the center cap before
storing the f lat tire in the trunk
well.
Lower the vehicle to the ground,
and remove the jack.
Put on the spare tire. Put the
wheel nuts back on f inger-tight,
then tighten them in a crisscross
pattern with the wheel nut wrench
until the wheel is f irmly against
the hub. Do not try to tighten the
wheel nuts f ully.
13.
14.
15.
16.
Changing a Flat Tire
586
94 lbf·ft (127 N·m , 13 kgf·m)
11/01/14 19:36:35 31TK4630_591
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
2012 TL
Page 591 of 650

Store the center cap in the trunk.
Make sure it does not get
scratched or damaged. Store the jack and tools in the tool
kit case. Place the tool kit case in
the f lat tire.
To remove the spacer cone,
squeeze the tabs on the wing bolt
to disengage it f rom the center of
the spacer cone, then pull the bolt
downward.
To install the wing bolt to the
spacer cone, reverse this
procedure.
Securetheflattirebyscrewing
the wing bolt back into its hole.
Place the flat tire face down in the
spare tire well.
Remove the spacer cone f rom the
wing bolt, turn it over, and put it
back on the bolt.
Lower the trunk f loor, then close
the trunk lid.
Your vehicle’s original tire has a
tire pressure monitoring system
sensor. To replace a tire, ref er to
(see
page ).
17.
18.
19.20.
21.
22.
518
Changing a Flat Tire
Changing a T ire with T PMS
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
587
SPACER CONE
TAB
SPACER CONE For compact
spare tireFor normal
tire
WING BOLT
Loose items can fly around the
interiorinacrashandcould
seriously injure the occupants.
Store the wheel, jack, and tools
securely before driving.
11/01/14 19:36:50 31TK4630_592
2012 TL
Page 611 of 650

µµ
Î
If your vehicle needs to be towed,
call a prof essional towing service or
organization. Never tow your vehicle
with just a rope or chain. It is very
dangerous. Therearetwowaystotowyour
vehicle:
The operator
loads your vehicle on the back of a
truck.
The operator will load
your vehicle on the back of a truck.
Any other method of towing will
damage the drive system. When you
contact the towing agency, inf orm
them a f lat-bed is required. If , due to damage, your vehicle must
be towed with the f ront wheels on
the ground, do this:
The tow
truck uses two pivoting arms that go
under the f ront tires and lif t them of f
the ground. The rear tires remain on
the ground. Start the engine.
Shif t to the D position and hold f or
5 seconds, then to N.
Turn of f the engine.
Release the parking brake. Leave the ignition switch in the
ACCESSORY (I) position so the
steering wheel does not lock.
CONT INUED
On SH-AWD models
Except SH-AWD models
Flat -bed Equipment
Wheel-lif t EquipmentT his is the best way to
transport your vehicle.
The only way you can saf ely tow
your vehicle is with f lat-bed
equipment.
This is an acceptable
way to tow your vehicle.
Emergency Towing
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
607
Towing with only two tires on the
ground will damage parts of the
all-wheel-drive system. Your vehicle
should be transported on a f lat-bed
truck or trailer.
11/01/14 19:40:14 31TK4630_612
Î Models equipped with the keyless access
system have an engine start/stop button instead
information, see pages
:
184 and 187.
of an ignition switch. ACCESSORY Mode is
the equivalent of ACCESSORY (I). For more
2012 TL
Page 622 of 650

The temperature grade
for this tire is established for a tire
that is properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed,
underinflation, or excessive
loading, either separately or
in combination, can cause heat
buildup and possible tire failure.
The temperature grades are A (the
highest), B, and C, representing the
tire’s resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat
when tested under controlled
conditions on a specif ied indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained high
temperature can cause the material
of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature
can lead to sudden tire f ailure. The
grade C corresponds to a level of
perf ormance which all passenger car
tires must meet under the Federal
Motor Vehicle Saf ety Standard No.
109. Grades B and A represent
higher levels of perf ormance on the
laboratory test wheel than the
minimum required by law. Temperature
DOT Tire Quality Grading (U.S. Vehicles)
618
11/01/14 19:42:05 31TK4630_623
Warning
:
Technical Inf ormation
2012 TL
Page 625 of 650

µ
Each tire, including the spare (if
provided), should be checked
monthly when cold and inf lated to
the inf lation pressure recommended
by the vehicle manuf acturer on the
vehicle placard or tire inf lation
pressure label.
(If your vehicle has tires of a
dif f erent size than the size indicated
on the vehicle placard or tire
inf lation pressure label, you should
determine the proper tire inf lation
pressure f or those tires.)Accordingly, when the low tire
pressure telltale illuminates, you
should stop and check your tires as
soon as possible, and inf late them to
the proper pressure.Driving on a signif icantly under-
inf lated tire causes the tire to
overheat and can lead to tire failure.
Under-inf lation also reduces f uel
efficiency and tire tread life, and may
af f ect the vehicle’s handling and
stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a
substitute for proper tire
maintenance, and it is the driver’s
responsibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if under-inf lation has
not reached the level to trigger
illumination of the TPMS low tire
pressure telltale.
CONT INUED
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) Required Federal Explanation
Technical Inf ormation
621
11/01/14 19:42:43 31TK4630_626
As an added safety feature,
your vehicle has been
equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS) that
illuminates a low tire
tires is
pressure telltale when one
or more of your
significantly under-inflated.
2012 TL