Page 326 of 400
Black plate (72,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2012
10-72 Vehicle Care
Storing the Tire Sealant
and Compressor Kit
The tire sealant and compressor kit
is located in the trunk, under the
load floor, behind an access panel.
To remove the kit:
1. Open the trunk. SeeTrunk on
page 2‑12.
2. Turn the left knob counterclockwise and the right
knob clockwise, 90 degrees, at the same time. Then pull the
access panel rearward and up to
remove it.
3. Pull the inflator kit rearward.
Squeeze the two tabs of the
quick release buckle to remove
the tire sealant and
compressor kit.
To store the inflator kit, reverse
the steps.
Tire Changing
Removing the Spare Tire and
Tools
To access the spare tire and tools:
1. Open the trunk. See Trunk on
page 2‑12.
2. Lift the load floor.
A. Retainer Nut
B. Tool Bag Tether
C. Tool Bag
D. Spare Tire
Page 327 of 400

Black plate (73,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-73
3. Turn the retainer nut (A)counterclockwise to remove it.
Then remove the tool bag
tether (B) from the stow rod, the
tool bag (C) containing the
wheel wrench and wheel blocks,
and the spare tire (D).
4. Remove the jack, jack handle extension, and two-piece
wrench, if equipped.
A. Three-Piece Wrench
B. Hex Head Jack
C. Jack Handle Extension
D. Coin/Pierce Jack
E. Two-Piece Wrench
This vehicle may have one of
the following: A coin/pierce
jack (D), a jack handle
extension (C), and a
two-piece wrench (E), or a
hex head jack (B) and
three-piece wrench (A).
Removing the Flat Tire and
Installing the Spare Tire
This vehicle may have aluminum
wheels with exposed wheel nuts.
Use the wheel wrench to loosen all
the wheel nuts. Do not remove
them yet.
Or, this vehicle may have steel
wheels with plastic covers.
To remove the plastic covers and
wheel nut caps, loosen the plastic
nut caps with the wheel wrench in a
counterclockwise direction.
Page 328 of 400

Black plate (74,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2012
10-74 Vehicle Care
If needed, finish loosening them
with your fingers. The plastic nut
caps will not come off.
If needed, use the flat end of the
wheel wrench and pry along the
edge of the cover until it comes off.
The edge of the wheel cover could
be sharp, so do not try to remove it
with your bare hands. Do not drop
the cover or lay it face down, as it
could become scratched or
damaged. Store the wheel cover in
the trunk until the flat tire is repaired
or replaced.
Once you have removed the wheel
cover, use the following procedure
to remove the flat tire and install the
spare tire.
1. Do a safety check beforeproceeding. See If a Tire Goes
Flat on page 10‑63 for more
information.
2. Turn the wheel wrench counterclockwise once on each
wheel nut to loosen it. Do not
remove them yet.
3. Place the jack near the flat tire.
4. Place the wheel blocks on both sides of the tire at the opposite
corner of the tire being changed.
See If a Tire Goes Flat on
page 10‑63 for proper wheel
block placement.5. If this vehicle is the RS model, locate the front or rear jack
cover on the rocker molding
near the tire being changed.
Place your hand behind the
edge of the cover on the rocker
molding. Pull down and out to
remove the cover.
The cover will remain attached
to the molding by a tether.
Page 329 of 400

Black plate (75,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-75
6. Place the jack under the vehicle.
7. If you have a coin/pierce jack,attach the jack handle extension
to the jack by sliding the hook
through the end of the jack.
If you have a hex head jack,
place the hex tube end of the
wrench over the hex head of
the jack.
Notice: Make sure that the jack
lift head is in the correct position
or you may damage your vehicle.
The repairs would not be covered
by your warranty.
8. Position the jack lift head at the jack location nearest the flat tire.
The location is indicated by a
notch in the flange. The jack
must not be used in any other
position.
{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 the 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.
{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.
Page 330 of 400
Black plate (76,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2012
10-76 Vehicle Care
Hex Head Jack Shown, Coin/Pierce Jack Similar
9. Raise the jack by turning the handle clockwise until it comes
in contact with the notch in
the flange.Make sure the jack lift head
notch is placed in the flange
notch.
Raise the vehicle far enough off
the ground so there is enough
room for the road tire to clear
the ground.10. Remove all of the wheel nuts.
11. Remove the flat tire.
Page 333 of 400

Black plate (79,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-79
Notice:Wheel covers will not fit
on the vehicle's compact spare.
If you try to put a wheel cover on
the compact spare, the cover or
the spare could be damaged.
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire
and Tools
{WARNING
Storing a jack, a tire, 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 all these in
the proper place.
Storing the Flat Tire and Tools
1. Replace the wheel wrench and wheel blocks in the tool bag.
2. Remove the foam container from the rear storage compartment.
Coin/Pierce Jack Shown, Hex
Head Jack Similar
3. Place the flat tire in the storage compartment with the valve
stem down.
4. Place the jack and jack handle extension, if the vehicle has one,
in the foam container.
5. Place the foam container inside the flat tire. Align the hole with
the stow rod. 6. Place the tool bag tether over
the stow rod and the tool bag
rear of the flat tire.
7. Turn the retainer nut clockwise until tight.
8. Replace the load floor.
The load floor may not lay flat.
The compact spare is for temporary
use only. Replace the compact
spare tire with a full-size tire as
soon as you can.
Storing the Compact Spare Tire
and Tools
Reverse the instructions for
removing the spare tire and tools to
store the compact spare tire.
Page 334 of 400

Black plate (80,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2012
10-80 Vehicle Care
Compact Spare Tire
{WARNING
Driving with more than one
compact spare tire at a time could
result in loss of braking and
handling. This could lead to a
crash and you or others could be
injured. Use only one compact
spare tire at a time.
If this vehicle has a compact spare
tire, it was fully inflated when the
vehicle was new; however, it can
lose air after a time. Check the
inflation pressure regularly.
It should be 420 kPa (60 psi).
After installing the compact spare
on the vehicle, stop as soon as
possible and make sure the spare
tire is correctly inflated. The
compact spare is made to perform
well at speeds up to 105 km/h
(65 mph) for distances up to
5 000 km (3,000 mi), so you can
finish your trip and have the full-size tire repaired or replaced at your
convenience. Of course, it is best to
replace the spare with a full-size tire
as soon as possible. The spare tire
will last longer and be in good
shape in case it is needed again.
Notice:
When the compact spare
is installed, do not take the
vehicle through an automatic car
wash with guide rails. The
compact spare can get caught on
the rails which can damage the
tire, wheel, and other parts of the
vehicle.
Do not use the compact spare on
other vehicles.
Do not mix the compact spare tire or
wheel with other wheels or tires.
They will not fit. Keep the spare tire
and its wheel together.
Notice: Tire chains will not fit the
compact spare. Using them can
damage the vehicle and can
damage the chains too. Do not
use tire chains on the compact
spare.
Jump Starting
For more information about the
vehicle battery, see Battery on
page 10‑25.
If the battery has run down, try to
use another vehicle and some
jumper cables to start your vehicle.
Be sure to use the following steps to
do it safely.
{WARNING
Batteries can hurt you. They can
be dangerous because:
.They contain acid that can
burn you.
.They contain gas that can
explode or ignite.
.They contain enough
electricity to burn you.
If you do not follow these steps
exactly, some or all of these
things can hurt you.
Page 351 of 400

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2012
Service and Maintenance 11-3
{WARNING
Performing maintenance work can
be dangerous and can cause
serious injury. Perform
maintenance work only if the
required information, proper tools,
and equipment are available.
If they are not, see your dealer to
have a trained technician do the
work. SeeDoing Your Own
Service Work on page 10‑4.
Maintenance
Schedule
Owner Checks and Services
At Each Fuel Stop
.Check the engine oil level. See
Engine Oil on page 10‑9.
Once a Month
.Check the tire inflation
pressures. See Tire Pressure on
page 10‑49.
.Inspect the tires for wear. See
Tire Inspection on page 10‑55.
.Check the windshield washer
fluid level. See Washer Fluid on
page 10‑22.
Engine Oil Change
When the CHANGE ENGINE OIL
SOON DIC message or Code 82
DIC message displays, have the
engine oil and filter changed within
the next 1 000 km/600 mi. If driven
under the best conditions, the
engine oil life system might not
indicate the need for vehicle service
for more than a year. The engine oil
and filter must be changed at least
once a year and the oil life system
must be reset. Your trained dealer
technician can perform this work.
If the engine oil life system is reset
accidentally, service the vehicle
within 5 000 km/3,000 mi since the
last service. Reset the oil life
system when the oil is changed.
See Engine Oil Life System on
page 10‑12.