BUICK PARK AVENUE 2003 Owner's Manual

The tools you'll be using include the jack (A) and wheel
wrench (B).
Removing the Wheel Covers and
Wheel Nut Caps
The following steps are necessary if you have the alloy
(aluminum) wheel with a center cover that conceals
the wheel nuts.1. Insert the ¯at end of the wheel wrench in the notch.
2. Pry off the center cover. Do not drop the cover
or lay it face down, as it could be scratched or
damaged.
After the wheel is put back on the vehicle, reinstall the
cover. Apply pressure around the edge of the cover
to snap it in place. Do not use a hammer or mallet to
install the cover.
5-71

Removing the Flat Tire and Installing
the Spare Tire
1. Use the wheel wrench to loosen the wheel nuts, but
don't remove them yet.
2. The jack has a bolt at
the end. Attach the
wheel wrench to
the bolt to create a jack
handle.
3. Turn the wheel wrench counterclockwise to lower
the jack head until it ®ts under the vehicle.4. Near each wheel well is a notch in the plastic trim
panel to position the jack head. You'll ®nd the word
JACK and an arrow stamped into the plastic near
each notch. Position the jack under the vehicle and
raise the jack head until it ®ts ®rmly against the sheet
metal next to the word JACK. Do not raise the vehicle
yet. Put the compact spare tire near you.
5-72

{CAUTION:
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.
{CAUTION:
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 ®t the
jack lift head into the proper location before
raising the vehicle.5. Raise the vehicle by turning the wheel wrench
clockwise in the jack. Raise the vehicle far
enough off the ground so there is enough room for
the compact spare tire to ®t underneath the
wheel well.
6. Remove all the wheel nuts and take off the ¯at tire.
5-73

7. Remove any rust or dirt
from the wheel bolts,
mounting surfaces
and spare wheel.
{CAUTION:
Rust or dirt on the wheel, or on the parts to
which it is fastened, can make the wheel nuts
become loose after a time. The wheel could
come off and cause an accident. When you
change a wheel, remove any rust or dirt from
the places where the wheel attaches to the
vehicle. In an emergency, you can use a cloth
or a paper towel to do this; but be sure to use
a scraper or wire brush later, if you need to, to
get all the rust or dirt off.
{CAUTION:
Never use oil or grease on studs or nuts. If
you do, the nuts might come loose. Your wheel
could fall off, causing a serious accident.
8. Install the compact spare tire on the wheel-mounting
surface.
9. Then reinstall the
wheel nuts with the
rounded end of
the nuts toward the
wheel. Tighten
each nut by hand until
the wheel is held
against the hub.
5-74

10. Lower the vehicle by turning the wheel wrench
counterclockwise. Lower the jack completely.
11. Using the wheel
wrench, tighten the
wheel nuts ®rmly in a
crisscross sequence.
{CAUTION:
Incorrect wheel nuts or improperly tightened
wheel nuts can cause the wheel to come loose
and even come off. This could lead to an
accident. Be sure to use the correct wheel
nuts. If you have to replace them, be sure to
get new GM original equipment wheel nuts.
Stop somewhere as soon as you can and have
the nuts tightened with a torque wrench to the
proper torque speci®cation. See ªCapacities
and Speci®cationsº in the Index for wheel nut
torque speci®cation.
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 speci®cation. See ªCapacities and
Speci®cationsº in the index for the wheel nut torque
speci®cation.
5-75

12. Don't try to put the wheel cover on the compact
spare tire. It won't ®t.
Store the wheel cover in the trunk until you have
the ¯at tire repaired or replaced.
Notice:Wheel covers won't ®t on your compact
spare. If you try to put a wheel cover on your
compact spare, you could damage the cover or
the spare.
Storing the Flat Tire and Tools
{CAUTION:
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.
After you've put the compact spare tire on your vehicle,
you'll need to store the ¯at tire in your trunk. Use the
following procedure to secure the ¯at tire in the trunk.
Store the ¯at tire as far forward in the trunk as possible.
Store the jack and wheel wrench in their compartment
in the trunk.Storing the Spare Tire and Tools
{CAUTION:
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.
5-76

Store the compact spare tire and tools as shown in
the diagram.
A. Wrench
B. Jack
C. Jack ContainerD. Compact Spare
Tire Cover
E. Retainer
The compact spare tire is for temporary use only.
Replace the compact spare tire with a full-size tire as
soon as you can. See ªCompact Spare Tireº later in
this section.Compact Spare Tire
Although the compact spare tire was fully in¯ated when
your vehicle was new, it can lose air after a time.
Check the in¯ation pressure regularly. It should be
60 psi (420 kPa).
After installing the compact spare on your vehicle, you
should stop as soon as possible and make sure
your spare tire is correctly in¯ated. The compact spare
is made to perform well at speeds up to 65 mph
(105 km/h) for distances up to 3,000 miles (5 000 km),
so you can ®nish your trip and have your full-size
tire repaired or replaced where you want. You must
calibrate the Check Tire Pressure System after installing
or removing the compact spare. See
Check Tire
Pressure System on page 5-60. Of course, it's best to
replace your spare with a full-size tire as soon as
you can. Your spare will last longer and be in good
shape in case you need it again.
Notice:When the compact spare is installed, don't
take your vehicle through an automatic car wash
with guide rails. The compact spare can get caught
on the rails. That can damage the tire and wheel,
and maybe other parts of your vehicle.
5-77

Don't use your compact spare on other vehicles.
And don't mix your compact spare tire or wheel with
other wheels or tires. They won't ®t. Keep your spare tire
and its wheel together.
Notice:Tire chains won't ®t your compact spare.
Using them can damage your vehicle and can
damage the chains too. Don't use tire chains on
your compact spare.
Appearance Care
Remember, cleaning products can be hazardous. Some
are toxic. Others can burst into ¯ames if you strike a
match or get them on a hot part of the vehicle. Some are
dangerous if you breathe their fumes in a closed
space. When you use anything from a container to clean
your vehicle, be sure to follow the manufacturer's
warnings and instructions. And always open your doors
or windows when you are cleaning the inside.Never use these to clean your vehicle:
·Gasoline
·Benzene
·Naphtha
·Carbon Tetrachloride
·Acetone
·Paint Thinner
·Turpentine
·Lacquer Thinner
·Nail Polish Remover
They can all be hazardous Ð some more than
others Ð and they can all damage your vehicle, too.
Do not use any of these unless this manual says
you can. In many uses, these will damage your vehicle:
·Alcohol
·Laundry Soap
·Bleach
·Reducing Agents
5-78

Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle
Use a vacuum cleaner often to get rid of dust and
loose dirt. Wipe vinyl, leather, plastic and painted
surfaces with a clean, damp cloth.
Cleaning Fabric/Carpet
Your dealer has cleaners for the cleaning of fabric
and carpet. They will clean normal spots and stains
very well.
You can get GM-approved cleaning products from your
dealer. See
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials on
page 5-84.
Here are some cleaning tips:
·Always read the instructions on the cleaner label.
·Clean up stains as soon as you can ± before
they set.
·Carefully scrape off any excess stain.
·Use a clean cloth or sponge, and change to a clean
area often. A soft brush may be used if stains are
stubborn.
·If a ring forms on fabric after spot cleaning, clean
the entire area immediately or it will set.
Using Cleaner on Fabric
1. Vacuum and brush the area to remove any
loose dirt.
2. Always clean a whole trim panel or section. Mask
surrounding trim along stitch or welt lines.
3. Follow the directions on the container label.
4. Apply cleaner with a clean sponge. Don't saturate
the material and don't rub it roughly.
5. As soon as you've cleaned the section, use a
sponge to remove any excess cleaner.
6. Wipe cleaned area with a clean, water±dampened
towel or cloth.
7. Wipe with a clean cloth and let dry.
Special Fabric Cleaning Problems
Stains caused by such things as catsup, coffee (black),
egg, fruit, fruit juice, milk, soft drinks, vomit, urine
and blood can be removed as follows:
1. Carefully scrape off excess stain, then sponge the
soiled area with cool water.
2. If a stain remains, follow the cleaner instructions
described earlier.
5-79

3. If an odor lingers after cleaning vomit or urine, treat
the area with a water/baking soda solution:
1 teaspoon (5 ml) of baking soda to 1 cup (250 ml)
of lukewarm water.
4. Let dry.
Stains caused by candy, ice cream, mayonnaise, chili
sauce and unknown stains can be removed as follows:
1. Carefully scrape off excess stain.
2. First, clean with cool water and allow to dry
completely.
3. If a stain remains, follow the cleaner instructions
described earlier.
Cleaning Vinyl
Use warm water and a clean cloth.
·Rub with a clean, damp cloth to remove dirt. You
may have to do this more than once.
·Things like tar, asphalt and shoe polish will stain if
you don't get them off quickly. Use a clean cloth
and vinyl cleaner. See your dealer for this product.
Cleaning Leather
Use a soft cloth with lukewarm water and a mild soap or
saddle soap and wipe dry with a soft cloth. Then, let
the leather dry naturally. Do not use heat to dry.
·For stubborn stains, use a leather cleaner.
·Neveruse oils, varnishes, solvent-based or abrasive
cleaners, furniture polish or shoe polish on leather.
·Soiled or stained leather should be cleaned
immediately. If dirt is allowed to work into the ®nish,
it can harm the leather.
Cleaning the Top of the
Instrument Panel
Use only mild soap and water to clean the top surfaces
of the instrument panel. Sprays containing silicones
or waxes may cause annoying re¯ections in the
windshield and even make it difficult to see through the
windshield under certain conditions.
Cleaning Interior Plastic Components
Use only a mild soap and water solution on a soft cloth
or sponge. Commercial cleaners may affect the
surface ®nish.
5-80