wheel PONTIAC FIREBIRD 1994 Service Manual

Problems on the Road
:hen pry off the center cap with the
vheel wrench. [f your vehicle has optional alloy wheels,
:ach wheel may have one locknut in place
If the standard wheel nut. A special
wheel lock key (removal tool)
and
.nstructions are located in the center
:onsole. Attach the wheel lock key to the
socket
of the wheel wrench. Remove the
locking wheel nut by turning
:ounterclockwise. Using the wheel wrench, loosen all the
wheel nuts. Don’t remove them yet.
. .174
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Problems on the Road
I
taise the vehicle by rotating the wheel
wench clockwise. Raise the vehicle far
mough
off the ground so there is enough
'oom for the spare tire to fit.
. .I76
temove all the wheel nuts and take off
he flat tire.
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Remove: any rust or dirt from the wheel
bolts, mounting surfaces and spare wheel.
Place the spare on the wheel mounting
surface.
Replace 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. Replace 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.
,ewer the vehicle by rotating the wheel
vrench counterclockwise. Lower t&e jack
ompletely.
-4'
L:
-I .
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Problems on the Road
m’t try to put a center cap on your
mpact spare tire. It won’t fit. Store the
nter cap
in the rear area until you have
: flat tire repaired or replaced.
righten the wheel nuts
firmly in a
:riss-cross sequence as shown.
NOTICE:
Center caps won’t fit on your
compact spare. If you try to put a
center cap on your compact spare,
you could damage the cover or the
spare.
. .I78
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Replace the jack, wheel wrench and
flat tire using the storage instructions.
When
you replace the trim panel, be
sure
to tuck it under the weatherstrip.
1. Trim Panel
2. Bolt
3. Cover
4. Jack
5. Wing Nut
6. Adapter
7. Compact Spare Tire
8. Full-Size Tire
9. Carpet Flap
10. Tire Storage Bolt
11. Trunk Access Panel
(Convertible Only)
12. Knob
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Problems on the Road
Compact Spare Tire
Although the compact spare was fully
inflated when your vehicle was new, it
can lose air after a time. Check the
inflation 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 inflated.
The compact spare is made to perform
well at posted speed limits for distances
up to
3,000 miles (5 000 km), so you can
finish your trip and have your full-size
tire repaired or replaced where you want.
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.
. . .I80
NOTICE:
If the compact spare is used as a rear
tire, do not drive faster than
50 mph
(80 km/h). Damage to the rear axle
may occur if the compact spare
is
driven faster than 50 mph (80 km/h).
This speed limitation does not apply
when the compact spare is used as a
front tire.
NOTICE:
Don’t take your compact spare
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.
Don’t use your compact spare on some
other vehicle.
And don’t mix your compact spare or
wheel with other wheels or tires. They
won’t fit. Keep your spare and its wheel
together.
NOTICE:
Tire chains won’t fit your compact
spare. Using them will damage your
vehicle and destroy the chains too.
Don’t use tire chains on your
compact spare.
H Zf You’re Stuck: Zn
Sand, Mud, Zce or
Snow
What you don’t want to do when your
vehicle is stuck is to spin your wheels.
The method known as “rocking” can hell
you get out when you’re stuck, but you
must use caution.
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NOTICE:
Spinning your wheels can destroy
parts of your vehicle as well as the
tires.
If you spin the wheels too fast
while shifting your transmission back
and forth, you can destroy your trans-
mission.
Rocking your vehicle to get it out:
First, turn your steering wheel left and
right. That will clear the area around your
front wheels. If your vehicle has traction
control, you should
turn the system off.
(See “Traction Control System” in the
Index.) Then shift back and forth’ between
“R’ (Reverse) and a forward gear (or with
a manual transmission, between First or
Second gear and Reverse), spinning the
wheels as little as possible. Release the
accelerator pedal while you shift, and
press lightly on the accelerator pedal
when the transmission is in gear.
If that
doesn’t get you out after a few tries,
you
may need to be towed out. If you:do need
to be towed out, see “Towing
Yow
Vehicle” in the Index. .’
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What to Add:
When you do need brake fluid, use only
DOT-3 brake fluid - such as Delco-
Supreme ll@
(GM Part No. 1052535).
Use new brake fluid from a sealed
container only, and always clean the
brake fluid reservoir cap before
removing it.
NOTICE:
Don’t let someone put in the
wrong kind of fluid. For example,
just
a few drops of mineral-based
oil, such as engine oil, in your
brake system can damage brake
system parts
so badly that they’ll
have to be replaced.
Brake fluid can damage paint,
so
be careful not to spill brake fluid on your vehicle. If you
do, wash it
off immediately. See “Appearance
Care”
in the Index.
Brake Wear
Unless you have the four-wheel disc
brake option, your Pontiac has front disc
brakes and rear drum brakes. Disc
brake pads have built-in wear
indicators that make a high-pitched
warning sound when the brake pads
are worn and new pads are needed. The
sound may come and
go or be heard all
the time your vehicle is moving (except
when you are pushing on the brake pedal
firmly).
I NOTICE:
I
Continuing to drive with worn-out
brake pads could result in costly
brake repair. Some driving conditions
or climates may
cause a brake squeal when the brakes are
first applied or lightly applied. This does
not mean something is wrong with your
brakes.
If you have rear drum brakes, they don’t
have wear indicators, but if you ever hear
a rear brake rubbing noise, have the rear
brake linings inspected. Also, the rear
brake drums should be removed and
inspected each time the tires are removed
for rotation or changing. When you have
the front brakes replaced, have
the rear
brakes inspected, too.
Brake linings should always be replaced
as complete axle sets.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does
not return to normal height, or if there is a
rapid increase in pedal travel.
This could
be a sign
of brake trouble.
I.
207. . .
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When to Check: Check your tires once a
month or more. Don’t forget your
compact spare tire. It should be at
60 psi
(420 kPa).
How to Check: Use a good quality
pocket-type gage to check tire pressure.
Simply looking at the tires will not tell
you the pressure, especially
if you have
radial tires
- which may look properly
inflated even if they’re underinflated.
If your tires have valve caps, be sure to
put them back on. They help prevent
leaks by keeping out dirt and moisture.
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Tire Inspection and Rotation
To make your tires last longer, have them
inspected and rotated at the mileages
recommended in the Maintenance
Schedule. See “Scheduled Maintenance
Services” in the Index.
If you don’t have P245/50ZR16 size tires:
use the rotation pattern shown above for
your size tires.
I1
II
0
SI
B
SI
e:
b
’ fl
A
tl
SI
12
P:
T
4-
-I-
4-
-a4
F you have P245/50ZR16 size tires, they
lust roll in a certain direction for the besl
vera11 performance. The direction is
hown by an arrow on both sidewalls.
lecause these tires are directional, they
hould be rotated as shown in the
xample above. These tires should only
e moved from front to rear and rear to
-ont on the same side of the vehicle.
Lfter the tires have been rotated, adjust
le front and rear inflation pressure as
Sown
on the Tire-Loading Information
lbel. Make certain that all wheel nuts are
roperly tightened. See “Wheel Nut
orque” in the Index.
217.
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Uniform Tire Quality Grading
The following information relates to the
system developed by the United States
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature
performance.
(This applies only to
vehicles sold in the United States.)
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative
rating based on the wear rate of the tire
when tested under controlled conditions
on a specified government test course. For
example, a tire graded 150 would
wear one and a half
(1 1/2) times as well
on the government course as a tire graded
100. The relative performance of tires
depends upon the actual conditions of
their use, however, and may depart
significantly from the norm due to
variations in driving habits, service
practices and differences in road
characteristics and climate.
Traction - A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to
lowest are: A,
B, and C. They represent
the tire’s ability to stop on wet pavement
as measured under controlled conditions
on specified government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C
may have poor traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to
this tire is based on braking
(straight-ahead) traction tests and does
not include cornering (turning) traction.
Temperature - A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the
highest),
B, and C, representing the tire’s
resistance to the generation of heat and its
3bility to dissipate heat when tested under
:ontrolled conditions on a specified 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 failure. The grade
C
corresponds to a level of performance
which all passenger car tires must meet
under
the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard No.
109. Grades B and A
represent higher levels of performance
on the laboratory test wheel than the
minimum required by law.
Warning: 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.
Those grades are molded on the sidewalls
of passenger car tires.
While the tires available as standard or
optional equipment on General Motors
vehicles may
vary with respect to these
grades, all such tires meet General Motors
performance standards and have been
approved for use on General Motors
vehicles. All passenger type
(P Metric)
tires must conform to Federal safety
requirements in addition to these grades.
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