PONTIAC GRAND AM 1998 Owners Manual

4. With the coolant surge tank pressure cap off, start the
engine and let it run until you can
feel the upper
radiator hose getting hot. Watch out for the engine
cooling
fan.
By this time, the coolant level inside the coolant
surge tank may be lower.
If the level is lower, add
more
of the proper mixture to the coolant surge tank
until the level reaches
FULL COLD, or just above
the small cylinder
at the base of the opening.
5. Then replace the pressure cap. Be sure the pressure
cap is tight.
Check the level in the surge
tank when the cooling
system has cooled down.
If the coolant isn’t at the
proper level, repeat Steps
1 to 3 and reinstall the
pressure cap or see your dealer.
5-22

If a Tire Goes Flat Changing a Flat Tire
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out” while you’re driving, If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage
especially
if you maintain your tires properly. If air goes by driving slowly to a level place. Turn on your hazard
out of a tire, it’s much more likely to leak out slowly. warning fla\
shers.
But if you should ever have a “blowout,” here are a few
tips about what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot
off the
accelerator pedal and grip
the steering wheel firmly.
Steer to maintain lane position, and then gently brake to
a stop well out
of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a
skid and may require the same correction you’d use in a
skid. In any rear blowout, remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control
by
steering the way you want the vehicle to go. It may be
very bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently
brake to
a stop -- well off the road if possible.
If a tire goes flat, the next part shows how to use your
jacking equipment to change a flat tire safely. Changing
a tire
can cause an injury. The vehicle
can slip
off the jack and roll over you or other
people. You and they could be badly injured.
Find
a level place to change your tire. To help
prevent the vehicle from moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put an automatic transaxle shift lever in
PARK (P), or shift a manual transaxle to
FIRST (1) or REVERSE (R).
3. lbrn off the engine.
To be even more certain the vehicle won’t move,
you can 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 of the
vehicle,
at the opposite end.
5-23

I
............ ............. _-_-._ .. .._. .........._.. ._.___...... _...._...._.. .-.......... -_._._....__.
The following steps will tell you how to use the iack and
charwe a tire.
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
The equipment you’ll need
is in the trunk. Pull the
carpeting from the floor of
the trunk. Turn the center
retainer nut on the compact
spare cover to the left to
remove it.
Lift
and remove the cover. See “Compact Spare Tire”
later
in this section for more information about the
compact
spare.
5-24

Turn the wing nut to the left
and remove
it. Then lift off
the spacer and remove the
spare tire.
Remove the jack
and wheel wrench from the trunk. Your
vehicle’s jack and wheel wrench are stored in a foam
tray. Remove the band around the jack. The tools you’ll be using include the jack (A) and wheel
wrench (B).
5-25

Removing the Flat Tire and Installing the
Spare Tire
1. Remove the wheel nut caps (you may need to use the
wheel wrench to loosen and remove them,
if your
fingers do not fit into this small area).
2. Then use the wheel wrench to loosen all the wheel
nuts. Don't remove them yet.
3. Position the jack and raise the jack head until it fits
firmly into the notch in the vehicle's frame nearest
the flat tire. Put the compact spare tire near you.
5-26

11 A 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.
I A 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 fit the jack
lift head into the proper location before raising
the vehicle.
L II
n
.A
4. Raise the vehicle by rotating the wheel wrench to the
right. Raise the vehicle
far enough off the ground so
there is enough room for the spare tire to fit.
5. Remove all of the wheel nuts.
5-27

6. Remove the wheel cover from the wheel, if your flat
tire
has one. Then take off the flat tire.
7. Remove any rust or dirt
from the wheel bolts,
mounting surfaces
and
spare wheel.
/11 CAUTl -1:
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.
5-28

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. Replace the wheel nuts
I with the rounded end of
the nuts toward the
wheel. Tighten each nut
by hand until the wheel is held against the hub.
n
9. Lower the vehicle by rotating the wheel wrench to
the left. Lower the jack completely.
5-29

10. Tighten the wheel nuts
firmly in a crisscross
sequence, as shown.
' A CAUTION: I I
Incorrect wheel nuts or improperly tightened
wheel nuts can cause
the wheel to become 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
100 lb-ft (140 N*m).
I 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.
I NOTICE:
Wheel covers won't fit on your compact spare. If
you try to put a wheel cover on your compact
spare, you could damage the cover
or the spare.
5-30

Storing the Flat Tire and Tools
A 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.
I I
Store the flat tire in the compact spare tire compartment.
Place the
tire in the compartment, then secure the
adapter, extension (aluminum wheels only) and wing
bolt. Place the cover and nut on top
of the flat tire. Store
the jack and wheel wrench in the
foam tray.
m H
A. Wrench
B. Jack
C. Flat Road Tire
D. Adapter E.
Extension (Aluminum
E Wing Nut
G. Cover
H. Nut
Wheels Only)
5-31