wheel BUICK CENTURY 1994 Owner's Guide

Wire Wheel Cover
Removing the wire wheel
cover requires this wire
wheel key wrench.
F1 Put the flat end into the
notch and carefully pry the
small center cover
off.
Remove the theft deterrent
wheel
nut by placing the
key end
of the wire wheel
wrench over the
nut and
turning
it to the left. Pull
off the wire wheel cover.
P
Next, attach the wheel wrench to the bolt on the end of
the jack. Raise the jack a little by rotating the wheel
wrench clockwise
(to the right).
Using the wheel wrench, loosen all the wheel nuts.
Don't remove them yet.
Position the jack under the
vehicle nearest the tire to be
changed. The jack location
should be approximately
five inches
(12.7 cm) from
the wheel well.
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I NOTICE:
Raising your vehicle with the jack improperly
positioned will damage the vehicle or may
allow
the vehicle to fall off the jack. Be sure to fit the
jack lift head into the proper location before raising your vehicle.
Raise the vehicle by rotating the wheel wrench
clockwise. Raise the vehicle far enough
off the ground
so there is
enough room for the spare tire to fit.
Remove all the wheel nuts and take
off the flat tire.
Remove any rust or dirt from
the wheel bolts, mounting
surfaces or spare wheel.
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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.
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Lower the vehicle by rotating the wheel wrench
counterclockwise. Lower the jack completely. Tighten the
wheel nuts
firmly in a criss-cross
sequence as shown.
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Don’t try to put a wheel cover on your compact spare
tire. It won’t fit. Store the wheel cover in the trunk or, if
you have the wagon, in the rear cargo area, until you
have the flat tire repaired or replaced.
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.
Now put all the equipment back in the vehicle.
Sedan
BOLT
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UT WHEEL
WRENCH
FULL SIZE FLAT /
JACK
USE TOP HOLE WITH VALVE STEM OUTBOARD FOR STORAGE OF
FULL-SIZE FLAT
Wagon Spare Cover Replacement
To install the spare tire cover in your station wagon
when
you are finished changing the tire:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Wagon 5.
Put the front lower corner of the cover into the floor
track. Overlap the lower rear edge of the front panel
one to two inches.
Slide the cover to the front;. the tabs must go
under
the rear edge.
Insert the front upper corner into the track, at the
bottom of the glass.
Adjust the position
of the cover to fit over the
weatherstrip. Push the panel down into the track in
the floor.
Push the panel to lock it into the track
of the molding
at
the bottom of the glass.
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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). The compact
spare is made to go 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.
I 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 yoUP-Cijimpct spare. Using
them will damage your vehicle and destroy the
chains too. Don’t use tire chains
on your
compact spare.
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If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice 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 help you get out when you’re stuck, but you must
use caution.
I 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 transaxle back and
forth, you can destroy your transaxle.
Rocking your vehicle to get it out:
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your front wheels. Then shift back
and forth between
“R” (Reverse) and a forward gear,
spinning the wheels as little
as possible. Release the
accelerator pedal while you shift, and press lightly on
the accelerator pedal when
the transaxle 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 Your Buick”
in the Index.
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Tire Inspection and Rotation
To make your tires last longer, have them in
rotated at the mileages recommended in the spected and
Maintenance Schedule. See “Scheduled Maintenance
Services” in the Index.
FRONT
Use this rotation pattern.
After the tires have been rotated, adjust the front and
rear inflation pressure as ’shown on the Tire-Loading
Information label. Make certain that all wheel nuts are
properly tightened. See “Wheel Nut Torque’’ in the
Index.
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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 ability to dissipate heat when tested under
controlled 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.
These 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.
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
The wheels on your vehicle were aligned and balanced
carefully
at the factory to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
In most cases, you will not need to have your wheels
aligned again. However, if
you notice unusual tire wear
or your vehicle pulling one way or the other, the
alignment may need
to be reset. If you notice your
vehicle vibrating when driving on a smooth road, your
wheels may need to be rebalanced.
Wheel Replacement
Replace any wheel that is bent, cracked or badly rusted.
If wheel nuts keep coming loose, the wheel, wheel bolts,
and wheel nuts should be replaced. If the wheel leaks
air, replace it (except some aluminum wheels, which can
sometimes be repaired). See your Buick dealer if any of
these conditions
exist.
Your dealer will know the kind of wheel you need.
Each new wheel should have the same load carrying
capacity, diameter, width, offset, and be mounted the same way as
the one it replaces.
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