jack BUICK CENTURY 1997 Owners Manual

If a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out” while you’re driving,
especially if
you maintain your tires properly. If air goes
out of a tire, it’s much more likely
to leak out slowly.
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 Flat Tire
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly
to a level place. Turn on your hazard
warning flashers.
A CAC ,,.IN:
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 the shift lever in PARK (P).
3. Turn 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.
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The following steps will tell you how to use the jack and
change a tire.
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
The equipment you’ll need
is in
the trunk. Pull the
carpeted mat up from the
floor
of the trunk.
(See “Compact Spare Tire” later in this section for more
information about the compact spare.)
1. Turn the center nut on the compact spare cover to the
left to remove it. Then lift and remove the cover.
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2. Remove the spare tire. 3. Turn the nut holding the jack to the left and remove
it. Then remove the jack and wrench.
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A
C
The tools you’ll be using include the jack (A), extension
and protection guide
(B) and wheel wrench (C).
Wheel Covers
To remove a center cap, use
the wrench to
pry gently at
the notch. Don’t use a tool
that
is narrower than the
wrench to pry at this notch.
Then
pry off the cap.
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If your vehicle is equipped
with wheel covers, be
sure
to use a wheel wrench
to begin the process of
loosening the plastic
wheel
nut caps.
They won’t come off.
You will only be able to loosen
them. Once you have loosened the plastic
nut caps with
the wheel wrench, if needed,
you can finish loosening
them with your fingers.
Then, using the flat end of
the wheel wrench, pry along
the edge of
the wheel cover until it comes off. Be
careful; the edge may be sharp. Don’t try to remove the
cover with your bare hands.
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing the
Spare Tire
1. Using the wheel wrench, loosen all the wheel nuts.
Don’t remove them yet.
2. Turn the jack handle to the right to raise the jack lift
head a few inches.
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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.
FRONT
VEHICLE
I L 1-14 I
- REAR EDGE OF FRONT
WHEEL OPENING
edge of the front wheel opening or just behind the
two bolts
as shown.
FRONT EDGE OF
REAR WHEEL OPENING
For jacking at the vehicle’s rear location, put the jack
lift head about
5 inches (13 cm) from the front edge
of the rear wheel opening or just behind the off-set
as shown.
Put the compact spare tire near you.
3. For jacking at the vehicle’s front location, put the
jack lift head about
6 inches (15 cm) from the rear
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c
CAUTION:
I
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.
1
4. Raise the vehicle by turning the jack handle to the
right. Raise
the vehicle far enough off the ground for
the spare tire to
fit under the vehicle.
5. Remove all wheel nuts and take off the flat tire.
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A 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.
7. 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.
8. Lower the vehicle by turning the jack handle to the
left. Lower the jack completely.
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Storing the Flat Tire and Tools
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 flat tire
in your trunk. Use the
following procedure to secure the flat tire in the trunk.
When storing a full-size
tire you must use the extension
with the protector/guide to help avoid wheel surface
damage.
Use the extension and protector/guide located
in the foam holder.
To store a full-size tire, place the
tire valve stem facing down and then remove the
protector/guide and attach the retainer securely. When
reinstalling a compact spare tire, put the
protector/guide back in the foam holder. Store the cover
as far forward as possible.
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Storing the Spare Tire and Tools
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.
The compact spare is for temporary use only. Replace
the compact spare tire with a full-size tire as soon
as you
can. See “Compact Spare Tire” in the Index. See the
storage instructions label to replace your compact spare
into your
trunk properly.
1. Retainer
2. Cover
3. Retainer (full-size tire)
4. Compact spare tire
5. Nut
6, Jack
7. Wrench
8. Lock nut tool
9. Foam holder
10. Bolt screw
11. Extension and
protector/guide
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