wheel BUICK REGAL 1995 Owner's Guide

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, 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.
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Turn the nut holding the jack and wrench
counterclockwise and remove it. Then remove the jack
and wrench.
If there is a wheel cover, loosen the plastic nut caps with
the wheel wrench. They won’t come off. 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.
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.
If your vehicle has wheel
nut caps, remove them
using the wheel wrench.
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Using the wheel wrench, loosen all the wheel nuts.
Don’t remove
them yet.
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.
Turn the jack handle clockwise to raise the jack lift head
a few inches.
Position
the jack under the
vehicle and raise the jack
lift head until it fits firmly
into the notch in the
vehicle’s frame nearest the
flat tire.
Put the compact spare tire near
you.
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.
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Raise the vehicle by turning the jack handle clockwise.
Raise the vehicle far enough off
the ground for the spare
tire to
fit under the vehicle. Remove all wheel nuts and
take off the flat tire.
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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
Lower
the vehicle by turning the jack handle
coLmterclockwise. Lower the jack completely.
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Tighten the wheel nuts firmly
in a crisscross
sequence as shown. Don’t
try
to put the wheel cover on your compact spare
tire. It won’t
fit. Store the wheel cover in the trunk 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.
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.
Put the flat tire
in the trunk so the side that faces out
when it is
on the vehicle is facing down. The full-size
tire will not fit down
into the well. Place it so the front is
in the well and the rear is out of the well.
Put the bolt through one
of the wheel nut holes, install
the retainer over the bolt, then install the wing
nut. Put
the spacer and
nut next to the tire in the well. Store the
cover
as far forward as possible.
The compact spare is for temporary use only. Replace
the compact spare tire
with a full-size tire as soon as
you can.
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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), 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.
1 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.
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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 too hst. The method known as
“rocking” can help you get out when you’re stuck, but
you must use caution.
A CAUTION:
If you let your tires spin at high speed, they can
explode and you or others could be injured. And,
the transaxle or other parts of the vehicle can
overheat. That could cause an engine
compartment fire or other damage. When you’re
stuck, spin the wheels
as little as possible. Don’t
spin the wheels above
35 mph (55 kdh) as shown
on the speedometer.
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.
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle,
see “Tire Chains”
in the Index.
Rocking your vehicle to get it out:
1 First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around
your front wheels. Then shift back
and forth between
REVERSE (R) 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 Vehicle”
in the Index.
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Brake Wear
Your Buick has four-wheel disc 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),
NOTICE:
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.
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.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you make a moderate brake stop, your disc
brakes adjust for wear.
If you rarely make a moderate
or heavier stop, then your brakes might not adjust
correctly.
If you drive in that way, then -- very
carefully
-- make a few moderate brake stops about
every
1,000 miles (1 600 km), so your brakes will adjust
properly.
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Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be inspected every 6,000 to 8,000 miles
(I 0 000 to 13 000 km) for any signs of unusual wear.
If unusual wear is present, rotate your tires as soon as
possible and check wheel alignment. Also check for
damaged tires or wheels. See “When
it’s Time ,for New
Tires” and “Wheel Replacement” later
in this section for
more information.
The purpose of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear for all tires on the vehicle. The first
rotation is the most important. See “Scheduled
Maintenance Services”
in the Index for scheduled
rotation intervals. When
rotating your tires, always use the correct rotation
pattern shown here.
Don’t include the compact spare tire
in your tire
rotation.
After the tires have been rotated, adjust the front and
rear inflation pressures
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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