spare wheel PONTIAC FIREBIRD 2001 Owners Manual

2-18 Shock Sensor
Coupe Convertible
The shock sensor is what triggers the alarm when it
detects a blow to your vehicle. It is located over the
wheelhouse near the spare tire in the hatch area, on the
passenger's side of the vehicle. There are two levels of
alarms via the shock sensor. Two horn blasts and
parking lamp flashes for non
-threatening blows to
the vehicle and a full two
-minute alarm for harder
blows to the vehicle.Its sensitivity can be adjusted if more or less sensitivity
is desired. If sensitivity is increased too much, it may
give false alarms caused by gusts of wind or other
natural events that may shake the vehicle.
When your vehicle is new, there will be a label covering
the adjustment knob. Remove the label and adjust the
sensor as desired. Turn the knob clockwise to increase
sensitivity and counterclockwise to decrease sensitivity.
The shock sensor is ignored by the alarm system when
the following happens:

The ignition is on,

the hatch is open,

the alarm is disarmed,

when customized to be ignored, or

for five seconds after the horn sounds an alarm
or chirp.
The shock sensor is ignored after triggering three full
alarms until the system is rearmed.

5-23
Find the plastic screw heads in the trim panel over the
spare tire. (See ªCompact Spare Tireº in the Index for
more information about the compact spare.) Use a coin
or a key to turn the screw heads until the slots point
front and back to the unlock position. Gently lift the trim
panel's front forward edge and remove the panel.
If you have speakers in the trim panel, you may have to
disconnect the wire from the speaker. The speaker wire
may be long enough to remove the trim panel without
disconnecting the wire.To remove the jack and wheel wrench, loosen and
remove the bolt and remove the plastic cover.

5-24
Remove the wing nut and adapter and pull out the spare.The tools you'll be using include the jack (A) and
wheel wrench (B).

5-25
The jack has a bolt at the end. Attach the wheel wrench
to the jack bolt.
Turn the wheel wrench clockwise to raise the lift head
a little.
Your vehicle has alloy wheels. First remove the decorative
nut caps using the wheel wrench. Each wheel may have
one locknut in place of the standard wheel nut. A special
wheel lock key (removal tool) and instructions are located
in the center console. Attach the wheel lock key to the
socket of the wheel wrench. Remove the locking wheel
nut by turning counterclockwise.
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing the
Spare Tire
1. Using the wheel wrench, loosen all the wheel nuts.
Don't remove them yet.

5-28
3. Raise the vehicle by turning the wheel wrench
clockwise. Raise the vehicle far enough off the
ground so there is enough room for the compact
spare tire to fit.
4. Remove all the wheel nuts and take off the flat tire.
5. Remove any rust or dirt
from the wheel bolts,
mounting surfaces and
spare wheel.
CAUTION:
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.

5-29
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.
6. Install the compact spare tire and put the wheel nuts
back on with the rounded end of the nuts toward the
wheel. Tighten each nut by hand until the wheel is
held against the hub.
7. Lower the vehicle by turning the wheel wrench
counterclockwise. Lower the jack completely.

5-30
8. Tighten the wheel
nuts firmly in a
crisscross sequence
as shown. Install
the plastic nut
caps and tighten
by hand.
Then, using the wheel wrench, tighten an additional
one
-quarter turn.
CAUTION:
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).
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.
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools
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.
Return the jack, wheel wrench and flat tire using the
storage instructions. When you reinstall the trim panel,
be sure to tuck it under the weatherstrip.

5-32
Compact Spare Tire
Although the compact spare tire 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 speeds up to 65 mph
(105 km/h) 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.
NOTICE:
When the compact spare is installed, don't take
your vehicle 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 other vehicles.
And don't mix your compact spare tire or wheel with
other wheels or tires. They won't fit. Keep your spare
tire and its wheel together.
NOTICE:
Tire chains won't fit your compact spare. Using
them can damage your vehicle and can damage
the chains too. Don't use tire chains on your
compact spare.

6-46
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. You can't tell if your tires are properly inflated
simply by looking at them. Radial tires may look
properly inflated even when they're underinflated.
Be sure to put the valve caps back on the valve stems.
They help prevent leaks by keeping out dirt and moisture.
Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be rotated every 6,000 to 8,000 miles
(10 000 to 13 000 km). Any time you notice unusual
wear, rotate your tires as soon as possible and check
wheel alignment. Also check for damaged tires or wheels.
See ªWhen It's Time for New Tiresº and ªWheel
Replacementº 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 ªScheduled
Maintenance Servicesº in the Index for scheduled
rotation intervals.
If you don't have P245/50ZR16 Goodyear Eagle GS-C
tires or P275/40ZR17 Goodyear Eagle F1
-GS tires,
use the rotation pattern shown above for your tires.

6-47
If you have P245/50ZR16 Goodyear Eagle GS-C tires
or P275/40ZR17 Goodyear Eagle F1
-GS tires,
they must roll in a certain direction for the best overall
performance. The direction is shown by an arrow on the
sidewall. Because these tires are directional, they should
be rotated as shown here. These tires should only be
moved from front to rear and rear to front on the same
side of the vehicle.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 ªWheel Nut Torqueº in
the Index.
CAUTION:
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the parts to which
it is fastened, can make 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 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.
See ªChanging a Flat Tireº in the Index.