wheel PONTIAC GRAND AM 2003 Service Manual

Used Replacement Wheels Tire Chains
Putting a used wheel on your vehicle is
dangerous. You can’t know how it’s been used or
how far it’s been driven. It could fail
suddenly and cause a crash.
If you have to
replace a wheel, use a new
GM original
equipment wheel.
If your vehicle has P225/50R16 size tires, don’t
use tire chains, there’s not enough clearance.
Tire chains used on a vehicle without the proper amount of clearance can cause damage
to the brakes, suspension or other vehicle
parts. The area damaged by the tire chains
could cause
you to lose control of your vehicle
and you or others may be injured in
a crash.
Use another type of traction device only
if its
manufacturer recommends it for use on your
vehicle and tire
size combination and road
conditions. Follow that manufacturer’s instructions.
To help avoid damage to your
vehicle, drive slowly, readjust or remove the device if it’s contacting your vehicle, and don’t
spin your wheels.
If you do find traction devices that will fit,
install them on the front tires.
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Notice: If your vehicle has a tire size other than
P225/50R16 size tires, use tire chains only where
legal and only when you must. Use only
SAE Class
“S” type chains that are the proper size for your
tires. Install them on the front tires and tighten them
as tightly as possible with the ends securely
fastened. Drive slowly and follow the chain
manufacturer’s instructions.
If you can hear the
chains contacting your vehicle, stop and retighten
them.
If the contact continues, slow down until
it stops. Driving too fast
or spinning the wheels with
chains on will damage your vehicle.
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.
5-6 1

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.
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. 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 other side of the vehicle, at the The following steps
will tell you how to use the jack and
change a tire.
5-62

Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
The equipment you’ll need is in the trunk.
1. Pull the carpeting from
the floor of the trunk.
I Turn the center retainer
nut on the compact spare
tire cover
counterclockwise to
remove it.
2. Lift and remove the cover. See Compact Spare
Tire on page
5-71 later in this section for more
information about the compact spare.
3. Turn the wing nut
counterclockwise and
remove
it. Then lift off the
spacer and remove the
compact spare tire.
4. 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.
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A
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing
the Spare Tire
The tools you'll be using include the jack (A) and wheel
wrench
(6).
1. If your vehicle has a wheel cover or hubcap that
has plastic wheel nut caps, then loosen the plastic
nut caps (you may need to use the wheel wrench
to loosen them). Do not pry off wheel covers
or center caps that have plastic wheel nut caps.
Then remove the wheel cover or center cap.
5-64

2. Then use the wheel wrench to loosen all the wheel
nuts. Don’t remove them yet.
/ \-
18 inches (46 cm)
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.
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.
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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.
4. 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 underneath the wheel well.
5. Remove all of the wheel nuts.
6. Remove the flat tire.
7. Remove any rust or dirt
from the wheel
bolts,
mounting surfaces
and spare wheel.
5-66

Rust or dirt on the wheel, or on the parts to
which
it is fastened, can make the wheel nuts
become
lccse 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.
1
Never use oil or grease on studs or nuts. If
could fall
off, causing a serious accident.
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8. Install the compact spare tire.
9. 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.
5-67

c
10. Lower the vehicle by turning the wheel wrench
counterclockwise. Lower the jack completely.
11. Tighten the wheel nuts
firmly in a crisscross
sequence, as shown.
E
Incorrect wheel nuts or improperly tightened
wheel nuts can cause the wheel to come 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 the proper torque specification. See ”Capacities
and Specifications” in the Index for wheel nut
torque specification.
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. See “Capacities and
Specifications”
in the index for the wheel nut torque
specification.
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.
5-68

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 vehicie, 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.
5-71