wheel PONTIAC PONTIAC 1996 Owner's Guide

/r\, CAUTION:
A vehicle can fall from a car carrier if it isn’t
adequately secured. This can cause
a collision,
serio’us personal injury and vehicle damage. The
vehicle should be tightly secured with chains or
steel cables before it
is trapported.
Don’t
use substitutes (ropes, leather straps,
canvas webbing, etc.)
that can be cut by sharp
edges underneath the towed vehicle. Always use
T-hooks inserted in the T-hook slots. Never use
J-hooks. They will damage drivetrain and
suspension components.
~~
When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition
turned
to the OFF position. The steering wheel should
be clamped in a straight-ahead position, with a
clamping device designed
for towing service. Do not
use the vehicle’s steering column lock for ths The
transaxle should be
in NEUTRAL (N) and the
parking brake released.
Don’t have your vehicle towed on the drive wheels,
unless you must. If the vehicle must be towed on the
drive wheels, be
sure to follow the speed and distance
restrictions later in this section or
your transaxle will be
damaged.
If these limitations must be exceeded, then the
drive wheels have to be supported on a dolly.
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Front Towing
NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or
fascidfog lamp damage
will occur. Use wheel-lift
or car carrier equipment. Additional ramping
may be required for car carrier equipment.
Use
safety chains and wheel straps.
Towing a vehicle over rough surfaces could
damage
a vehicle. Damage can occur from
vehicle to ground or vehicle to wheel-lift
equipment.
To help avoid damage, raise the
vehicle until adequate clearance
is obtained
between the ground and/or wheel-lift equipment.
Do not attach winch cables or J-hooks to
suspension components when using car carrier
equipment. Always use
T-hooks inserted in the
T-hook slots.
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Attach T-hook chains
on both sides, in the
slotted holes in the bottom
of
the cradle, behind the
front wheels.
These slots are to be used when loading and securing to
car carrier equipment. '
'1
Attach a s&pamte
safety chain around
the outboard end of
each lower control arm.
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NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or the rear
bumper valance
will be damaged. Use wheel-lift '
or car carrier equipment. Additional ramping
may be required for car carrier equipment. Use
safety chains and wheel straps.
Towing a vehicle over rough surfaces could
damage a vehicle. Damage can occur from vehicle
to ground or vehicle to wheel-lift equipment.
To help avoid damage, install a towing dolly
and raise the vehicle until adequate clearance
is obtained between the ground and/or
wheel-lift equipment.
Do not attach winch cables or J-hooks to
suspension components when using car carrier
equipment. Always use T-hooks inserted in the
T-hook slots.
Attach T-hook chains to
the T-hook slots
in the
floor pan support rails, just
ahead of the rear wheels,
on both sides.
These slots are to be used when loading and securing to
car carrier equipment.
Attach a separate safety
chain around the outboard
end of both lateral arms.
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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.
I
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.
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. nrn 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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Turn the nut holding the jack and wrench The tools you'll be using include the jack (A),
counterclockwise and remove it. Then remove the jack socket (B) and wheel wrench (C).
and wrench.
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If your vehicle ha
the wheel wrench S‘
If there is a wheel cover, Removing the Flat Tire and Installing the
loosen the plastic nut caps Spare Tire
with the wheel wrench.
They won’t come
off. Then,
using the flat end
of the
wheel wrench, pry along the
edge of the cover until it
comes
off. Be careful; the
edges may
be sharp. Don’t
try to remove the cover with
your bare hands.
wheel nut
caps, remove them using
I
1. Using the wheel wrench, loosen all the wheel nuts.
2. Turn the jack bandle clockwise to raise the jack lift
Don’t remove them yet.
head a few inches.
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4. 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.
5. Remove all wheel nuts and take off the flat tire.
6. Remove any rust or dirt
from the wheel bolts,
mounting surfaces and
spare wheel.
A CAUTION:
3'LO -
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 rnst
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.
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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
8. Lower the vehicle by turning the jack handle
counterclockwise. Lower the jack completely.
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9. Tighten the wheel nuts
firmly in a crisscross
sequence
as shown.
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.
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.
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