If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage by driving slowly to a level place. Turn on your hazard warning flashers.

Caution: Changing a tire can be dangerous. The vehicle can slip off the jack and roll over or fall on you or other people. You and they could be badly injured or even killed. 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 P (Park).
3. Turn off the engine and do not restart while the vehicle is raised.
4. Do not allow passengers to remain in the vehicle.

The following steps will tell you how to use the jack and change a tire.

The equipment you'll need is in the trunk.

1. Pull the carpeting from the floor of the trunk.
2. Remove the retainer, then lift and remove the cover.
3. Remove the compact spare tire. See Compact Spare Tire for more information about the compact spare tire.
4. Unscrew the wing nuts to remove the container that holds the wrench and jack.
5. Remove the wheel wrench, jack and the spare tire from the trunk.

The tools you'll be using include the jack (A) and wheel wrench (B).

If your vehicle has aluminum wheels and a center cover hides the wheel nuts, remove the center cover by using the flat end of the wrench to pry it off. Do not drop the cover or lay it face down, as it could become scratched or damaged. Do not use a hammer or mallet on this type of cover.

1. Use the wheel wrench to loosen the wheel nuts, but don't remove them.
2. The jack has a bolt at the end. Attach the wheel wrench to the bolt to create a jack handle.



3. Turn the wheel wrench counterclockwise to lower the jack lift head until it fits under the vehicle.



4. Put the jack head into a notch in the frame which is located near each wheel well. The front notch is 11 inches (28 cm) back from the front wheel well. The rear notch is 3.5 inches (9 cm) forward from the rear wheel well.

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.

Caution: 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.




5. 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 under the wheel well.
6. Remove all the wheel nuts and take off the flat tire.




Remove any rust or dirt from the wheel bolts, mounting surfaces and spare wheel.

Caution: Rust or dirt on a wheel or other parts to which it is fastened, can make the wheel nuts become loose and eventually the wheel could come off and cause a crash. Always remove all rust and dirt from wheels and other parts.

Caution: Never use oil or grease on bolts or nuts because the nuts might come loose. The vehicle's wheel could fall off, causing a crash.

7. Place the compact spare tire on the wheel-mounting surface.




Then reinstall the wheel nuts with the rounded end of the nuts toward the wheel.

8. Make sure each wheel bolt is centered in each wheel hole while tightening the nuts. Tighten each nut by hand until the wheel is held against the hub.



9. Lower the vehicle by turning the wheel wrench counterclockwise. Lower the jack completely.




Tighten the wheel nuts firmly in a crisscross sequence.

Caution: Incorrect or improperly tightened wheel nuts can cause the wheel to come loose and even come off. This could lead to a crash. If you have to replace them, be sure to get new 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 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 for the wheel nut torque specification.

10. Don't try to put the wheel cover on the compact spare tire. It won't fit. Store the wheel cover in the trunk until you have replaced the compact spare tire with a regular tire.

Notice: Wheel covers will not fit on your vehicle's compact spare. If you try to put a wheel cover on the compact spare, the cover or the spare could be damaged.

When you reinstall the full size wheel and tire, you install the wheel cover or nut caps at this point.

When reinstalling the nut caps on aluminum wheels, tighten the caps snug with the wheel wrench. Then continue tightening one-quarter turn for plastic caps, or one-eighth turn for steel caps. Do not overtighten.

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.

After you've put the compact spare tire on your vehicle, you'll need to store the flat tire in your trunk.

Store the flat tire as far forward in the trunk as possible. Store the jack and wheel wrench in their compartment in the trunk. For storage, the jack must be raised until the screw end is flush with the edge of the jack.

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.

The compact spare tire is for temporary use only. Replace the compact spare tire with a full-size tire as soon as you can. See "Compact Spare Tire" following for more information. See the storing instructions label to return your compact spare tire into your trunk properly.

1. Wrench

2. Jack

3. Jack Container

4. Retainer

5. Compact Spare Tire Cover

6. Retainer