If A Tire Goes Flat - Pontiac 2010 Vibe Owner's Manual

9-62 Vehicle Care

If a Tire Goes Flat

It is unusual for a tire to blowout
while you are driving, especially if
you maintain your vehicle's tires
properly. If air goes out of a tire,
it is 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
creates 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 would 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.
{
CAUTION
Lifting a vehicle and getting under
it to do maintenance or repairs is
dangerous without the appropriate
safety equipment and training. If a
jack is provided with the vehicle, it
is designed only for changing a
flat tire. If it is used for anything
else, you or others could be badly
injured or killed if the vehicle slips
off the jack. If a jack is provided
with the vehicle, only use it for
changing a flat tire.
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire
and wheel damage by driving slowly
to a level place. Turn on the hazard
warning flashers. See Hazard
Warning Flashers on page 5-3.
{
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 an automatic
transmission shift lever in
P (Park), or shift a manual
transmission to 1 (First) or
R (Reverse).
3. Turn off the engine and do
not restart while the vehicle
is raised.
4. Do not allow passengers to
remain in the vehicle.
(Continued)