If A Tire Goes Flat - Pontiac Solstice 2008 Owner's Manual

If a Tire Goes Flat

Your vehicle has a tire sealant and compressor kit.
See Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit on page 5-76.
There is no spare tire, no tire changing equipment,
and no place to store a tire.
It is unusual for a tire to blow out while you are driving,
especially if you maintain your tires properly. See Tires
on page 5-51. If air goes out of a tire, it is much more
likely to leak out slowly. But, if you should ever have a
blow out, 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 blow out, particularly on a curve, acts much
like a skid and may require the same correction
you would use in a skid. In any rear blow out, 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, avoid further tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly to a level place and stopping.
Then do this:
1. Turn on the hazard warning flashers. See Hazard
Warning Flashers on page 3-6.
2. Park your vehicle. If your vehicle has an automatic
transmission, set the parking brake firmly and put the
shift lever in PARK (P). See Shifting Into PARK (P)
(Automatic Transmission) on page 2-26. If your
vehicle has a manual transmission, move the shift
lever to REVERSE (R) and set the parking brake
firmly. See Parking Your Vehicle (Manual
Transmission) on page 2-28 for additional
information.
3. Turn off the engine.
4. Inspect the flat tire.
If the tire has been separated from the wheel, has
damaged sidewalls, or has a puncture larger than a
1 ⁄ inch (6 mm), the tire is too severely damaged for
4
the tire sealant and compressor kit to be effective.
See Roadside Assistance Program on page 7-7.
If the tire has a puncture less than a
in the tread area of the tire, see Tire Sealant and
Compressor Kit on page 5-76.
⁄ inch (6 mm)
1
4
5-75