6.1 Changing a TireIf the tire goes flat while driving, pull well off the road. Changing a tire on a busy street or highway can be dangerous. If necessary, drive a short distance on the flat tire to get to a safe place. It is much better to ruin a tire or rim than to risk being hit. Stop the car on as flat a surface as possible, turn on the emergency flashers, and set out flares or emergency markers well behind the car. Passengers should get out of the car and stand well away from the road. Take the jack, tools, and spare wheel from the trunk. If you have wheel chocks, chock the wheel diagonally opposite to the one being changed. If not, use whatever is available, including large rocks or pieces of wood. Remove the hubcap from the wheel using either a puller clip and wheel wrench supplied with the tool kit or, on 16V models, a special wrench (Fig. 6-1) which should be in the glove compartment. If using the puller clip, insert the clip into the holes at the hubcap rim. Put the wheel wrench on the wheel rim and pull lightly on the other end.
Loosen the wheel bolts about one turn, but do not remove them. Place the jack under the lifting point nearest the wheel being changed (lifting points are described in 3.1 Safety). Use a board to provide a firm footing for the jack if the ground is soft. Raise the jack until it is just touching the notch at the lifting point, and adjust the jack so that its base is slightly under the car. Raise the car only far enough so that the wheel is off the ground, and then remove the wheel bolts and the wheel. Install the spare wheel and the wheel bolts; tighten them by hand, then lower the car. With all wheels on the ground, fully tighten the bolts in a cross-wise pattern. If a torque wrench is available, torque the bolts to 110 Nm (80 ft. lb.). Check the inflation pressure of the spare tire. The compact spare should be inflated to 60 psi. Inflation pressures for other tires are given in LUBRICATION AND MAINTENANCE.
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