2002 Mercury Cougar Owner's Manual - Page 143

Roadside Emergencies • try to repair the temporary spare tire or remove it from its wheel • use the wheel for any other type of vehicle Use of a temporary spare tire at any one wheel location can lead to impairment of the following: • handling, stability and braking performance • comfort and noise • ground clearance and parking at curbs • Winter driving capability Tire change procedure 1. Park on a level surface, activate hazard flashers and set the parking brake. When one of the front wheels is off the ground, the transaxle alone will not prevent the vehicle from moving or slipping off the jack, even if the vehicle is in P (Park) (automatic transaxle) or R (Reverse) (manual transaxle). To prevent the vehicle from moving when you change a tire, be sure the parking brake is set, then block (in both directions) the wheel that is diagonally opposite (other side and end of the vehicle) to the tire being changed. If the vehicle slips off the jack, you or someone else could be seriously injured. 2. Place gearshift lever in P (Park) (automatic transaxle) or R (Reverse) (manual transaxle), turn engine OFF, and block the diagonally opposite wheel. 143