2004 Mercury Mountaineer Owner's Manual - Page 191

Roadside Emergencies 3. Turn the wrench counterclockwise until the tire is lowered to the ground and the cable has slack. When turning the wrench, make sure that it does not scuff the kick plate. 4. Slide the tire rearward, lift one side and remove the retainer from the spare tire. Changing the spare tire To prevent the vehicle from moving when you change a tire, be sure the parking brake is set, then block the wheel that is diagonally opposite (other end of the vehicle) to the tire being changed. If the vehicle slips off the jack, you or someone else could be seriously injured. Do not attempt to change a tire on the side of the vehicle close to moving traffic. Pull far enough off the road to avoid the danger of being hit when operating the jack or changing the wheel. 1. Use the tip of the lug wrench to remove the beauty cap by twisting the tip under the cap. The carpeted floor lid can be used as a kneeling pad. 2. Loosen each wheel lug nut by half a turn, but do not remove them until the wheel is raised off the ground. 191 REVIEW COPY: 2004 Explorer (exp), Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt) (own2002), Market: USA English (fus)