1997 Chevrolet Lumina Owner's Manual - Page 218

If a Tire Goes Flat Changing a Flat Tire It's unusualfor a tire to "blc>w Out''while you're driving, If a tire goes flat, avoidfurther tire and wheel damage un especially if you maintain your tires properly. If air goes'by driving slowlyto a level place. T r on your hazard out of a tire, it's much more likely to leak slowly. out warning flashers. But if you should ever have a "blowout," here a few are tips about what to expect what to do: and Changing a tire can causean injury. The vehicle can slip the jack and roll over you other off or people. You and they could be badly injured. A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a Find a level placeto change your tire. To help prevent thevehicle from moving: skid and may require the same correction you'd usea in foot skid. In any rear blowout, remove your from the 1. Set the parking brake firmly. accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by 2 Put the shift lever PARK (P). . in steering the way you want the vehicle to go. It may be 3. Turn off the engine. very bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently To be even more certain the vehicle won't move, brake to a stop-- well off the road if possible. you can put blocks at the front and rear of the If a tire goes flat, the next part shows how to use your tire farthest away from the one being changed. jacking equipment to change a flat tire safely. That would bethe tire on theother side of the vehicle, at the opposite end. If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your off the foot accelerator pedal and grip steering wheel firmly. the Steer to maintain lane position, and then gently brake to a stop well out the traffic lane. of A CAUTION: 5-24