It's summertime. You're heading down the highway…looking for the love getaway…heading for the love getaway… You see a faded sign by the side of the road that says 15 miles to the … Love Shack! You turn up the volume, and sing along: "Bang, bang, bang on the door baby! Knock a little louder baby! Bang, bang, bang on the door baby!"
All is well in the world, and then you feel a vibration and hear a flopping noise. Agghh! Flat tire!
Find a Safe, Flat, Place to Park.
Try not to drive too far on the flat tire (over a city block) but if you need to do so to get to a safe spot, do so… you are better safe than sorry. Pull as far onto the side of the road as possible at a flat spot in the road. Put the car in "Park" if you have an automatic transmission. If you have a manual transmission, leave your car in any gear but "neutral". Set your parking brake.
Make it Obvious That You are Broken Down.
Raise your hood, turn on your hazard flashers, and use reflectors or flares if it's dark out.
Get your Spare Tire and Tools Out of the Trunk.
Get your spare tire, lug wrench and jack out of the trunk. The tools are often secured under the spare or are in a small compartment designed to hold them. If you have latex rubber gloves or work gloves, put them on.
Use the Lug Wrench to Loosen the Lug Nuts.
You may need to remove the hubcap to get to your lug nuts. Loosen the lug nuts by turning the lug wrench counter-clockwise (to the left). If the lug nuts are really tight, try placing the lug wrench on the nut and standing on the wrench arm to use your full weight on it. Don't remove the lug nuts yet.
Place the Jack in Proper Position.
The jack needs to be positioned under your car in a specific spot. Your owner's manual will illustrate "jack placement" spots on each side of the car. Place the jack in position and raise it until the bottom of the flat tire is 4-6 inches off of the ground.
Remove the Lug Nuts and Remove the Flat Tire.
As you remove the lug nuts put them in your hubcap, if you have one. If you have alloy wheels, put the lug nuts in a pile where you will be able to find them. Then pull the tire off of the lugs.
Place the Spare on the Car.
Line up the lug nut posts (on your hub) with the holes in the spare, and push the spare onto the hub.
Replace the Lug Nuts.
Tighten the lug nuts by hand, then lower the car to the ground.
Tighten the Lug Nuts Using the Lug Wrench.
Once the car is back on the ground tighten one lug nut. Then tighten the lug nut opposite that lug nut, then pick another lug nut and repeat the process until all of the lug nuts are tight. Keep tightening opposite lug nuts gradually in turn until each lug nut is as tight as it can be. If you need to, you can step on the lug wrench to assist you in tightening the nuts. Replace your hub cap by placing it on your wheel and tapping the edge of the hub cap with the heal of your hand. If you are unable to replace the hub cap, it's no big deal, just have a shop put it back on down the road. (that service should be free)
Clean Up Your Mess.
Place your flat tire, jack, lug wrench, and gloves in the trunk and check the side of the road for anything else you might have removed from the trunk. Have your flat tire repaired as soon as possible.
Get the Love Shack Groove Back On.
Pat yourself on the back, put on the tunes and head on down the highway…
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