GM Service Manual Online
For 1990-2009 cars only

Your vehicle has a tire inflator kit. There is no spare tire, no tire changing equipment, and no place to store a tire.

It is unusual for a tire to have a blowout while you are driving, especially if you maintain your tires properly. See Tires . If air goes out of a tire, it is much more likely to leak out slowly. If you should ever have a blowout, here are a few tips about what to expect and what to do:

If a front tire fails, the flat tire creates a drag that pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel firmly. Steer to maintain lane position, and then gently brake to a stop well out of the traffic lane.

A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a skid and may require the same correction you would use in a skid. In any rear blowout, remove your foot from the accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by steering the way you want the vehicle to go. It may be very bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently brake to a stop, well off the road if possible.

If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage by driving slowly to a level place and stop the vehicle. Then do this:

  1. Turn on the hazard warning flashers. See Hazard Warning Flashers .
  2. Park your vehicle. Move the shift lever in either FIRST (1) or REVERSE (R), and set the parking brake firmly. See Manual Transmission Operation for additional information.
  3. Turn off the engine.
  4. Inspect the flat tire.

If the tire has been separated from the wheel or has damaged sidewalls or large tears that allow rapid air loss, call a tire repair facility.

If the flat tire is due to a slow leak caused by a nail or other similar road hazard, the tire inflator kit may be used to repair the damaged tire temporarily. The kit uses a liquid tire sealant to seal small punctures in the tread area of the tire.

After repairing a tire with the tire inflator kit, take your vehicle to an authorized dealer/retailer to have the tire inspected and repaired as soon as possible. The tire sealant is a temporary repair only. See Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit .