By Daniel Reyes 
Auto
Check and Top Up Your Engine Oil
5 steps10 min Beginner
By Daniel Reyes
Everyone should know how to do this once. Park safely, loosen the lug nuts, lift the car, swap the wheel and tighten it properly, with the safety checks that most guides skip.
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1 Step 1
Park on flat, firm ground, turn on your hazards and apply the handbrake. Place wedges behind a wheel that is not being changed. With the car still on the ground, use the lug wrench to turn each nut a half turn counter-clockwise. They are much easier to break loose while the wheel cannot spin.
Pro tip: Stuck nut? Stand on the wrench handle with your body weight. Never hit it with a hammer.
2 Step 2
Place the jack on the reinforced jacking point near the flat wheel (your owner's manual shows exactly where). Raise the car until the flat tire is about 5 cm off the ground. Unscrew the loosened nuts fully, pull the wheel straight toward you and lay it flat under the car as a safety backup.
Pro tip: Never put any part of your body under a car supported only by a jack.
3 Step 3
Line up the holes in the spare with the wheel studs and push it fully onto the hub. Thread each lug nut on by hand as far as it goes, turning clockwise. Hand-tight is enough for now. Check the valve stem faces outward for easier inflation later.
Pro tip: Spare is smaller than your normal tire? That is a temporary 'doughnut'. Keep to 80 km/h (50 mph).
4 Step 4
Lower the car until the tire just touches the ground, then tighten the nuts in a star (criss-cross) pattern, which seats the wheel evenly. Lower the car completely, remove the jack and give every nut a final firm tighten with the wrench.
Pro tip: Re-check the nuts after the first 50 km of driving. They can settle slightly.
5 Step 5
Check the spare's pressure with a gauge, because spares are often neglected. Most need 60 psi, but the sidewall says exactly. Put the flat tire, jack and wrench back in the car, and get the flat repaired or replaced at the first opportunity.
Pro tip: Check the spare once a season. A flat spare is a very unpleasant surprise.
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Daniel Reyes
Certified mechanic, 12 years in the shop
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