How to change a wheel in an emergency

Yes, it will be raining. Yes, you'll be tired and anxious to get home. Yes, you'll be wearing smart clothes. Flat tyres never occur on sunny days, when you have time on your hands or when you're wearing gardening clothes. Fitting the spare wheel yourself is, nevertheless, a good option compared to waiting for a breakdown recovery service - it only takes a few minutes and you will draw admiring glances from passers-by! But you must be prepared. Aside from a working jack and a spare wheel with an inflated tyre, you'll need a pair of gloves, a bit of old carpet to kneel on and a couple of small blocks of wood (about 50mm square). You may need a pair of cutters or a sharp knife, a flat-bladed screwdriver and a special socket for locking wheel nuts/bolts. Oh, and you'll also need a Haynes Owners Workshop Manual or the Haynes 'Your Car' glovebox guide.

Changing a wheel is straightforward, provided you know where the tools and spare wheel are kept, and how to use a jack. If you've just bought the car, or if you have never changed a wheel before, it is worth practising at home - then you'll know exactly what to do if you get a flat tyre.

For more advice on model-specific procedures, please refer to the appropriate Haynes Service and Repair Manual. Haynes Manuals are available from this website and all good car accessory retailers and bookshops including: Halfords, Motor World and WH Smith. Please use our comprehensive Stockist Locator in the left margin of this page.

How to change a wheel   

1. Apply the handbrake, engage first gear or set automatic transmission to 'P', then use the blocks of wood to chock the wheel diagonally opposite to the one that is being changed.
2. Put on the gloves, get out the spare wheel, vehicle jack and wheelbrace. They are generally located in the luggage area, under a cover in the floor (see in your car handbook for details).
3. Lay the carpet beside the flat tyre to kneel on. Where applicable, remove the wheel trim/cover - you may need to cut nylon cable ties fitted to stop theft - then prise off the trim or cover with a flat-bladed screwdriver. Use the wheelbrace to loosen each wheel bolt/nut on the affected wheel by about half a turn - if necessary, employing the special socket for any anti-theft bolts or nuts.
4. Engage the jack head in the jacking point nearest the affected wheel (check your Haynes Manual for details). Slide the spare wheel part way under the car, near the wheel to be removed, but out of the way of the jack (this is a safety measure in case the jack slips). Raise the jack until the tyre is 25 to 50mm off the ground.
5. Remove the wheel bolts/nuts, and lift off the wheel. Drag out the spare wheel and slide the removed wheel under the car in its place.
6. Fit the spare wheel, then refit the bolts/nuts and tighten them until they are just holding the wheel firmly. Remove the wheel from under the car, then lower the jack and remove it.
7. Tighten one wheel bolt/nut securely, using the wheelbrace, and then tighten one diagonally or nearly diagonally opposite. Tighten the other one, two or three bolts/nuts in a similar way, and then refit the wheel trim, if applicable.
8. When you've finished, stow the removed wheel and the tools in their correct locations. Check the pressure in the new tyre, with your gauge or at the next available garage. In addition, you should have the wheel bolts/nuts tightened to the correct torque setting. You can do this yourself if you have a torque wrench; otherwise, a local garage or a tyre fitting depot can do it for you.
9. It's important to get the flat tyre repaired or renewed as soon as possible - don't put it off!