For 1990-2009 cars

Your vehicle has an underbody-mounted tire hoist assembly equipped with a secondary latch system. It is designed to stop the spare tire from suddenly falling off your vehicle. For the secondary latch to work, the spare must be installed with the valve stem pointing down. See Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools.

Caution: Before beginning this procedure read all the instructions. Failure to read and follow the instructions could damage the hoist assembly and you and others could get hurt. Read and follow the instructions listed next.

To release the spare tire from the secondary latch:

1. Check under the vehicle to see if the cable end is visible. If the cable is not visible proceed to Step 6.
2. If it is visible, first try to tighten the cable by turning the wheel wrench clockwise until you hear two clicks or feel it skip twice. You cannot overtighten the cable.
3. Loosen the cable by turning the wrench counterclockwise three or four turns.
4. Repeat this procedure at least two times. If the spare tire lowers to the ground, continue with Step 5 of Removing the Spare Tire and Tools.
5. If the spare does not lower, turn the wrench counterclockwise until approximately 6 inches (15 cm) of cable is exposed.
6. Stand the wheel blocks on their shortest ends, with the backs facing each other.
7. Place the bottom edge of the jack (A) on the wheel blocks (B), separating them so that the jack is balanced securely.
8. Attach the jack handle, extension, and wheel wrench to the jack and place it (with the wheel blocks) under the vehicle toward the front of the rear bumper.
9. Position the center lift point of the jack under the center of the spare tire.
10. Turn the wrench clockwise to raise the jack until it lifts the end fitting.
11. Continue raising the jack until the spare tire stops moving upward and is held firmly in place. The secondary latch has released and the spare tire is balancing on the jack.
12. Lower the jack by turning the wheel wrench counterclockwise. Keep lowering the jack until the spare tire slides off the jack or is hanging by the cable.

Caution: Someone standing too close during the procedure could be injured by the jack. If the spare tire does not slide off the jack completely, make sure no one is behind you or on either side of you as you pull the jack out from under the spare.

13. Disconnect the jack handle from the jack and carefully remove the jack. Use one hand to push against the spare while firmly pulling the jack out from under the spare tire with the other hand.

If the spare tire is hanging from the cable, insert the hoist end of extension, and wheel wrench into the hoist shaft hole in the bumper and turn the wheel wrench counterclockwise to lower the spare the rest of the way.

14. Turn the wheel wrench in the hoist shaft hole in the bumper clockwise to raise the cable back up if the cable is hanging under the vehicle.

Have the hoist assembly inspected as soon as you can. You will not be able to store a spare or flat tire using the hoist assembly until it has been inspected and/or replaced.

To continue changing the flat tire, see Removing the Flat Tire and Installing the Spare Tire.