Knowing how to change a tire on your Chevy Colbalt in an emergency may keep you from sitting on the side of the road waiting for help. If you have a flat tire, try and get the car off the road and to a flat spot so you can safely raise the car without it rocking or falling off the jack. The Colbalt has all the tools you need in the trunk with the spare tire. The spare in the Colbalt is a space saving tire and not intended for extended use, but it will get you to a garage or tire shop in an emergency.
Open the trunk of your Colbalt and lift the floor panel, remove it from the trunk and set it aside. Remove the plastic wing nut from the retaining stud in the center of the spare tire.
Lift the jack off the stud and set it on the ground. Lift the spare tire out of the trunk and set it on the ground as well. Move to the flat tire and loosen the lug nuts with the provided lug wrench. It is stowed with the jack and doubles as a jack handle.
Position the jack under the car behind the front wheel or in front of the rear wheel, depending on which you are changing. Raise the jack by turning the jackscrew clockwise with the lug wrench until the tire is off the ground.
Remove the lug nuts from the wheel studs and then remove the wheel and tire from the car. Slide the spare tire onto the studs and then install the lug nuts on the wheel studs.
Lower the jack by turning the jackscrew counterclockwise and then remove the jack from under the car. Tighten the lug nuts on the wheel studs with your lug wrench.
Place the flat tire into the spare tire well in the trunk of the car. Place the jack and jack handle in the spare tire well, sliding it onto the retaining stud in the center of the trunk.
Thread the plastic wing nut onto the retaining stud and then position the floorboard back in the trunk.
