How to Change a Tire on an 08 Prius
The 2008 Prius has a hybrid gas and electric motor, so repairs and maintenance are generally more expensive than its gasoline-only cousins. However, changing a tire on a Prius is the same as changing a tire on just about any other car, and it's one of the few repairs that won't cost you any more than a traditional engine car. No matter what the car, knowing how to change a tire can save you a fortune in towing costs should you get stuck somewhere with a flat.
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Instructions
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Place the open end of the tire iron (there should be one in your hatch on top of the spare, under the carpet) over each of the lug nuts and turn one full rotation to the left. You don't want to remove the nuts at this point--you just want to get them loose. There are five lug nuts on each wheel, located in the center of the wheel, and all lugs look the same and are equally spaced.
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Jack the car up by placing the jack under the frame of the car. The Prius has a notched section close to each wheel, which will let you know where to put the jack. Ensure that the jack is only on the metal frame of the car, not the plastic.
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Remove all five lug nuts once the car is safely in the air. Don't lose track of them, as you will need them later to secure the new tire. At this point, the lug nuts should be loose enough to turn by hand. If not, use the tire iron. Turn the lug nuts counter-clockwise to remove.
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Place the new tire (or spare tire) onto the wheel hub. Line up the bolts with the five holes in the rim of the tire.
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Screw on the lug nuts. Don't tighten them fully--just screw them on enough to where you can't turn them by hand anymore.
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Lower the car by turning the handle on the jack to the left. This releases the air out of a jack and lowers the car to the ground. If you have the screw-on jack, turn it counter-clockwise until the car is on the ground, and you can safely remove the jack.
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Use the tire iron to fully tighten the lugs. These should be tight enough to where you can't turn them clockwise anymore, but not so tight as to where you can't get them off.
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References
- Photo Credit tire image by Orlando Florin Rosu from Fotolia.com
