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Part 6
Here you wit1 find information
about the care of your Geo
. This
part begins with service and fuel
information. and then it shows
how to check important fluid and
lubricant levels
. There is also
technical information about your
vehicle. and
a section devoted to
its appearance care
.
ii iervice & Appearance Care
Service ............................................................. 222
Fuel ............................................................... 223
Checking Things under the Hood ........................................ 227 .
HoodRelease 227
Engineoil ........................................................ 229
Aircleaner ........................................................ 233
Automatic Transmission Fluid ........................................ 234
Manual Transmission Fluid ........................................... 237
Clutch Adjustment .................................................. 238
RearAxle ......................................................... 238
Four-WheelDrive .................................................. 239
Enginecoolant ..................................................... 240
Power Steering Fluid ................................................ 243
Windshield Washer Fluid ............................................ 244
Brake Master Cylinder ............................................... 245
Battery ........................................................... 247
Bulb Replacement .................................................... 248
LoadingYourVehicle ................................................. 252
Tires ............................................................... 253
Appearancecare ..................................................... 261
Appearance Care and Maintenance Materials .............................. 271
Vehicle Identification Number .......................................... 272
Service Parts Identification Label ........................................ 272
Add-on Electrical Equipment ........................................... 272
Fuses and Circuit Breakers ............................................. 273
ReplacementBulbs ................................................... 276
Capacities and Specifications ........................................... 277
221 .
.
......................................................
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I NOTICE
r
Fuel
Use regular unleaded gasoline rated at
87 octane or higher. It should meet
specifications, ASTM
D4814 in the U.S.
and CGSB 3.5-M92 in Canada. These
fuels should have the proper additives,
so you should not have to add anything
to the fuel.
In the U.S. and Canada, it’s easy to be
sure you get the right kind of gasoline
(unleaded). You’ll see
UNLEADED
right on the pump. And only unleaded
nozzles will fit into your vehicle’s filler
neck.
Be sure the posted octane is at least
87.
If the octane is less than 87, you may
get a heavy knocking noise when you drive.
If it’s bad enough, it can damage
your engine.
If you’re using fuel rated at
87 octane or
higher and you still hear heavy
knocking, your engine needs service.
But don’t worry if you hear a little
pinging noise when you’re accelerating or driving up a
hill. That’s normal, and
you don’t have to buy a higher octane
fuel to get rid of pinging. It’s the heavy,
constant knock that means you have a
problem.
What about gasoline with blending materials that contain oxygen, such as
MTBE or alcohol?
c
223 -
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Service & Appearance Care
MTBE is ‘ ‘methyl tertiary-butyl ether. ’ ’
Fuel that is no more than 15% MTBE is
fine for your vehicle.
Ethanol is ethyl or grain alcohol.
Properly-blended fuel that is
no more I
than 10% ethanol is fine for your
vehicle.
Methanol is methyl or wood alcohol. I
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I
I
methanol is bad for your vehicle.
on’t use it.
It can corrode metal
parts in your fuel system and
also
damage plastic and rubber pr
That damage wouldn’t be covered
under your warranty. And
e-? at
5% or less, there must be
“cosolvents” and corrosion
,:eventers in this fuel
+n hpll
Gasolines for Cleaner Air
Your use of gasoline with detergent
additives will help prevent deposits from
forming in your engine and fuel system.
That helps keep your engine in tune and your emission control system working
properly. It’s
good for your vehicle, and
you’ll be doing your part for cleaner air.
Many gasolines are now blended with
materials called oxygenates. General
Motors recommends that you use
gasolines
with these blending materials,
such as MTBE and ethanol.
By doing
so, you can help clean the air, especially
in those parts of the country that have
high carbon monoxide levels.
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In addition, some gasoline suppliers are
now producing reformulated gasolines.
These gasolines are specially designed to
reduce vehicle emissions. General
Motors recommends that you use
reformulated gasoline. By doing
so, you
can help clean the air, especially in
those parts of the country that have high
ozone levels,
You should ask your service station
operators
if their gasolines contain
detergents and oxygenates, and if they
have been reformulated
to reduce
vehicle emissions.
Fuels in Foreign Countries
If you plan on driving in another
country outside the
U.S. or Canada,
unleaded fuel may be hard to find.
Do
not use leaded gasoline. If you use even
one tankful, your emission controls
won’t work well or at
all. With
continuous use, spark plugs can get
fouled, the exhaust system can corrode,
and your engine oil
can deteriorate
quickly. Your vehicle’s oxygen sensor
will be damaged. All of that means costly repairs that wouldn’t be covered
by your warranty.
To check on fuel availability, ask an
auto club, or contact a major oil company that does business in
the
country where you’ll be
driving.
You can also write us at the following
address for advice. Just tell us where
you’re going and give your Vehicle
Identification Number
(VIN).
General Motors of Canada Limited
International Export Sales
P.O. Box 828
Oshawa, Ontario LIH 7N1
Canada
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Service & Appearance Care
l-
a
I LUU I lV1V
An electric fan under the
hood can start up and injure
you even when the engine is not
running. Keep hands, clothing and
tools away from any underhood
electric
fan. Don't reach through
the grille to release the underhood
lever.
I
7."
When you open the hood, you'll see:
1. Battery
2. Automatic Transmission Dipstick
(Option)
3. Oil Fill Cap
4. Brake Fluid Reservoir
5. Air Cleaner
6. Power Steering Reservoir (Option)
7. Engine Coolant Reservoir
8. Radiator Cap
9. Electric Fan
10. Engine Oil Dipstick
11. Windshield Washer Reservoir
12. Main Fuse Box
CAUTION
A
Things that burn can get on
hot engine parts and start a
fire. These include liquids like
gasoline, oil, coolant, brake fluid,
windshield washer and other
fluids, and plastic or rubber. You
or others could be burned. Be
careful not to drop or spill things
that will burn onto a hot engine.
Before closing the hood, be sure all the
filler caps are on.
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Then lift the hood to relieve pressure on
the hood prop. Remove the hood prop
from the slot in the hood and return the
prop to its retainer. Then just let the
hood down and close it firmly.
Engine Oil
It’s a good idea to check your engine oil
level every time you get fuel.
In order
to get an accurate reading, the oil must
be warm and the vehicle must be on
level ground.
Turn
off the engine and give the oil a
few minutes to drain back into the oil
pan.
If you don’t, the oil dipstick might
not show the actual level.
To Check Engine Oil: Pull out the
dipstick and clean it with a paper towel
or cloth, then push it back
in all the
way. Remove
it again, keeping the tip
lower.
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Service & Appearance Care
I
When to Add Oil: If the oil is at or
below the
ADD mark, you’ll need to
add some oil. But you must use the right
kind. This section explains what kind
of
oil to use. For crankcase capacity, see
“Capacities and Specifications’’ in the
Index. Don’t add
too much oil. If your
engine has
so much oil that the oil
level gets above
the upper mark
that shows the proper operating
range, your engine could be
damaged. Just fill it enough
to put the level
somewhere in the proper operating
range. Push the dipstick all the way
back in when you’re through.
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What Kind of Oil to Use:
Look for three things:
SG
SG must be on the oil container,
either by itself or combined with other
quality designations, such
as SGKC,
SG/CD, SF, SG, CC, etc. These
letters show American Petroleum
Institute (API) levels
of quality.
Recommended SAE Viscosity
Grade Engine
Oils
For best fuel economy and cold starting,
select the lowest
SAE viscosity grade oil
for the expected temperature range.
HOT
WEATHER
1-1
@ 1 5W.30
c~coNs.8
LOOK
FOR THIS
LABEL
4$
--
SAE 1OW-30
SAE 5W-30 PREFERRED
COLD
WEATHER
you use oils that don’t have the IF NEITHER SAE 5W-30 NOR SAE 1OW-30
GRADE OILS ARE AVAILABLE, SAE 30 GRADE
MAY BE USED AT TEMPERATURES ABOVE BG designation, you can cause
engine damage not covered
Sy 40 DEGREES F (4 DEOREES C).
your warranty. DO NOT USE SAE 10W-40, SAE 2OW-50 OR 1 ANY OTHER GRADE OIL NOT RECOMMENDED.
SAE 5W-30
As shown in the viscosity chart, SAE
5W-30 is best for your vehicle.
However, you can use SAE
1OW-30
if it’s going to be 0°F (- 18°C) or
above.
These numbers
on an oil container
show its viscosity, or thickness. Do
not use other viscosity oils such as
SAE
1OW-40 or SAE 2OW-50.
Energy Conserving I1
Oils with these words on the container
will help you save fuel.
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