Maintenance Schedule
Section 7 of this manual, “Scheduled Maintenance Services”, explains the
maintenance your new vehicle needs, and when
it should be done. It also
has a form that you can
use to record the maintenance work done on your
vehicle. Be sure to read this information.
Fuel (Gasoline Engine)
If your vehicle has a diesel engine, see “Diesel Fuel Requirements and Fuel
System” in this Section. For vehicles with gasoline engines, please read this.
Use regular unleaded gasoline rated at
87 octane or higher. It should meet
specifications ASTM
D4814 in the U.S. and CGSB 3.5-92 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
(oxygenates), such
as MTBE or alcohol?
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 than
10% ethanol is fine for your vehicle.
Methanol is methyl or wood alcohol.
NOTICE:
Fuel that is more than 5 % methanol is bad for your vehicle.
Don’t use it.
It can corrode metal parts in your fuel system and
also damage plastic and rubber parts. That damage wouldn’t be
covered under your warranty. And even at
5% or less, there
must
be “cosolvents” and corrosion preventers in this fuel to
help avoid these problems.
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Gasolines for Cleaner Air
Your use of gasoline with deposit control 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 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.
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
deposit control additives and oxygenates, and
if they have been
reformulated to reduce vehicle emissions.
Diesel Fuel Requirements and Fuel System
Some states and provinces have restrictions on the purchase of diesel fuel
for light-duty vehicles and require you to
buy permits or pay special taxes.
Some of these restrictions apply only to residents, and others apply to both
residents and visitors. These restrictions can change.
To learn the current
restrictions
in any state or province, contact your auto club, the police or
other officials.
Fuel Requirements
NOTICE:
Diesel fuel or fuel additives not recommended in this manual
could damage your fuel system and engine, Your warranty
wouldn’t cover this damage, And:
0 Diesel fuel that has been mixed with engine oil could damage
your engine and emission controls. Always check with your
service station operator to make sure his diesel fuel has not
been mixed with engine oil.
If you ever run out of diesel fuel, it can be difficult to restart
your engine. “Running Out of Fuel,” later in this section,
tells
you how to get it started again. To avoid all this, try never to
let your tank get empty.
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