Page 128 of 385

Listed are four situations  you  may experience with your fuel  gage: 
0 At the gas station, the fuel  pump shuts off before the gage  reads  full. 
0 It takes  a little  more  or less fuel  to fill up than  the  fuel gage indicated. 
For example,  the gage  may have  indicated  the  tank was half full,  but it 
actually took  a little  more  or less  than  half  the tank’s  capacity  to fill  the 
tank. 
0 The  gage  moves a little  when  you  turn  a  corner or speed  up. 
0 The  gage  doesn’t  go  back  to empty when  you  turn off the ignition. 
None  of these  indicate  a problem 
with the  fuel  gage. 
For  information 
on how  to fill your  fuel tank,  see “Fuel - Filling  Your 
Tank” 
in the  Index. 
For  your fuel tank capacity,  see “Fuel  -Tank  Capacity” 
in the Index. 
This  gage  shows  the engine  coolant  temperature.  If the  gage  pointer moves 
into the  red area, about 
260°F (145°C)  or  more, your engine is too hot!  It 
means  that your  engine  coolant  has overheated. 
If you  have been  operating 
your  vehicle  under  normal  operating conditions,  you should  pull 
off the 
road,  stop your  vehicle,  and  turn  off  the  engine as soon as possible. 
Hot Coolant  Can  Burn You Badly!‘ 
In “Problems  on the Road,” this  manual shows what  to do. See  “Engine 
Overheating”  in the Index. 
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To drain  water: 
1. Stop and park the  vehicle  in  a safe place.  Turn off the engine  and  apply 
2. Remove the  fuel  tank  cap. 
the  parking  brake. 
3. Place a 
fuel-resistant  container  under the filter 
drain  hose. 
4. With  the  engine 
off,  open  the 
water  drain  valve 
2 to 3 turns. 
When  standing  in 
front  of the 
vehicle, 
the valve 
is  located 
on the 
right  side 
of the 
thermostat  housing. 
5. Start  the engine  and  allow  it to idle until clear  fuel is observed. 
6. Stop the engine  and  close  the  water  drain  valve. 
7. Remove the  fuel-resistant  container  and  properly  dispose of the 
contaminated  fuel.  To  find  out  how 
to properly  dispose of contaminated 
diesel 
fuel see  “What  to Do with  Used  Oil” in the  “Engine  Oil  (Diesel 
Engines)”  part,  later  in 
this section. 
8. Install  the fuel tank cap. 
If  the 
WATER IN FUEL light  comes on again  after  driving a short  distance 
or  the  engine 
runs rough  or stalls-a  large  amount  of water  has  probably 
been  pumped  into the  fuel  tank.  The fuel  tank  should  be  purged. 
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3. Close the air bleed  valve. 
4. Turn  the ignition  key to “Start”  for 10 to 15 seconas  at  a time  until your 
engine  starts. 
Fuel Filter Replacement  (Diesel  Engines) 
If you  want  to change the  fuel filter  yourself,  here’s  how  to  do it: 
Drain  fuel  from  the filter  by opening  the  air bleed  valve  and  the water  drain 
valve.  This prevents  the 
fuel from  spilling  as you replace  the  filter.  Drain  the 
fuel  into a  fuel-resistant  container and dispose 
of it properly. 
1. Turn  off  the  engine and apply  the parking brake. 
2. Take  off the fuel tank cap. This  releases  vacuum in the  tank. 
3. The filter  is  located  at  the  rear of the  intake  manifold. 
4;: . 
4. Unscrew  and 
remove  the ring 
nut  from  the top 
of the filter head. 
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8. 
9. 
10. 
5. Lift the element out  of the  filter 
head. 
6. If  there is  any dirt 
on the element 
sealing  surface  of 
the  filter  head, 
clean  it off. 
7. Line  up the 
writing 
on the  top 
of  the  filter 
so it 
faces  (is readable 
from)  the  front of 
the vehicle. 
Push 
the element  in 
until the  mating 
surfaces  touch. 
With  the air bleed valve  open, turn your ignition  key to 
RUN for 10 to 
15  seconds.  Wait one minute  for your  starter  to cool. 
Do this until  you 
can see clear fuel coming from  the air bleed valve. 
Close  the  air bleed valve  and replace  the fuel  cap. 
Start your  engine and let it idle  for  five  minutes.  Check your fuel filter 
and air bleed valve  for  leaks. 
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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 Overseas Distribution Corporation, 
North  American Export  Sales 
(NAES) 
1908 Colonel Sam Drive 
Oshawa,  Ontario 
LlH 8P7 
Filling Your Tank 
The fuel cap is behind 
a hinged door on the 
left  side  of your 
vehicle. 
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While refueling, hang 
the  cap  inside the fuel 
door. 
To take off the  cap, 
turn  it slowly  to the 
left. 
, 
Be  careful  not  to spill gasoline. Clean  gasoline  from painted surfaces as 
soon as possible.  See  “Cleaning  the  Outside of Your Vehicle”  in the Index. 
When  you  put  the  cap  back  on,  turn it to the right until  you hear 
a clicking 
noise. 
I NOTICE: 
If  you  need  a  new  cap,  be  sure  to  get  the  right  type.  Your \
 dealer 
can  get  one  for  you. 
If’ you  get  the  wrong  type,  it  may  not  fit or 
have  proper  venting,  and  your  fuel  tank  and  emissions  system 
might  be  damaged. 
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        Page 261 of 385
Engine  Oil (Except Diesel) 
It's a good idea to check your engine oil 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 r"' ' ' 
1 into  the  oil  pan. If you 
don't,  the oil dipstick 
might  not  show  the 
actual  level. 
To Check Engine Oil 
I 
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. 
When to Add Oil 
If the oil is at or below  the ADD mark,  then  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. 
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        Page 304 of 385

Malfunction  Indicator 
(SERVICE ENGINE SOON) Lamp 
The Malfunction Indicator (SERVICE  ENGINE  SOON) Lamp on your 
instrument  panel lets you  know  when  your emission system needs service. 
The  light 
will come  on briefly  when  you  start your  engine  to let  you  know 
that the system  is working. 
If it does  not come  on  when  you  start your 
engine, 
or if it comes on and stays  on while  you're  driving, your system 
may  need  service. Your vehicle should still  be driveable,  but 
you should 
have your system  serviced  right away. 
Secondary Air Injection  Reaction (AIR) System 
You may have this  system. It has a control valve  that will direct air to where 
it is needed. If the AIR system needs service, your Malfunction Indicator 
(SERVICE  ENGINE  SOON) Lamp on  your  instrument  panel  will come 
on. 
Loading Your Vehicle 
MFD BY GENERAL  MOT0 RSCORP 
i IN EFFECT - 
I 
- MODEL [ISPEED w 
u TIRE SIZE RTG FilM PSllKPA (COLD) 
q----p nri 
SEE OWNERS MANUAL FOR ADDITIONAL  INFORMATION 
The  CertificatiodTire 
label is found 
on the 
rear  edge 
of the 
driver's  door. 
The  label shows  the size 
of your original tires  and the inflation pressures 
needed to  obtain  the  gross  weight capacity 
of your vehicle.  This is called  the. 
GVWR  (Gross Vehicle  Weight  Rating).  The GVWR includes  the weight 
of 
the vehicle, all occupants, fuel and cargo. 
The  Certificatioflire  label also tells you the maximum  weights for  the 
front and rear axles,  called  Gross  Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). 
To find out 
the  actual  loads on your  front  and rear axles, 
you need  to go  to a weigh 
station and  weigh  your  vehicle. Your dealer  can help  you  with  this. 
Be sure 
to spread out your load equally  on  both sides of the centerline. 
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