
To use the engine  coolant  heater, first turn off the engine.  Then  open the 
hood, unwrap  the electrical cord  and  plug  it in. It uses normal house voltage 
(1 10 volts), but: 
NOTICE: 
After  you’ve  used  the  coolant  heater,  be  sure  to  store  the \
 cord  in 
the  manner  it  was,  to  help  keep  it  away  from  moving  engine 
parts. 
If you don’t,  it could be torn  and  damaged. 
How long should you keep  the coolant  heater plugged in? The answer 
depends 
on the  weather,  the kind  of  oil  you  have, and some other things. 
Follow this  chart. 
Engine  Coolant  Heater Usage 
Viscosity/ 
Oil  Grade 
SAE 
1 OW-30 
SAE 
15W-40 
32°F  to 0°F 0°F to -10°F Below  -10°F 
(o0C to -18°C)  (-18°C  to-23°C)  Below 
-23°C 
Not 
Required 
Not 
Required  Two 
Hours* 
Two 
Hours*  Eight Hours* 
or Overnight 
Eight Hours*  or  Overnight 
*The  times listed are  minimum times. 
It will  not  harm  either the coolant 
heater  or the vehicle  to leave  the  coolant  heater plugged 
in longer  than the 
times stated. 
For best results 
in cold  weather,  use  Number 1-D diesel fuel  or  a 
“winterized”  Number 
2-D fuel. 
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In  very  cold  weather, 0°F (- 1 8 “C) or colder,  the engine coolant  heater can 
help.  You’ll  get easier starting  and  better  fuel economy  during engine 
warn-up. Usually,  the  coolant  heater should be  plugged in a minimum of 
four hours  prior to starting your  vehicle. 
To use  the coolant heater: 
1. Turn off  the  engine. 
2. Open the  hood  and  unwrap the  electrical cord. 
3. Plug it into a  normal,  grounded 1 10-volt  outlet. 
I 
I 
NOTICE: 
After  you’ve  used  the  coolant  heater,  be  sure  to  store  the \
 cord  as 
it  was  before 
to keep  it  away  from  moving  engine  parts.  If you 
don’t, it could  be  damaged. 
How long should you keep  the  coolant  heater plugged  in?  The answer 
depends  on the  weather,  the  kind  of  oil 
you have,  and  some  other things. 
Instead 
of trying  to list everything  here,  we ask that  you  contact  a GM 
dealer in the area  where you’ll be  parking  your vehicle.  The dealer  can give 
you  the best advice for  that  particular  area. 
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Tu Jump Start Your Vehicle; 
1. Check the other  vehicle.  It  must  have  a  12-volt  battery  with a negative 
ground system. 
I NOTICE: 
I 
If  the  other  system  isn’t a 12-volt  system  with  a  negative 
ground,  both  vehicles  can  be  damaged. 
If you have a diesel  engine  vehicle  with  two  batteries  (or more), you 
should  know  before you begin  that,  especially in cold  weather, you may 
not  be able  to get enough  power from a single  battery  in  another 
vehicle  to start your  diesel engine. 
If  your vehicle  has  more  than  one battery,  use the  battery  that’s  on the 
passenger  side 
of the vehicle - this  will  reduce  electrical resistance. 
2. Get  the  vehicles  close enough so the jumper  cables can  reach,  but  be 
sure the  vehicle’s  aren’t  touching  each  other. 
If they are, it could cause 
a  ground  connection 
you don’t want. You wouldn’t  be  able to start  your 
vehicle, and  the  bad grounding could damage  the  electrical  systems. 
You  could  be  injured  if 
the vehicles  roll.  Set the  parking  brake  firmly 
on each  vehicle.  Put an  automatic  transmission in “P’ (Park) or a 
manual  transmission  in “N’ (Neutral).  If you have a four-wheel-drive 
vehicle,  be sure  the transfer  case  is not in  “N”  (Neutral). 
3. Turn off the  ignition on both  vehicles. Turn off  all  lights  that  aren’t 
needed,  and  radios.  This will  avoid  sparks  and  help  save both  batteries. 
And  it could save  your radio! 
NOTICE: 
If  you  leave  your  radio  on,  it could  be  badly  damaged.  The 
repairs  wouldn’t 
be covered by your  warranty. 
4. Open the hoods  and locate  the  batteries.  Find  the  positive (+) and 
negative 
(-) terminals on each  battery. 
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If No Steam Is Coming  From Your Engine 
If you get the  overheat  warning  but  see or hear no steam,  the  problem  may 
not be too  serious.  Sometimes  the engine can  get a little  too hot when  you: 
Climb a long  hill on a hot  day. 
Stop  after high  speed  driving. 
Idle for long  periods in traffic. 
Tow a trailer. 
If  you  get  the  overheat  warning  with  no sign  of  steam, try this for a minute 
or 
so: 
1. If you  have  an  air  conditioner,  turn  it off. 
2. Turn  on  your  heater  to full hot  at the highest  fan speed  and  open  the 
3. If you’re in a traffic  jam, shift to “N’ (Neutral). 
window 
as necessary. 
If  you 
no longer  have  the  overheat  warning, you can drive.  Just  to  be  safe, 
drive slower  for about  ten  minutes.  If the  warning  doesn’t  come back on, 
you can drive  normally. 
If  the  warning  continues,  pull  over,  stop, and  park  your  vehicle  right  away. 
If  there’s  still 
no sign  of  steam, push  the  accelerator  until  the  engine speed  is 
about twice  as fast  as normal  idle speed.  Bring  the engine speed  back to 
normal  idle  speed after two  or three  minutes.  Now  see 
if the warning  stops. 
But  then,  if 
you still  have  the  warning, TURN OFF THE ENGINE AND 
GET EVERYONE OUT OF THE VEHICLE until it cools down. 
You may decide not to lift the hood  but  to  get  service  help  right  away. 
Cooling  System -Gas Engines 
When you decide  it’s 
safe to  lift  the  hood, 
here’s  what  you’ll  see: 
A. Coolant recovery 
“I tank 
B. Engine fan(s) 
C.  Radiator  pressure 
cap 
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Checking  Things  Under the Hood 
Hood Release 
To open  the hood, first 
pull the handle inside 
the  vehicle. 
Then go to the front  of 
the vehicle and pull up 
on the secondary hood 
release, located  just to 
the passenger side 
of 
the center  of the grill. 
Lift the hood. 
Your  vehicle, 
if it has 
air conditioning,  may 
have  a  auxiliary 
engine fan  in addition 
to the belt driven fan. 
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Lap  and  Shoulder  Belts  Condition  and  Operation - Inspect  belt system, 
including  webbing,  buckles,  latch  plates,  retractors,  guide  loops\
  and 
anchors. Have 
a belt  assembly  replaced if the webbing  has  been  cut  or 
otherwise damaged. 
Body Lubrication  Service - Lubricate  all  body  door hinges  with  engine 
oil. 
Also lubricate the tailgate,  tailgate  handle  pivot  points,  and  tailgate 
mounted  spare tire  carrier  (if  equipped). Lubricate  the  body  hood, 
fuel door 
and  rear  compartment  hinges, latches and  locks  including  interior  glove box 
and  console doors,  and  any folding seat  hardware.  Lubricate  the  hood  safety 
lever  pivot  and  prop rod  pivot.  More  frequent  lubrication  may  be  required 
when  exposed  to 
a corrosive  environment. 
Periodic  Maintenance  Inspections - Listed  below  are inspections  and 
services  which  should  be  performed  at  least  twice 
a year (for instance  each 
spring  or fall).  You should  let  your 
GM dealer’s  service  department  or other 
qualified  service center  do 
these jobs. Make sure  any  necessary  repairs  are 
completed  at once. 
Steering  and  Suspension  Inspection? - Inspect  front  and  rear suspension 
and  steering  system  for  damaged, loose or missing  parts,  signs 
of wear  or 
lack  of  lubrication.  Inspect  power  steering  lines  and  hoses  for proper 
hook-up,  binding,  leaks,  cracks,  chafing, etc. Lubricate the  steering  linkage. 
Accelerator  Control  System - On gasoline  engines,  lubricate the pivot  at 
the 
TBI throttle  lever  stud  with  engine oil. Do not oil any  accelerator  or 
cruise  control  cables. Replace  any  cables that  have  high  effort  or excessive 
wear. 
Exhaust  System  Inspection - Inspect  the  complete system  including  the 
three-way  catalytic converter.  Inspect  the  body  near 
the exhaust  system. 
Look  for broken,  damaged,  missing or out-of-position  parts, 
as well as, 
open  seams, holes, loose  connections  or other conditions  which  could cause 
a  heat  buildup 
in the  floor  pan or could let exhaust  fumes seep into the 
passenger  compartments. 
Drive  Axle  Service? - Check  readfront  axle tluid  level  and  add as needed, 
Check constant  velocity joints and axle seals  for leaking. 
Transfer  Case  (Four-wheel  Drive)  Inspection+ - Every 12 months  or at 
oil change  intervals,  check  front axle and transfer case  and  add  lubricant 
when  necessary.  Oil  the  control  lever  pivot  point  and  all  exposed control 
linkage.  Check 
vent hose  at  transfer  case for kinks  and  proper  installation. 
More frequent  lubrication  may  be  required  on  heavy-duty or off-road  use. 
?A fluid  loss in these  systems  may indicate  a problem.  Have  them  inspected 
and  repaired  at  once. 
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