Service and Appearance Care
I Service
lour Geo dealer knows your vehicle best
nd wants you to be happy with it. We
lope you’ll go to your dealer for all your
ervice needs. You’ll
get genuine GM
‘arts and GM-trained and supported
xvice people.
i’e hope you’ll want to keep your GM
ehicle all GM. Genuine GM parts have
ne of these marks.
loing Your Own Service Work
F YOU want to do some of your own
ervice work, you’ll want to get the
lroper Geo Service Manual.
It tells you
mch more about how to service your
;eo than this manual can. To order the
. . .I56
xoper service manual, see “Service
Publications” in the Index.
You should keep a record with all parts
receipts and list the mileage and the date
Df any service work you perform. See
“Maintenance Record” in the Index.
NOTICE:
If you try to do your own service
work without knowing enough about
it, your vehicle could be damaged.
Fuel
Use regular unleaded gasoline rated at 87
octane or higher. It should meet
specifications ASTM D4814
in the U.S.
and CGSB 3.5-92 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
ProCarManuals.com
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 S% 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 prevent-
ers
in this fuel to help avoid these
problems.
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.
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
North American Export Sales (NAES)
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario
LlH 8P7
Corporation
157.. ProCarManuals.com
