
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.
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.
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Automatic Transmission Fluid
When to Check and Change
A good time to check your automatic transmission fluid
level is when the engine oil is changed. Refer to the
Maintenance Schedule to determine
when to change
your fluid. See “Scheduled Maintenance Services”
in the
Index.
How to Check
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you may
choose to have this done at your Chevrolet/Geo dealer
Service Department.
If you do it yourself, be sure to follow all the
instructions here, or you could get a false reading on the
dipstick.
NOTICE:
Too much or too little fluid can damage your
transmission.
Too much can mean that some of
the fluid could come out and fall on hot engine
parts or exhaust system parts, starting a fire. Be sure to get an accurate reading if you check your
transmission fluid.
Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the
transmission fluid level if you have been driving:
0 When outside temperatures are above 90°F (32°C).
At high speed for quite a while.
0 In heavy traffic -- especially in hot weather.
0 While pulling a trailer.
To get the right reading, the fluid should be at normal
operating temperature, which is
180” F to 200” F
(82°C to 93°C).
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How to Add Fluid Manual Transmission Fluid
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind
of transmission fluid to use. See “Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants” in the Index.
Add fluid only after checking the transmission fluid
HOT. (A COLD check is used only as a reference.) If
the fluid level is low, add only enough of the proper
fluid to bring the level up to the
HOT area for a hot
check. It doesn’t take much fluid, generally less than a
pint.
Don ’t ove$ZZ. We recommend you use only fluid
labeled DEXRON@-111, because fluid with that label is
made especially for your automatic transmission.
Damage caused by fluid other than DEXRON@-I11 is
not covered by your new vehicle warranty.
After adding fluid, recheck the fluid level as
described under “How to Check.’’
When the correct fluid level is obtained, push the
dipstick back in all the way.
When to Check and Change
A good time to have it checked is when the engine oil is
changed. Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to
determine when to change
your transmission fluid. See
“Scheduled Maintenance Services” in the Index.
How to Check
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you may
choose
to have this done at your Chevrolet/Geo dealer
Service Department.
If you do it yourself, be sure to follow all the
instructions here, or you could get
a false reading.
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Inflation - Tire Pressure
The Tire-Loading Information label which is on the
driver’s door shows the correct inflation pressures for
your tires, when they’re cold.
“Cold” means your
vehicle has been sitting for at least three hours or driven
no more than
a mile.
I
’ NOTICE:
Don’t let anyone tell you that underidation or
~ overinflation is all right. It’s not. If your tires don’t
~ have enough air (underinflation) you can get:
Too much flexing
Too much heat
Tire overloading
Bad wear
Bad handling
Bad fuel economy.
If your tires have too much air (overinflation),
you can get:
Unusual wear
0 Bad handling
Rough ride
Needless damage from road hazards. When to Check
Check your
tires once a month or more. Also, check the
tire pressure of
the spare tire.
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire
pressure. Simply looking at the tires will
not tell you the
pressure, especially if you have radial tires
-- which
may look properly inflated even
if they’re underinflated.
If your tires have valve caps, be sure to put them back on.
They help prevent leaks by keeping out dirt and moisture.
Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be inspected every 6,000 to 8,000 miles
(10 000 to 13 000 km) for any signs of unusual wear. If
unusual wear is present, rotate your tires as
soon as
possible and check wheel alignment. Also check for
damaged tires or wheels. See “When It’s Time for New
Tires” and “Wheel Replacement” later in this section for
more information.
The purpose
of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear for all tires on the vehicle. The first
rotation is the most important. See “Scheduled
Maintenance Services” in
the Index for scheduled
rotation intervals.
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Temperature - A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire’s resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause the
material
of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life,
and excessive temperature can lead to sudden tire
failure. The grade
C corresponds to a level of
performance which all passenger car tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades B and A represent higher levels of
performance
on the laboratory test wheel than the
minimum required by law.
Warning: The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire
that is properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation, or
excessive loading, either separately or in combination,
can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure. These
grades are molded
on the sidewalls of passenger
car tires.
While the tires available as standard or optional
equipment on General Motors vehicles may vary with
respect to these grades, all such tires meet General
Motors performance standards and have been approved
for use on General Motors vehicles. All passenger type
(P Metric) tires must conform to Federal safety
requirements
in addition to these grades.
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
The wheels on your vehicle were aligned and balanced
carefully at the factory to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
In most cases, you will
not need to have your wheels
aligned again. However, if you notice unusual tire wear
or your vehicle pulling one way or the other, the
alignment may need to be reset.
If you notice your
vehicle vibrating when driving on
a smooth road, your
wheels may need to be rebalanced.
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Gem Section 8 Customer Assistance Information
Here you will find out how to contact Chevrolet/Geo if
you need assistance. This section also tells you how to
obtain service publications and how
to report any safety
defects
.
This section includes information on: The Customer
Satisfaction Procedure, Customer Assistance for Hearing
or Speech Impaired,
BBB Autoline - Alternative Dispute
Resolution Program, Reporting Safety Defects, and
Service and Owner Publications.
Customer Satisfaction Procedure
Your satisfaction and goodwill are important to your
dealer and Chevrolet/Geo. Normally, any concern with
the sales transaction or the operation
of your vehicle will
be resolved by your dealer’s Sales
or Service
Departments. Sometimes, however, despite the best
intentions
of all concerned, misunderstandings can
occur.
If your concern has not been resolved to your
satisfaction, the following steps should
be taken:
STEP ONE -- Discuss your concern with a member
of dealership management. Normally, concerns can be
quickly resolved at that level. If the matter has already been\
reviewed with the Sales, Service,
or Parts Manager, contact
the owner
of the dealership or the General Manager.
STEP TWO -- If after contacting a member of
dealership management,
it appears your concern cannot
be resolved by the dealer without further help, contact
the Chevrolet/Geo Customer Assistance Center by
calling 1-800-222-1020.
In Canada, contact GM of
Canada Customer Assistance Center in Oshawa by
calling
1 -8OO-263-3777 (English) or I -800-263-7854
(French).
In Mexico, call (525) 254-3777. In Puerto Rico, call
1-800-496-9992 (English) or 1-800-496-9993
(Spanish).
In the U.S. Virgin Islands, call
1-800-496-9994.
In other overseas locations, contact
GM North American Export Sales in Canada by calling
1-905-644-4112.
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