
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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When It’s Time for New Tires
One way to tell when it’s
time for new tires is to
check the treadwear
indicators, which will
appear when your tires have
only
1/16 inch (1.6 rnm) or
less of tread remaining.
You need a new tire
if
0 You can see the indicators at three or more places
0 You can see cord or fabric showing through the tire’s
0 The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut or snagged deep
around the tire.
rubber.
enough to show cord
or fabric.
0 The tire has a bump, bulge or split.
0 The tire has a puncture, cut, or other damage that
can’t be repaired well because of the size or location
of the damage.
Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires you need, look at
the Tire-Loading Information label.
The tires installed on your vehicle when it was new had
a Tire Performance Criteria Specification (TPC Spec)
number on each tire’s sidewall. When you get new tires,
get ones with that same TPC Spec number. That way,
your vehicle will continue to have tires
that are designed
to give proper endurance, handling, speed rating,
traction, ride and other things during norrnal service on
your vehicle.
If your tires have an all-season tread
design, the TPC number will
be followed by an “MS”
(for mud and snow).
If you ever replace your tires with those not having a
TPC Spec number, make sure they
are the same size,
load range, speed rating and construction type (bias,
bias-belted or radial) as your original tires.
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Treadwear
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance. (This
applies only to vehicles sold in the United States.) The
treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate
of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified government test course. For
example, a tire graded
150 would wear one and a half
(1 1/2) times as well on the government course as a tire
graded
100. The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use, however, and
may depart significantly from the norm due to variations
in driving habits, service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.
Traction - A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest are: A, B,
and C. They represent the tire’s ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt and
concrete.
A tire marked C may have poor traction
performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to this tire is basea
on braking (straight-ahead) traction tests and does not
include cornering (turning) traction.
6-45
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Aluminum Wheels (If So Equipped)
Your aluminum wheels have a protective coating similar
to the painted surface of your vehicle. Don’t
use strong
soaps, chemicals, chrome polish, abrasive cleaners or
abrasive cleaning brushes
on them because you could
damage this coating. After rinsing thoroughly, a wax
may be applied.
I NOTICE:
If you have aluminum wheels, don’t use an
automatic vehicle wash that has hard silicon
carbide cleaning brushes. These brushes can take
the protective coating
off your aluminum wheels.
Tires
To clean your tires, use a stiff brush with a tire cleaner.
When applying a tire dressing always take care
to wipe
off any overspray or splash from painted surfaces.
Petroleum-based products may damage the paint finish.
Sheet Metal Damage
If your vehicle is damaged and requires sheet metal
repair or replacement, make sure the body repair shop
applies anti-corrosion material to the parts repaired or
replaced to restore corrosion protection.
Finish Damage
Any stone chips, fractures or deep scratches in the finish
should be repaired right away. Bare metal will corrode
quickly
and may develop into a major repair expense.
Minor chips and scratches can be repaired with touch-up
materials available from your dealer
or other service
outlets. Larger areas of finish damage can be corrected
in your dealer’s body and paint shop.
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Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
lli Iiilll Ill1 iilllllilll
1
I
SAMPLE4UXSMJ72675 45s- 1
(. CODE MODEL YEAR PLANT
ENGINE
/ 1995 ASSEMBLY I
Service Parts Identification Label
You’ll
find this label inside the glove box on the door.
It’s
very helpful if you ever need to order parts. On this
label is:
your VIN,
This is the legal identifier for your Geo. It appears on
a
plate in the front corner of the instrument panel, on the
driver’s side. You can see it if you look through the
windshield from outside your vehicle. The VIN also
appears
on the Vehicle Certification and Service Parts
labels and the certificates of title and registration.
Engine Identification
The eighth character in your VIN is the engine code.
This code will help you identify your engine,
specifications, and replacement parts.
0 the model designation,
paint information, and
0 a list of all production options and special
equipment.
Be sure that this label
is not removed from the vehicle.
Add-on Electrical Equipment
NOTICE:
Don’t add anything electrical to your Geo unless
you check with your dealer first. Some electrical equipment can damage your vehicle and the
damage wouldn’t be covered by your warranty. Some add-on electrical equipment can keep other
components from working as they should.
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Gem Section 7 Maintenance Schedule
IMPORTANT:
KEEP ENGINE OIL
AT THE PROPER
RECOMMENDED
This section covers the maintenance required for your
Geo. Your vehicle needs these services to retain
its
safety, dependability and emission control performance.
Introduction
Your Vehicle and the Environment
Proper vehicle maintenance not only helps to keep your
vehicle
in good working condition, but also helps the
environment. All recommended maintenance procedures
are important. Improper vehicle maintenance or the
removal
of important components can significantly
affect the quality of the
air we breathe. Improper fluid
levels or even the wrong tire inflation can increase the
level of emissions from your vehicle.
To help protect our
environment, and to help keep your vehicle in good
condition, please maintain your vehicle properly.
Have you purchased the GM Protection Plan .? The Plan
supplements your new vehicle warranties. See your
Chevrolet/Geo dealersfor details.
7-1
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How This Section is Organized
The remainder of this section is divided into five parts:
“Part A: Scheduled Maintenance Services’’ shows
what
to have done and how often. Some of these
services can be complex,
so unless you are technically
qualified and have
the necessary equipment, you should
let your dealer’s service department or another qualified
service center do these jobs.
“Part B: Owner Checks and Services” tells you what
should be checked whenever
you stop for fuel. It also
explains what
you can easily do to help keep your
vehicle in good condition.
“Part C: Periodic Maintenance Inspections” explains
important inspections that your Chevrolet/Geo dealer’s
service department or another qualified service center
should perform.
“Part D: Recommended Fluids and Lubricants” lists
some products
GM recommends to help keep your
vehicle properly maintained. These products, or their
equivalents, should be used whether you do the work
yourself
or have it done.
“Part E: Maintenance Record” provides a place for
you to record the maintenance performed on your
vehicle. Whenever any maintenance is performed, be
sure to write it down in this part. This will help you
determine when your next maintenance should be done.
In addition, it is a good idea to keep your maintenance
receipts. They may be needed
to qualify your vehicle for
warranty repairs.
If you are skilled enough to do some work
on your
vehicle, you will probably want to get the service
information
GM publishes. See “Service Publications”
in the Index.
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Part A: Scheduled Maintenance
Services
Using Your Maintenance Schedule
We at General Motors want to help you keep your
vehicle in good working condition. But we don’t know
exactly how you’ll drive it.
You may drive very short
distances only a few times a week. Or you may drive
long distances all the time in very hot, dusty weather.
You may use your vehicle in making deliveries. Or you
may drive it to work, to do errands or
in many other
ways.
Because of all the different ways people use their
GM
vehicles, maintenance needs vary. You may even need
more frequent checks and replacements than you’ll find
in the schedules in this section. So please read this
section and note how you drive. If you have any
questions on how to keep your vehicle in good
condition, see your Chevrolet/Geo dealer.
This part tells you the maintenance services you should
have done and when you should schedule them.
If you
go to your dealer for your service needs, you’ll know
that GM-trained and supported service people will
perform the work using genuine
GM parts. The
proper fluids and lubricants
to use are listed in
Part
D. Make sure whoever services your vehicle uses
these. All parts should be replaced and all necessary
repairs done before
you or anyone else drives the
vehicle.
These schedules are
for vehicles that:
0 carry passengers and cargo within recommended
limits.
You will find these limits on your vehicle’s
Tire-Loading Information label. See “Loading Your
Vehicle’’ in the Index.
are driven on reasonable road surfaces within legal
driving limits.
use the recommended unleaded fuel. See “Fuel” in
the Index.
Selecting the Right Schedule
First you’ll need to decide which of the two schedules is
right for your vehicle. Here’s how to decide which schedule to follow:
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