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A CAUTION: 
Steam and scalding  liquids from a hot cooling  system  can  blow 
out  and  burn  you  badly.  They are under  pressure, and 
if you 
turn  the coolant surge  tank pressure  cap 
- even a little - they 
can  come  out at high  speed.  Never  turn the cap  when the cooling 
system,  including  the coolant surge  tank pressure cap, 
is hot. 
’ Wait  for the  cooling  system  and coolant surge  tank pressure cap 
to  cool 
if you  ever  have  to turn  the pressure cap. 
A CAUTION: 
Adding  only plain water to your  cooling  system can be 
dangerous. Plain  water, or some  other  liquid like  alcohol, can 
boil  before  the  proper coolant mix 
will. Your  vehicle’s  coolant 
warning  system  is  set for  the  proper  coolant mix. With plain 
water 
or the wrong  mix, your engine  could get too  hot  but  you 
wouldn’t  get  the overheat warning.  Your engine could catch  fire 
and  you or others  could be burned.  Use 
a 50/50 mix of clean 
water  and a proper  antifreeze. 
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        Page 296 of 488

How to Add 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 
int. Don ’t overfill. 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. 
8 
0 After adding  fluid, recheck  the fluid level as described under “How  to 
Check.” 
0 When the correct  fluid level is obtained,  push the dipstick back in all 
the way; then  flip the handle down 
to lock the dipstick in place. 
Manual  Transmission  Fluid 
When to Check 
A good  time  to have it checked is when the engine  oil is changed.  However, 
the  fluid 
in your manual transmission doesn’t require  changing. 
How to Check 
Because this operation  can be  a little difficult, you may  choose to have  this. 
done  at your 
GM dealer  Service  Department. 
If you do it yourself,  be sure  to follow all the instructions  here,  or you  could 
get  a  false  reading. 
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. 
Check  the  fluid level only when your  engine is off, the vehicle  is parked on 
a level  place  and the transmission is cool enough for you to rest your fingers 
on the transmission  case. 
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        Page 301 of 488

If the differential is at operating  temperature  (warm),  add enough  lubricant 
to  raise  the level  to the bottom 
of the  filler  plug hole. 
If  the  differential  is cold,  add enough  lubricant  to  raise  the level to 
1/2 inch 
( 12 mm) below  the  filler plug hole. 
What to Use 
Refer  to the  Maintenance  Schedule  to  determine  what kind of lubricant to 
use. See “Recommended  Fluids  and Lubricants” in the Index. 
Engine Coolant 
The  following  explains  your cooling  system and  how to add  coolant  when it 
is low. If you have a problem  with  engine  overheating,  see  “Engine 
Overheating” 
in the Index. 
The  proper  coolant  for  your  vehicle will: 
Give  freezing protection  down  to -34°F (-37°C). 
0 Give boiling  protection  up to 262°F  (128°C). 
Protect  against rust and corrosion. 
Help  keep  the proper  engine  temperature. 
Let the warning  gages work as they  should. 
What  to Use 
Use a mixture of one-half cleun water (preferably  distilled) and one-half 
antifreeze  that  meets “GM Specification  6038-M,” which won’t  damage 
aluminum parts. 
You can also use  a recycled  coolant  conforming to “GM 
Specification  6038-M.”  Use  GM Coolant  Supplement  (Sealer)  with a 
complete  coolant  flush and refill. If  you  use this  mixture.  you don’t  need to 
add  anything  else. 
A CAUTION: 
Adding  only plain water to your  cooling  system can be 
dangerous. Plain water,  or some  other  liquid  like  alcohol,  can 
boil  before  the  proper  coolant mix  will.  Your  vehicle’s  coolant 
warning  system 
is set for  the  proper  coolant mix. With plain 
water  or the  wrong  mix,  your engine  could get too hot  but 
you 
wouldn’t  get  the overheat warning.  Your engine  could catch fire 
and  you or others  could  be  burned. Use 
a 50/50 mix  of clean 
water  and 
a proper  antifreeze. 
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