
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. 
Inste.ad  of  trying 
to list everything  here, we ask  that  you  contact your GM 
dealer in the area  where  you‘ll be parking your vehicle. The dealer can give 
you  the  best  advice  for that particular  area. 
Automatic  Transmission 
There  are several different positions  for your  shift lever. 
If your vehicle  is equipped with an  automatic  transmission, it now  features 
an  electronic  shift position  indicator 
within the instrument cluster.  This 
display  must  be  powered  anytime the shift lever is  capable 
of being moved 
out  of  the 
PARK (P) position.  This means that if your  key  is in the OFF 
position, but  not locked,  there will be a small current drain on your battery 
which  could discharge your battery  over 
a period  of time. If you  have  a need 
to  leave  your key 
in the ignition in the OFF position  for an extended  period 
for  any  reason, 
it is recommended  that you disconnect  the battery  cable 
from  the battery  to prevent  discharging  your battery. 
PARK  (P) -This  locks your rear wheels.  It’s  the best position to use 
when  you start  your  engine  because your vehicle can’t move easily. 
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When you want to leave  the freeway,  move to the  proper  lane  well  in 
advance.  If 
you miss your exit  do not,  under any  circumstances,  stop  and 
back  up. Drive  on 
to the next exit. 
The  exit ramp can  be curved,  sometimes  quite sharply. 
The 
exit speed is usually posted. 
Reduce  your speed according to your speedometer,  not to your sense 
of 
motion.  After driving  for any  distance  at higher  speeds,  you  may  tend to 
think  you are going  slower than you actually  are. 
Before  Leaving  on a Long  Trip 
Make sure you’re  ready.  Try to be well rested. If  you must start when  you’re 
not  fresh 
- such as after a day’s work - don’t  plan to make  too many 
miles that  first part 
of the journey.  Wear comfortable  clothing  and shoes  you 
can  easily drive 
in. 
Is your  vehicle ready for a long trip‘? If you keep it serviced  and maintained, 
it’s ready  to go. 
If it needs  service,  have it done before starting  out. Of 
course,  you’ll find experienced and able service  experts 
in GM dealers all 
across North America. They’ll be ready  and willing to help if you need it. 
Here  are  some  things you can check  before  a trip: 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
a 
0 
Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir  full? Are all windows  clean 
inside  and outside? 
Wiper  Blades: Are they in good shape? 
FueZ,  Engine  Oil,  Other  Fluids: Have you checked all levels? 
Lamps: Are they all working? Are the lenses  clean? 
Tires: They are vitally important to  a  safe, trouble-free  trip. Is the tread 
good enough  for long-distance  driving? Are 
the tires all inflated to the 
recommended  pressure? 
Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather  outlook along your  route? 
Should 
you delay your trip a short time to avoid  a major  storm  system? 
Maps: Do you have  up-to-date  maps? 
Highway  Hypnosis 
Is there  actually  such a condition as “highway hypnosis”?  Or  is  it just  plain 
falling  asleep  at the wheel? Call it highway  hypnosis, lack  of awareness,  or 
whatever. 
There 
is something  about an easy stretch  of road  with  the  same scenery, 
along  with the 
hum of the tires  on the road, the  drone of the engine,  and the 
rush 
of the wind against the vehicle that can make  you sleepy. Don’t  let  it 
happen 
to you! If it does,  your vehicle can leave the road  in less than a 
second, and  you could crash and  be injured. 
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Fuel  Requirements 
NOTICE: 
Diesel fuel  or  fuel  additives  not  recommended  in  this  manual 
could  damage  your  fuel  system  and  engine.  Your warranty 
wouldn’t  cover  this  damage.  And: 
Diesel  fuel  that  has  been  mixed  with  engine  oil could  damage 
your  engine  and  emission  controls.  Always  check  with  your 
service  station  operator  to  make  sure  his  diesel  fuel  has  not \
been  mixed  with  engine  oil. 
If you  ever  run  out of diesel  fuel,  it  can  be  difficult  to  restart 
your  engine.  “Running  Out  of Fuel,”  later  in this  section,  tells 
you  how  to  get  it  started  again. 
To avoid all this, try  never  to 
let  your  tank  get  empty. 
What Fuel  to Use 
For  best results,  use Number 2-D diesel fuel  year-round  (above and below 
freezing  conditionsj  as  oil companies  blend Number 
2-D fuel to address 
climate  differences. Number 
1-D diesel fuel  may  be  used in very cold 
temperatures  (when 
it stays  below 0°F or -18°C);  however, it will produce 
a power and fuel economy loss. The  use of Number I-D diesel fuel in warm 
or hot  climates  may result in stalling, poor  starting  when the engine  is hot 
and 
may damage  the fuel injection system. 
Diesel  fuel may  foam when  you 
fill your tank.  This  can cause the  automatic 
pump  nozzle to shut  off, even though your tank isn’t 
full. If this happens, 
just  wait  for the  foaming  to stop  and then  continue  to 
fill your tank. 
A CAUTION: 
Heat  coming  from  the  engine  may  cause  the  fuel  to  expand  and \
force  the  fuel  out  of your  tank. 
If something  ignites  the  fuel, a 
fire could  start  and  people  could  be  burned. To help  avoid  this, 
fill  your  fuel  tank  only  until  the  automatic  nozzle shuts 
off. 
Don’t try  to  “top  it off.” 
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You should also use the proper viscosity oil for your vehicle, as shown in 
the following  chart: 
LIGHT DUTY EMISSIONS - GASOLINE  ENGINES 
FOR BEST  FUEL  ECONOMY  AND  COLD STARTING,  SELECT  THE  LOWEST 
SAE VISCOSITY GRADE 011 FOR THE EXPECTED  TEMPERATURE RANGE. 
HOT 
WEATHER 
WEATHER 
n 
c 
. 
SAE IOW-30 
L 
LOOK 
FOR THIS 
SYMBOL 
r31. 
ip 
L c, 
SAE SW-30 
PREFERRED 
DO NOT USE SAE 2OW-50 OR ANY OTHER 
GRADE OIL NOT RECOMMENDED 
As shown in the chart, SAE 5W-30 is  best  for your vehicle. However,  you 
can use SAE IOW-30 if it’s going to be 0°F (-I 8°C) or above.  These 
numbers  on 
an oil container  show its viscosity,  or thickness. Do not  use 
other  viscosity  oils, such  as 
SAE 2OW-SO. 
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HEAVY DUTY EMISSIONS - GASOLINE ENGINES 
RECOMMENDED SAE VISCOSITY  GRADE ENGINE OILS ~  ~  ~~~ 
FOR BEST FUEL  ECONOMY  AND COLD STARTING,  SELECT 
THE LOWEST 
SAE 
VISCOSITY GRADE OIL FOR THE  EXPECTED  TEMPERATURE  RANGE. 
HOT 
WEATHER 
SA€ 5W-30 
LOOK 
FOR THIS 
SYMBOL 
SAE 10W-30 
PREFERRED 
above 0°F (‘1 8°C) 
COLD 
WEATHER 
00 NOT USE SA€ 2OW-50 OR ANY OTHER 
GRADE OIL NOT RECOMMENDED 
As shown in the chart, SAE 10W-30 is best for your vehicle.  However, you 
can  use SAE SW-30 if it’s going  to  be colder  than 60°F (16°C) before your 
next oil change.  When it‘s very cold, you should use SAE 5W-30. These 
numbers  on 
an oil container  show its viscosity, or thickness. Do not  use 
other  viscosity 
oils, such as SAE 2OW-50. 
6- 19 
ProCarManuals.com 

DIESEL ENGINES 
RECOMMENDED SAE VISCOSITY GRADE ENGINE OILS 
SELECT THE SAE GRADE OIL BASE0 ON 
THE EXPECTED TEMPERATURE RANGE 
BEFORE NEXT OIL CHANGE 
HOT 
WEATHER r 
:' F 
I- 100 
+ 60 
+ 32 
0 
-20 
- - 
- 
- -+16 
-3 0 
- - -16 
- - -29 
1 + 
/c3' 
FOR LOOK THIS @ 
SYMBOL 
SAE 1OW-30 
- SAE J 30 
SAE 15W4 
PREFERRED 
above 0°F (-1 8°C) 
WEATHER 
00 NOT USE SAE 2OW-50 OR ANY OTHER 
GRADE OIL NOT RECOMMENDED 
a SAE 15W-40 
As shown  in the viscosity  chart, SAE 15W-40  is best for your  vehicle. 
However,  you  can  use 
SAE IOW-30 if it's going to be colder than 
32°F (0°C) before your next oil change.  When it's very  cold,  below 
0°F (-18"C),  you should  use SAE low-30 to improve cold starting. 
Also, SAE 30 may  be  used  at  temperatures above  freezing, 32°F (0°C). 
These  numbers  on  the 
oil container show its viscosity,  or thickness. Do 
not use other viscosity oils such as SAE 10W-40 or SAE 20W-50. 
6-24 
ProCarManuals.com 

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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ProCarManuals.com 

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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