
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If the Light Is On Steady 
You may  be able to correct the emission system 
malfunction  by considering the following: 
Did  you just  put fuel into  your vehicle? 
If 
so, reinstall  the fuel  cap,  making sure to  fully install 
the cap.  The  diagnostic  system can determine  if the fuel 
cap  has  been  left  off  or improperly installed. This  will 
allow  fuel to evaporate into  the atmosphere. 
A few 
driving trips  should  turn  the  light  off. 
Did  you  just drive through  a deep  puddle  of water? 
If 
so, your  electrical  system  may  be  wet.  The condition 
will  usually  be  corrected when  the electrical  system 
dries  out.  A  few driving  trips should  turn 
the light off. 
Are  you  low on fuel? 
As your  engine starts to run out of fuel,  your  engine  may 
not 
run as  efficiently  as  designed  since small  amounts  of 
air  are  sucked  into the fuel line causing  a misfire. The 
system  can detect this. Adding fuel should correct this 
condition. Make sure 
to install  the fuel cap  properly.  It 
will  take  a few driving trips  to  turn  the light off.  Have 
you  recently  changed  brands  of fuel? 
If 
so, be  sure to fuel  your  vehicle with quality fuel (see 
“Fuel”  in the Index).  Poor 
fuel quality will cause your 
engine  not to run  as  efficiently  as designed.  You may 
notice this  as stalling after start-up, stalling  when  you 
put  the  vehicle into  gear,  misfiring,  hesitation on 
acceleration or stumbling on acceleration. (These 
conditions  may go away  once the engine is  warmed  up.) 
This will  be detected  by the  system  and  cause the light 
to  turn  on. 
If  you  experience this condition, change the fuel  brand 
you use. It will require  at least one full  tank of the 
proper 
fuel to  turn  the light  off. 
If  none  of the  above  steps have  made  the  light  turn  off, 
have  your  dealer or qualified service center check the 
vehicle.  Your dealer  has the proper  test  equipment and 
diagnostic  tools to 
fix any  mechanical  or electrical 
problems  that  may have  developed. 
2-59   

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Check  Gages  Light 
The CHECK GAGES light 
will  come on  briefly  when 
you  are starting  the  engine. 
CHECK 
GAGES 
If the light comes  on  and  stays on  while  you  are  driving, 
check  your  coolant temperature  and  engine oil pressure 
gages  to see  if they  are 
in the  warning  zones. 
Fuel Gage 
When  the  ignition is on, the 
fuel  gage  tells 
you about 
how  much  fuel 
you 
have  remaining. 
Here  are  four  things  that  some owners  ask  about.  None 
of these  show  a problem  with  your  fuel gage: 
At the  gas  station,  the  gas pump shuts off  before  the 
It takes  a little  more  or less  fuel  to fill  up than the 
gage  reads 
FULL (F). 
gage  indicated.  For  example, the gage  may  have 
indicated  the  tank  was  half  full, but  it  actually  took  a 
little  more  or less  than  half  the  tank’s  capacity  to fill 
the  tank. 
The  gage  moves  a little  when  you  turn  a corner or 
speed up. 
The  gage  doesn’t go back  to EMPTY (E) when you 
turn  off  the  ignition. 
2-62   

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Loading Your Vehicle 
< SEE OWNER'S  MANUAL FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION uu- 
The CertificatiodTire  label is  found  on the driver's  door 
edge, above 
the door  latch.  The label  shows the size of 
your  original  tires  and  the  inflation  pressures  needed to 
obtain  the  gross weight  capacity of your  vehicle.  This is 
called the GVWR  (Gross  Vehicle  Weight  Rating).  The 
GVWR  includes  the  weight 
of the vehicle,  all  occupants, 
fuel, cargo  and  trailer tongue weight,  if pulling  a trailer. 
The Certificationmire  label also 
tells you the  maximum 
weights  for the  front  and  rear axles, called Gross Axle 
Weight  Rating  (GAWR).  To  find  out  the  actual  loads 
on 
your  front  and  rear  axles, you need to go to a weigh  station  and  weigh  your  vehicle. 
Your dealer  can  help 
you  with  this.  Be  sure'to spread out your  load  equally 
on both  sides of the  centerline. 
Never  exceed  the  GVWR  for your  vehicle,  or 
the 
Gross Axle  Weight  Rating  (GAWR)  for either the  front 
or  rear  axle. 
And,  if  you  do have  a heavy  load,  you  should  spread 
it out. 
Similar appearing  vehicles  may  have  different  GVWR's 
and  payloads.  Please  note  the  Certificationire label 
of 
your  truck or consult  your  dealer for additional  details. 
I 
. A CAUTION: 
I 
In  the  case  of  a  sudden  stop  or  collision,  things 
carried  in  the  bed  of  your  truck  could  shift 
forward  and  come  into  the  passenger  area, 
injuring  you  and  others. 
If you  put  things  in  the 
bed  of  your  truck,  you  should  make,  sure  they  are 
properly  secured. 
4-42   

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Filling Your Tank The fuel cap is  behind  a hinged  door on the driver’s  side 
of your  vehicle. 
A CAUTION: 
Gasoline  vapor  is highly  flammable.  It  burns 
violently,  and that  can  cause  very  bad injuries. 
Don’t  smoke  if  you’re  near  gasoline  or refueling 
your  vehicle.  Keep  sparks,  flames  and  smoking 
materials  away  from  gasoline. 
To take off the  cap,  turn  it  slowly  to  the left 
(counterclockwise). 
6-5   

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A CAUTION: 
If you get  gasoline  on  yourself  and  then 
something  ignites  it,  you could  be  badly  burned. 
Gasoline  can  spray  out  on  you 
if you open  the 
fuel  filler  cap  too  quickly.  This  spray  can  happen  if  your  tank  is nearly  full, and is more  likely  in 
hot  weather.  Open  the  fuel  filler  cap  slowly and 
wait  for  any  “hiss”  noise to stop.  Then  unscrew 
the  cap  all  the  way. 
Be  careful  not to spill gasoline. Clean gasoline  from 
painted surfaces  as  soon  as  possible.  See “Cleaning  the 
Outside  of  Your  Vehicle”  in  the  Index.  When  you  put  the 
cap back  on, turn 
it to the  right  until 
you  hear  at least  three  clicks. Make sure you  fully  install 
the cap. The diagnostic  system  can determine if the fuel 
cap  has  been  left  off  or improperly  installed. This  would 
allow  fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere. See 
“Malfunction Indicator Lamp”  in the  Index. 
NOTICE: 
If you  need a new  cap,  be  sure  to  get the  right 
type.  Your  dealer  can  get  one  for 
you. If you get 
the  wrong  type, 
it may  not fit or  have  proper 
venting,  and  your  fuel  tank  and  emissions  system 
might  be  damaged. 
I . 
6-6   

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Before closing the hood,  be sure all  the  filler caps  are on 
properly. Then lift  the  hood to relieve  pressure on the 
hood  prop. 
Remove  the  hood  prop from the slot  in  the  hood  and 
return  the  prop  to its  retainer. 
Then  pull  the  hood  down  firmly  to close. It  will  latch 
when  dropped  from 
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm) 
without  pressing  on the  hood. 
Engine Oil 
It’s  a good  idea  to check your engine oil  every time you 
get  fuel.  In order 
to get  an accurate  reading, the oil  must 
be  warm  and  the  vehicle must 
be on  level  ground. 
The oil  dipstick on the 2.2L 
engine is under  the  fill  cap. 
’* .d. L 
The oil  dipstick on the 
“VORTEC” 4300 engine 
is a yellow  ring. 
Turn 
off the  engine  and  give  the  oil a few minutes  to 
drain  back  into 
the oil  pan.  If you don’t,  the  oil  dipstick 
might 
not show the actual  level. 
Checking  Engine Oil 
Pull out the dipstick  and  clean it with  a paper  towel or 
cloth, 
then push  it  back  in  all  the  way.  Remove  it  again, 
keeping 
the tip  down,  and check  the  level. 
6-10   

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Inflation - Tire  Pressure 
The Certificatioflire  label which  is on  the  driver’s door 
door edge, above the door  latch, 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  thana mile. 
NOTICE: 
Don’t  let anyone  tell  you that  underinflation  or 
overinflation 
is all  right.  It’s not. If your  tires 
don’t  have  enough 
air (underinflation),  you can 
get  the  following: 
Too much  flexing 
0 Too much,heat 
0 Tire  overloading : 
0 Bad  wear 
0 Bad  handling 
Bad  fuel  economy. 
NOTICE:  (Continued)  NOTICE:  (Continued) 
If your  tires  have too much  air  (overinflation), 
you  can get the  following: 
Unusual  wear 
0 Bad  handling 
e 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. 
If you  have  a compact spare tire, it should  be  at 60 psi 
(420 Wa). 
How to  Check 
Use  a good quality  pocket-type  gage  to check tire 
pressure. 
You can’t  tell if your  tires  are properly  inflated 
simply  by  looking at  them.  Radial  tires may  look 
properly  inflated even  when  they’re underinflated. 
Be  sure  to  put  the  valve  caps  back 
on the  valve  stems. 
They  help  prevent  leaks  by  keeping  out 
dirt and  moisture. 
. 6-45   

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Wheels and Tires 
Wheel Nut Torque . . . . . . . . . . . . 95  lb-ft (130 N-m) 
Tire  Pressure . . . . . . See  the  Certificatiod‘Tire  label. 
See  “Loading  Your Vehicle” 
in the  Index. 
Capacities  (Approximate) 
Cooling  System  Capacity* 
Engine  Transmission  Quantity 
2.2L  Auto./Manual 1 1.5  quarts (1 1 .O L) 
“VORTEC”  4300  Auto.  11.7quarts(11.1 
L) 
“VORTEC”  4300  Manual 
11.9quarts(11.3L) 
Crankcase  Capacity* 
Engine  Quantity  with  Filter 
2.2L 4.5  quarts  (4.3 L) 
“VORTEC”  4300 4.5 quarts (4.3 L) 
Automatic  Transmission  Capacity* 
Type  Quantity  (Drain  and  Refill) 
4L60E 5.0 quarts  (4.7 L) 
*After  refill, the  level must be checked. 
Differential  Fluid 
Axle  Quantity 
Rear 4.0 pints  (1.9 L) 
Front  2.6  pints  (1.2 L) 
Fuel  Tank  Capacity 
Type  Quantity 
Standard  Tank  19  gallons  (72 L) 
A/C  Refrigerant  Capacity 
Type  Quantity 
R- 134a  30 oz. or 2 lbs. (0.9 kg) 
Air Conditioning Refrigerants 
Not  all air  conditioning  refrigerants  are  the  same. 
If the air conditioning  system in your  vehicle  needs 
refrigerant,  be sure the  proper  refrigerant  is  used. 
If  you’re  not  sure,  ask  your  GM  dealer. 
6-68