1996 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN Owners Manual

Washing Your Vehicle
The best way to preserve your vehicle’s finish is to keep it clean by washing
it often with lukewarm or cold water.
Don’t wash your vehicle
in the direct rays of the sun. Don’t use strong soaps
or chemical detergents. Use liquid hand, dish or car washing (mild
detergent) soaps. Don’t use cleaning agents that are petroleum based, or
that
contain acid or abrasives. All cleaning agents should be flushed promptly
and
not allowed to dry on the surface, or they could stain. Dry the finish
with a soft, clean chamois or a 100% cotton towel to avoid surface scratches
and water spotting.
High pressure car washes may cause water
to enter your vehicle.
Finish Care
Occasional waxing or mild polishing of your vehicle by hand may be
necessary to remove residue from the paint finish.
You can get GM
approved cleaning products from your dealer. (See “Appearance Care and
Materials”
in the Index.)
Your vehicle has
a “basecoat/clearcoat” paint finish. The clearcoat gives
more depth
and gloss to the colored basecoat. Always use waxes and
polishes that are non-abrasive and made for
a basecoatklearcoat paint
finish.
NOTICE:
Machine compounding or aggressive polishing on a
basecoatklearcoat paint finish may dull the finish or leave swirl
marks.
Foreign materials such as calcium chloride and other salts, ice melting
agents, road oil and tar, tree sap, bird droppings, chemicals from industrial
chimneys, etc. can damage your vehicle’s finish
if they remain on painted
surfaces. Wash the vehicle
as soon as possible. If necessary, use
non-abrasive cleaners that are marked safe for painted surfaces to remove
foreign matter.
Exterior painted surfaces are subject
to aging, weather and chemical fallout
that can take their toll over
a period of years. You can help to keep the paint
finish looking new by keeping your vehicle garaged or covered whenever
possible.
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Protecting Exterior Bright Metal Parts
Bright metal parts should be cleaned regularly to keep their luster. Washing
with water
is all that is usually needed. However, you may use GM Chrome
Polish
on chrome or stainless steel trim, if necessary.
Use special care with aluminum trim.
To avoid damaging protective trim,
never use auto or chrome polish, steam or caustic soap
to clean aluminum.
A coating of wax, rubbed to high polish, is recommended for all bright
metal parts.
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.
NOTICE:
If you have aluminum wheels, don’t use an automatic car 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.
Foreign Material
Calcium chloride and other salts, ice melting agents, road oil and tar, tree
sap, bird droppings, chemicals from industrial chimneys, and other foreign
matter can damage your vehicle’s finish if they remain
on painted surfaces.
Use cleaners that are marked safe
for painted surfaces to remove foreign
matter.
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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.
Underbody Maintenance
Chemicals used for ice and snow removal and dust control can collect on
the underbody. If these are not removed, accelerated corrosion (rust) can
occur
on the underbody parts such as fuel lines, frame, floor pan, and
exhaust system even though
they have corrosion protection.
At least every spring, flush these materials from the underbody with plain
water. Clean any areas where mud and other debris can collect. Dirt packed
in closed areas of the frame should be loosened before being flushed. Your
dealer or an underbody vehicle washing system can do this for
you.
Chemical Paint Spotting
Some weather and atmospheric conditions can create a chemical Fallout.
Airborne pollutants can fall upon and attack painted surfaces on your
vehicle. This damage can take two forms: blotchy, ringlet-shaped
discolorations, and small irregular dark spots etched
into the paint surface.
Although no defect
in the paint job causes this, GM will repair, at no charge
to the owner, the surfaces of new vehicles damaged by this fallout condition
within
12 months or 12,000 miles (20 000 km) of purchase, whichever
comes first.
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Appearance Care Materials Chart
PART NO.
1050172 1050173
1050174
1050214
1050244
I050427
1050429
1050729
105 1055
1051398
I052870
105020
1
SIZE PRODUCT
16 02. (0.4731) Tar and Road
Oil Remover
16 oz. (0.4731) Chrome Cleaner
and Polish
16
02. (0.473L) White Sidewall
32 oz. (0.946L) Vinyl Leather
Tire
Cleaner
Cleaner
16 oz. (0.473L) Fabric Cleaner
23
02. (0.680L) Glass Cleaner
6 lbs. (2.72 kg) Multi-Purpose
Powder Cleaner
8
oz. (0.237L) Vinyl Top
I6
oz. (0.473L) Preservatone Cleaner
8
oz. (0.237L) Spot Lifter
16
02. (0.473L) Wash-Wdx
(conc.)
USAGE
Removes old
waxes, polishes,
tar and road oil
Removes rust
and corrosion on
chrome and
stainless steel
Cleans white
and black tires
Spot and stain
removal on
leather or
vinyl
Spot and stain
removal on cloth
and fabric
Glass cleaning
and spot
cleaning on
vinyls
Cleans
vinyl and
cloth on door
trim, seats, and
carpet-also
tires and mats.
Cleaning
of
vinyl tops
Vinyl top
dressing
Spot and stain
removal on cloth
and fabric
Exterior wash
16
02. (0.473L) Magic Mirror Exterior cleaner
Cleaner-Polish and polish
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Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
This is the legal identifier for your vehicle. 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.
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4
4
4
I
I
0
-I
I -J
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Service Parts Identification Label
You’ll find this label on the inside of the glove box.
Tt’s very helpful if you ever need
to order parts. On this label is:
your VIN,
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
I NOTICE:
Don’t add anything electrical to your vehicle unless you che\
ck
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.
Your vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting to add anything
electrical to your vehicle,
see “Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle”
in the Index.
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Fuses and Circuit Breakers
The wiring circuits in your vehicle are protected from short circuits by a
combination of fuses, circuit breakers, and fusible thermal links
in the
wiring itself. This greatly reduces the chance
of fires caused by electrical
problems. See “Fuses and Circuit Breakers”
in the Index for more
information.
Headlamps
The headlamp wiring is protected by a circuit breaker in the lamp switch.
An electrical overload will cause
the lamps to flicker on and off, or in some
cases to remain off. If this happens, have your headlamp wiring checked
right away.
Windshield Wipers
The windshield wiper motor is protected by a circuit breaker and a fuse. If
the motor overheats due
to heavy snow, etc., the wiper will stop until the
motor cools. Although the circuit is protected from electrical overload,
overload due
to heavy snow, etc., may cause wiper linkage damage. Always
clear ice and heavy snow from the the windshield before using the
windshield wipers. If the overload
is caused by some electrical problem and
not snow, etc., be sure to get it fixed.
Power Windows and Other Power Options
Circuit breakers in the fuse panel protect the power windows and other
power accessories. When the current load is
too heavy, the circuit breaker
opens and closes. This protects the circuit
until the current load returns to
normal
or the problem is fixed.
Trailer Wiring Harness
The seven-wire trailer wiring harness is protected by an in-line fuse in the
battery feed wire. This fuse is near the junction block. See “Trailer Wiring
Harness”
in the Index for more information.
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