Page 257 of 402

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Service
Your GM dealer knows your vehicle best and wants you
to be happy with it. We hope you’ll
go to your dealer for
all your service needs. You‘ll get genuine GM parts and
GM-trained and supported service people.
We hope you’ll want to keep your GM vehicle all GM.
Genuine GM parts have one of these marks:
n
Delco
Doing Your Own Service Work
Your vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting to
do your own service work. see “Servicing Your Air
Bag-Equipped Vehicle”
in the Index.
You should keep
a record with all parts receipts and list
the mileage and the date
of any service work you
perform. See ”Maintenance Record?’
in the Index.
I A CAUTION:
You can be injured and your vehicle could be
damaged
if you try to do service work on a
vehicle without knowing enough about it.
Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, the proper replacement parts
and tools before you attempt any vehicle
maintenance task.
Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts and
other fasteners. “English” and “metric”
fasteners can be easily confused.
If you use
the wrong fasteners, parts can later break
or fall off.
You could be hurt.
6-2
Page 258 of 402

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle
Things you might add to the outside of your vehicle can
affect the airflow around
it. This may cause wind noise
and affect windshield washer performance. Check with
your
GM dealer before adding equipment to the outside
of your vehicle.
Fuel
Use regular unleaded gasoline rated at 87 octane or
higher.
At a minimum, it should meet specifications
ASTM
D48 14 in the United States and CGSB 3.5-M93
in Canada. Improved gasoline specifications have been
developed by the American Automobile Manufacturers
Association
( AAMA) for better vehicle performance
and engine protection. Gasolines meeting the AAMA
specification
could provide improved driveability and
emission
control system protection compared to
other ga~)l i nes.
Be SCII-~ the pos~cl octane is at least 87. If the octane is
less than 87. you ma, gct a heavy knocking noise when
YOLI driirc. If’ it‘ hac1 crlough. it can damage your engine. If
you’re using fuel rated at
87 octane or higher and you
still hear heavy knocking, your engine needs service.
But don’t worry if you hear a little pinging noise when
you’re accelerating or driving up a hill. That’s normal,
and
you don’t have to buy a higher octane fuel to get rid
of pinging. It’s the heavy, constant knock that means
you have a problem.
If your vehicle
is certified to meet California Emission
Standards (indicated on the underhood tune-up label),
it
is designed to operate on fuels that meet California
specifications. If such fuels are
not available in states
adopting California emissions standards, your vehicle
will operate satisfactorily
on fuels meeting federal
specifications, but emission control system performance
may be affected. The malfunction indicator lamp
on
your instrument panel may turn on and/or your vehicle
may fail a smog-check test.
If this occurs, return to your
authorized GM dealer for diagnosis to determine the
cause of failure.
In the event it is determined that the
cause of the condition is the type of fuels used, repairs
may
not be covered by your warranty.
6-3
Page 259 of 402

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Some gasolines that are not reformulated for low
emissions contain an octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl
(MMT);
ask your service station operator whether or not his fuel
contains MMT. General Motors does not recommend the
use of such gasolines.
If fuels containing MMT are used,
spark plug life may be reduced and your emission
control system performance may be affected. The
malfunction indicator lamp
on your instrument panel
may turn on.
If this occurs, return to your authorized
GM dealer for service.
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines in the United States
are now required to contain additives that will help
prevent deposits from forming in your engine and fuel
system, allowing your emission control system to
function properly. Therefore, you should not have to add
anything to
the fuel. In addition, gasolines containing
oxygenates, such as ethers and ethanol. and
reformulated gasolines may be available
in your area to
help clean the air. General Motors recommends that you
use these gasolines if they comply with the
specifications described earlier.
I NOTICE:
Your vehicle was not designed for fuel that
contains methanol. Don’t
use it. It can corrode
metal parts
in your fuel system and also damage
plastic and rubber parts. That damage wouldn’t
be covered under your warranty.
Fuels in Foreign Countries
If you plan on driving in another country outside the United
States or Canada. the proper fuel may be hard
to find. Never
use leaded gasoline or any other fuei
not recommended in the
previous text on fuel. Costly repairs caused
by use of
improper fuel wouldn’t be covered by your warranty.
To check
on fuel availability, ask an auto club. or
contact a major oil company that does business
in the
country where
you’ll be driving.
You can also write us at the following address for
advice. Just tell us where you’re going and give your
Vehicle Identification
Number (VTN).
General Motors International Product Center
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa. Ontario
L 1 H 8P7
6-4
Page 260 of 402
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). The
cap has a spring
in it; if
you let go of the cap
too soon, it will spring
back to the right.
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.
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Page 261 of 402

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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
(clockwise)
until you hear a clicking sound. 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 properly. This may
cause your malfunction indicator lamp to light and your fuel tank and emissions system may be
damaged. See "Malfunction Indicator Lamp"
in
the Index.
Checking Things Under the Hood
1
To open the hood, first pull
the handle inside the vehicle
on the lower driver's side of
the instrument panel.
Then
go to the front of the vehicle and release the
secondary hood release.
6-6
Page 262 of 402
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Lift the hood, release the hood prop from its retainer and
put the hood prop into the slot in the hood. You may
have a lamp that comes on when you lift the hood.
I A CAUTION:
Things that burn can get on hot engine parts and
start a fire. These include liquids like gasoline,
oil, coolant, brake fluid, windshield washer and
other fluids, and plastic or rubber.
You or others
could be burned. Be careful not to drop or spill
things that
will burn onto a hot engine.
6-7
Page 263 of 402
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When you lift the hood. you'll see these items:
B -- ."*f . ..
A. Battery
B. Coolant Recovery Tank
C. Engine Oil Dipstick
*
C
D. Transmission Dipstick
E. Engine Oil Fill
F. Power Steering Reservoir
G. Brake Master Cylinder
H. Air Cleaner
I. Windshield Washer Fluid
6-8
Page 264 of 402
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.
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.
Then just pull the hood down firmly
to close. It will
latch when dropped from
10 to12 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
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.
6-9