1997 CHEVROLET EXPRESS Owners Manual

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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Here you will find information about the care of your vehicle. This section begins with service and fuel information,
and then it shows how to check important fluid and lubricant levels. There
is also technical information about your
vehicle, and
a part devoted to its appearance care.
6-2
6-3
6-5
6-5
6-7
6-1 1
6-12 6-17
6-18
6-22
6-22
6-25
6-26 6-26
6-27
6-28 6-32 Service
Fuel (Gasoline Engine)
Fuels in Foreign Countries
Filling Your Tank
Checking Things Under the Hood
Noise Control System
Engine Oil (Gasoline Engine)
Air Cleaner (Gasoline Engines)
Automatic Transmission Fluid
Rear Axle
Engine Coolant Radiator Pressure Cap
Thermostat Power Steering Fluid
Windshield Washer Fluid
Brakes
Battery 6-32
6-32
6-40
6-4
1
6-49
6-50
6-54
6-55
6-55
6-55
6-56
6-57
6-5 8
6-59
6-63
6-66
6-67 Bulb Replacement
Halogen Bulbs
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
Tires Appearance Care
Cleaning the Inside
of Your Vehicle
Cleaning the Outside of Your Vehicle
Cleaning Aluminum Wheels
(If Equipped)
Cleaning Tires Sheet Metal Damage
Finish Damage
Appearance Care Materials Chart
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
Electrical System
Capacities and Specifications
Air Conditioning Refrigerants
Lamp and Bulb Data

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:
Delco
Doing Your Own Service Work
If you want to do some of your own service work, you’ll
want to get the proper
GM Service Manual. It tells you
much more about how
to service your vehicle than this
manual can. To order the proper service manual, see
“Service and Owner Publications”
in the Index.
Your vehicle may have an air bag system. If it does, see
“Servicing Your
Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle” in the
lndex before attempting to do your own service work.
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.
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 suficient 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.

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 (Gasoline Engine)
If your vehicle has a diesel engine, see “Diesel Fuel
Requirements and Fuel System” in the Diesel Engine
Supplement. For vehicles with gasoline engines, please
read this.
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 gasolines. Be
sure the posted octane is at least 87. If the octane
is
less than 87, you may get a heavy knocking noise when
you drive. If it’s bad enough, it can damage your engine.
If you’re using fuel rated at 87 octane or higher and you
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.

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.
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.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Fuels in Foreign Countries (Gasoline Engines)
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 fuel 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 (VIN).
General Motors International Product Center 1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario L1H 8P7
Filling Your Tank
r
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.
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.
While refueling, hang the cap inside the fuel door.
To take off the cap, turn it slowly to the left
(counterclockwise). 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.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
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.
Checking Things Under the Hood
To open the hood, first
pull this handle inside the
vehicle.
It is just in front of
the driver’s side door frame
near the floor.