1997 GMC SAVANA service

If it isn’t, you may have a leak in the radiator hoses,
heater hoses, radiator, water pump or somewhere else in
the cooling system.
A CAUTION:
Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine
parts, can be very hot. Don’t touch them.
If you
do, you can be burned.
Don’t run the engine
if there is a leak. If you run
the engine, it could lose a11 coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and
you could be burned.
Get any leak fixed before
you drive the vehicle.
NOTICE:
Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn’t covered
by your warranty.
If there seems to be no leak, start the engine again. See
if the fan speed increases when idle speed is doubled by
pushing the accelerator pedal down.
If it doesn’t, your
vehicle needs service. Turn off the engine.
5-15
ProCarManuals.com

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
ProCarManuals.com

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
Index 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.
A CAUTIGN:
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
ProCarManuals.com

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 D4814 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.
6-3
ProCarManuals.com

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 aad
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.
6-4
ProCarManuals.com

Engine Oil Additives
Don’t add anything to your oil. Your GM dealer is ready
to advise
if you think something should be added.
When to Change Engine Oil
If any one of these is true for you, use the short tripkity
maintenance schedule:
0
0
0
0
0
Most trips are less than 5 to 10 miles (8 to 16 km).
This is particularly important when outside
temperatures are below freezing.
Most trips include extensive idling (such as frequent
driving
in stop-and-go traffic).
Most trips are through dusty areas.
You frequently tow
a trailer or use a carrier on top of
your vehicle.
The vehicle
is used for delivery service, police, taxi
or other commercial application.
Driving under these conditions causes engine oil
to
break down sooner. If any one of these is true for your
vehicle, then you need
to change your oil and filter
every
3,000 miles (5 000 km) or 3 months -- whichever
occurs first. If
none of them is true, use the long
trip/highway
maintenance schedule. Change the oil and filter every
7,500 miles (1 2 500 km) or 12 months -- whichever
occurs first. Driving a vehicle with a fully warmed
engine under highway conditions causes engine oil to
break down slower.
What to Do with Used Oil
Did you know that used engine oil contains certain
elements that may be unhealthy for your
skin and could
even cause cancer? Don’t let used oil stay on your skin
for very long. Clean your skin and nails with soap and
,! I!
water, or a good hand cleaner. Wash or properly throw
away clothing or rags containing used engine oil. (See
the manufacturer’s warnings about the use and disposal
of oil products.)
Used oil can be a real threat to the environment. If you
change your own oil, be sure to drain all free-flowing oil
from the filter before disposal. Don’t ever dispose of oil
by putting it in the trash, pouring
it on the ground, into
sewers, or into streams or bodies of water. Instead,
recycle it by taking it to a place that collects used oil. If
you have a problem properly disposing of your used oil,
ask your dealer, a service station or a local recycling
center for help.
k
6-16
ProCarManuals.com

Air Cleaner (Gasoline Engines)
. ..-
To remove the air cleaner filter:
1. Loosen screw bolt to air induct hose.
2. Remove the three bolts holding the air cleaner
housing
in place.
3. Remove the full air housing.
4. Unsnap the three clips.
Then tilt the top cover up and back to expose the
filter element.
5. Install a new filter element with the folds in the
down position.
Reverse Steps
1 through 5 to replace the air cleaner.
See “Normal Replacement Parts” for the proper filter
to use.
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule
to determine when to
replace the air filter and crankcase ventilation filter.
See “Scheduled Maintenance Services” in the Index.
6-17
ProCarManuals.com

Operating the engine with the air cleaner off
can cause you or others to be burned. The air
cleaner not only cleans the air, it stops flame
if
the engine backfires. If it isn’t there, and the
engine backfires,
you could be burned. Don’t
drive with
it off, and be careful working on the
engine with the air cleaner off.
NOTICE:
If the air cleaner is off, a backfire can cause a
damaging engine fire. And, dirt can easily get
into your engine, which will damage
it. Always
have the air cleaner in place when you’re driving.
~ Automatic Transmission Fluid
~ When to Check and Change
~ A good time to check your automatic transmission fluid
level is when the engine oil
is changed.
Change both the fluid and filter every
50,000 miles
(83 000 km) if the vehicle’s GVWR is over 8,600 or
if the vehicle is mainly driven under one or more of
these conditions:
In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
regularly reaches
90°F (32°C) or higher.
In hilly or mountainous terrain.
When doing frequent trailer towing.
Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery service.
If your vehicle’s
GVWR is not over 8,600 and you do
not use your vehicle under any of these conditions, the
fluid and filter do
not require changing.
See “Scheduled Maintenance Services” in the Index.
6-18
ProCarManuals.com