1998 CHEVROLET PRIZM service

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0 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.
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Service
Fuel
Fuels in Foreign Countries
Filling Your Tank
Filling a Portable
Fuel Container
Checking Things Under the Hood
Engine Oil
Air Cleaner
Automatic Transaxle Fluid
Manual Transaxle Fluid
Hydraulic Clutch
Engine Coolant
Radiator Pressure Cap
Thermostat Power Steering Fluid
Windshield Washer Fluid
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Brakes
Battery
Bulb Replacement
Tires
Appearance Care
Cleaning the Inside
of Your Vehicle
Cleaning the Built-in Child Restraint
Care of Safety Belts and Built-in Child
Restraint Harness
Cleaning the Outside of Your Vehicle
Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN)
Electrical System
Replacement Bulbs
Capacities and Specifications
Air Conditioning Refrigerants

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Service
Your 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:
Genuine
Parts
Doing Your Own Service Work
If you want to do some of your own service work, you’ll
want to use
the proper Chevrolet 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 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
Adding Equipn- -~- -1 the Out le 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 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
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 emission control
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 Chevrolet 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.
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
Chevrolet dealer for service.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine As shown in the chart, SAE 5W-30 is best for your
vehicle. However, you can use
SAE 1OW-30 if it's going
to be
0" F (- 18 " C) or above. These numbers on an oil
container show its viscosity, or thickness.
Do not use
other viscosity oils, such as
SAE 20W-50.
NOTICE:
Use only engine oil with the American Petroleum
Institute Certified For Gasoline Engines
"Starburst" symbol. Failure to use the
recommended oil can result in engine damage not
covered by your warranty.
GM Goodwrench@ oil meets all the requirements for
your vehicle.
If you are in an area where the temperature falls
below -20°F (-29 "C), consider using either an
SAE 5W-30 synthetic oil or an SAE OW-30 oil. Both
will provide easier cold starting and better protection
for your engine at extremely low temperatures.
Engine Oil Additives
Don't add anything to your oil. Your 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:
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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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If none of them is true, use the long triphighway
maintenance schedule. Change the oil and filter every
7,500 miles (12 500 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 slun and nails with soap and
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.
Air Cleaner
The air cleaner and filter are on the driver’s side of the
engine compartment.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine To check or replace the filter:
1. Release the two clips that hold the cover down.
2. Lift the cover off.
3. Pull out the air filter.
4. Install the new air filter.
5. Reverse steps 1 through 3 to reassemble the air
cleaner assembly.
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine when
to replace the air filter. See
“Scheduled Maintenance Services” in the Index.
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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.
I NOTICE: I
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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.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Automatic Transaxle Fluid
When to Check and Change
A good time to check your automatic transaxle fluid
level is when the engine oil is changed.
Change fluid in the transaxle and differential every
15,000 miles (25 000 km) 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.
0 In hilly or mountainous terrain.
When doing frequent trailer towing.
Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, check the fluid.
See “Scheduled Maintenance Services’’ in the Index.
How to Check
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you may choose
to have this done at your Chevrolet dealership
Service Department.
If you do it yourself, be sure to follow all the
instructions here, or you could get a false reading
on the dipstick.
I NOTICE:
Too much or too little fluid can damage your
transaxle.
Too much can mean that some of the
fluid could come out and fall on hot engine parts
or exhaust system parts, starting a fire. Be sure to
get an accurate reading if you check your
transaxle fluid.
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