Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine How to Check Lubricant Front Axle
If the level is below the bottom of the filler plug hole,
you’ll need to add some lubricant. Add enough lubricant to raise the level
to the bottom of the filler plug hole.
What to Use
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind of lubricant to use. See “Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants” in the Index.
When to Check and Change Lubricant
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine how
often to check the lubricant and when to change it. See
“Periodic Maintenance Inspections’’ and “Scheduled
Maintenance Services” in the Index.
How to Check Lubricant
I
If the level is below the bottom of the filler plug hole,
you may need to add some lubricant.
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Brake Wear
Your vehicle has front disc brakes and rear drum brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that
make a high-pitched warning sound when the brake
pads are worn and new pads are needed. The sound
may come and go or be heard all the time your vehicle
is moving (except when you are pushing on the brake
pedal firmly).
The brake wear warning sound means that soon
your brakes won’t work well. That could lead to
an accident. When you hear the brake wear
warning sound, have your vehicle serviced.
NOTICE:
Continuing to drive with worn-out brake pads
could result in costly brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates may cause a
brake squeal when the brakes are first applied
or
lightly applied. This does not mean something is
wrong with your brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are necessary to help
prevent brake pulsation. When tires are rotated, inspect
brake pads for wear and evenly torque wheel nuts in
the proper sequence to
GM specifications.
Your rear drum brakes don’t have wear indicators,
but if you ever hear a rear brake rubbing noise, have the
rear brake linings inspected immediately. Also, the rear
brake drums should be removed and inspected each time
the tires are removed for rotation or changing. When
you have the front brake pads replaced, have the rear
brakes inspected, too.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
See “Brake System Inspection” in Section
7 of this
manual under Part C “Periodic Maintenance Inspections.”
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not return to
normal height, or if there is a rapid increase in pedal
travel. This could be a sign
of brake trouble.
6-32
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Dome Lamp
0 Gently squeeze the dome lamp lens and remove it
0 Remove the bulb by gently opening the retaining
0 Insert a new bulb. Make sure that it is seated
from the lamp assembly.
clip and sliding the bulb out.
properly. lamp assembly.
0 Snap the dome lamp lens back into the dome
Tires
Your new vehicle comes with high-quality tires made by a leading
tire manufacturer. If you ever have questions
about your tire warranty and where to obtain service, see
your Chevrolet Warranty booklet for details. Poorly maintained
and improperly used tires
are dangerous.
Overloading your tires can cause
overheating
as a result of too much friction.
You could have an air-out and a serious
accident. See “Loading Your Vehicle” in
the Index.
Underinflated tires pose the same danger as
overloaded tires. The resulting accident
could cause serious injury. Check all tires
frequently to maintain the recommended
pressure. Tire pressure should be checked
when your tires are cold.
Overinflated tires are more likely to be cut,
punctured or broken by a sudden impact
--
such as when you hit a pothole. Keep tires
at the recommended pressure.
0 Worn, old tires can cause accidents. If your
tread is badly worn, or if your tires have
been damaged, replace them.
Ii
6-40
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine ~~
~~~ ~ ~ ~~ ~~ ~~ -. .~~~
Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be rotated every 6,000 to 8,000 miles
(10 000 to 13 000 km). Any time you notice unusual
wear, rotate your tires as soon as possible and check
wheel alignment.
Also check for damaged tires or
wheels. See “When It’s Time for New Tires” and “Whe\
el
Replacement” later in this section for more information.
The purpose
of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear for all tires on the vehicle. The first
rotation is the most important. See “Scheduled
Maintenance Services” in the Index for scheduled
rotation intervals.
I
1
J.
4
When rotating your tires, always use one of the correct
rotation patterns shown here.
After the tires have been rotated, adjust the front and
rear inflation pressures as shown on the Tire-Loading
Information label. Make certain that
all wheel nuts
are properly tightened. See “Wheel Nut Torque” in
the Index.
! 6-42
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires you need, look at
the Tire-Loading Information label.
The tires installed on your vehicle when it was new had
a Tire Performance Criteria Specification (TPC Spec)
number on each tire’s sidewall. When you get new tires, get ones with that same TPC Spec number. That way
your vehicle
will continue to have tires that are designed
to give proper endurance, handling, speed rating,
traction, ride and other things during normal service on
your vehicle. If your tires have an all-season tread
design, the
TPC number will be followed by an “MS”
(for mud and snow).
If you ever replace your tires with those not having a
TPC Spec number, make sure they are the same size,
load range, speed rating and construction type (bias,
bias-belted or radial) as your original tires.
& CAU’I DN:
Mixing tires could cause you to lose control while
driving. If you mix tires of different sizes or types
(radial and bias-belted tires), the vehicle may
not handle properly, and you could have a crash.
Using tires of different sizes may also cause
damage to your vehicle. Be sure
to use the same
size and type tires
on all wheels.
-
If you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle, the
wheel rim flanges could develop cracks after
many miles
of driving. A tire and/or wheel could
fail suddenly, causing
a crash. Use only radial-ply
tires with the wheels on your vehicle.
6-44
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Uniform Tire Quality Grading
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance. (This applies only to vehicles sold in the United States.) The
grades are molded on the sidewalls of most passenger
car tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading system
does not apply to deep tread, winter-type snow tires,
space-saver or temporary use spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm),
or to some limited-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors passenger
cars and light trucks may vary with respect to these
grades, they must also conform to Federal safety
requirements and additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria
(PC) standards.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified government test course.
For example, a tire graded
150 would wear one and
a half (1 112) times as well on the government course
as a tire graded
100. The relative performance of
tires depends upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart significantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits, service practices
and differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction -- A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are A, B,
and C, and they represent the tire’s ability to stop on
wet pavement as measured under controlled conditions
on specified government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete.
A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to this tire is based
on braking (straight ahead) traction tests and does not
include cornering (turning) traction.
6-45
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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
car 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
forrns: blotchy, ringlet-shaped
discolorations, and small irregular dark spots etched
into the paint surface.
Although no defect in the paint job causes this,
Chevrolet 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 occurs first.
6-55
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
ENGlNEA98 f ASSEMBLY
CODE MODEL YEAR PLANT
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 8th character in your VIN is the engine code. This
code will help you identify your engine, specifications
and replacement parts.
Service Parts Identification Label
You’ll find this label inside the glove box on the door.
It’s very helpful if you ever need to order parts. On
this label is:
your VIN,
0 the model designation,
0 paint information and
0 a list of all production options and
special equipment.
Be sure that this label
is not removed from the vehicle.
Electrical System
Add-on Electrical Equipment
I NOTICE:
-
Don’t add anything electrical to your vehicle
unless you check 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.
6-57