1998 GMC SAVANA transmission fluid

If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you’re
planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable.
0 Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid
levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system and
transmission. These parts can work hard on
mountain roads.
0 Know how to go down hills. The most important
thing
to know is this: let your engine do some of the
slowing down. Shift to
a lower gear when you go
down a steep or long hill.
/r CAUTION:
If’ you don’t shift down, your brakes could get so
hot that they wouldn’t work well. You would then
have poor braking
or even none going down a hill.
You could crash. Shift down to let your engine
assist your brakes
on a steep downhill slope.
1
A CAUTION:
Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with the
ignition
off is dangerous. Your brakes will have to
do all the work of slowing down. They could get
so
hot that they wouldn’t work well. You would then
have poor braking or even none going down a hill.
You could crash.
Always have your engine running
and your vehicle in gear when you
go downhill.
a
0
0
0
Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift down
to a lower gear. The lower gears help cool your engine
and transmission, and
you can climb the hill better.
Stay
in your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads in hills or mountains. Don’t swing wide or
cut
across the center of the road. Drive at speeds that let
you stay in your own lane.
As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There could be
something
in your lane, like a stalled car or an accident.
You may see highway signs on mountains that warn
of
special problems. Examples are long grades, passing or
no-passing zones,
a falling rocks area or winding
roads. Be alert to these and take appropriate action.
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Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle, with a trailer
attached, on a hill. If something goes wrong, your rig
could start to move. People can be injured, and both
your vehicle and the trailer can be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s
how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
PARK
(P) yet. Then turn your wheels into the curb if
facing downhill or into traffic if facing uphill.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your parking
brake and then shift to
PARK (P).
5. Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking
on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transmission fluid (don’t
overfill), engine oil, axle lubricant, belt, cooling system
and brake adjustment. Each of these
is covered in this
manual, and the Index will help you find them quickly.
If you’re trailering, it’s a good idea to review these
sections before you start your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
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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
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vehicle, and a part devoted to its appearance care.
Service
Fuel (Gasoline Engine)
Fuels in Foreign Countries (Gasoline Engines)
Filling Your Tank (Gasoline Engine)
Filling a Portable Fuel Container
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
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6-69 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 (VJN)
Electrical System
Replacement Bulbs
Capacities and Specifications
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
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When you lift the hood, you’ll see these items:
A
A. Battery
B. Coolant Recovery I ank
C. Engine Oil Dipstick D.
Engine Oil Fill
E. Transmission Dipstick
E Air Cleaner
G. Power Steering Reservoir
H. Brake Master Cylinder
I. Windshield Washer Fluid
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5. Install a new filter element with the folds in the
down position.
Reverse Steps
1 through 4 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.
I
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
If your vehicle has a diesel engine, see “Automatic
Transmission Fluid” in the Diesel Supplement.
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:
0 In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
regularly reaches
90°F (32°C) or higher.
0 In hilly or mountainous terrain.
0 When doing frequent trailer towing.
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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,
change the fluid and filter every
100,000 miles
(166 000 km).
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
GM 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.
NOTICE:
Too much or too little fluid can damage your
transmission.
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
transmission fluid.
Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the
transmission fluid level if
you have been driving:
0 When outside temperatures are above 90°F (32°C).
0 At high speed for quite a while.
In heavy traffic -- especially in hot weather.
While pulling a trailer.
To get the right reading, the fluid should be at normal
operating temperature, which is 180°F to 200°F
(82°C
to 93 O C). See “Checking Transmission Fluid
Hot”
in the Index.
Checking Transmission Fluid Hot
Get the vehicle warmed up by driving about 15 miles
(24
km) when outside temperatures are above 50°F
(10°C). If it’s colder than 50°F (IOOC), drive the
vehicle in in DRIVE
(D) until the engine temperature
gage moves and
then remains steady for 10 minutes.
Then follow the hot check procedures.
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Checking Transmission Fluid Cold
A cold check is made after the vehicle has been sitting
for eight hours or more with the engine off and is used
only as a reference. Let the engine run at idle for five
minutes if outside temperatures are
50°F (10°C) or
more. If it’s colder than
50°F (IOOC), you may have
to idle the engine longer. Should the fluid level be low
during a cold check, you
must perform a hot check
before adding fluid. This will give you a more
accurate reading
of the fluid level.
Checking the Fluid Hot or Cold
0 Park your vehicle on a level place. Keep the engine
running.
0 With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever
in
PARK (P).
With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift
lever through
each gear range, pausing for about
three seconds in each range. Then, position
the
shift lever in PARK (P).
0 Let the engine run at idle for three minutes or more. Then, without shutting
off the engine, follow these steps:
1. The
transmission dipstick has a red handle and is
located near the center of the engine compartment.
Flip the handle up and then pull out the dipstick
and wipe
it with a clean rag or paper towel.
2. Push it back in all the way, wait three seconds and
then pull it back out again.
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3. Check both sides of the dipstick, and read the lower
level. The fluid level must be in the COLD area for a
cold check or in the
HOT area or cross-hatched area
for
a hot check.
4. If the fluid level is in the acceptable range, push the
dipstick back in all the way; then flip
the handle
down
to lock the dipstick in place.
How to Add Fluid
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind
of transmission fluid to use. See “Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants”
in the Index.
Add fluid
only after checking the transmission fluid
while
it is hot. (A cold check is used only as a
reference.) If the fluid level is low, add only enough
of
the proper fluid to bring the level up to the HOT area
for a hot check. It doesn’t take much fluid, generally
less than one pint
(0.5 L). Don’t overfill.
I NOTICE:
We recommend you use only fluid labeled
DEXRON@-111, because fluid with that label is
made especially for your automatic transmission.
Damage caused by fluid other than DEXRON-I11
is not covered by your new vehicle warrantv.
After adding fluid, recheck the fluid level as
described under “How
to Check.”
When the correct fluid level is obtained, push the
dipstick back in all
the way; then flip the handle
down to lock the dipstick in place.
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