Page 280 of 427

5-5
CAUTION:
Using a match near a battery can cause battery
gas to explode. People have been hurt doing this,
and some have been blinded. Use a flashlight if
you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water. You don't
need to add water to the ACDelco battery
installed in every new GM vehicle. But if a
battery has filler caps, be sure the right amount
of fluid is there. If it is low, add water to take
care of that first. If you don't, explosive gas
could be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn you.
Don't get it on you. If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or on your skin, flush the place with
water and get medical help immediately.
CAUTION:
Fans or other moving engine parts can injure you
badly. Keep your hands away from moving parts
once the engine is running.
5. Check that the jumper cables don't have loose or
missing insulation. If they do, you could get a shock.
The vehicles could be damaged too.
Before you connect the cables, here are some basic
things you should know. Positive (+) will go to
positive (+) or a remote positive terminal (+) if the
vehicle has one. Negative (
-) will go to a heavy,
unpainted metal engine part or a remote negative (
-)
terminal, if the vehicle has one.
Don't connect positive (+) to negative (
-) or you'll
get a short that would damage the battery and maybe
other parts too.
Page 311 of 427

5-36
NOTICE:
Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of your
vehicle as well as the tires. If you spin the wheels
too fast while shifting your transmission back
and forth, you can destroy your transmission.
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle,
see ªTire Chainsº in the Index.
Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your front wheels. Press the
Stabitrak button so that the STABILITY SYSTEM
LIMITED message appears in the message center. Then
shift back and forth between REVERSE (R) and a
forward gear, spinning the wheels as little as possible.
Release the accelerator pedal while you shift, and press
lightly on the accelerator pedal when the transmission is
in gear. By slowly spinning your wheels in the forward
and reverse directions, you will cause a rocking motion
that may free your vehicle. If that doesn't get you out
after a few tries, you may need to be towed out. Or, you
can use your recovery hooks if your vehicle has them. If
you do need to be towed out, see ªTowing Your Vehicleº
in the Index.
Using the Recovery Hooks
Your vehicle is equipped with recovery hooks.
The hooks are provided at the front of your vehicle.
You may need to use them if you're stuck off
-road
and need to be pulled to some place where you can
continue driving.
Page 315 of 427

6-3
CAUTION:
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. ªEnglishº and ªmetricº
fasteners can be easily confused. If you use
the wrong fasteners, parts can later break
or fall off. You could be hurt.
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 dealer before adding equipment to the outside of
your vehicle.
Fuel
Gasoline Octane
Use premium unleaded gasoline with a posted octane of
91 or higher for best performance. You may also use
middle grade or regular unleaded gasoline rated at
87 octane or higher, but your vehicle's acceleration may
be slightly reduced. If the octane is less than 87, you
may get a heavy knocking noise when you drive.
If it is bad enough, it can damage your engine.
Page 319 of 427

6-7
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 cap too quickly. This spray can happen if
your tank is nearly full, and is more likely in hot
weather. Open the fuel cap slowly and wait for
any ªhissº noise to stop. Then unscrew the cap all
the way.
Be careful not to spill gasoline. Clean gasoline from
painted surfaces as soon as possible. See ªCleaning the
Outside of Your Vehicleº in the Index.When you put the fuel cap back on, turn it to the right
(clockwise) until you hear a clicking sound. Make sure
you fully install the cap. The diagnostic system can
determine if the fuel cap has been left off or improperly
installed. This would allow fuel to evaporate into the
atmosphere. See ªMalfunction Indicator Lampº in
the Index.
NOTICE:
If you need a new fuel 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 properly.
This may cause your malfunction indicator lamp
to light and may damage your fuel tank and
emissions system. See ªMalfunction Indicator
Lampº in the Index.
Page 338 of 427

6-26
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in your vehicle is filled with
DEX
-COOL engine coolant. This coolant is designed
to remain in your vehicle for 5 years or 150,000 miles
(240 000 km), whichever occurs first, if you add only
DEX
-COOL extended life coolant.
The following explains your cooling system and how
to add coolant when it is low. If you have a problem
with engine overheating, see ªEngine Overheatingº
in the Index.
A 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and
DEX
-COOL coolant will:
Give freezing protection down to
-34F (-37C).
Give boiling protection up to 265F (129C).
Protect against rust and corrosion.
Help keep the proper engine temperature.
Let the warning lights and gages work as
they should.
NOTICE:
When adding coolant, it is important that you
use only DEX
-COOL (silicate-free) coolant.
If coolant other than DEX-COOL is added to
the system, premature engine, heater core or
radiator corrosion may result. In addition, the
engine coolant will require change sooner
-- at
30,000 miles (50 000 km) or 24 months,
whichever occurs first. Damage caused by the
use of coolant other than DEX
-COOL is not
covered by your new vehicle warranty.
Page 347 of 427

6-35 Brake Wear
Your vehicle has four-wheel disc 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).
CAUTION:
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 tighten wheel nuts in the
proper sequence to GM torque specifications.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
See ªBrake System Inspectionº in Section 7 of
this manual under Part C ªPeriodic Maintenance
Inspections.º
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.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you make a brake stop, your disc brakes
adjust for wear.
Page 354 of 427

6-42
If your vehicle is damaged in an accident, the headlamp
aim may be affected. Aim adjustment to the low beam
may be necessary if it is difficult to see lane markers
(for horizontal aim), or if oncoming drivers flash their
high beams at you (for vertical aim). If you believe
your headlamps need to be re
-aimed, we recommend
that you take your vehicle to your dealer for service.
However, it is possible for you to re
-aim your
headlamps as described in the following procedure.
NOTICE:
To make sure your headlamps are aimed
properly, read all the instructions before
beginning. Failure to follow these instructions
could cause damage to headlamp parts.
The vehicle should be properly prepared as follows:
The vehicle should be placed so the headlamps are
25 ft. (7.6 m) from a light colored wall or other flat
surface.
The vehicle must have all four tires on a perfectly
level surface which is level all the way to the wall or
other flat surface.
The vehicle should be placed so it is perpendicular to
the wall or other flat surface.
The vehicle should not have any snow, ice or mud
attached to it.
The vehicle should be fully assembled and all other
work stopped while headlamp aiming is being done.
The vehicle should be normally loaded with a full
tank of fuel and one person or 160 lbs. (75 kg) on the
driver's seat.
Tires should be properly inflated.
Start the vehicle and rock it to level the suspension.
Headlamp aiming is done with the vehicle low beam
lamps. The high beam lamps will be correctly aimed if
the low beam lamps are aimed properly.
Page 357 of 427
6-45
3. At the wall or other flat surface, measure from the
ground upward the recorded distance from Step 2 and
draw or tape a horizontal line the width of the vehicle.
4. Turn on the low-beam headlamps and place a piece
of cardboard or equivalent in front of the headlamp
not being aimed. This should allow only the beam of
light from the headlamp being aimed to be seen on
the flat surface.
NOTICE:
Do not cover a headlamp to improve beam
cut
-off when aiming. Covering a headlamp may
cause excessive heat build
-up which may cause
damage to the headlamp.