2002 CHEVROLET EXPRESS Owners Manual

6-54 Cleaning Vinyl
Use warm water and a clean cloth.

Rub with a clean, damp cloth to remove dirt. You
may have to do it more than once.

Things like tar, asphalt and shoe polish will stain
if you don't get them off quickly. Use a clean cloth
and a vinyl/leather cleaner. See your dealer for
this product.
Cleaning Leather
Use a soft cloth with lukewarm water and a mild soap or
saddle soap and wipe dry with a soft cloth. Then, let the
leather dry naturally. Do not use heat to dry.

For stubborn stains, use a leather cleaner. See your
dealer for this product.

Never use oils, varnishes, solvent
-based or abrasive
cleaners, furniture polish or shoe polish on leather.

Soiled or stained leather should be cleaned
immediately. If dirt is allowed to work into the
finish, it can harm the leather.
Cleaning the Top of the Instrument Panel
Use only mild soap and water to clean the top surfaces
of the instrument panel. Sprays containing silicones or
waxes may cause annoying reflections in the windshield
and even make it difficult to see through the windshield
under certain conditions.
Cleaning Interior Plastic Components
Use only a mild soap and water solution on a soft
cloth or sponge. Commercial cleaners may affect the
surface finish.
Care of Safety Belts
Keep belts clean and dry.
CAUTION:
Do not bleach or dye safety belts. If you do, it
may severely weaken them. In a crash, they
might not be able to provide adequate protection.
Clean safety belts only with mild soap and
lukewarm water.

6-55
Cleaning Glass Surfaces
Glass should be cleaned often. GM Glass Cleaner or a
liquid household glass cleaner will remove normal
tobacco smoke and dust films on interior glass. See
ªAppearance Care and Materialsº in the Index.
NOTICE:
Don't use abrasive cleaners on glass, because they
may cause scratches. Avoid placing decals on the
inside rear window, since they may have to be
scraped off later. If abrasive cleaners are used on
the inside of the rear window, an electric
defogger element may be damaged. Any
temporary license should not be attached across
the defogger grid.
Cleaning the Outside of the
Windshield and Wiper Blades
If the windshield is not clear after using the windshield
washer, or if the wiper blade chatters when running,
wax, sap or other material may be on the blade
or windshield.
Clean the outside of the windshield with a full
-strength
glass cleaning liquid. The windshield is clean if beads
do not form when you rinse it with water.
Grime from the windshield will stick to the wiper
blades and affect their performance. Clean the blade by
wiping vigorously with a cloth soaked in full
-strength
windshield washer solvent. Then rinse the blade
with water.
Check the wiper blades and clean them as necessary;
replace blades that look worn.
Weatherstrips
Silicone grease on weatherstrips will make them last
longer, seal better, and not stick or squeak. Apply
silicone grease with a clean cloth at least every
six months. During very cold, damp weather more
frequent application may be required. See
ªRecommended Fluids and Lubricantsº in the Index.

6-56
Cleaning the Outside of Your Vehicle
The paint finish on your vehicle provides beauty, depth
of color, gloss retention and durability.
Washing Your Vehicle
The best way to preserve your vehicle's finish is to
keep it clean by washing it often with lukewarm or
cold water.
Don't wash your vehicle in the direct rays of the sun.
Use a car washing soap. Don't use strong soaps or
chemical detergents. Be sure to rinse the vehicle well,
removing all soap residue completely. You can get
GM
-approved cleaning products from your dealer. See
ªAppearance Care and Materialsº in the Index. Don't
use cleaning agents that are petroleum based, or that
contain acid or abrasives. All cleaning agents should be
flushed promptly and not allowed to dry on the surface,
or they could stain. Dry the finish with a soft, clean
chamois or an all
-cotton towel to avoid surface
scratches and water spotting.
High pressure car washes may cause water to enter
your vehicle.
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses
Use only lukewarm or cold water, a soft cloth and a car
washing soap to clean exterior lamps and lenses. Follow
instructions under ªWashing Your Vehicle.º
Finish Care
Occasional waxing or mild polishing of your vehicle by
hand may be necessary to remove residue from the paint
finish. You can get GM
-approved cleaning products
from your dealer. See ªAppearance Care and Materialsº
in the Index.
Your vehicle may have a ªbasecoat/clearcoatº paint
finish. The clearcoat gives more depth and gloss to the
colored basecoat. Always use waxes and polishes that
are non
-abrasive and made for a basecoat/clearcoat
paint finish.
NOTICE:
Machine compounding or aggressive polishing on
a basecoat/clearcoat paint finish may dull the
finish or leave swirl marks.

6-57
Foreign materials such as calcium chloride and other
salts, ice melting agents, road oil and tar, tree sap, bird
droppings, chemicals from industrial chimneys, etc., can
damage your vehicle's finish if they remain on painted
surfaces. Wash the vehicle as soon as possible. If
necessary, use non
-abrasive cleaners that are marked
safe for painted surfaces to remove foreign matter.
Exterior painted surfaces are subject to aging, weather
and chemical fallout that can take their toll over a period
of years. You can help to keep the paint finish looking
new by keeping your vehicle garaged or covered
whenever possible.
Protecting Exterior Bright Metal Parts
Bright metal parts should be cleaned regularly to keep
their luster. Washing with water is all that is usually
needed. However, you may use chrome polish on
chrome or stainless steel trim, if necessary.
Use special care with aluminum trim. To avoid
damaging protective trim, never use auto or chrome
polish, steam or caustic soap to clean aluminum. A
coating of wax, rubbed to high polish, is recommended
for all bright metal parts.
Cleaning Aluminum Wheels
(If Equipped)
Keep your wheels clean using a soft clean cloth with
mild soap and water. Rinse with clean water. After
rinsing thoroughly, dry with a soft clean towel. A wax
may then be applied.
The surface of these wheels is similar to the painted
surface of your vehicle. Don't use strong soaps,
chemicals, abrasive polishes, abrasive cleaners, cleaners
with acid or abrasive cleaning brushes on them because
you could damage the surface. Do not use chrome polish
on aluminum wheels.
Don't take your vehicle through an automatic car wash
that has silicon carbide tire cleaning brushes. These
brushes can also damage the surface of these wheels.

6-58
Cleaning Tires
To clean your tires, use a stiff brush with a tire cleaner.
NOTICE:
When applying a tire dressing always take care to
wipe off any overspray or splash from all painted
surfaces on the body or wheels of the vehicle.
Petroleum
-based products may damage the paint
finish and tires.
Sheet Metal Damage
If your vehicle is damaged and requires sheet metal
repair or replacement, make sure the body repair shop
applies anti
-corrosion material to the parts repaired or
replaced to restore corrosion protection.
Original manufacturer replacement parts will provide
the corrosion protection while maintaining the warranty.
Finish Damage
Any stone chips, fractures or deep scratches in the finish
should be repaired right away.
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.

6-59
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 forms: blotchy, ringlet
-shaped
discolorations, and small irregular dark spots etched
into the paint surface.
Although no defect in the paint job causes this, GM 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.

6-60
GM Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials

6-61
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
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 on the front passenger door frame.
It's very helpful if you ever need to order parts. On this
label is:

your VIN,

the model designation,

paint information and

a list of all production options and
special equipment.
Be sure that this label is not removed from the vehicle.