4-25
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.
Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid
levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system
and transaxle. These parts can work hard on
mountain roads.
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.
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.
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.
Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift down
to a lower gear. The lower gears help cool your engine
and transaxle, 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.
5-4
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicles aren't touching
each other. If they are, it could cause a ground
connection you don't want. You wouldn't be able to
start your vehicle, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
To avoid the possibility of the vehicles rolling, set
the parking brake firmly on both vehicles involved in
the jump start procedure. Put an automatic transaxle
in PARK (P) or a manual transaxle in NEUTRAL
before setting the parking brake.
NOTICE:
If you leave your radio on, it could be badly
damaged. The repairs wouldn't be covered by
your warranty.
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
unnecessary accessories plugged into the cigarette
lighter or in the accessory power outlets. Turn off
the radio and all lamps that aren't needed. This will
avoid sparks and help save both batteries. And it
could save your radio!
4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries. Find the
positive (+) and negative (
-) terminal locations on
each vehicle.
You will not need to access your battery for jump
starting. Your vehicle has a remote positive (+) jump
starting terminal for that purpose. The remote
positive (+) terminal is located in the engine
compartment on the passenger's side of the vehicle,
underneath the diagonal cross brace. See ªEngine
Compartment Overviewº in the Index for more
information on location.
6-18
How to Reset the Change Engine Oil Message
The GM Oil Life System calculates when to change
your engine oil and filter based on vehicle use. Anytime
your oil is changed, reset the system so it can calculate
when the next oil change is required. If a situation
occurs where you change your oil prior to a being turned
on, reset the system.
After changing the engine oil, the system must be reset.
To reset the CHANGE ENGINE OIL message use one
of the following procedures:
Using the Radio
1. Turn the ignition to ACC or ON, with the radio off.
2. Press and hold the TUNE DISP button on the radio for
at least five seconds until SETTINGS is displayed.
3. Press the SEEK PTYPE up or down arrow to scroll
through the main menu.4. Scroll until OIL LIFE appears on the display.
5. Press the 1 PREV or 2 NEXT button to enter the
submenu. RESET will be displayed.
6. Press the TUNE DISP button to reset. A chime will
be heard to verify the new setting and DONE will be
displayed for one second.
7. Once the message has been reset, scroll until EXIT
appears on the display.
8. Press the TUNE DISP button to exit programming.
A chime will be heard to verify the exit.
Using the Accelerator Pedal
1. Turn the ignition to ON, with the engine off.
2. Fully press and release the accelerator pedal three
times within five seconds.
If the CHANGE ENGINE OIL message flashes, the
system is reset. However, if it stays on, it did not reset.
You'll need to repeat the reset procedure.
6-20
3. Pull out the filter.
4. Check or install a new engine air cleaner/filter.
See ªNormal Maintenance Replacement Partsº in
the Index.
5. To reinstall the cover, position the tabs through the
slots on the housing. A notch on the sides of the
filter cover will indicate the correct engagement.
Reinstall the two clips on the top of the housing
when you are finished.
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine when to
replace the air filter.
See ªScheduled Maintenance Servicesº in the Index.
CAUTION:
Operating the engine with the air cleaner/filter
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/filter off.
NOTICE:
If the air cleaner/filter 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/filter in place when
you're driving.
Passenger Compartment Air Filter
(If Equipped)
The passenger compartment air filter is located
underneath the hood just below the windshield wiper
arm on the passenger's side of the vehicle (underneath
the air inlet grille).
The filter traps most of the pollen from air entering
the module. Like your engine's air cleaner/filter, it may
need to be changed periodically. For information on how
often to change the passenger compartment air filter, see
ªMaintenance Scheduleº in the Index.
To change the passenger compartment air filter, use the
following steps:
1. Turn off the ignition when the windshield wipers are
in the up position.
6-40
Windshield Wiper
Blade Replacement
Windshield wiper blades should be inspected at least
twice a year for wear or cracking. See ªWindshield
Wipers, Blade Checkº in the Index for
more information.
Replacement blades come in different types and are
removed in different ways. For proper type and length,
see ªNormal Maintenance Replacement Partsº in the
Index. Here's how to remove the wiper blades:
1. Turn on the wipers to the low wipe setting.
2. Turn off the ignition while the wipers are at the
outer positions of the wiper pattern. The blades are
more accessible for removal/replacement while in
this position.
3. Pull the windshield wiper arm away from
the windshield.
4. While holding the wiper arm away from the
glass, push the release clip from under the blade
connecting point and pull the old blade assembly
down toward the glass to remove it from the
wiper arm.
5. Push the new wiper blade securely on the wiper arm
until you hear the release clip ªclickº into place.
6-43 Tire Inflation Monitor System
(If Equipped)
The tire inflation monitor system can alert you to a large
change in the pressure of one tire. The system ªlearnsº
the pressure at each tire throughout the operating speed
range of your vehicle. The system normally takes
between 45 and 90 minutes of driving to learn the tire
pressures. This time may be longer depending on your
individual driving habits. Learning need not be
accumulated during a single trip. Once learned, the
system will remember the tire pressures until the
system is recalibrated.
After the system has learned tire pressures with properly
inflated tires, the LOW TIRE PRESSURE message
will come on if the pressure in one tire becomes 12 psi
(83 kPa) lower than the other three tires. The tire
inflation monitor system won't alert you if the
pressure in more than one tire is low, if the system
is not properly calibrated, or if the vehicle is moving
faster than 70 mph (110 km/h).
The tire inflation monitor system detects differences
in tire rotation speeds that are caused by changes in
tire pressure. The system can alert you about a low
tire
-- but it doesn't replace normal tire maintenance.
See ªTiresº in the Index.When the LOW TIRE PRESSURE message comes on,
you should stop as soon as you can and check all your
tires for damage. (If a tire is flat, see ªIf a Tire Goes
Flatº in the Index.) Also check the tire pressure in all
four tires as soon as you can. See ªInflation
- Tire
Pressureº in the Index.
The LOW TIRE PRESSURE message will also be
displayed (while the ignition is on) until you reset
(calibrate) the system.
Don't reset the tire inflation monitor system without
first correcting the cause of the problem and checking
and adjusting the pressure in all four tires. If you reset
the system when the tire pressures are incorrect, the
system will not work properly and may not alert you
when a tire is low.
Any time you adjust a tire's pressure, rotate your tires,
or have one or more tires repaired or replaced, you'll
need to reset (calibrate) the tire inflation monitor
system. You'll also need to reset the system whenever
you buy new tires and whenever the vehicle's battery
has been disconnected.
6-44
To reset (calibrate) the system: The tire inflation
monitor system can be reset two ways. With the
ignition position at ON, pull the interior lamps
control to the ON and OFF settings three times.
It can also be reset through the radio using the
following steps:
1. Turn the ignition to ACC or ON and turn the
radio off.
2. Press and hold the TUNE DISP button on the radio for
at least five seconds until SETTINGS is displayed.
3. Press the SEEK PTYPE up or down arrow to scroll
through the main menu.
4. Scroll until TIRE MON appears on the display.
5. Press the 1 PREV or 2 NEXT button to enter the
submenu. RESET will be displayed.
6. Press the TUNE DISP button to reset. A chime will
be heard to verify the new setting and DONE will be
displayed for one second.
7. Once the monitor has been reset, scroll until EXIT
appears on the display.
8. Press the DISP button to exit programming. A chime
will be heard to verify exit.
The system completes the calibration process
during driving.The system normally takes 15 to 20 minutes of driving
in each of three speed ranges to ªlearnº tire pressures.
The speed ranges are 15 to 40 mph (25 to 65 km/h),
40 to 65 mph (65 to 105 km/h) and above 65 mph
(105 km/h). When learning is complete, the system
will alert you after two to eight minutes if a tire is 12 psi
(83 kPa) different from the other three tires. Detection
thresholds may be higher and detection times may be
longer on rough roads, curves and at high speeds. The
system is not capable of detection at speeds greater than
70 mph (110 km/h).
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 ªWhen It's Time for New Tiresº and
ªWheel Replacementº 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 ªScheduled
Maintenance Servicesº in the Index for scheduled
rotation intervals.
6-62 Fuses and Circuit Breakers
The wiring circuits in your vehicle are protected
from short circuits by a combination of fuses, circuit
breakers and fusible thermal links in the wiring itself.
This greatly reduces the chance of fires caused by
electrical problems.
Look at the silver
-colored band inside the fuse. If the
band is broken or melted, replace the fuse. Be sure you
replace a bad fuse with a new one of the identical size
and rating.
Driver's Side Instrument Panel Fuse Block
Some fuses are in a fuse
block at the end of the
instrument panel on the
driver's side of the vehicle.
Pull off the cover labeled
FUSES to expose the fuses.
Mini Fuses Description
PCM/BCM/
CLSTRPowertrain Control Module,
Body Control Module,
Cluster (Ignition 0)
WSW Windshield Wipers,
Windshield Washer
PCM (CRANK) Powertrain Control
Module (Crank)