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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
vehicle, and a part devoted to its appearance care.
6
-2 Service
6
-3 Fuel
6
-5 Fuels in Foreign Countries
6
-6 Filling Your Tank
6
-8 Filling a Portable Fuel Container
6
-8 Checking Things Under the Hood
6
-11 Engine Oil
6
-17 Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
6
-19 Passenger Compartment Air Filter
6
-20 Automatic Transmission Fluid
6
-23 Rear Axle
6
-24 All-Wheel Drive
6
-26 Engine Coolant
6
-29 Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap
6
-30 Power Steering Fluid6
-31 Windshield Washer Fluid
6
-32 Brakes
6
-36 Battery
6
-37 Bulb Replacement
6
-41 Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
6
-42 Tires
6
-51 Appearance Care
6
-51 Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle
6
-55 Cleaning the Outside of Your Vehicle
6
-59 GM Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials
6
-60 Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
6
-61 Electrical System
6
-69 Replacement Bulbs
6
-70 Capacities and Specifications
6
-71 Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
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6-2
Service
Your dealer knows your vehicle best and wants you to
be happy with it. We hope you'll go to your dealer for
all your service needs. You'll get genuine GM parts and
GM
-trained and supported service people.
We hope you'll want to keep your GM vehicle all GM.
Genuine GM parts have one of these marks:
Doing Your Own Service Work
If you want to do some of your own service work, you'll
want to use the proper service manual. It tells you much
more about how to service your vehicle than this manual
can. To order the proper service manual, see ªService
and Owner Publicationsº in the Index.
Your vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting to
do your own service work, see ªServicing Your Air
Bag
-Equipped Vehicleº in the Index.
You should keep a record with all parts receipts and list
the mileage and the date of any service work you
perform. See ªMaintenance Recordº in the Index.
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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 regular unleaded gasoline with a posted octane of
87 or higher. 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. A little pinging
noise when you accelerate or drive uphill is considered
normal. This does not indicate a problem exists or that a
higher
-octane fuel is necessary.
Gasoline Specifications
It is recommended that gasoline meet specifications
which were developed by the American Automobile
Manufacturers Association and endorsed by the
Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers' Association for better
vehicle performance and engine protection. Gasolines
meeting these specifications could provide improved
driveability and emission control system performance
compared to other gasolines.
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6-4
In Canada, look for
the ªAuto Makers'
Choiceº label on
the pump.
Canada Only
California Fuel
If your vehicle is certified to meet California Emission
Standards (see the underhood emission control label),
it is designed to operate on fuels that meet California
specifications. If this fuel is not available in states
adopting California emissions standards, your vehicle
will operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting federal
specifications, but emission control system performance
may be affected. The malfunction indicator lamp may
turn on (see ªMalfunction Indicator Lampº in the Index)
and your vehicle may fail a smog
-check test.If this occurs, return to your authorized GM dealer for
diagnosis. If it is determined that the condition is caused
by the type of fuel used, repairs may not be covered by
your warranty.
Additives
Some gasolines that are not reformulated for low
emissions may contain an octane
-enhancing additive
called methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl
(MMT); ask the attendant where you buy gasoline
whether the fuel contains MMT. General Motors does
not recommend the use of such gasolines. Fuels
containing MMT can reduce the life of spark plugs and
the performance of the emission control system may be
affected. The malfunction indicator lamp may turn on.
If this occurs, return to your authorized GM dealer
for service.
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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 CHANGE
ENGINE OIL message being turned on, reset
the system.
To reset the CHANGE ENGINE OIL message, do
the following:
1. Turn the ignition key to RUN with the engine off.
2. Fully press and release the accelerator pedal three
times within five seconds.
3. If the CHANGE ENGINE OIL message flashes for
five seconds, the system is reset.
If the system does not reset, try the procedure
once again. If it still does not reset, see your dealer
for service.What to Do with Used Oil
Used engine oil contains certain elements that may be
unhealthy for your skin and could even cause cancer.
Don't let used oil stay on your skin for very long. Clean
your skin and nails with soap and water, or a good hand
cleaner. Wash or properly throw away clothing or rags
containing used engine oil. See the manufacturer's
warnings about the use and disposal of oil products.
Used oil can be a threat to the environment. If you
change your own oil, be sure to drain all the oil from the
filter before disposal. Never dispose of oil by putting it
in the trash, pouring it on the ground, into sewers, or
into streams or bodies of water. Instead, recycle it by
taking it to a place that collects used oil. If you have a
problem properly disposing of your used oil, ask your
dealer, a service station or a local recycling center
for help.
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Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
The engine air cleaner/filter assembly has an air filter
restriction indicator that lets you know when the engine
air cleaner/filter is dirty and needs to be serviced. The
air filter restriction indicator is located on the air filter
assembly cover. See ªEngine Compartment Overviewº
in the Index for more information on location.
See ªOwner Checks and Servicesº in the Index to
determine when to check the air filter restriction indicator.
The service window (A)
with the percentage scale
shows the amount of engine
air cleaner/filter life used.
When both service window (A) and service window (B)
turn orange, replace the engine air cleaner/filter.
After changing the engine air cleaner/filter, press the
button on top of the air filter restriction indicator to reset it.
Your engine air cleaner/filter is located in the air filter
housing near the front corner of the engine compartment
on the passenger's side of the vehicle. See ªEngine
Compartment Overviewº in the Index for more
information on location.
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1. To remove the engine air cleaner/filter, loosen the
screws on the cover.
2. Lift the cover upward and remove the engine air
cleaner/filter out of the air cleaner housing. Care
should be taken to dislodge as little dirt as possible.
3. Clean the filter sealing surface and the housing.
4. Install the new engine air cleaner/filter.
5. Install the cover and tighten the screws.Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine when to
replace the engine air cleaner/filter. See ªOwner Checks
and 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.
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Passenger Compartment Air Filter
The filter is located under the instrument panel below
the glove compartment.
To replace the passenger compartment air filter do
the following:
1. Remove the bolts on the access panel and set the
panel aside. Because this operation can be a little
difficult, you may choose to have it done at your
dealer's service department.
2. Reach under the
instrument panel
towards the front of
the vehicle and pull
downward on the
filter retaining bracket.3. Remove the air filter by pulling downward on the
element. Remove the second portion of the air filter
by sliding it towards the rear of the vehicle and then
pulling downward.
4. Install the new filter by reversing the steps listed
previously. Be sure to follow any instructions that
may be included in the replacement filter package.
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine
when to replace the passenger compartment air filter.
See ªScheduled Maintenanceº in the Index.