
Children  who  are  up  against,  or v - lose  to, 
any  air  bag  when 
it inflates  can  be  seriously 
injured  or  killed.  Air  bags  plus  lap-shoulder 
belts  offer  outstanding  protection  for  adults  and 
older  children,  but  not  for  young  children  and  infants.  Neither  the  vehicle’s  safety  belt  system 
nor 
its air  bag  system  is designed  for  them. 
Young  children  and  infants  need  the  protection 
that  a  child  restraint  system  can  provide. 
Q: What  are the  different  types  of  add-on  child 
restraints? 
A: Add-on  child restraints,  which are purchased  by  the 
vehicle’s owner, are available  in four  basic  types. 
Selection  of a particular  restraint  should  take into 
consideration not  only  the  child’s  weight,  height  and 
age  but also  whether  or  not the  restraint  will  be 
compatible with  the  motor  vehicle  in which  it will 
be  used. 
For  most  basic types  of child  restraints,  there are 
many  different  models  available.  When  purchasing  a 
child restraint,  be  sure it is designed 
to be  used 
in  a  motor  vehicle. If it is,  the  restraint  will  have  a 
label saying that  it  meets federal  motor  vehicle 
safety standards. 
The  restraint manufacturer’s instructions  that  come 
with  the  restraint  state  the  weight  and  height 
limitations  for  a particular child  restraint.  In  addition, 
there are  many  kinds  of restraints available  for 
children with special  needs. 
1-34  

Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped 
Vehicle 
Air  bags  affect  how  your vehicle should  be serviced. 
There  are parts  of the  air bag  system  in several places 
around  your  vehicle. You  don’t  want  the system  to 
inflate while  someone 
is working on  your vehicle.  Your 
dealer and the service  manual  have information 
about  servicing your vehicle  and  the air bag  system.  To 
purchase  a  service manual,  see 
Service Publications 
Order’  Information 
on page 7- 10. 
E 
For  up  to 1 minute  after  the il tiol :ey is 
turned off and  the  battery  is  disconnected,  an 
air  bag  can 
still inflate  during  improper 
service.  You can  be  injured  if  you  are close  to 
an  air  bag  when 
it inflates.  Avoid  yellow 
connectors.  They  are  probably  part  of  the  air  bag  system.  Be  sure  to  follow  proper  service 
procedures,  and  make  sure  the  person  performing  work  for  you 
is qualified  to  do so. 
Adding  Equipment  to  Your Air 
Bag-Equipped  Vehicle 
Q: Is  there  anything I might  add  to  the  front  or 
sides  of  the  vehicle  that  could  keep the  air 
bags  from  working  properly? 
frame,  bumper  system,  front end or side  sheet 
metal  or  height,  they  may  keep  the  air  bag  system 
from working  properly.  Also,  the  air  bag  system 
may  not work  properly 
if you  relocate  any  of the  air 
bag  sensors. 
If you  have  any  questions  about 
this,  you  should contact  Customer  Assistance 
before  you modify  your  vehicle.  The  phone  numbers 
and  addresses  for  Customer  Assistance  are  in 
Step  Two  of the  Customer  Satisfaction  Procedure 
in  this  manual.  See 
Customer  Satisfaction 
Procedure 
on page 7-2. 
A: Yes.  If  you  add  things  that  change  your  vehicle’s 
The air bag  system  does  not need  regular maintenance. 
1 -72  

Th.,,ds  yo^ pur inside  your  vehicle can strike 
and  injure  people  in a  sudden  stop or turn,  or 
in  a  crash. 
Put  things  in the trunk  of  your  vehicle.  In a 
trunk,  put  them 
as far forward as  you  can. 
Try  to spread  the  weight  evenly. 
Never  stack  heavier  things, like suitcases, 
inside  the  vehicle 
so that  some of them 
are  above  the tops  of the  seats. 
Don’t  leave  an  unsecured child restraint  in 
your  vehicle. 
When  you  carry  something inside the 
vehicle,  secure  it whenever  you  can. 
There’s  also  important  loading information for off-road 
driving  in this  manual.  See  “Loading Your Vehicle 
for  Off-Road  Driving“  under 
Operating  Your 
All- Wheel-Drive Vehicle Off Paved Roads  on  page 4- 16. 
Payload 
Payload capacity is the  maximum  load capacity that  your 
vehicle  can  carry. Be sure  to include the  weight  of the 
occupants  as part of your  load. 
If you  added  any  accessories or 
equipment after your vehicle left  the 
factory,  remember  to subtract  the  weight  of  these things 
from  the payload.  Your dealer  can help  you with this. 
Remember  not to exceed  the Gross  Axle  Weight  Rating 
(GAWR)  of  the front or rear  axle. 
Two-Tiered Loading 
By positioning four 2’’ x 6’’  wooden  planks across  the 
width  of the  pickup box,  you  can create an upper 
load platform. The  planks  must  be inserted in  the pickup 
box  depressions.  The length  of the  planks  must allow 
for  at  least a 
3/4 inch (2 cm) bearing surface  on 
each  end  of the  plank. 
When  using this  upper load platform,  be sure  the  load  is 
securely  tied down  to prevent it from shifting. The 
load’s  center  of gravity should  be positioned  in a  zone 
over  the rear axle.  The  zone  is located in the  area 
between  the front  of each  wheel  well and the  rear of 
each  wheel  well.  The  center of gravity height  must not 
extend  above the  top  of the pickup  box flareboard. 
Any  load  that extends  beyond the vehicle’s taillamp area 
must  be  properly  marked according  to local  laws and 
regulations. 
Remember  not to exceed  the Gross  Axle  Weight  Rating 
(GAWR)  of  the front or  rear axle. 
4-47  

Brake Pedal  Travel Battery 
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. 
Replacing  Brake System Parts 
The braking  system  on  a vehicle is complex. Its  many 
parts  have to be  of top  quality  and  work  well together 
if 
the vehicle is to  have really  good braking.  Your vehicle 
was  designed  and  tested with top-quality 
GM brake parts. 
When  you replace parts  of your braking  system -for 
example,  when  your  brake linings wear  down  and  you 
need  new  ones  put in 
- be sure  you get  new  approved 
GM replacement parts.  If  you don’t, your brakes  may no 
longer work properly. For example, if someone  puts in 
brake linings that are  wrong for your vehicle,  the balance 
between  your front  and rear brakes  can change 
- for the 
worse. The braking  performance you’ve come to expect 
can  change  in many  other ways 
if someone  puts in the 
wrong  replacement brake parts.  Your  new 
vehicle comes  with  a  maintenance  free 
ACDelco@  battery. When it’s time  for  a  new  battery,  get 
one  that  has the replacement  number  shown  on  the 
original battery’s label.  We recommend  an  ACDelco@ 
battery.  See 
Engine Compartment  Overview  on 
page 
5-12 for  battery  location. 
Warning: Battery  posts, terminals  and related 
accessories contain lead  and lead  compounds, 
chemicals  known to the  State  of California  to  cause 
cancer  and reproductive  harm.  Wash  hands  after 
handling. 
5-42  

Wheel Alignment  and Tire  Balance 
The  wheels  on  your  vehicle were aligned  and  balanced 
carefully  at  the  factory  to give  you the  longest tire  life 
and  best  overall performance. 
Scheduled  wheel  alignment and  wheel  balancing are 
not  needed.  However, 
if you  notice unusual tire  wear or 
your  vehicle  pulling one  way  or  the other, the alignment 
may  need  to be  reset. 
If you  notice your vehicle 
vibrating  when  driving on  a  smooth  road,  your wheels 
may  need  to be  rebalanced. 
Wheel  Replacement 
Replace  any  wheel  that  is bent,  cracked,  or  badly rusted 
or  corroded. 
If wheel  nuts keep  coming  loose, the 
wheel,  wheel  bolts and  wheel  nuts should  be replaced. 
If  the  wheel  leaks air, replace it (except  some 
aluminum  wheels,  which  can  sometimes  be  repaired). 
See  your  dealer 
if any  of these conditions exist. 
Your  dealer  will know  the  kind  of wheel  you  need. 
Each  new  wheel  should have the same  load-carrying 
capacity,  diameter,  width,  offset and  be  mounted 
the  same  way  as the one it replaces. 
If  you  need  to  replace any 
of your  wheels,  wheel  bolts 
or  wheel  nuts,  replace them only with  new 
GM 
original  equipment  parts. This way,  you will be sure to 
have  the right  wheel,  wheel  bolts and  wheel  nuts 
for  your  vehicle.  Usin, 
__ __ wrong  replacement  wheels, 
whc 
bolts  or  wheel  nuts  on  your  vehicle  can  be 
dangerous. 
It could  affect  the  braking  and 
handling 
of your  vehicle,  make  your  tires  lose 
air  and  make  you 
lose control.  You  could  have 
a  collision 
in which  you  or  others  could  be 
injured.  Always  use  the  correct  wheel,  wheel 
bolts  and  wheel  nuts 
for replacement. 
Notice: The  wrong  wheel  can  also  cause  problems 
with  bearing  life, brake  cooling,  speedometer  or 
odometer  calibration,  headlamp  aim,  bumper  height, 
vehicle  ground  clearance  and  tire  clearance  to  the 
body  and  chassis. 
See 
Changing a Flat Tire  on page 5-69 for  more 
information. 
5-67