
You can be temporarily blinded  by approaching 
headlamps. 
It can  take  a second  or two,  or even several 
seconds,  for  your  eyes 
to readjust to the  dark.  When 
you  are  faced  with  severe  glare (as from  a  driver 
who  doesn’t  lower  the  high beams,  or  a vehicle with 
misaimed  headlamps), 
slow down a  little. Avoid staring 
directly  into  the  approaching headlamps. 
Keep  your  windshield and all  the glass  on  your  vehicle 
clean 
- inside and  out. Glare  at night is made much 
worse  by  dirt  on  the  glass.  Even the  inside of the  glass 
can  build up a  film caused by  dust. Dirty glass makes 
lights  dazzle  and flash more than clean  glass  would, 
making  the  pupils of your  eyes contract  repeatedly. 
Remember  that  your  headlamps light up  far less of a 
roadway  when  you  are in a turn  or curve.  Keep 
your  eyes  moving;  that  way,  it’s easier 
to pick out dimly 
lighted  objects. 
Just as your  headlamps should  be 
checked  regularly  for  proper aim, 
so should  your eyes 
be  examined  regularly.  Some drivers suffer from 
night  blindness 
- the  inability to see  in  dim light - and 
aren’t  even  aware of it. 
Driving in  Rain and on Wet Roads 
Rain and  wet roads  can mean driving trouble.  On a  wet 
road, you  can’t  stop, accelerate  or turn 
as well 
because  your tire-to-road traction  isn’t  as good  as  on 
dry  roads.  And, 
if your  tires  don’t  have  much tread  left, 
you’ll  get even less traction. 
It’s always wise to go 
slower and  be cautious 
if rain starts to fall while  you  are 
driving. The  surface may  get wet  suddenly when  your 
reflexes are tuned  for driving on dry  pavement. 
4-29  

Hydroplaning 
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water  can  build  up 
under  your  tires  that  they  can actually  ride on the 
water.  This can  happen 
if the  road is wet enough  and 
you’re  going fast  enough.  When  your  vehicle is 
hydroplaning,  it has little  or  no contact with the  road. 
Hydroplaning  doesn’t happen  often. But it can 
if 
your tires  do  not  have  much  tread or if the pressure  in 
one  or  more is  low.  It  can  happen 
if a lot of water  is 
standing  on  the  road.  If you  can  see  reflections 
from  trees,  telephone  poles  or  other vehicles,  and 
raindrops  “dimple” the water’s surface, there  could  be 
hydroplaning. 
Hydroplaning  usually  happens  at  higher speeds. There 
just  isn’t  a  hard and  fast  rule  about  hydroplaning. 
The  best  advice is  to  slow down when 
it is raining. 
Driving  Through  Deep  Standing Water 
Notice: If you  drive  too  quickly  through  deep 
puddles  or  standing  water,  water can  come 
in 
through  your  engine’s  air  intake  and  badly  damage 
your  engine.  Never  drive  through  water  that 
is 
slightly  lower  than  the  underbody of your  vehicle.  If 
you  can’t  avoid  deep  puddles  or  standing  water, 
drive  through  them  very  slowly. 
Drivhg  Through  Flowing  Water 
~~ 
I 
Flowing  or  rushing  water  creates  strong  forces. 
If you  try  to  drive  through  flowing  water,  as you 
might  at  a  low  water  crossing,  your  vehicle  can 
be  carried  away. 
As little  as six inches  of 
flowing  water  can  carry  away a  smaller  vehicle. 
If this  happens,  you  and  other  vehicle 
occupants  could  drown.  Don’t  ignore  police 
warning  signs,  and  otherwise  be  very  cautious 
about  trying  to  drive  through  flowing  water. 
Some  Other Rainy Weather  Tips 
Turn on your  low-beam headlamps - not just your 
parking lamps 
- to  help make you  more visible to 
others. 
* Besides slowing  down, allow some  extra following 
distance.  And be especially careful when  you 
pass another vehicle.  Allow  yourself more clear 
room ahead,  and be prepared  to have your 
view  restricted by  road  spray. 
* Have good tires  with  proper tread depth.  See Tires 
on page 5-55. 
4-31  

You can run the  engine  to keep  warm,  but be careful. 
L..Jw can  trap  exhaust  gases  ,..der your 
vehicle.  This  can  cause  deadly  CO (carbon 
monoxide)  gas  to  get  inside. 
CO could 
overcome  you  and  kill  you.  You  can’t see 
it or 
smell it, so you  might  not  know it is in  your 
vehicle.  Clear  away  snow  from  around  the  base  of your  vehicle,  especially  any  that  is 
blocking  your  exhaust  pipe.  And  check  around 
again  from  time  to  time  to  be  sure  snow 
doesn’t  collect  there. 
Open  a  window  just 
a little  on  the  side of the 
vehicle  that’s  away from  the  wind.  This  will 
help  keep 
CO out. 
Run  your  engine only 
as long as you  must.  This saves 
fuel.  When 
you run the  engine,  make  it  go a little 
faster  than  just  idle. That 
is, push  the  accelerator 
slightly. This  uses less fuel  for  the  heat  that 
you get and 
it keeps  the battery  charged.  You will  need  a 
well-charged battery 
to restart  the  vehicle,  and possibly 
for  signaling later 
on with  your  headlamps.  Let  the 
heater  run  for 
a while. 
4-40  

Section 5 Service  and  Appearance  Care 
Service ............................................................ 5.3 
Doing  Your  Own  Service  Work 
......................... 5-3 
Adding  Equipment 
to the  Outside  of Your 
Vehicle 
.................................................. 5-4 
................................................................ Fuel 5.5 
Gasoline  Octane ............................................ 5.5 
Gasoline  Specifications ................................... 5-5 
California  Fuel ............................................... 5-6 
Additives 
....................................................... 5.6 
Fuels  in Foreign  Countries 
............................... 5-6 
Filling  Your  Tank 
............................................ 5-7 
Filling a  Portable  Fuel  Container ....................... 5.9 
the  Hood .................... , .................... 5.10 
Hood Release ......................  ................ 5-10 
Engine  Compartment  Overview ....... ......... 5-12 
Engine Oil ....................................... ..... 5.13 
Engine  Air  Cleaner/Filter ............................. 5.17 
Automatic Transmission  Fluid ......................... 5-20 
Engine  Coolant ......................................... 5-22 
Checking Things Under 
~~ 
Coolant  Surge Tank  Pressure  Cap ............... 5-25 
Engine  Overheating ....................................... 5-25 
Cooling  System ............................................ 5.28 
Engine  Fan  Noise ......................................... 5.33 
Power  Steering  Fluid 
..................................... 5-34 
Windshield  Washer Fluid 
................................ 5.34 
Brakes 
........................................................ 5.36 
Battery 
........................................................ 5-39 
Jump  Starting 
............................................... 5.40 
All-Wheel  Drive .............................................. 5.46 
Rear  Axle .................................. .......... 5-48 
Bulb  Replacement .......................................... 5-49 
Halogen  Bulbs .............................................. 5-49 
Headlamps 
.................................................. 5-49 
Running  Lamps 
......................................... 5-50 
Center  High-Mounted  Stoplamp  (CHMSL) ......... 5-52 
Taillamps ..................................................... 5-52 
Replacement  Bulbs ................................... 5.53 
Front  Turn  Signal,  Sidemarker  and Daytime 
5- 1  

Bulb Replacement 
See  Replacement  Bulbs on page 5-53 for  the  proper 
type 
of bulbs  to use. 
For  any  bulb  changing procedure  not listed  in this 
section,  contact  your  dealer. 
Halogen Bulbs 
Halogen  bulbs  have  pressurized gas inside 
and  can  burst  if  you  drop or  scratch  the bulb. 
You  or  others  could  be injured.  Be  sure to read 
and 
follow the  instructions  on the  bulb 
package. 
Headlamps 
1. Remove  the two  pins  on the  top  of the  headlamp 
assembly. 
To remove the  pins, turn the  outer  pin 
outward and  pull 
it straight  up. To remove the  inner 
pin, turn  it  inward and  pull it straight  up. 
5-49  

A. Low-Beam Headlamp 
B. High-Beam Headlamp 
1. Pull the  headlamp assembly out. 
2. Unplug the electrical connector. 
3. Turn  the  bulb counterclockwise  and remove  it from 
the  headlamp assembly. 
4. Put the  new  bulb into the  headlamp assembly  and 
turn  it clockwise until  it is tight.  Use care  not  to 
touch  the  bulb with  your fingers  or hands. 
5. Plug  in the  electrical connector. 
6. Put  the  headlamp assembly back into the  vehicle. 
7. Install and turn  the two  pins into  the locking feature. 
A. Sidemarker Lamp 
B.  Retainer Clip 
C.  Front  Turn  Signal  Lamp 
D. Daytime Running  Lamp 
1. Remove  the headlamp assembly  as  mentioned 
previously. 
5-50  

2. Press the retainer  clip (B), located behind  the turn 
signal housing, towards  the outside  of the  vehicle. 
3. Pull  the turn  signal  housing  out from  the vehicle. 
4. Press  the locking  release lever, turn the  bulb socket 
counterclockwise and  remove it from the  turn signal 
housing. 
5. Remove the  bulb from the  bulb socket. 
6. Put  the  new bulb  into the  bulb socket. 
7. Put  the bulb socket  into the turn  signal  housing  and 
turn  it clockwise  until  it locks. 
8. Put  the turn  signal  housing  back onto the vehicle 
placing the  hook and 
posts on  the  inner  side  into 
the  alignment holes first  and then the  outer side  into 
the  retainer bracket  until you  hear a click. 
9. Put the  headlamp assembly  back into the  vehicle. 
5-5 1  

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.  Using  the  wrong  replacement  wheels,  wheel 
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 5-63 for  more 
information. 
5-6 1