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Vehicle Storage
If you’re not going to drive your vehicle for 25 days or
more, remove the black, negative (−) cable from
the battery. This will help keep your battery from
running down.
{CAUTION:
Batteries have acid that can burn you and gas
that can explode. You can be badly hurt if you
aren’t careful. See“Jump Starting”next for
tips on working around a battery without
getting hurt.
Contact your dealer to learn how to prepare your
vehicle for longer storage periods.
Also, for your audio system, seeTheft-Deterrent
Feature on page 3-122.
Jump Starting
If your battery (or batteries) has run down, you may
want to use another vehicle and some jumper cables to
start your vehicle. Be sure to follow the steps below
to do it safely.
{CAUTION:
Batteries can hurt you. They can be dangerous
because:
They contain acid that can burn you.
They contain gas that can explode or
ignite.
They contain enough electricity to
burn you.
If you don’t follow these steps exactly, some
or all of these things can hurt you.
Notice:Ignoring these steps could result in costly
damage to your vehicle that wouldn’t be covered
by your warranty.
Trying to start your vehicle by pushing or pulling it
won’t work, and it could damage your vehicle.
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with a negative ground system.
Notice:If the other system isn’t a 12-volt system
with a negative ground, both vehicles can be
damaged.
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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 brakefirmly on both vehicles involved in
the jump start procedure. Put the automatic
transmission in PARK (P) before setting the parking
brake. If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle, be
sure the transfer case is in a drive gear not in
NEUTRAL.
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 the 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 positive (+) and
negative (−) terminal locations of the other vehicle.
Your vehicle has a remote positive (+) jump
starting terminal and a remote negative (−) jump
starting terminal. You should always use these
remote terminals instead of the terminals on the
battery.
The remote positive (+) terminal is located behind a
red plastic cover near the engine accessory drive
bracket. To uncover the remote positive (+) terminal,
open the red plastic cover.
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The remote negative (−) terminal is located on the
engine drive bracket on all V8 and diesel engines,
and on the thermostat housing on the 8.1L
engine. On V8 engines it is marked″GND.″
SeeEngine Compartment Overview on page 5-12
for more information on location.
{CAUTION:
Using a match near a battery can cause battery
gas to explode. People have been hurt doing
this, and some have been blinded. Use a
ashlight if you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water. You
don’t need to add water to the ACDelco
®
battery installed in your new vehicle. But if a
battery has ller caps, be sure the right
amount of uid is there. If it is low, add water
to take care of that rst. If you don’t, explosive
gas could be present.
Battery uid contains acid that can burn you.
Don’t get it on you. If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or on your skin, ush the place with
water and get medical help immediately.
{CAUTION:
Fans or other moving engine parts can injure
you badly. Keep your hands away from moving
parts once the engine is running.
5. Check that the jumper cables don’t have loose or
missing insulation. If they do, you could get a
shock. The vehicles could be damaged too.
Before you connect the cables, here are some
basic things you should know. Positive (+) will go to
positive (+) or a remote positive (+) terminal if the
vehicle has one. Negative (−) will go to a heavy,
unpainted metal engine part or a remote
negative (−) terminal if the vehicle has one.
Don’t connect positive (+) to negative (−)oryou’ll
get a short that would damage the battery and
maybe other parts too. And don’t connect the
negative (−) cable to the negative (−) terminal on
the dead battery because this can cause sparks.
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9. Connect the other end
of the negative (−)
cable to the
negative (−) terminal of
the dead battery or to a
remote negative (−)
terminal if the vehicle
has one.
10. Now start the vehicle with the good battery and run
the engine for a while.
11. Try to start the vehicle that had the dead battery. If
it won’t start after a few tries, it probably needs
service.
Notice:Damage to your vehicle may result from
electrical shorting if jumper cables are removed
incorrectly. To prevent electrical shorting, take care
that the cables don’t touch each other or any
other metal. The repairs wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.A. Heavy, Unpainted Metal Engine Part or Remote
Negative Terminal
B. Good Battery or Remote Positive (+) and Remote
Negative (−) Terminals
C. Dead Battery or Remote Positive (+) Terminal
Jumper Cable Removal
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To disconnect the jumper cables from both vehicles do
the following:
1. Disconnect the black negative (−) cable from the
vehicle that had the bad battery.
2. Disconnect the black negative (−) cable from
vehicle with the good battery.
3. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from the
vehicle with the good battery.
4. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from the other
vehicle.
5. Return the positive (+) remote terminal cover to its
original position.
All-Wheel Drive
Lubricant checks in this section also apply to these
vehicles. However, there are two additional systems that
need lubrication.
Transfer Case
When to Check Lubricant
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine how
often to check the lubricant. SeePart C: Periodic
Maintenance Inspections on page 6-15.
How to Check Lubricant
To get an accurate reading, the vehicle should be on a
level surface.Automatic Transfer Case (A) Fill Plug (B) Drain Plug
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