2003 Oldsmobile Alero Owner's Manuals

Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement ............. 5-52
Tires
.............................................................. 5.53
Inflation .. Tire Pressure ................................ 5.54
Tire Inspection and Rotation ........................... 5.55
When It Is Time for New Tires ....................... 5-56
Buying New Tires
......................................... 5-56
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
.......................... 5-57
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
.................. 5-58
Wheel Replacement
.................................... -559
Tire Chains .................................................. 5-60
If a Tire Goes Flat ........................................ 5-61
Compact Spare Tire
...................................... 5-71
Appearance Care
............................................ 5-72
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle
................. 5-72
Care
of Safety Belts .................................. 5-75
Weatherstrips
.................... ........... 5-75
Cleaning the Outside
of
Your Vehicle .............. ...... -575
Changing
a Flat Tire
..................................... 5-62 Sheet
Metal Damage
..................................... 5.77
Finish Damage
............................................. 5-77
Underbody Maintenance
................................ 5-78
Chemical Paint Spotting
................................. 5-78
GM Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials
........... 5.78
Vehicle Identification
..................................... 5-80
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
................. 5-80
Service Parts Identification Label
.................... 5-80
Electrical System
............................................ 5-81
Add-on Electrical Equipment
........................ -5-81
Windshield Wiper Fuses
................................ 5-81
Power Windows and Other Power Options
....... 5-81
Fuses and Circuit Breakers
............................ 5-81
Capacities and Specifications
.... .............. 5.86
Capacities and Specifications
......................... 5.86
Normal Maintenance Replacement
Parts .......... 5.88
5-2

Service We hope you’ll want to keep your GM vehicle all GM.
Genuine GM parts have one
of these marks:
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.
5-3

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
Service Publications Ordering Information on
page
7- 10.
Your vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting
to do your own service work, see
Servicing Your Air
Bag-Equipped Vehicle on page 1-59.
You should keep a record with all parts receipts and list
the mileage and the date of any service work you
perform. See
Part E: Maintenance Record on page 6- 16.
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. “English” and “metric”
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.
5-4

Fuel
Use of the recommended fuel is an important part of the
proper maintenance of your vehicle.
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 this
occurs, use a gasoline rated at
87 octane or higher as
soon as possible. Otherwise, you might 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.
If you are using 87 octane or higher-octane
fuel and hear heavy knocking, your engine needs
service.
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. Gasoline
meeting these specifications could provide improved
driveability and emission control system performance
compared to other gasoline.
In Canada, look for the
“Auto Makers’ Choice”
label on the pump.
5-5

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
Malfunction indicator Lamp on page 3-31 )
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
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines in the United States
are now required to contain additives that will help
prevent engine and fuel system deposits from forming,
allowing your emission control system to work
properly. You should not have to add anything to your
fuel. Gasolines containing oxygenates, such as
ethers and ethanol, and reformulated gasolines may be
available in your area to contribute to clean air.
General Motors recommends that you use these
gasolines, particularly
if they comply with the
specifications described earlier.
Notices Your vehicle was not designed for fuel that
contains methanol. Don’t use fuel containing
methanol. It can corrode metal parts in your fuel
system and also damage the plastic and rubber
parts. That damage wouldn’t be covered under your
warranty.
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.
Fuels in Foreign Countries
If you plan on driving in another country outside the
United States or Canada, the proper fuel may be hard
to find. Never use leaded gasoline or any other fuel
not recommended in the previous text on fuel. Costly
repairs caused by use of improper fuel wouldn’t be
covered by your warranty.
To check the fuel availability, ask an auto club, or
contact a major oil company that does business in the
country where you’ll be driving.
5-6

Filling Your Tank The tethered fuel cap is behind a hinged door on the
passenger’s side of the vehicle.
Fuel vapor is highly flammable.
It burns
violently, and that can cause very bad injuries.
Don’t smoke if you’re near fuel or refueling
your vehicle. Keep sparks, flames and smoking
materials away from fuel.
While refueling, hang the tethered fuel cap inside the
fuel door.
To remove the ftjel cap: turn it slowly to the left
(counterclockwise). The fuel cap has a spring in it;
if you let go of the cap too soon, it will spring back to
the right.
5-7

If you get fuel on yourself and then somett --g
ignites it, you could be badly burned. Fuel can
spray out on you if you open the fuel cap too
quickly. This spray can happen
if your tank is
nearly full, and
is more likely in hot weather.
Open the fuel cap slowly and wait for any “hiss” noise to stop. Then unscrew the cap all the way.
Be careful not to spill fuel. Clean fuel from painted
surfaces as soon as possible. See
Cleaning the Outside
of Your Vehicle on page 5-75.
When you put the fuel cap back on, turn it to the right
(clockwise) until you hear a clicking sound. Make
sure you fully install the cap. The diagnostic system can
determine
if the fuel cap has been left off or improperly
installed. This would allow fuel to evaporate into the
atmosphere. See
Malfunction lndicator Lamp on
page
3-31.
Notice: If you need a new fuel cap, be sure to get
the
right type. Your dealer can get one for you. If you
get the wrong type,
it may not fit properly. This may
cause your malfunction indicator lamp to light and
may damage your fuel tank and emissions system.
See “Malfunction lndicator Lamp”
in the Index.
Filling a Portable Fuel Container
m-=
Never fill a portable fuel container while it is in
your vehicle. Static electricity discharge from
the container can ignite the gasoline vapor.
You can be badly burned and your vehicle
damaged if this occurs. To help avoid injury to
you and others:
Dispense gasoline only into approved
containers.
Do not fill a container while it is inside a
vehicle, in a vehicle’s trunk, pickup bed or
on any surface other than the ground.
Bring the fill nozzle in contact with the
inside of the fill opening before operating
the nozzle. Contact should be maintained until the filling is complete.
Don’t smoke while pumping gasoline.
5-8

Checking Things Under
the HnDd
An electric fan under the hood can start up
and injure you even when the engine
is not
running. Keep hands, clothing and tools away
from any underhood electric fan.
I-
I Thi ,s thai urn can - t on hot engir parts
and start a fire. These include
liquids like fuel,
oil, coolant, brake fluid, windshield washer and
other fluids, and plastic or rubber. You or
others could be burned. Be careful not to drop or
spill things that will burn onto a hot engine.
5-9