2004 CHEVROLET AVEO Owners Manual

Care of Safety Belts
Keep belts clean and dry.
{CAUTION:
Do not bleach or dye safety belts. If you do, it
may severely weaken them. In a crash, they
might not be able to provide adequate
protection. Clean safety belts only with mild
soap and lukewarm water.
Weatherstrips
Silicone grease on weatherstrips will make them last
longer, seal better, and not stick or squeak. Apply
silicone grease with a clean cloth at least every six
months. During very cold, damp weather more frequent
application may be required. SeePart D: Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants on page 6-26.
Cleaning the Outside of Your
Vehicle
The paint finish on your vehicle provides beauty, depth
of color, gloss retention and durability.
Washing Your Vehicle
The best way to preserve your vehicle’s finish is to keep
it clean by washing it often with lukewarm or cold
water.
Do not wash your vehicle in the direct rays of the sun.
Use a car washing soap. Do not use strong soaps
or chemical detergents. Be sure to rinse the vehicle well,
removing all soap residue completely. You can get
GM-approved cleaning products from your dealer. See
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials on page 5-82.
Do not use cleaning agents that are petroleum based,
or that contain acid or abrasives. All cleaning agents
should be flushed promptly and not allowed to dry on the
surface, or they could stain. Dry the finish with a soft,
clean chamois or an all-cotton towel to avoid surface
scratches and water spotting.
High pressure car washes may cause water to enter
your vehicle.
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Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses
Use only lukewarm or cold water, a soft cloth and a car
washing soap to clean exterior lamps and lenses.
Follow instructions under “Washing Your Vehicle.”
Finish Care
Occasional waxing or mild polishing of your vehicle by
hand may be necessary to remove residue from the
paint finish. You can get GM-approved cleaning products
from your dealer. SeeVehicle Care/Appearance
Materials on page 5-82.
Your vehicle has a “basecoat/clearcoat” paint finish.
The clearcoat gives more depth and gloss to the colored
basecoat. Always use waxes and polishes that are
non-abrasive and made for a basecoat/clearcoat paint
finish.
Notice:Machine compounding or aggressive
polishing on a basecoat/clearcoat paint nish may
damage it. Use only non-abrasive waxes and
polishes that are made for a basecoat/clearcoat
paint nish on your vehicle.
Foreign materials such as calcium chloride and other
salts, ice melting agents, road oil and tar, tree sap, bird
droppings, chemicals from industrial chimneys, etc.,
can damage your vehicle’s finish if they remain onpainted surfaces. Wash the vehicle as soon as possible.
If necessary, use non-abrasive cleaners that are
marked safe for painted surfaces to remove foreign
matter.
Exterior painted surfaces are subject to aging, weather
and chemical fallout that can take their toll over a
period of years. You can help to keep the paint finish
looking new by keeping your vehicle garaged or covered
whenever possible.
Cleaning Windshield and Wiper Blades
If the windshield is not clear after using the windshield
washer, or if the wiper blade chatters when running,
wax, sap or other material may be on the blade
or windshield.
Clean the outside of the windshield with a full-strength
glass cleaning liquid. The windshield is clean if beads do
not form when you rinse it with water.
Grime from the windshield will stick to the wiper blades
and affect their performance. Clean the blade by
wiping vigorously with a cloth soaked in full-strength
windshield washer solvent. Then rinse the blade
with water.
Check the wiper blades and clean them as necessary;
replace blades that look worn.
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Cleaning Aluminum Wheels
Keep your wheels clean using a soft clean cloth with
mild soap and water. Rinse with clean water. After
rinsing thoroughly, dry with a soft clean towel. A wax
may then be applied.
The surface of these wheels is similar to the painted
surface of your vehicle. Do not use strong soaps,
chemicals, abrasive polishes, abrasive cleaners,
cleaners with acid, or abrasive cleaning brushes on
them because you could damage the surface. Do not
use chrome polish on aluminum wheels.
Do not take your vehicle through an automatic car wash
that has silicone carbide tire cleaning brushes. These
brushes can also damage the surface of these wheels.
Cleaning Tires
To clean your tires, use a stiff brush with tire cleaner.
Notice:Using petroleum-based tire dressing
products on your vehicle may damage the paint
nish and/or tires. When applying a tire dressing,
always wipe off any overspray from all painted
surfaces on your vehicle.
Sheet Metal Damage
If your vehicle is damaged and requires sheet metal
repair or replacement, make sure the body repair shop
applies anti-corrosion material to parts repaired or
replaced to restore corrosion protection.
Original manufacturer replacement parts will provide the
corrosion protection while maintaining the warranty.
Finish Damage
Any stone chips, fractures or deep scratches in the
finish should be repaired right away. Bare metal
will corrode quickly and may develop into major repair
expense.
Minor chips and scratches can be repaired with touch-up
materials avaliable from your dealer. Larger areas of
finish damage can be corrected in your dealer’s
body and paint shop.
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Underbody Maintenance
Chemicals used for ice and snow removal and dust
control can collect on the underbody. If these are not
removed, corrosion and rust can develop on the
underbody parts such as fuel lines, frame, floor pan
and exhaust system even though they have corrosion
protection.
At least every spring, flush these materials from the
underbody with plain water. Clean any areas where mud
and debris can collect. Dirt packed in close areas of
the frame should be loosened before being flushed.
Your dealer or an underbody car washing system can
do this for you.
Chemical Paint Spotting
Some weather and atmospheric conditions can create a
chemical fallout. Airborne pollutants can fall upon and
attack painted surfaces on your vehicle. This damage
can take two forms: blotchy, ring-shaped discolorations,
and small, irregular dark spots etched into the paint
surface.
Although no defect in the paint job causes this, GM will
repair, at no charge to the owner, the surfaces of
new vehicles damaged by this fallout condition within
12 months or 12,000 miles (20 000 km) of purchase,
whichever occurs first.
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials
See your GM dealer for more information on purchasing
the following products.
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials
Description Usage
Polishing Cloth
Wax-TreatedInterior and exterior
polishing cloth.
Tar and Road
Oil RemoverRemoves tar, road oil
and asphalt.
Chrome Cleaner
and PolishUse on chrome or
stainless steel.
White Sidewall
Tire CleanerRemoves soil and black
marks from whitewalls.
Vinyl CleanerCleans vinyl tops,
upholstery and
convertible tops.
Glass CleanerRemoves dirt, grime,
smoke and fingerprints.
Chrome and Wire
Wheel CleanerRemoves dirt and grime
from chrome wheels and
wire wheel covers.
Finish EnhancerRemoves dust,
fingerprints, and surface
contaminants. Spray on
wipe off.
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Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials
(cont’d)
Description Usage
Swirl Remover PolishRemoves swirl marks,
fine scratches and
other light surface
contamination.
Cleaner WaxRemoves light scratches
and protects finish.
Foaming Tire Shine
Low GlossCleans, shines and
protects in one easy step,
no wiping necessary.
Wash Wax ConcentrateMedium foaming
shampoo. Cleans and
lightly waxes.
Biodegradable and
phosphate free.
Spot LifterQuickly and easily
removes spots and stains
from carpets, vinyl and
cloth upholstery.
Odor EliminatorOdorless spray odor
eliminator used on
fabrics, vinyl, leather
and carpet.
See your General Motors parts department for these
products. SeePart D: Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 6-26.
Vehicle Identication
Vehicle Identication Number (VIN)
This is the legal identifier for your vehicle. It appears on
a plate in the front corner of the instrument panel, on
the driver’s side. You can see it if you look through the
windshield from outside your vehicle. The VIN also
appears on the Vehicle Certification and Service Parts
labels and the certificates of title and registration.
Engine Identication
The 8th character in your VIN is the engine code.
This code will help you identify your engine,
specifications and replacement parts.
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Service Parts Identication Label
You will find this label inside of the glove box. It is very
helpful if you ever need to order parts. On this label is:
•your VIN,
•the model designation,
•paint information and
•a list of all production options and special equipment.
Be sure that this label is not removed from the vehicle.
Electrical System
Add-On Electrical Equipment
Notice:Don’t add anything electrical to your vehicle
unless you check with your dealer rst. Some
electrical equipment can damage your vehicle and
the damage wouldn’t be covered by your warranty.
Some add-on electrical equipment can keep other
components from working as they should.
Your vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting to
add anything electrical to your vehicle, seeServicing
Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle on page 1-58.
Headlamp Wiring
The headlamp wiring is protected by fuses, one for each
headlamp, in the fuse block. An electrical overload
will cause the lamps to turn off. If this happens, have
your headlamp wiring checked right away.
Windshield Wiper Fuses
The windshield wiper motor is protected by an internal
circuit breaker and a fuse. If the motor overheats due to
heavy snow, etc., the wiper will stop until the motor
cools. If the overload is caused by some electrical
problem and not snow, etc., be sure to get it fixed.
Power Windows and Other Power
Options
Circuit breakers in the fuse block protect the power
windows and other power accessories. When the current
load is too heavy, the circuit breaker opens and closes,
protecting the circuit until the problem is fixed or
goes away.
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Fuses and Circuit Breakers
The wiring circuits in your vehicle are protected from
short circuits by a combination of fuses, circuit breakers
and fusible thermal links in the wiring itself.
Look at the silver-colored band inside the fuse. If the
band is broken or melted, replace the fuse. Be sure you
replace a bad fuse with a new one of the identical
size and rating.
There are spare fuses provided in the engine
compartment fuse block. If you ever have a problem on
the road and do not have a spare fuse, you can borrow
one that has the same amperage. Just pick a feature of
your vehicle that you can get along without — like the
radio or cigarette lighter — and use its fuse, if it is the
correct amperage. Replace it as soon as you can.
There are two fuse blocks in your vehicle: the instrument
panel fuse block and the engine compartment fuse
block.
There is a fuse puller located on the engine
compartment fuse block. It can be used to easily
remove fuses from the fuse block.
Instrument Panel Fuse Block
The instrument panel fuse block is located on the end of
the instrument panel on the driver’s side of the vehicle.
To access the fuses, open the fuse panel door by
pulling the door out.
To reinstall the door, first insert the rear edge of the
fuse panel door, then push the front of the door into the
end of the instrument panel to secure it.
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Fuses Usage
CIGAR JACK Cigar Jack
HORN Horn
AUDIO, CLOCK Audio, Clock
STOP LAMP Stop Lamp
T/SIG Turn Signal
METER,
HAZARDInstrument Panel Cluster, Hazard
Flasher
METER,
CLOCKInstrument Panel Cluster, Clock
DOOR LOCK,
RKEDoor Lock, Remote Keyless Entry
BACK UP
LAMPBack Up Lamp
ECM, TCMEngine Control Module,
Transmission Control Module
ECM, TCMEngine Control Module,
Transmission Control Module
WIPER,
WASHERWiper, Washer
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