2004 CHEVROLET CAVALIER checking oil

Service............................................................5-3
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-4
Adding Equipment to the Outside of Your
Vehicle......................................................5-4
Fuel................................................................5-4
Gasoline Octane............................................5-5
Gasoline Specications....................................5-5
California Fuel...............................................5-5
Additives.......................................................5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-6
Filling Your Tank............................................5-7
Filling a Portable Fuel Container.......................5-9
Checking Things Under the Hood....................5-10
Hood Release..............................................5-10
Engine Compartment Overview.......................5-12
Engine Oil...................................................5-13
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-17
Automatic Transaxle Fluid..............................5-19
Manual Transaxle Fluid..................................5-19
Hydraulic Clutch...........................................5-19
Engine Coolant.............................................5-20
Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap..................5-23
Engine Overheating.......................................5-23
Cooling System............................................5-25
Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-30Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-31
Brakes........................................................5-32
Battery........................................................5-36
Jump Starting...............................................5-36
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-41
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-41
Headlamps..................................................5-41
Front Turn Signal and Parking Lamps..............5-43
Taillamps and Turn Signal Lamps...................5-44
Back-Up Lamps............................................5-44
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-44
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-45
Tires..............................................................5-46
Ination - Tire Pressure.................................5-53
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-54
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-55
Buying New Tires.........................................5-56
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-57
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-58
Wheel Replacement......................................5-58
Tire Chains..................................................5-60
If a Tire Goes Flat........................................5-61
Changing a Flat Tire.....................................5-62
Compact Spare Tire......................................5-72
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

Checking Things Under
the Hood
{CAUTION:
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.
{CAUTION:
Things that burn can get on hot engine parts
and start a re. These include liquids like fuel,
oil, coolant, brake uid, windshield washer and
other uids, 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.
Hood Release
To open the hood, do the following.
1. Pull the handle located
inside the vehicle on
the driver’s side
under the instrument
panel.
5-10

A. Coolant Surge Tank. SeeCooling System on
page 5-25.
B. Engine Oil Dipstick. See “Checking Engine Oil”
underEngine Oil on page 5-13.
C. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When to Add Engine Oil”
underEngine Oil on page 5-13.
D. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See “Brake Fluid” under
Brakes on page 5-32.
E. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir. SeePower Steering
Fluid on page 5-30.
F. Clutch Master Cylinder Reservoir (If Equipped) (Not
Shown). SeeHydraulic Clutch on page 5-19.
G. Battery. SeeBattery on page 5-36.
H. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. SeeEngine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 5-17.
I. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. SeeWindshield
Washer Fluid on page 5-31.
J. Engine Compartment Fuse Block. See “Engine
Compartment Fuse Block” underFuses and Circuit
Breakers on page 5-81.Engine Oil
If the oil pressure light
appears on the instrument
cluster, it means you
need to check your engine
oil level right away.
For more information, seeOil Pressure Light on
page 3-32.
You should check your engine oil level regularly; this is
an added reminder.
Checking Engine Oil
It is a good idea to check your engine oil every time you
get fuel. In order to get an accurate reading, the oil
must be warm and the vehicle must be on level ground.
The engine oil dipstick handle is a yellow loop. See
Engine Compartment Overview on page 5-12for
the location of the engine oil dipstick.
Turn off the engine and give the oil several minutes to
drain back into the oil pan. If you don’t, the oil
dipstick might not show the actual level.
5-13

Care of
Safety Belts................................................5-75
Your CD Player...........................................3-68
Your CDs ...................................................3-68
Cassette Tape Player Service...........................6-18
CD Messages................................3-42, 3-51, 3-66
Center Console Storage Area...........................2-34
Chains, Tires..................................................5-60
Charging System Light....................................3-24
Check
Engine Light...............................................3-29
Gages Warning Light...................................3-33
Check Engine Light.........................................3-29
Checking Coolant............................................5-22
Checking Engine Oil........................................5-13
Checking Things Under the Hood......................5-10
Chemical Paint Spotting...................................5-78
Child Restraints
Child Restraint Systems...............................1-34
Infants and Young Children...........................1-31
Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System)..........................1-40
Older Children.............................................1-29
Securing a Child Restraint Designed
for the LATCH System..............................1-42
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear
Seat Position...........................................1-42Child Restraints (cont.)
Securing a Child Restraint in the
Right Front Seat Position..........................1-44
Top Strap...................................................1-38
Top Strap Anchor Location............................1-39
Where to Put the Restraint...........................1-37
Chime Level Adjustment..................................3-68
Cigarette Lighter.............................................3-16
Cleaning
Inside of Your Vehicle..................................5-73
Outside of Your Vehicle................................5-75
Underbody Maintenance...............................5-78
Weatherstrips..............................................5-75
Cleaning Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels.....5-77
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses.......................5-76
Cleaning Fabric/Carpet....................................5-73
Cleaning Glass Surfaces..................................5-75
Cleaning Interior Plastic Components.................5-74
Cleaning the Top of the Instrument Panel...........5-74
Cleaning Tires................................................5-77
Cleaning Vinyl................................................5-74
Cleaning Windshield and Wiper Blades..............5-76
Climate Control System...................................3-16
Outlet Adjustment........................................3-19
Clutch, Hydraulic.............................................5-19
Compact Spare Tire........................................5-72
Content Theft-Deferrent....................................2-14
3