2004 CHEVROLET SSR Owners Manual

Brakes
Brake Fluid
Your brake master cylinder reservoir is lled with DOT-3
brake uid. SeeEngine Compartment Overview on
page 5-12for the location of the reservoir.
There are only two reasons why the brake uid level in
the reservoir might go down. The rst is that the
brake uid goes down to an acceptable level during
normal brake lining wear. When new linings are put in,
the uid level goes back up. The other reason is
that uid is leaking out of the brake system. If it is,you should have your brake system xed, since a leak
means that sooner or later your brakes will not work
well, or will not work at all.
So, it is not a good idea to “top off” your brake uid.
Adding brake uid will not correct a leak. If you add uid
when your linings are worn, then you will have too
much uid when you get new brake linings. You should
add (or remove) brake uid, as necessary, only when
work is done on the brake hydraulic system.
{CAUTION:
If you have too much brake uid, it can spill on
the engine. The uid will burn if the engine is
hot enough. You or others could be burned,
and your vehicle could be damaged. Add brake
uid only when work is done on the brake
hydraulic system. See “Checking Brake Fluid”
in this section.
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine when
to check your brake uid. SeeScheduled Maintenance
on page 6-4.
5-33

Checking Brake Fluid
You can check the brake uid without taking off the cap.
Just look at the brake uid
reservoir. The uid level
should be above MIN. If it
is not, have your brake
system checked to
see if there is a leak.
After work is done on the brake hydraulic system,
make sure the level is above the MIN but not over the
MAX mark.
What to Add
When you do need brake uid, use only DOT-3 brake
uid. Use new brake uid from a sealed container
only. SeeRecommended Fluids and Lubricants on
page 6-13.Always clean the brake uid reservoir cap and the area
around the cap before removing it. This will help
keep dirt from entering the reservoir.
{CAUTION:
With the wrong kind of uid in your brake
system, your brakes may not work well, or they
may not even work at all. This could cause a
crash. Always use the proper brake uid.
Notice:
Using the wrong uid can badly damage brake
system parts. For example, just a few drops of
mineral-based oil, such as engine oil, in your
brake system can damage brake system
parts so badly that they will have to be replaced.
Do not let someone put in the wrong kind
of uid.
If you spill brake uid on your vehicle’s painted
surfaces, the paint nish can be damaged.
Be careful not to spill brake uid on your
vehicle. If you do, wash it off immediately.
SeeAppearance Care on page 5-74.
5-34

Brake Wear
Your vehicle has four-wheel disc brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that make
a high-pitched warning sound when the brake pads
are worn and new pads are needed. The sound
may come and go or be heard all the time your vehicle
is moving (except when you are pushing on the
brake pedal rmly).
{CAUTION:
The brake wear warning sound means that soon
your brakes will not work well. That could lead
to an accident. When you hear the brake wear
warning sound, have your vehicle serviced.Notice:Continuing to drive with worn-out brake
pads could result in costly brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are rst applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean something is wrong with
your brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are necessary to help
prevent brake pulsation. When tires are rotated, inspect
brake pads for wear and evenly tighten wheel nuts in
the proper sequence to GM torque specications.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
5-35

Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not return
to normal height, or if there is a rapid increase in pedal
travel. This could be a sign of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you make a brake stop, your disc brakes
adjust for wear.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is complex. Its many
parts have to be of top quality and work well together
if the vehicle is to have really good braking. Your vehicle
was designed and tested with top-quality GM brake parts.
When you replace parts of your braking system — for
example, when your brake linings wear down and you
need new ones put in — be sure you get new approved
GM replacement parts. If you do not, your brakes may no
longer work properly. For example, if someone puts in
brake linings that are wrong for your vehicle, the balance
between your front and rear brakes can change — for the
worse. The braking performance you have come to
expect can change in many other ways if someone puts
in the wrong replacement brake parts.
Battery
Your new vehicle comes with a maintenance free
ACDelco®battery. When it is time for a new battery, get
one that has the replacement number shown on the
original battery’s label. We recommend an ACDelco
®
battery. The battery is located under the rear of the
vehicle.
Warning:Battery posts, terminals and related
accessories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California to cause
cancer and reproductive harm. Wash hands after
handling.
5-36

Vehicle Storage
If you are 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 are not careful. SeeJump Starting on
page 5-37for 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 3-85.
Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may want 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 do not follow these steps exactly, some
or all of these things can hurt you.
5-37

Notice:Ignoring these steps could result in costly
damage to your vehicle that would not be covered
by your warranty.
Trying to start your vehicle by pushing or pulling it
will not 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 vehicle’s system is not a 12-volt
system with a negative ground, both vehicles can
be damaged. Only use vehicles with 12-volt systems
with negative grounds to jump start your vehicle.
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 brake rmly on both vehicles involved in
the jump start procedure. Put your transmission
in PARK (P) before setting the parking brake.
Notice:If you leave your radio or other accessories
on during the jump starting procedure, they could
be damaged. The repairs would not be covered
by your warranty. Always turn off your radio and
other accessories when jump starting your vehicle.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 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 on 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 in the
engine compartment
on the passenger’s side of
the vehicle.
5-38

Press inward on the tabs located on the outboard
sides of the remote positive (+) terminal cover
and pull outward to access the terminal.
The remote negative (−) terminal is located near the
power steering uid reservoir. It is marked
“GND (−).” SeeEngine Compartment Overview on
page 5-12for more information on location.
You will not see the battery of your vehicle under
the hood. It is located on the rear underside of
the vehicle. You will not need to access the battery
for jump starting. The remote positive (+) terminal
is for that purpose.
{CAUTION:
An electric fan can start up even when the
engine is not running and can injure you.
Keep hands, clothing and tools away from any
underhood electric fan.
{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 do
not 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 do not, explosive gas could
be present.
Battery uid contains acid that can burn you.
Do not 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.
5-39

{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 also be damaged, too.
Before you connect the cables, here are some basic
things you should know. Positive (+) will go to
positive (+) or to a remote positive (+) terminal if the
vehicle has one. Negative (−) will go to a heavy,
unpainted metal engine part or to a remote
negative (−) terminal if the vehicle has one.
Don’t connect positive (+) to the negative (−)oryou
will get a short that would damage the battery
and maybe other parts, too. And don’t connect the
negative (−) cable to negative (−) terminal on
the dead battery because this can cause sparks.6. Connect the red
positive (+) cable to the
remote positive (+)
terminal location on the
vehicle with the dead
battery. Use a
remote positive (+)
terminal if the vehicle
has one.
7. Don’t let the other end
touch metal. Connect it
to the positive (+)
terminal location of the
vehicle with the
good battery. Use a
remote positive (+)
terminal if the vehicle
has one.
5-40