2004 CHEVROLET VENTURE checking oil

Service............................................................5-3
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-3
Adding Equipment to the Outside of Your
Vehicle......................................................5-4
Fuel................................................................5-4
Gasoline Octane............................................5-4
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.....................5-10
Checking Things Under the Hood....................5-10
Hood Release..............................................5-11
Engine Compartment Overview.......................5-12
Engine Oil...................................................5-13
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-18
Automatic Transaxle Fluid..............................5-20
Engine Coolant.............................................5-22
Radiator Pressure Cap..................................5-25
Engine Overheating.......................................5-25
Cooling System............................................5-28
Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-36
Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-38
Brakes........................................................5-39
Battery........................................................5-42Jump Starting...............................................5-43
All-Wheel Drive..............................................5-48
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-50
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-50
Headlamps..................................................5-50
Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker and Parking
Lamps.....................................................5-52
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps and
Back-up Lamps.........................................5-54
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-56
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-56
Tires..............................................................5-58
Ination - Tire Pressure.................................5-68
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-69
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-71
Buying New Tires.........................................5-71
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-72
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-74
Wheel Replacement......................................5-74
Tire Chains..................................................5-75
Accessory Inator.........................................5-76
If a Tire Goes Flat........................................5-78
Changing a Flat Tire.....................................5-78
Compact Spare Tire......................................5-96
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

Filling a Portable Fuel Container
{CAUTION:
Never ll 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 ll 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 ll nozzle in contact with the
inside of the ll opening before operating
the nozzle. Contact should be maintained
until the lling is complete.
Do not smoke while pumping gasoline.
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.
5-10

A. Underhood Fuse Block. SeeFuses and Circuit
Breakers on page 5-106.
B. Remote Positive (+) Terminal. SeeJump Starting on
page 5-43.
C. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. SeeWindshield
Washer Fluid on page 5-38.
D. Radiator Pressure Cap. SeeRadiator Pressure Cap
on page 5-25.
E. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir. SeePower Steering
Fluid on page 5-36.
F. Engine Oil Fill Cap. SeeEngine Oil on page 5-13.
G. Engine Oil Dipstick. SeeEngine Oil on page 5-13.
H. Transaxle Fluid Dipstick. SeeAutomatic Transaxle
Fluid on page 5-20.
I. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir. SeeBrakes on
page 5-39.
J. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. SeeEngine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 5-18.
K. Coolant Recovery Tank. SeeCooling System on
page 5-28.Engine Oil
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

Automatic Transaxle Fluid
When to Check and Change Automatic
Transaxle Fluid
A good time to check your automatic transaxle uid
level is when the engine oil is changed.
Change both the uid and lter every 50,000 miles
(83 000 km) if the vehicle is mainly driven under one or
more of these conditions:
In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
regularly reaches 90°F (32°C) or higher
In hilly or mountainous terrain
When doing frequent trailer towing
Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery
service
If you do not use your vehicle under any of
these conditions, change the uid and lter at
100,000 miles (166 000 km).
SeeScheduled Maintenance on page 6-4for more
information.
How to Check Automatic Transaxle
Fluid
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you may
choose to have this done at the dealership service
department.
If you do it yourself, be sure to follow all the instructions
here, or you could get a false reading on the dipstick.
Notice:Too much or too little uid can damage the
transaxle. Too much can mean that some of the
uid could come out and fall on hot engine or
exhaust system parts, starting a re. Too little uid
could cause the transaxle to overheat. Be sure
to get an accurate reading if you check the transaxle
uid.
Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the transaxle
uid level if you have been driving:
When outside temperatures are above 90°F (32°C)
At high speed for quite a while
In heavy traffic – especially in hot weather
While pulling a trailer
5-20

C
California Fuel.................................................. 5-5
Canada – Customer Assistance.......................... 7-5
Canadian Owners................................................ ii
Canadian Roadside Assistance........................... 7-8
Canceling the Sliding Door Security Lock...........2-16
Capacities and Specications..........................5-113
Captain Chairs, Rear.......................................1-20
Carbon Monoxide...................2-22, 2-43, 4-28, 4-41
Care of
Safety Belts and Built-in Child
Restraint Harness...................................5-100
Your CD and DVD Player...........................3-122
Your CDs and DVDs..................................3-121
Cargo Lamp...................................................3-20
Carrier Assembly-Differential
(Rear Drive Module)....................................5-49
CD Messages...............................3-76, 3-92, 3-108
Center Passenger Position, Safety Belts.....1-43, 1-44
Chains, Tires..................................................5-75
Change Engine Oil Message............................3-54
Charging System Indicator Message..................3-52
Check
Engine Light...............................................3-45
Checking Coolant............................................5-24
Checking Engine Oil........................................5-13
Checking Things Under the Hood......................5-10Chemical Paint Spotting.................................5-103
Child Restraints
Built-In Child Restraint..................................1-81
Child Restraint Systems...............................1-60
Infants and Young Children...........................1-56
Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for Children
(LATCH System).......................................1-67
Older Children.............................................1-53
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the
LATCH System........................................1-69
Securing a Child Restraint in a Center
Seat Position...................................1-73, 1-75
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear
Outside Seat Position...............................1-69
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front
Seat Position...........................................1-78
Top Strap...................................................1-64
Top Strap Anchor Location............................1-65
Where to Put the Restraint...........................1-63
Cleaning
Inside of Your Vehicle..................................5-97
Outside of Your Vehicle..............................5-100
Underbody Maintenance.............................5-103
Weatherstrips............................................5-100
Cleaning Aluminum Wheels............................5-102
Cleaning Built-In Child Restraint Pad................5-100
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses......................5-101
3