2004 GMC SONOMA automatic transmission fluid

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 Specifications....................................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................................5-18
Automatic Transmission Fluid.........................5-19
Engine Coolant.............................................5-23
Radiator Pressure Cap..................................5-26
Engine Overheating.......................................5-26
Cooling System............................................5-28
Engine Fan Noise.........................................5-35
Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-35Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-36
Brakes........................................................5-37
Battery........................................................5-40
Jump Starting...............................................5-41
Rear Axle.......................................................5-46
Four-Wheel Drive............................................5-46
Front Axle......................................................5-47
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-48
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-48
Headlamps..................................................5-49
One-Piece Front Turn Signal Lamps................5-51
Two-Piece Front Turn Signal Lamps................5-51
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL).........5-52
Taillamps.....................................................5-53
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-54
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-54
Tires..............................................................5-57
Inflation - Tire Pressure.................................5-67
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-68
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-69
Buying New Tires.........................................5-70
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-71
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-72
Wheel Replacement......................................5-72
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

A. Battery. SeeBattery on page 5-40for more
information.
B. Coolant Recovery Tank. SeeEngine Coolant on
page 5-23for more information.
C. Engine Oil Dipstick. SeeEngine Oil on page 5-13for
more information.
D. Engine Oil Fill. SeeEngine Oil on page 5-13for
more information.
E. Automatic Transmission Dipstick. SeeAutomatic
Transmission Fluid on page 5-19for more
information.
F. Power Steering Reservoir. SeePower Steering Fluid
on page 5-35for more information.
G. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir. SeeBrakes on
page 5-37for more information.
H. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. SeeEngine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 5-18for more information.
I. Engine Compartment Fuse Block. SeeFuses
and Circuit Breakers on page 5-95for more
information.
J. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. SeeWindshield
Washer Fluid on page 5-36for more information.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 do not do this, the
oil dipstick might not show the actual level.
5-13

{CAUTION:
Operating the engine with the air cleaner/lter
off can cause you or others to be burned. The
air cleaner not only cleans the air, it helps to
stop ame if the engine backres. If it is not
there and the engine backres, you could be
burned. Do not drive with it off, and be careful
working on the engine with the air cleaner/
lter off.
Notice:If the air cleaner/lter is off, a backre can
cause a damaging engine re. And, dirt can
easily get into your engine, which will damage it.
Always have the air cleaner/lter in place when you
are driving.
Automatic Transmission Fluid
When to Check and Change the
Automatic Transmission Fluid
A good time to check your automatic transmission fluid
level is when the engine oil is changed.
Change both the fluid and filter every 15,000 miles
(25 000 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 fluid and filter every 50,000 miles
(83 000 km).
SeePart A: Scheduled Maintenance Services on
page 6-4.
5-19

How to Check the Automatic
Transmission 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
your transmission. Too much can mean that some
of the uid could come out and fall on hot engine
part or exhaust system parts, starting a re.
Too little uid could cause the transmission to
overheat. Be sure to get an accurate reading if you
check your transmission uid.
Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the
transmission fluid 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.To get the right reading, the fluid should be at normal
operating temperature, which is 180°F to 200°F
(82°C to 93°C)
Get the vehicle warmed up by driving about 15 miles
(24 km) when outside temperatures are above 50°F
(10°C). If it’s colder than 50°F (10°C), drive the vehicle
in THIRD (3) until the engine temperature gage
moves and then remains steady for 10 minutes.
A cold fluid check can be made after the vehicle has
been sitting for eight hours or more with the engine off,
but this is used only as a reference. Let the engine
run at idle for five minutes if outside temperatures are
50°F (10°C) or more. If it’s colder than 50°F (10°C), you
may have to idle the engine longer. Should the fluid
level be low during this cold check, you must check the
fluid hot before adding fluid. Checking the fluid hot
will give you a more accurate reading of the fluid level.
5-20

Checking the Automatic Transmission
Fluid Level
Prepare your vehicle as follows:
•Park your vehicle on a level place. Keep the engine
running.
•With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever
in PARK (P).
•With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift
lever through each gear range, pausing for about
three seconds in each range. Then, position the shift
lever in PARK (P).
•Let the engine run at idle for three minutes or more.Then, without shutting off the engine, follow
these steps:
The transmission dipstick
handle has this symbol
on it.
The transmission dipstick is located near the center of
the engine compartment. SeeEngine Compartment
Overview on page 5-12for more information on location.
1. Flip the handle up and then pull out the dipstick
and wipe it with a clean rag or paper towel.
2. Push it back in all the way, wait three seconds and
then pull it back out again.
3. To get an accurate reading, when checking the fluid
level, keep the tip of the dipstick down to avoid the
fluid traveling up the dipstick.
5-21

4. Check both sides of the dipstick, and read the lower
level. The fluid level must be in the COLD area,
below the cross-hatched area, for a cold check or in
the HOT area or cross-hatched area for a hot
check.
5. If the fluid level is in the acceptable range, push the
dipstick back in all the way; then flip the handle
down to lock the dipstick in place.
How to Add Automatic
Transmission Fluid
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind of transmission fluid to use. SeePart D:
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants on page 6-32.
Add fluid only after checking the transmission fluid while
it is hot. (A cold check is used only as a reference.) If
the fluid level is low, add only enough of the proper fluid
to bring the level up to the HOT area for a hot check.
It doesn’t take much fluid, generally less than one pint
(0.5 L). Don’t overfill.
Notice:We recommend you use only uid labeled
DEXRON
®-III, because uid with that label is
made especially for your automatic transmission.
Damage caused by uid other than DEXRON
®-III is
not covered by your new vehicle warranty.
•After adding fluid, recheck the fluid level as
described under “How to Check the Automatic
Transmission Fluid” earlier.
•When the correct fluid level is obtained, push the
dipstick back in all the way; then flip the handle
down to lock the dipstick in place.
5-22

Capacities and Specications
Please refer toPart E: Maintenance Record on page 6-36in the index for more information. See refrigerant change
label under the hood for charge capacity information and requirements.
ApplicationCapacities
English Metric
Air Conditioning Capacity
Air Conditioning Refrigerant R134a1.8 lbs 0.79 kg
Automatic Transmission
Drain and Refill 5.0 quarts 4.7 L
Cooling System 13.8 quarts 13.1 L
Differential Fluid
Rear Axle
Front Axle4.0 pints
2.6 pints1.9 L4
1.2 L
Engine Oil with Filter 4.5 quarts 4.3 L
Fuel Tank 17.5 gallons 67.4 L
Wheel Nut Torque 100 lb ft 140Y
All capacities are approximate. After refill, the levelmustbe checked.
All capacities are approximate. When adding, be sure to fill to the appropriate level or as recommended in this
manual. SeePart E: Maintenance Record on page 6-36
5-101

+A good time to check your brakes is during tire
rotation. See Brake System Inspection on page 6-31.
**Drive axle service. See Part D: Recommended Fluids
and Lubricants on page 6-32 for proper lubricant to
use:
❑Check uid level and add uid as needed.
❑If your vehicle has a locking differential, drain uid
and rell at rst engine oil change.
7,500 Miles (12 500 km)
❑Change engine oil and filter (or every 12 months,
whichever occurs first).An Emission Control
Service.
❑Lubricate chassis components (or every 12 months,
whichever occurs first).(See footnote #.)
❑Check rear/front axle fluid level and add fluid as
needed. Check constant velocity joints and axle seals
for leaking.(See footnote **.)
❑Rotate tires. SeeTire Inspection and Rotation on
page 5-68for proper rotation pattern and additional
information.(See footnote +.)
15,000 Miles (25 000 km)
❑Change engine oil and filter (or every 12 months,
whichever occurs first).An Emission Control
Service.❑Lubricate chassis components (or every 12 months,
whichever occurs first).(See footnote #.)
❑Inspect engine air cleaner filter. SeeEngine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 5-18for more information.An
Emission Control Service. (See footnote †.)
❑Check rear/front axle fluid level and add fluid as
needed. Check constant velocity joints and axle seals
for leaking.(See footnote **.)
❑Change automatic transmission fluid and filter 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 every 50,000 miles
(83 000 km).
❑Rotate tires. SeeTire Inspection and Rotation on
page 5-68for proper rotation pattern and additional
information.(See footnote +.)
6-18