Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle may have anti-lock brakes. ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
If your vehicle has anti-lock
brakes, this warning light
on the instrument panel will
come on brie y when
you start your vehicle.
When you start your engine, or when you begin to drive
away, your anti-lock brake system will check itself.
You may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while
this test is going on, and you may even notice that
your brake pedal moves or pulses a little. This is normal.Let us say the road is wet and you are driving safely.
Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you. You slam
on the brakes and continue braking. Here is what
happens with ABS:
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If
one of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer
will separately work the brakes at each wheel.
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Service............................................................5-3
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-4
Adding Equipment to the Outside of Your
Vehicle......................................................5-4
Fuel................................................................5-5
Gasoline Octane............................................5-5
Gasoline Speci cations....................................5-5
California Fuel...............................................5-6
Additives.......................................................5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-7
Filling the Tank..............................................5-8
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...................................................5-15
Engine Oil Life System..................................5-19
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-20
Automatic Transaxle Fluid (2.2L L4 Engine)......5-23
Automatic Transaxle Fluid (3.5L V6 Engine).....5-24
Manual Transaxle Fluid..................................5-26
Hydraulic Clutch...........................................5-26
Engine Coolant.............................................5-26
Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap..................5-29
Engine Overheating.......................................5-29
Cooling System............................................5-30Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-35
Brakes........................................................5-36
Battery........................................................5-39
Jump Starting...............................................5-40
All-Wheel Drive..............................................5-45
Headlamp Aiming...........................................5-47
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-47
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-47
Headlamps and Sidemarker Lamps.................5-48
Front Turn Signal and Parking Lamps..............5-50
Fog Lamps..................................................5-51
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL).........5-52
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps and
Back-up Lamps.........................................5-52
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-53
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-54
Tires..............................................................5-55
Tire Sidewall Labelling...................................5-56
Tire Terminology and De nitions.....................5-58
In ation - Tire Pressure.................................5-61
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-62
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-64
Buying New Tires.........................................5-64
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-65
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-67
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
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A. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. SeeEngine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 5-20.
B. Engine Oil Dipstick. See “Checking Engine Oil”
underEngine Oil on page 5-15.
C. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When to Add Engine Oil”
underEngine Oil on page 5-15.
D. Brake/Clutch Cylinder Fluid. SeeBrakes on
page 5-36andHydraulic Clutch on page 5-26.E. Underhood Fuse Block. SeeUnderhood Fuse Block
on page 5-96.
F. Battery. SeeBattery on page 5-39.
G. Remote Positive (+) Terminal. SeeJump Starting on
page 5-40.
H. Engine Coolant Surge Tank. See “Checking Coolant”
underEngine Coolant on page 5-26.
I. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding
Washer Fluid” underWindshield Washer Fluid
on page 5-35.
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A. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. SeeEngine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 5-20.
B. Engine Oil Dipstick (Out of View). See “Checking
Engine Oil” underEngine Oil on page 5-15.
C. Engine Oil Fill Cap (Out of View). See “When to Add
Engine Oil” underEngine Oil on page 5-15.
D. Battery. SeeBattery on page 5-39.
E. Underhood Fuse Block. SeeUnderhood Fuse Block
on page 5-96.
F. Remote Positive (+) Terminal (Out of View). See
Jump Starting on page 5-40.
G. Engine Coolant Surge Tank. See “Checking Coolant”
underEngine Coolant on page 5-26.
H. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding
Washer Fluid” underWindshield Washer Fluid
on page 5-35.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 for the
2.2L L4 engine and an orange loop for the 3.5L V6
engine. SeeEngine Compartment Overview on
page 5-12for the location of the engine oil dipstick.
1. 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.
2. Pull out the dipstick and clean it with a paper towel
or cloth, then push it back in all the way. Remove it
again, keeping the tip down, and check the level.
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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 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
Saturn 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 vehicle has a maintenance free 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
®replacement battery. See
Engine Compartment Overview on page 5-12for battery
location.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.
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 5-40for tips on working around a battery
without getting hurt.
Also, for your audio system, seeTheft-Deterrent
Feature on page 3-70.
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Jump Starting
If your vehicle’s battery has run down, you may want to
use another vehicle and some jumper cables to start
your vehicle. Be sure to use the following steps 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.
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 are not touching
each other. If they are, it could cause a ground
connection you do not want. You would not 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 an automatic
transaxle in PARK (P) or a manual transaxle in
NEUTRAL 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 the accessory power outlet. Turn off
the radio and all lamps that are not needed. This
will avoid sparks and help save both batteries. And
it could save the radio!
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