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•Know how to go down hills. The most important
thing to know is this: let your engine do some of
the slowing down. Shift to a lower gear when
you go down a steep or long hill.
•Know how to go uphill. Use lower gears. They
help cool your engine and transmission, and
you can climb the hill better.
•Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads in hills or mountains. Do not swing wide
or cut across the center of the road. Drive at
speeds that let you stay in your own lane.
•As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There
could be something in your lane, like a stalled
car or an accident.
•You may see highway signs on mountains that
warn of special problems. Examples are long
grades, passing or no-passing zones, a falling
rocks area, winding roads, and special truck
lanes. Be alert to these and take appropriate
action.
Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
•Be sure the vehicle is in good shape for winter.
•You may want to put winter emergency
supplies in your vehicle.
Also seeTires on page 321.
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If You Are Caught in a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in
a serious situation. You should probably stay
with your vehicle unless you know for sure that you
are near help and you can hike through the
snow. Here are some things to do to summon
help and keep yourself and your passengers safe:
•Turn on your hazard flashers.
•Tie a red cloth to your mirror arm to alert police
that you have been stopped by the snow.
•Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around
you. If you do not have blankets or extra
clothing, make body insulators from
newspapers, burlap bags, rags, floor
mats — anything you can wrap around yourself
or tuck under your clothing to keep warm.You can run the engine to keep warm, but be
careful.
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{CAUTION:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your
vehicle. This can cause deadly CO (carbon
monoxide) gas to get inside. CO could
overcome you and kill you. You cannot
see it or smell it, so you might not know it
is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle if any is
blocking your exhaust pipe. And check
around again from time to time to be sure
snow does not collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of
the vehicle that is away from the wind.
This will help keep CO out.Run your engine only as long as you must. This
saves fuel. When you run the engine, make it
go a little faster than just idle. That is, push the
accelerator slightly. This uses less fuel for the heat
that you get and it keeps the battery (or batteries)
charged. You will need a well-charged battery (or
batteries) to restart the vehicle, and possibly for
signaling later on with your headlamps. Let the
heater run for a while.
If you have a diesel engine, you may have to run
it at a higher speed to get enough heat.
Then, shut the engine off and close the window
almost all the way to preserve the heat. Start
the engine again and repeat this only when you
feel really uncomfortable from the cold. But do it
as little as possible. Preserve the fuel as long
as you can. To help keep warm, you can get
out of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous
exercises every half hour or so until help comes.
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If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand,
Mud, Ice, or Snow
In order to free your vehicle when it is stuck,
you will need to spin the wheels, but you do not
want to spin your wheels too fast. The method
known as rocking can help you get out when you
are stuck, but you must use caution.
{CAUTION:
If you let your vehicle’s tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you or others
could be injured. And, the transmission or
other parts of the vehicle can overheat.
That could cause an engine compartment
re or other damage. When you are stuck,
spin the wheels as little as possible. Do not
spin the wheels above 35 mph (55 km/h)
as shown on the speedometer.
Notice:Spinning the wheels can destroy
parts of your vehicle as well as the tires. If you
spin the wheels too fast while shifting the
transmission back and forth, you can destroy
the transmission.
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out
First, turn the steering wheel left and right.
That will clear the area around the front wheels.
If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle, shift
into 4HI. SeeFour-Wheel Drive on page 119.
If your vehicle has traction control, you should turn
the traction control system off. SeeTraction
Control System (TCS) on page 216. Then shift
back and forth between REVERSE (R) and
a forward gear, or with a manual transmission,
between FIRST (1) or SECOND (2) and
REVERSE (R), spinning the wheels as little as
possible. Release the accelerator pedal while you
shift, and press lightly on the accelerator pedal
when the transmission is in gear. By slowly
spinning the wheels in the forward and reverse
directions, you will cause a rocking motion
that may free your vehicle. If that does not get
your vehicle out after a few tries, it may need to
be towed out. If your vehicle does need to be
towed out, seeTowing Your Vehicle on page 241.
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Service........................................................ 248
California Proposition 65 Warning.............. 248
Doing Your Own Service Work.................. 249
Engine Fan Breakage................................ 250
Fuel............................................................. 251
Gasoline Octane........................................ 251
Gasoline Specifications.............................. 251
Additives................................................... 252
Diesel Engine Fuel.................................... 253
What Fuel to Use...................................... 253
Very Cold Weather Operation.................... 256
Water in Fuel............................................ 256
Running Out of Fuel.................................. 262
Fuel Filter Replacement............................. 263
Fuels in Foreign Countries........................ 264
Filling the Tank......................................... 264
Filling a Portable Fuel Container............... 266Checking Things Under the Hood.............. 266
Hood Latches............................................ 267
Engine Oil (Caterpillar
®Diesel Engine)...... 268
Engine Oil (Gasoline Engine).................... 268
Engine Oil (DURAMAX
®/Isuzu Diesel
Engine).................................................. 272
Engine Oil Life System
(Gasoline Engine).................................. 276
Engine Oil Life System
(DURAMAX
®Diesel)............................... 278
Engine Oil Life System
(Caterpillar
®Diesel Engine).................... 279
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter............................ 280
Automatic Transmission Fluid.................... 282
Manual Transmission Fluid........................ 283
Engine Coolant (Gas and
DURAMAX
®/Isuzu Engines).................... 284
Engine Coolant (Caterpillar®Diesel
Engines)................................................ 287
Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap............ 288
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
245
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Engine Overheating................................... 288
Cooling System (Gas and
DURAMAX
®/Isuzu Engines).................... 290
Engine Fan Noise..................................... 294
Power Steering Fluid................................. 295
Windshield Washer Fluid........................... 296
Brakes...................................................... 297
Battery...................................................... 304
Jump Starting............................................ 305
Rear Axle.................................................... 311
Rear Axle Shift Motor................................ 312
Four-Wheel Drive........................................ 312
Front Axle................................................... 313
Noise Control System................................. 314
Tampering with Noise Control System
Prohibited.............................................. 314
Bulb Replacement....................................... 315
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement....... 316Other Service Items.................................... 317
Fuel Filter.................................................. 317
Primary Fuel Filter and Water Separator...... 317
Secondary Fuel Filter and Water
Separator/Heater (Caterpillar
®Diesel)...... 318
Automatic Ether Injection System
(Caterpillar
®Diesel)................................ 318
Front Wheel Bearings with
Oil-Filled Hubs....................................... 319
Air Conditioning System............................ 320
Tires............................................................ 321
Inflation - Tire Pressure............................. 322
Wheel Loading.......................................... 323
Dual Tire Operation................................... 323
When It Is Time for New Tires.................. 324
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance............ 324
Tightening the Wheel Nuts........................ 325
Wheel Replacement.................................. 328
If a Tire Goes Flat.................................... 330
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
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Appearance Care........................................ 331
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle.......... 331
Fabric/Carpet............................................. 333
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other
Plastic Surfaces..................................... 334
Care of Safety Belts.................................. 334
Weatherstrips............................................ 334
Washing Your Vehicle............................... 335
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses................ 335
Finish Care............................................... 335
Windshield and Wiper Blades.................... 336
Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels......... 337
Tires......................................................... 337
Sheet Metal Damage................................. 337
Finish Damage.......................................... 338
Underbody Maintenance............................ 338
Chemical Paint Spotting............................ 338Vehicle Identi cation.................................. 340
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)........... 340
Service Parts Identification Label............... 340
Electrical System........................................ 340
Add-On Electrical Equipment..................... 340
Headlamp Wiring....................................... 341
Windshield Wiper Fuses............................ 341
Fusible Links............................................. 341
Power Windows and Other Power
Options.................................................. 341
Fuses and Circuit Breakers....................... 341
Instrument Panel Fuse Block..................... 342
Underhood Fuse Block.............................. 344
Capacities and Speci cations.................... 347
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts..... 352
Engine Drive Belt Routing......................... 355
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
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Service
Your dealer knows your vehicle best and wants
you to be happy with it. We hope you will go
to your dealer for all your service needs. You will
get genuine GM parts and GM-trained and
supported service people.
We hope you will want to keep your GM vehicle all
GM. Genuine GM parts have one of these marks:
California Proposition 65 Warning
Most motor vehicles, including this one, contain
and/or emit chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and birth defects or
other reproductive harm. Engine exhaust,
many parts and systems (including some inside
the vehicle), many fluids, and some component
wear by-products contain and/or emit these
chemicals.
248