2007 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO maintenance

If a Tire Goes Flat
It is unusual for a tire to blowout while you are
driving, especially if you maintain your vehicle’s
tires properly. If air goes out of a tire, it is
much more likely to leak out slowly. But if you
should ever have a blowout, here are a few tips
about what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the at tire will create a drag
that pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take
your foot off the accelerator pedal and grip the
steering wheel rmly. Steer to maintain lane
position, and then gently brake to a stop well
out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much
like a skid and may require the same correction
you would use in a skid. In any rear blowout
remove your foot from the accelerator pedal. Get
the vehicle under control by steering the way
you want the vehicle to go. It may be very bumpy
and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently brake
to a stop, well off the road if possible.{CAUTION:
Lifting a vehicle and getting under it to
do maintenance or repairs is dangerous
without the appropriate safety equipment
and training. The jack provided with your
vehicle is designed only for changing a
at tire. If it is used for anything else, you
or others could be badly injured or killed
if the vehicle slips off the jack. Use the
jack provided with your vehicle only for
changing a at tire.
If a tire goes at, the next part shows how to
use the jacking equipment to change a at
tire safely.
371

{CAUTION:
Lifting a vehicle and getting under it to
do maintenance or repairs is dangerous
without the appropriate safety equipment
and training. The jack provided with your
vehicle is designed only for changing a
at tire. If it is used for anything else, you
or others could be badly injured or killed
if the vehicle slips off the jack. Use the
jack provided with your vehicle only for
changing a at tire.
4. Raise the vehicle by turning the jack handle
clockwise. Raise the vehicle far enough off
the ground to install the compact spare tire.
5. Remove all wheel nuts and take off the
at tire.
378

Finish Damage
Any stone chips, fractures or deep scratches in
the nish should be repaired right away. Bare
metal will corrode quickly and may develop into
major repair expense.
Minor chips and scratches can be repaired with
touch-up materials available from your dealer.
Larger areas of nish damage can be corrected in
your dealer’s body and paint shop.
Underbody Maintenance
Chemicals used for ice and snow removal and
dust control can collect on the underbody. If these
are not removed, corrosion and rust can develop
on the underbody parts such as fuel lines,
frame, oor pan, and exhaust system even though
they have corrosion protection.
At least every spring, ush these materials from the
underbody with plain water. Clean any areas where
mud and debris can collect. Dirt packed in close
areas of the frame should be loosened before being
ushed. Your dealer or an underbody car washing
system can do this for you.
Chemical Paint Spotting
Some weather and atmospheric conditions can
create a chemical fallout. Airborne pollutants can
fall upon and attack painted surfaces on the
vehicle. This damage can take two forms: blotchy,
ring-shaped discolorations, and small, irregular
dark spots etched into the paint surface.
Although no defect in the paint job causes this,
GM will repair, at no charge to the owner,
the surfaces of new vehicles damaged by this
fallout condition within 12 months or 12,000
miles (20 000 km) of purchase, whichever
occurs rst.
392

Maintenance Schedule................................ 404
Introduction............................................... 404
Maintenance Requirements........................ 404
Your Vehicle and the Environment............ 404
Using the Maintenance Schedule............... 405
Scheduled Maintenance............................. 406
Additional Required Services..................... 409
Maintenance Footnotes.............................. 410
Owner Checks and Services..................... 412At Each Fuel Fill....................................... 412
At Least Once a Month............................. 412
At Least Once a Year............................... 413
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants........ 415
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts..... 416
Engine Drive Belt Routing......................... 417
Maintenance Record.................................. 418
Section 6 Maintenance Schedule
403

Maintenance Schedule
Introduction
Important: Keep engine oil at the proper level
and change as recommended.
Have you purchased the GM Protection Plan?
The Plan supplements your new vehicle
warranties. See your Warranty and Owner
Assistance booklet or your dealer for details.
Maintenance Requirements
Notice:Maintenance intervals, checks,
inspections, replacement parts, and
recommended uids and lubricants as
prescribed in this manual are necessary to
keep your vehicle in good working condition.
Any damage caused by failure to follow
scheduled maintenance may not be covered
by warranty.
Your Vehicle and the Environment
Proper vehicle maintenance not only helps to keep
your vehicle in good working condition, but also
helps the environment. All recommended
maintenance is important. Improper vehicle
maintenance can even affect the quality of the air
we breathe. Improper uid levels or the wrong
tire ination can increase the level of emissions
from your vehicle. To help protect our environment,
and to keep your vehicle in good condition, be
sure to maintain your vehicle properly.
404

Using the Maintenance Schedule
We at General Motors want to help you keep your
vehicle in good working condition. But we do
not know exactly how you will drive it. You may
drive very short distances only a few times a week.
Or you may drive long distances all the time in
very hot, dusty weather. You may use your vehicle
in making deliveries. Or you may drive it to
work, to do errands, or in many other ways.
Because of all the different ways people use their
vehicles, maintenance needs vary. You may
need more frequent checks and replacements.
So please read the following and note how
you drive. If you have any questions on how to
keep your vehicle in good condition, see your
GM Goodwrench
®dealer.
This schedule is for vehicles that:
carry passengers and cargo within
recommended limits. You will nd these limits
on the Tire and Loading Information label.
SeeLoading Your Vehicle on page 277.
are driven on reasonable road surfaces within
legal driving limits.
use the recommended fuel. SeeGasoline
Octane on page 298.The services inScheduled Maintenance on
page 406should be performed when indicated.
SeeAdditional Required Services on page 409and
Maintenance Footnotes on page 410for further
information.
{CAUTION:
Performing maintenance work on a vehicle
can be dangerous. In trying to do some
jobs, you can be seriously injured. Do your
own maintenance work only if you have the
required know-how and the proper tools
and equipment for the job. If you have any
doubt, see your GM Goodwrench
®dealer to
have a qualied technician do the work.
Some maintenance services can be complex.
So, unless you are technically qualied and have
the necessary equipment, you should have
your GM Goodwrench
®dealer do these jobs.
405

When you go to your GM Goodwrench®dealer for
your service needs, you will know that GM-trained
and supported service technicians will perform
the work using genuine GM parts.
If you want to purchase service information, see
Service Publications Ordering Information on
page 441.
Owner Checks and Services on page 412tells you
what should be checked, when to check it, and
what you can easily do to help keep your vehicle in
good condition.
The proper replacement parts, uids, and
lubricants to use are listed inRecommended
Fluids and Lubricants on page 415andNormal
Maintenance Replacement Parts on page 416.
When your vehicle is serviced, make sure these
are used. All parts should be replaced and all
necessary repairs done before you or anyone else
drives the vehicle. We recommend the use of
genuine GM parts.Scheduled Maintenance
When the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON message
comes on, it means that service is required for
your vehicle. Have your vehicle serviced as soon
as possible within the next 600 miles (1 000 km).
It is possible that, if you are driving under the best
conditions, the engine oil life system may not
indicate that vehicle service is necessary for over
a year. However, your engine oil and lter
must be changed at least once a year and at this
time the system must be reset. Your GM
Goodwrench
®dealer has GM-trained service
technicians who will perform this work using
genuine GM parts and reset the system.
If the engine oil life system is ever reset
accidentally, you must service your vehicle within
3,000 miles (5 000 km) since your last service.
Remember to reset the oil life system whenever
the oil is changed. SeeEngine Oil Life System on
page 314for information on the Engine Oil Life
System and resetting the system.
406

When the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON message
appears, certain services, checks, and inspections
are required. Required services are described
in the following for “MaintenanceI” and
“MaintenanceII.” Generally, it is recommended
that your rst service be MaintenanceI, your
second service be MaintenanceII, and that you
alternate MaintenanceIand MaintenanceII
thereafter. However, in some cases,
MaintenanceIImay be required more often.MaintenanceI— Use MaintenanceIif the
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON message comes on
within 10 months since the vehicle was purchased
or MaintenanceIIwas performed.
MaintenanceII— Use MaintenanceIIif the
previous service performed was MaintenanceI.
Always use MaintenanceIIwhenever the
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON message comes on
10 months or more since the last service or if
the message has not come on at all for one year.
Scheduled Maintenance
Service MaintenanceIMaintenanceII
Change engine oil and lter. SeeEngine Oil on page 311. Reset oil life system.
SeeEngine Oil Life System on page 314.An Emission Control Service.••
Visually check for any leaks or damage.See footnote (k).••
Inspect engine air cleaner lter. If necessary, replace lter. SeeEngine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 316.See footnote (m).•
Rotate tires and check ination pressures and wear. SeeTire Inspection and
Rotation on page 362and “Tire Wear Inspection” inAt Least Once a Month on
page 412.••
407