5-18 SERVICE AND APPEARANCE CARE
78J00-03E
Brake Wear
Your vehicle has front and rear disc
brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indica-
tors that make a high-pitched warning
sound when the brake pads are worn and
new pads are needed. The sound maycome and go or be heard all the time your
vehicle is moving, except when you are
pushing on the brake pedal firmly.
Some driving conditions or climates may
cause a brake squeal when the brakes are
first applied or lightly applied. This does
not mean something is wrong with your
brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are necessary
to help prevent brake pulsation. When tires
are rotated, inspect brake pads for wear
and evenly tighten wheel nuts in the proper
sequence to torque specifications.
Brake pads should always be replaced as
complete axle sets.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not
return to normal height, or if there is arapid increase in pedal travel. This could
be a sign of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you apply the brakes, with or
without the vehicle moving, your brakes
adjust for wear.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is com-
plex. Its many parts have to be of top qual-
ity 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 pads wear down and you need
new ones put in – be sure you get new
approved replacement parts. If you do not,
your brakes may no longer work properly.
For example, if someone puts in brake
pads 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.
BatteryYour vehicle has a maintenance free bat-
tery. 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.
WARNING
With the wrong kind of fluid in the
brake system, the brakes may not
work well, or they may not even work
at all. This could cause a crash.
Always use the proper brake fluid.
CAUTION
Using the wrong fluid can badly
damage brake system parts. For
example, just a few drops of min-
eral-based oil, such as engine oil,
in the brake system can damage
brake system parts so badly that
they will have to be replaced. Do
not let someone put in the wrong
kind of fluid.
If you spill brake fluid on your vehi-
cle’s painted surfaces, the paint
finish can be damaged. Be careful
not to spill brake fluid on your vehi-
cle. If you do, wash it off immedi-
ately. Refer to “Washing Your
Vehicle” in this section.
WARNING
The brake wear warning sound
means that soon the brakes will not
work well. That could lead to an acci-
dent. When you hear the brake wear
warning sound, have your vehicle
serviced.
CAUTION
Continuing to drive with worn-out
brake pads could result in costly
brake repair.
