Section 7 Service and Appearance Care
Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4California Proposition 65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5California Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5Doing Your Own Service Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6Adding Equipment to the Outside of theVehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
Fuel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7Gasoline Octane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8California Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-10Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-11Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13
Checking Things Under the Hood. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14Hood Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-15Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-16Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-17Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-20Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-22
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-24Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-28Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-29Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34Overheated Engine ProtectionOperating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-37Engine Fan Noise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-37Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-38Windshield Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-39Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-40Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-43Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-44
All-Wheel Drive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-49
Rear Axle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-50
Front Axle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-51
Headlamp Aiming. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-52
Bulb Replacement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-54High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . 7-54LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-55Back-Up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-55License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-56Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-56
7-1
Gasoline Octane
If the vehicle has the 6.0L V8 engine (VIN Code J), useregular unleaded gasoline with a posted octane ratingof 87 or higher. If the octane rating is less than 87, anaudible knocking noise, commonly referred to as sparkknock, might be heard when driving. If this occurs, usea gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher as soon aspossible. If heavy knocking is heard when usinggasoline rated at 87 octane or higher, the engineneeds service.
If the vehicle has the 6.2L V8 engine (VIN Code F), usepremium unleaded gasoline with a posted octane ratingof 91 or higher. You can also use regular unleadedgasoline rated at 87 octane or higher, but the vehicle'sacceleration could be slightly reduced, and a slightaudible knocking noise, commonly referred to as sparkknock, might be heard. If the octane is less than 87, youmight notice a heavy knocking noise when you drive.If this occurs, use a gasoline rated at 87 octane orhigher as soon as possible. Otherwise, you coulddamage the engine. If heavy knocking is heard whenusing gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher, the engineneeds service.
Gasoline Specifications
At a minimum, gasoline should meet ASTMspecification D 4814 in the United States orCAN/CGSB!3.5 or 3.511 in Canada. Some gasolinescontain an octane-enhancing additive calledmethylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT).We recommend against the use of gasolines containingMMT. SeeAdditiveso n p a g e 7!9for additionalinformation.
California Fuel
If the vehicle is certified to meet California EmissionsStandards, it is designed to operate on fuels that meetCalifornia specifications. See the underhood emissioncontrol label. If this fuel is not available in statesadopting California emissions standards, the vehiclewill operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting federalspecifications, but emission control system performancemight be affected. The malfunction indicator lamp couldturn on and the vehicle might fail a smog!check test.SeeMalfunction Indicator Lampon page 4!36. If thisoccurs, return to your authorized dealer/retailer fordiagnosis. If it is determined that the condition is causedby the type of fuel used, repairs might not be coveredby the vehicle warranty.
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Additives
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines in the United Statesare now required to contain additives that help preventengine and fuel system deposits from forming, allowingthe emission control system to work properly. In mostcases, nothing should have to be added to the fuel.However, some gasolines contain only the minimumamount of additive required to meet U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency regulations. To help keep fuelinjectors and intake valves clean, or if the vehicleexperiences problems due to dirty injectors or valves,look for gasoline that is advertised as TOP TIERDetergent Gasoline.
For customers who do not use TOP TIER DetergentGasoline regularly, one bottle of GM Fuel SystemTreatment PLUS, added to the fuel tank at every engineoil change, can help clean deposits from fuel injectorsand intake valves. GM Fuel System Treatment PLUS isthe only gasoline additive recommended by GeneralMotors.
Also, your dealer/retailer has additives that will helpcorrect and prevent most deposit!related problems.
Gasolines containing oxygenates, such as ethers andethanol, and reformulated gasolines might be availablein your area. We recommend that you use thesegasolines, if they comply with the specifications
described earlier. However, E85 (85% ethanol) andother fuels containing more than 10% ethanol mustnot be used in vehicles that were not designed forthose fuels.
Notice:This vehicle was not designed for fuel thatcontains methanol. Do not use fuel containingmethanol. It can corrode metal parts in the fuelsystem and also damage plastic and rubber parts.That damage would not be covered under thevehicle warranty.
Some gasolines that are not reformulated for lowemissions can contain an octane-enhancing additivecalled methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl(MMT); ask the attendant where you buy gasolinewhether the fuel contains MMT. We recommend againstthe use of such gasolines. Fuels containing MMT canreduce the life of spark plugs and the performance ofthe emission control system could be affected. Themalfunction indicator lamp might turn on. If this occurs,return to your dealer/retailer for service.
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol)
This vehicle can use either unleaded gasoline or85% ethanol fuel (E85). We encourage the use ofE85 in vehicles that are designed to use it. The ethanolin E85 is a“renewable”fuel, meaning it is made fromrenewable sources such as corn and other crops.
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Many service stations will not have an 85% ethanol fuel(E85) pump available. The U.S. Department of Energyhas an alternative fuels website (www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/infrastructure/locator.html) that can help you findE85 fuel. Those stations that do have E85 should havea label indicating ethanol content. Do not use the fuel ifthe ethanol content is greater than 85%.
At a minimum, E85 should meet ASTM SpecificationD 5798. By definition, this means that fuel labeled E85will have an ethanol content between 70% and 85%.Filling the fuel tank with fuel mixtures that do not meetASTM specifications can affect driveability and couldcause the malfunction indicator lamp to come on.
To ensure quick starts in the wintertime, the E85 fuelmust be formulated properly for your climate accordingto ASTM specification D 5798. If you have troublestarting on E85, it could be because the E85 fuel is notproperly formulated for your climate. If this happens,switching to gasoline or adding gasoline to the fuel tankcan improve starting. For good starting and heaterefficiency below 0°C (32°F), the fuel mix in the fuel tankshould contain no more than 70% ethanol. It is best notto alternate repeatedly between gasoline and E85.If you do switch fuels, it is recommended that youadd as much fuel as possible—do not add less than11 L (three gallons) when refueling. You should drivethe vehicle immediately after refueling for at least11 km (seven miles) to allow the vehicle to adaptto the change in ethanol concentration.
E85 has less energy per gallon than gasoline, so youwill need to refill the fuel tank more often when usingE85 than when you are using gasoline. SeeFilling theTank on page 7!11.
Notice:Some additives are not compatible withE85 fuel and can harm the vehicle's fuel system.Do not add anything to E85. Damage caused byadditives would not be covered by the vehiclewarranty.
Notice:This vehicle was not designed for fuel thatcontains methanol. Do not use fuel containingmethanol. It can corrode metal parts in the fuelsystem and also damage plastic and rubber parts.That damage would not be covered under thevehicle warranty.
Fuels in Foreign Countries
If you plan on driving in another country outside theUnited States or Canada, the proper fuel might be hardto find. Never use leaded gasoline or any other fuel notrecommended in the previous text on fuel. Costlyrepairs caused by use of improper fuel would not becovered by the vehicle warranty.
To check the fuel availability, ask an auto club,or contact a major oil company that does business inthe country where you will be driving.
7-10
A
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-4
Accessory Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-28
Accessory Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-19
Active Fuel Management™. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-32
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-108
Additives, Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-9
Adjustable Throttle and Brake Pedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-30
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-22
Airbag
Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-89
Airbag System
How Does an Airbag Restrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-81
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-84
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 2-89
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-81
What Will You See After an Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . 2-82
When Should an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-80
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-77
Airbags
Passenger Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-31
Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-30
System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-74
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-49
All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-9
Analog Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-20
Antenna
Rear Side Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-108
Antenna, XM™Satellite Radio Antenna
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-108
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-5
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-34
Appearance Care
Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . .7-104
Care of Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-102
Chemical Paint Spotting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-106
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-103
Fabric/Carpet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-99
Finish Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-103
Finish Damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-106
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other Plastic
Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-101
Interior Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-98
Leather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-100
Sheet Metal Damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-105
Speaker Covers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-101
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-105
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Engine (cont.)
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-28
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-13
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-41
Fan Noise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-37
Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-17
Overheated Protection Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . 7-37
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-29
Engine Oil
Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-20
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-17
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-19
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-17
Extender, Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-48
Exterior Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11
F
Features
Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Filter
Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-22
Finish Damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-106
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-6
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-3
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-79
Flat Tire, Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-80
Flat Tire, Storing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-94
Fluid
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-24
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-38
Windshield Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-39
Fog Lamps
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-16
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-39
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-51
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-7
Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
California Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-11
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-10
Gage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-40
Gasoline Octane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
Management, Active . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-32
Fuel Economy
Driving for Better . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
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