Windshield Wipers
Turn the band with the wiper symbol to control the
windshield wipers.
8(Mist):Single wipe, turn to8, then release.
Several wipes, hold the band on
8longer.
9(Off): Turns the windshield wipers off.
6(Adjustable Interval Wipes): Turn the band up for
more frequent wipes or down for less frequent wipes.
6(Low Speed): Slow wipes.
?(High Speed): Fast wipes. Clear ice and snow from the wiper blades before using
them. If frozen to the windshield, carefully loosen or
thaw them. Damaged wiper blades should be replaced.
See
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
on
page 6‑63.
Heavy snow or ice can overload the wiper motor.
A circuit breaker will stop the motor until it cools down.
Windshield Washer
{WARNING:
In freezing weather, do not use your washer until
the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can form ice on the windshield, blocking your
vision.
L(Washer Fluid): Push the paddle marked with the
windshield washer symbol at the top of the multifunction
lever, to spray washer fluid on the windshield. The
wipers clear the window and then either stop or return
to the preset speed.
4-6
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. Water can build up under
your vehicle's tires so they actually ride on the water.
This can happen if the road is wet enough and you are
going fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning, it
has little or no contact with the road.
There is no hard and fast rule about hydroplaning. The
best advice is to slow down when the road is wet.
Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, other wet weather driving tips
include:
.Allow extra following distance.
.Pass with caution.
.Keep windshield wiping equipment in good shape.
.Keep the windshield washer fluid reservoir filled.
.Have good tires with proper tread depth. SeeTireson page 6‑64.
.Turn off cruise control.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
To prepare your vehicle for a long trip, consider having
it serviced by your dealer before departing. Things to check on your own include:
.Windshield Washer Fluid:
Reservoir full? Windows
clean —inside and outside?
.Wiper Blades: In good shape?
.Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: All levels checked?
.Lamps:Do they all work and are lenses clean?
.Tires:Are treads good? Are tires inflated to
recommended pressure?
.Weather and Maps: Safe to travel? Have
up-to-date maps?
Highway Hypnosis
Always be alert and pay attention to your surroundings
while driving. If you become tired or sleepy, find a safe
place to park your vehicle and rest.
Other driving tips include:
.Keep the vehicle well ventilated.
.Keep interior temperature cool.
.Keep your eyes moving —scan the road ahead
and to the sides.
.Check the rearview mirror and vehicle instruments
often.
5-23
Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Bulb Replacement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-57
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-57
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-57
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL) and Cargo Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-58
Pickup Box Identification and Fender Marker Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-59
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps and Back-up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-60
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-62
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-62
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . .6-63
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-64
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-65
Tire Terminology and Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-70
Inflation - Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-73
High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-74
Dual Tire Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-75
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-75
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-76
Tire Inspection and Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-80
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-82
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-83
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-85 Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-85
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-87
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-87
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-89
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-89
Changing a Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-90
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-92
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing the
Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-97
Secondary Latch System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-103
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools . . . . . . . . 6-106
Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-109
Appearance Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-110
Interior Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-110
Fabric/Carpet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-111
Leather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-112
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other Plastic Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-112
Care of Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-112
Weatherstrips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-113
Washing Your Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-113
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-113
Finish Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-114
Windshield and Wiper Blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-114
6-2
Windshield Wiper Blade
Replacement
Windshield wiper blades should be inspected for wear
or cracking. SeeScheduled Maintenanceon page 7‑3for more information on wiper blade inspection.
Replacement blades come in different types and are
removed in different ways. Here is how to remove the
wiper blade:
1. Pull the windshield wiper arm connector away from the windshield.
2. Squeeze the grooved areas on each side of theblade and turn the blade assembly away from the
arm connector.
3. Install the new blade onto the arm connector and
make sure the grooved areas are fully set in the
locked position.
For the proper type and size, see Maintenance
Replacement Parts on page 7‑15.
6-63
Finish Care
Occasional waxing or mild polishing of the vehicle by
hand may be necessary to remove residue from the
paint finish. Approved cleaning products can be
obtained from your dealer.
If the vehicle has a basecoat/clearcoat paint finish, the
clearcoat gives more depth and gloss to the colored
basecoat. Always use waxes and polishes that are
non-abrasive and made for a basecoat/clearcoat paint
finish.
Notice:Machine compounding or aggressive
polishing on a basecoat/clearcoat paint finish may
damage it. Use only non-abrasive waxes and
polishes that are made for a basecoat/clearcoat
paint finish on the vehicle.
Foreign materials such as calcium chloride and other
salts, ice melting agents, road oil and tar, tree sap, bird
droppings, chemicals from industrial chimneys, etc., can
damage the vehicle's finish if they remain on painted
surfaces. Wash the vehicle as soon as possible.
If necessary, use non-abrasive cleaners that are
marked safe for painted surfaces to remove foreign
matter.
Exterior painted surfaces are subject to aging, weather
and chemical fallout that can take their toll over a period
of years. To help keep the paint finish looking new, keep
the vehicle garaged or covered whenever possible.
Protecting Exterior Bright Metal Parts
Bright metal parts should be cleaned regularly to keep
their luster. Washing with water is all that is usually
needed. However, chrome polish may be used on
chrome or stainless steel trim, if necessary.
Use special care with aluminum trim. To avoid
damaging protective trim, never use auto or chrome
polish, steam or caustic soap to clean aluminum.
A coating of wax, rubbed to high polish, is
recommended for all bright metal parts.
Windshield and Wiper Blades
Clean the outside of the windshield with glass cleaner.
Clean the rubber blades using a lint free cloth or paper
towel soaked with windshield washer fluid or a mild
detergent. Wash the windshield thoroughly when
cleaning the blades. Bugs, road grime, sap, and a
buildup of vehicle wash/wax treatments may cause
wiper streaking. Replace the wiper blades if they are
worn or damaged.
Wipers can be damaged by:
.Extreme dusty conditions
.Sand and salt
.Heat and sun
.Snow and ice, without proper removal
6-114
MaintenanceI
.Change engine oil and filter. See Engine Oilon
page 6‑18. An Emission Control Service.
.Engine coolant level check. See Engine Coolanton page 6‑31.
.Windshield washer fluid level check. See
Windshield Washer Fluid on page 6‑38.
.Tire inflation check. SeeInflation - Tire Pressureon page 6‑73.
.Tire wear inspection. See Tire Inspection and
Rotation on page 6‑80.
.Rotate tires. See Tire Inspection and Rotationon
page 6‑80.
.Fluids visual leak check (or every 12 months,
whichever occurs first). A leak in any system must
be repaired and the fluid level checked.
.Engine air cleaner filter inspection (vehicles driven
in dusty conditions only). See Engine Air Cleaner/
Filter on page 6‑21.
.Brake system inspection (or every 12 months,
whichever occurs first).
.For vehicles with Allison Transmission®only: At
the first engine oil change only, replace external
transmission filter.
Maintenance II
.Perform all services described in Maintenance I.
.Steering and suspension inspection. Visual
inspection for damaged, loose, or missing parts or
signs of wear.
.Lubricate the front suspension, steering linkage,
and parking brake cable guides. Control arm ball
joints on 2500/3500 series vehicles require
lubrication but should not be lubricated unless their
temperature is−12°C (10°F) or higher, or they
could be damaged. Control arm ball joints on
1500 series vehicles are maintenance‐free.
Vehicles used under severe commercial operating
conditions require lubrication on a regular basis
every 5 000 km/3,000 miles.
.Engine cooling system inspection. Visual
inspection of hoses, pipes, fittings, and clamps and
replacement, if needed.
.Windshield wiper blade inspection for wear,
cracking, or contamination and windshield and
wiper blade cleaning, if contaminated. See
Windshield and Wiper Blades
on page 6‑114. Worn
or damaged wiper blade replacement. See
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
on
page 6‑63.
7-4
Scheduled Maintenance (cont'd)
ServiceMaintenanceIMaintenance II
Steering and suspension inspection. •
Chassis components lubrication. •
Engine cooling system inspection. •
Windshield wiper blades inspection. •
Body components lubrication. •
Restraint system components check. •
Automatic transmission fluid level check. •
Four‐wheel drive only: Transfer case fluid level check. •
Engine air cleaner filter inspection (vehicles not driven in dusty conditions). •
Shields inspection, vehicles with diesel engine or with GVWR above 4 536 kg
(10,000 lbs) only. •
7-10
Maintenance Replacement Parts
Replacement parts identified below by name, part number, or specification can be obtained from your dealer.
If your vehicle has the DURAMAX
®diesel engine, see the DURAMAX®Diesel manual for more information.
Part GM Part Number ACDelco Part Number
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter Standard Filter 15908916* A3086C*
High Capacity Filter 15908915 A3085C
Oil Filter 4.3L V6 25010792 PF47
4.8L V8; 5.3L V8; 6.0L V8; 6.2L V8 89017524 PF48
Spark Plugs 4.3L V6 12568387 41-101
4.8L V8; 5.3L V8; 6.0L V8; 6.2L V8 12621258 41-110
Wiper Blades –21.6 in (55.0 cm) 25877402 —
*15908915 (A3085C) high-capacity air cleaner filter may be substituted.
7-15