10-64 Vehicle Care
Tire Chains
{WARNING
If your vehicle has LT285/75R16
or P265/65R18 size tires, do not
use tire chains. They can damage
your vehicle because there is not
enough clearance. Tire chains
used on a vehicle without the
proper amount of clearance can
cause damage to the brakes,
suspension, or other vehicle
parts. The area damaged by the
tire chains could cause you to
lose control of your vehicle and
you or others may be injured in a
crash.
Use another type of traction
device only if its manufacturer
recommends it for use on your
vehicle and tire size combination
and road conditions. Follow that
manufacturer's instructions.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
To help avoid damage to your
vehicle, drive slowly, readjust,
or remove the device if it is
contacting your vehicle, and do
not spin your vehicle's wheels.
If you do find traction devices that
will fit, install them on the rear
tires.
Notice: If your vehicle has a tire
size other than LT285/75R16 or
P265/65R18 use tire chains only
where legal and only when you
must. Use chains that are the
proper size for your tires. Install
them on the tires of the rear axle.
Do not use chains on the tires of
the front axle. Tighten them as
tightly as possible with the
ends securely fastened. Drive
slowly and follow the chain
manufacturer's instructions. If you can hear the chains
contacting your vehicle, stop
and retighten them. If the contact
continues, slow down until it
stops. Driving too fast or
spinning the wheels with chains
on will damage your vehicle.
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 flat tire
creates a drag that pulls the vehicle
toward that side. Take your foot off
the accelerator pedal and grip the
steering wheel firmly. Steer to
maintain lane position, and then
gently brake to a stop well out of the
traffic lane.
Vehicle Care 10-65
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.
{WARNING
Lifting a vehicle and getting
under it to do maintenance or
repairs is dangerous without the
appropriate safety equipment and
training. If a jack is provided with
the vehicle, it is designed only for
changing a flat tire. If it is used for
anything else, you or others could
be badly injured or killed if the
vehicle slips off the jack. If a jack
is provided with the vehicle, only
use it for changing a flat tire.If a tire goes flat, avoid further
tire and wheel damage by driving
slowly to a level place. Turn on
your hazard warning flashers.
See
Hazard Warning Flashers
on
page 6‑5.
{WARNING
Changing a tire can be
dangerous. The vehicle can slip
off the jack and roll over or fall
on you or other people. You and
they could be badly injured or
even killed. Find a level place to
change your tire. To help prevent
the vehicle from moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put the shift lever in P (Park).
3. If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle,
be sure the transfer case
is in a drive gear –not in
N (Neutral).
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
4. Turn off the engine and donot restart while the vehicle
is raised.
5. Do not allow passengers to remain in the vehicle.
To be even more certain the
vehicle will not move, put blocks
at the front and rear of the tire
farthest away from the one being
changed. That would be the tire
on the other side, at the opposite
end of the vehicle.
When the vehicle has a flat tire, the
wheel blocks need to be set up
before changing it. The wheel
blocks are located in the tool bag in
the swing-gate for H3 models or
below the rear seat for H3T models.
10-72 Vehicle Care
{WARNING
Never use oil or grease on bolts
or nuts because the nuts might
come loose. The vehicle's wheel
could fall off, causing a crash.
9. Put the spare tire on the mounting surface.
10. Put the wheel nuts back on with the rounded end of the
nuts toward the wheel after
mounting the spare.
11. Tighten each wheel nut by hand. Then use the wheel
wrench to tighten the nuts until
the wheel is held against
the hub.
12. Turn the wheel wrench counterclockwise to lower
the vehicle. Lower the jack
completely.
{WARNING
Wheel nuts that are improperly or
incorrectly tightened can cause
the wheels to become loose or
come off. The wheel nuts should
be tightened with a torque wrench
to the proper torque specification
after replacing. Follow the torque
specification supplied by the
aftermarket manufacturer when
using accessory locking wheel
nuts. See Capacities and
Specifications
on page 12‑2for
original equipment wheel nut
torque specifications.
Notice: Improperly tightened
wheel nuts can lead to brake
pulsation and rotor damage. To
avoid expensive brake repairs,
evenly tighten the wheel nuts in
the proper sequence and to the
proper torque specification. See
Capacities and Specifications
on
page 12‑2for the wheel nut
torque specification.
13. Tighten the nuts firmly in a crisscross sequence as shown
by turning the wheel wrench
clockwise.
14. After installing the wheel and tire, reinstall the center cap.
Place the cap on the wheel and
tap it into place until it sits flush
with the wheel.
Vehicle Care 10-81
{WARNING
Wheel nuts that are improperly or
incorrectly tightened can cause
the wheels to become loose or
come off. The wheel nuts should
be tightened with a torque wrench
to the proper torque specification
after replacing. Follow the torque
specification supplied by the
aftermarket manufacturer when
using accessory locking wheel
nuts. SeeCapacities and
Specifications
on page 12‑2for
original equipment wheel nut
torque specifications. Notice:
Improperly tightened
wheel nuts can lead to brake
pulsation and rotor damage. To
avoid expensive brake repairs,
evenly tighten the wheel nuts in
the proper sequence and to the
proper torque specification. See
Capacities and Specifications
on
page 12‑2for the wheel nut
torque specification.
13. Tighten the nuts firmly in a crisscross sequence as shown
by turning the wheel wrench
clockwise.
14. After installing the wheel and tire, reinstall the center cap.
Place the cap on the wheel and
tap it into place until it sits flush
with the wheel.
Vehicle Care 10-87
You would not be able to start
your vehicle, and the bad
grounding could damage the
electrical systems.
To avoid the possibility of the
vehicles rolling, set the parking
brake firmly on both vehicles
involved in the jump start
procedure. Put an automatic
transmission in P (Park) or a
manual transmission in Neutral
before setting the parking brake.
If you have a four-wheel-drive
vehicle, be sure the transfer
case is not in Neutral.
Notice: If you leave the radio or
other accessories on during the
jump starting procedure, they
could be damaged. The repairs
would not be covered by the
warranty. Always turn off the
radio and other accessories
when jump starting the vehicle. 3. Turn off the ignition on both
vehicles. Unplug unnecessary
accessories plugged into the
cigarette lighter or the accessory
power outlets. Turn off the radio
and all lamps that are not
needed. This will avoid sparks
and help save both batteries.
And it could save the radio!
4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries on both vehicles. You
will use the positive (+) battery
terminal and the remote
negative (−) jump starting
terminal to jump start your
vehicle. To access the
positive (+) battery terminal,
open the terminal cover. See
Engine Compartment Overview
on page 10‑6for more
information on the terminal
locations.
{WARNING
Using a match near a battery can
cause battery gas to explode.
People have been hurt doing this,
and some have been blinded.
Use a flashlight if you need more
light.
Be sure the batteries have
enough water. You do not need
to add water to the ACDelco
®
battery (or batteries) installed in
your new vehicle. But if a battery
has filler caps, be sure the right
amount of fluid is there. If it is low,
add water to take care of that
first. If you do not, explosive gas
could be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that
can burn you. Do not get it on
you. If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or on your skin, flush
the place with water and get
medical help immediately.
Vehicle Care 10-91
Use the following procedure to tow
the vehicle:
1. Put the transmission in P (Park)for an automatic transmission
or in 1 (First) for a manual
transmission.
2. Turn the engine off, but leave the ignition in ACC/
ACCESSORY.
3. Firmly set the parking brake.
4. Securely attach the vehicle being towed to the tow vehicle.
{WARNING
Shifting a full‐time four‐wheel‐
drive vehicle's transfer case into
N (Neutral) can cause the vehicle
to roll even if the automatic
transmission is in P (Park) or the
manual transmission is in any
gear. You or others could be
injured. Make sure the parking
brake is firmly set before the
transfer case is shifted to
N (Neutral). 5. Shift the transfer case to
N (Neutral). See Four-Wheel
Drive
on page 9‑46for the
proper procedure to select the
N (Neutral) position for the
vehicle.
6. Release the parking brake only after the vehicle being towed
is firmly attached to the tow
vehicle.
7. Make sure the ignition is in ACC/ACCESSORY.
When towing the vehicle for
extended periods of time, start the
vehicle as often as possible to
prevent battery drain. This should
only be done when the tow vehicle
is parked.
After towing, see “Shifting Out of
NEUTRAL” underFour-Wheel Drive
on page 9‑46.
Dolly Towing
Notice: Dolly towing the
vehicle will damage drivetrain
components. Do not dolly tow the
vehicle.
The vehicle cannot be dolly towed.
If the vehicle must be towed behind
another vehicle, use the dinghy
towing procedure explained
previously.
Service and Maintenance 11-3
life system whenever the oil is
changed. SeeEngine Oil Life
System on page 10‑11.
When the “Change Oil” message
displays, certain services, checks,
and inspections are required.
The services described for
Maintenance Ishould be performed
at every engine oil change. The
services described for Maintenance
II should be performed when:
.Maintenance Iwas performed
the last time the engine oil was
changed.
.It has been 10 months or more
since the “Change Oil” message
has displayed or since the last
service.
Maintenance I
.Change engine oil and filter.
SeeEngine Oilon page 10‑9.
An Emission Control Service.
.Engine coolant level check. See
Engine Coolant on page 10‑19.
.Windshield washer fluid level
check. See Washer Fluidon
page 10‑25.
.Tire inflation check. See Tire
Pressure on page 10‑51.
.Tire wear inspection. See Tire
Inspection on page 10‑57.
.Rotate tires. See Tire Rotationon page 10‑57.
.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 10‑17.
.Brake system inspection
(or every 12 months, whichever
occurs first).
Maintenance II
.Perform all services described in
MaintenanceI.
.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 require lubrication but
should not be lubricated unless
their temperature is −12°C
(10°F) or higher, or they could
be damaged.
.Engine cooling system
inspection. Visual inspection
of hoses, pipes, fittings, and
clamps and replacement,
if needed.
11-4 Service and Maintenance
.Windshield wiper blade
inspection for wear, cracking,
or contamination and windshield
and wiper blade cleaning,
if contaminated. SeeExterior
Care
on page 10‑92. Worn
or damaged wiper blade
replacement. See Wiper Blade
Replacement on page 10‑32.
.Body hinges and latches, key
lock cylinders, folding seat
hardware, and rear compartment
hinges, linkage, and handle
pivot points lubrication. See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants
on page 11‑8.
More frequent lubrication may
be required when vehicle
is exposed to a corrosive
environment. Applying silicone
grease on weatherstrips with a
clean cloth makes them last
longer, seal better, and not stick
or squeak.
.Restraint system component
check. See Safety System
Check on page 3‑26.
.Automatic transmission fluid
level check and adding fluid,
if needed. See Automatic
Transmission Fluid
on
page 10‑12.
.Four‐wheel drive vehicles:
Transfer case fluid level check
and adding fluid, if needed.
.Engine air cleaner filter
inspection. See Engine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 10‑17.
Additional Required Services
At Each Fuel Stop
.Engine oil level check. See
Engine Oil on page 10‑9.
.Engine coolant level check. See
Engine Coolant on page 10‑19.
.Windshield washer fluid level
check. See Washer Fluidon
page 10‑25. Once a Month
.Tire inflation check. See
Tire
Pressure on page 10‑51.
.Tire wear inspection. See Tire
Inspection on page 10‑57.
Once a Year
.See Starter Switch Checkon
page 10‑30.
.See Automatic Transmission
Shift Lock Control System
Check on page 10‑30.
.See Ignition Transmission Lock
Check on page 10‑31.
.See Park Brake and P (Park)
Mechanism Checkon
page 10‑31.
.Engine cooling system and
pressure cap pressure check.
Radiator and air conditioning
condenser outside cleaning. See
Cooling System on page 10‑18.