Maintenance
7
ENGINE COMPARTMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3
MAINTENANCE SERVICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4
• Owner’s responsibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4
• Owner maintenance precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4
OWNER MAINTENANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
• Owner maintenance schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE SERVICE. . . . . 7-8
• Normal maintenance schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
• Maintenance under severe usage conditions. . . . . . . 7-13
EXPLANATION OF SCHEDULED
MAINTENANCE ITEMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-19
ENGINE OIL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-19
• Checking the engine oil level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-19
• Changing the engine oil and filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-23
ENGINE COOLANT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-23
• Checking the engine coolant level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-23
• Changing the engine coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-25
BRAKE/CLUTCH FLUID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-26
• Checking the brake/clutch fluid level . . . . . . . . . . . 7-26
AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE FLUID . . . . . . . . . 7-27
• Checking the automatic transaxle fluid level . . . . . 7-27
• Changing the automatic transaxle fluid . . . . . . . . . . 7-28
WASHER FLUID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-29
• Checking the washer fluid level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-29
PARKING BRAKE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-29
• Checking the parking brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-29
AIR CLEANER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-30
• Filter replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-30
CLIMATE CONTROL AIR FILTER . . . . . . . . . 7-32
• Filter inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-32
• Filter replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-32
WIPER BLADES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34
• Blade inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34
• Blade replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34
BATTERY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-38
• For best battery service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-38
• Battery capacity label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-39
• Battery recharging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-39
• Reset items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-40
TIRES AND WHEELS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-41
• Tire care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-41
• Recommended cold tire inflation pressures . . . . . . 7-41
• Checking tire inflation pressure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-43
• Tire rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-44
• Wheel alignment and tire balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-45
• Tire replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-45
• Wheel replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-46
• Tire traction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-46
• Tire maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-47
77
Maintenance
At least monthly:
• Check the coolant level in the engine
coolant reservoir.
• Check the operation of all exterior
lights, including the stoplights, turn sig-
nals and hazard warning flashers.
• Check the inflation pressures of all
tires including the spare.
At least twice a year
(i.e., every Spring and Fall):
• Check the radiator, heater and air con-
ditioning hoses for leaks or damage.
• Check the windshield washer spray
and wiper operation. Clean the wiper
blades with clean cloth dampened with
washer fluid.
• Check the headlight alignment.
• Check the muffler, exhaust pipes,
shields and clamps.
• Check the lap/shoulder belts for wear
and function.
• Check for worn tires and loose wheel
lug nuts.
At least once a year:
• Clean the body and door drain holes.
• Lubricate the door hinges and checks,
and hood hinges.
• Lubricate the door and hood locks and
latches.
• Lubricate the door rubber weather-
strips.
• Check the air conditioning system.
• Inspect and lubricate the automatic
transaxle linkage and controls.
• Clean the battery and terminals.
• Check the brake (and clutch) fluid
level.
Maintenance
44 7
Tire rotation
To equalize tread wear, it is recom-
mended that the tires be rotated
every 12,000 km (7,500 miles) or
sooner if irregular wear develops.
During rotation, check the tires for
correct balance.
When rotating tires, check for uneven
wear and damage. Abnormal wear is
usually caused by incorrect tire pres-
sure, improper wheel alignment, out-
of-balance wheels, severe braking or
severe cornering. Look for bumps or
bulges in the tread or side of tire.
Replace the tire if you find either of
these conditions. Replace the tire if
fabric or cord is visible. After rotation,
be sure to bring the front and rear tire
pressures to specification and check
lug nut tightness.
Refer to “Tire and wheels” in chapter
8.
Disc brake pads should be inspected
for wear whenever tires are rotated.
✽NOTICE
Rotate radial tires that have an
asymmetric tread pattern only from
front to rear and not from right to
left.
WARNING
• Do not use the compact spare
tire for tire rotation.
• Do not mix bias ply and radial
ply tires under any circum-
stances. This may cause
unusual handling characteris-
tics that could result in death,
severe injury, or property
damage.
S2BLA790
CBGQ0707A With a full-size spare tire (if equipped)
Directional tires (if equipped)
745
Maintenance
Wheel alignment and tire balance
The wheels on your vehicle were
aligned and balanced carefully at the
factory to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
In most cases, you will not need to
have your wheels aligned again.
However, if you notice unusual tire
wear or your vehicle pulling one way
or the other, the alignment may need
to be reset.
If you notice your vehicle vibrating
when driving on a smooth road, your
wheels may need to be rebalanced.Tire replacement
If the tire is worn evenly, a tread wear
indicator will appear as a solid band
across the tread. This shows there is
less than 1.6 mm (1/16 inch) of tread
left on the tire. Replace the tire when
this happens.
Do not wait for the band to appear
across the entire tread before replac-
ing the tire.
CAUTION
Improper wheel weights can
damage your vehicle's alu-
minum wheels. Use only
approved wheel weights.
OEN076053
Tread wear indicatorWARNING - Replacing
tires
To reduce the chance or serious
or fatal injuries from an acci-
dent caused by tire failure or
loss of vehicle control:
• Replace tires that are worn,
show uneven wear, or are
damaged. Worn tires can
cause loss of braking effec-
tiveness, steering control, and
traction.
• Do not drive your vehicle with
too little or too much pressure
in your tires. This can lead to
uneven wear and tire failure.
• When replacing tires, never
mix radial and bias-ply tires
on the same car. You must
replace all tires (including the
spare) if moving from radial to
bias-ply tires.
(Continued)
747
Maintenance
Tire maintenance
In addition to proper inflation, correct
wheel alignment helps to decrease
tire wear. If you find a tire is worn
unevenly, have your dealer check the
wheel alignment.
When you have new tires installed,
make sure they are balanced. This
will increase vehicle ride comfort and
tire life. Additionally, a tire should
always be rebalanced if it is removed
from the wheel.
Tire sidewall labeling
This information identifies and
describes the fundamental charac-
teristics of the tire and also provides
the tire identification number (TIN)
for safety standard certification. The
TIN can be used to identify the tire in
case of a recall.
1. Manufacturer or brand name
Manufacturer or Brand name is
shown.
2. Tire size designation
A tire’s sidewall is marked with a tire
size designation. You will need this
information when selecting replace-
ment tires for your vehicle. The fol-
lowing explains what the letters and
numbers in the tire size designation
mean.
Example tire size designation:
(These numbers are provided as an
example only; your tire size designa-
tor could vary depending on your
vehicle.)
165/60R14 64T
165 - Tire width in millimeters.
60 - Aspect ratio. The tire’s chapter
height as a percentage of its
width.
R - Tire construction code (Radial).
14 - Rim diameter in inches.
64 - Load Index, a numerical code
associated with the maximum
load the tire can carry.
T - Speed Rating Symbol. See the
speed rating chart in this chapter
for additional information.
I030B04JM 1
1 2
34 5,6
7