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240 Driving and Operating
necessary to go much farther
beyond the passed vehicle before
returning to the lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering
wheel with one hand. To move the
trailer to the left, move that hand to
the left. To move the trailer to the
right, move your hand to the right.
Always back up slowly and,
if possible, have someone
guide you.
Making TurnsCaution
Making very sharp turns while
trailering could cause the trailer to
come in contact with the vehicle.
The vehicle could be damaged.
Avoid making very sharp turns
while trailering.
When turning with a trailer, make
wider turns than normal. Do this so
the trailer will not strike soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees, or other objects. Avoid jerky or
sudden maneuvers. Signal well in
advance.
If the trailer turn signal bulbs burn
out, the arrows on the instrument
cluster will still flash for turns. It is
important to check occasionally to
be sure the trailer bulbs are still
working.
Driving on Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower
gear
before starting down a long or
steep downgrade. If the
transmission is not shifted down, the
brakes might get hot and no longer
work well.
Vehicles can tow in D (Drive). Shift
the transmission to a lower gear if
the transmission shifts too often
under heavy loads and/or hilly
conditions.
When towing at high altitude on
steep uphill grades, consider the
following: Engine coolant will boil at
a lower temperature than at normal
altitudes. If the engine is turned off
immediately after towing at high
altitude on steep uphill grades, the vehicle may show signs similar to
engine overheating. To avoid this,
let the engine run while parked,
preferably on level ground, with the
automatic transmission in P (Park)
for a few minutes before turning the
engine off. If the overheat warning
comes on, see
Engine
Overheating 0264.
Parking on Hills
{Warning
Parking the vehicle on a hill with
the trailer attached can be
dangerous. If something goes
wrong, the rig could start to move.
People can be injured, and both
the vehicle and the trailer can be
damaged. When possible, always
park the rig on a flat surface.
If parking the rig on a hill: 1. Press the brake pedal, but do not shift into P (Park) yet. Turn
the wheels into the curb if
facing downhill or into traffic if
facing uphill.
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Driving and Operating 241
2. Have someone place chocksunder the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the regular
brakes until the chocks absorb
the load.
4. Reapply the brake pedal. Then apply the parking brake and
shift into P (Park).
5. Release the brake pedal.
Leaving After Parking on a Hill
1. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine.
3. Shift into a gear.
4. Release the parking brake.
5. Let up on the brake pedal.
6. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
7. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance when Trailer
Towing
The vehicle needs service more
often when pulling a trailer. See
Maintenance Schedule 0323.
Things that are especially important
in trailer operation are automatic
transmission fluid, engine oil, axle
lubricant, belts, cooling system, and
brake system. It is a good idea to
inspect these before and during
the trip.
Check periodically to see that all
hitch nuts and bolts are tight.
Trailer Towing (Coupe
and V-Series)
The vehicle is neither designed nor
intended to tow a trailer.
Trailer Towing (Sedan
With V6 Engine)
Before pulling a trailer, there are
three important considerations that
have to do with weight:
. The weight of the trailer.
. The weight of the trailer tongue. .
The total weight on your
vehicle's tires.
Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It should never weigh more than
454 kg (1,000 lb). But even that can
be too heavy.
It depends on how the rig is used.
For example, speed, altitude, road
grades, outside temperature, and
how much the vehicle is used to pull
a trailer are all important. It can
depend on any special equipment
on the vehicle, and the amount of
tongue weight the vehicle can carry.
See “Weight of the Trailer Tongue”
later in this section.
Maximum trailer weight is calculated
assuming only the driver is in the
tow vehicle and it has all the
required trailering equipment. The
weight of additional optional
equipment, passengers, and cargo
in the tow vehicle must be
subtracted from the maximum trailer
weight.
Ask your dealer for trailering
information or advice.
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242 Driving and Operating
Weight of the Trailer Tongue
The tongue load (1) of any trailer is
an important weight to measure
because it affects the total gross
weight of the vehicle. The Gross
Vehicle Weight (GVW) includes the
curb weight of the vehicle, any
cargo carried in it, and the people
who will be riding in the vehicle.
If there are a lot of options,
equipment, passengers, or cargo in
the vehicle, it will reduce the tongue
weight the vehicle can carry, which
will also reduce the trailer weight the
vehicle can tow. If towing a trailer,
the tongue load must be added to
the GVW because the vehicle will
be carrying that weight, too. See
Vehicle Load Limits0187.
The trailer tongue (1) should weigh
10 to 15 percent of the total loaded
trailer weight (2).
After loading the trailer, weigh the
trailer and then the tongue,
separately, to see if the weights are
proper. If they are not, adjustments
might be made by moving some
items around in the trailer.
Total Weight on Your Vehicle's
Tires
Be sure the vehicle's tires are
inflated to the upper limit for cold
tires. These numbers can be found
on the Tire and Loading Information label. See
Vehicle Load Limits
0 187. Make sure not to go over the
GVW limit for the vehicle, including
the weight of the trailer tongue.
Towing Equipment
Hitches
Use the correct hitch equipment.
See your dealer or a hitch dealer for
assistance.
. The rear bumper on the vehicle
is not intended for hitches. Do
not attach rental hitches or other
bumper-type hitches to it. Use
only a frame-mounted hitch that
does not attach to the bumper.
. Will any holes be made in the
body of the vehicle when the
trailer hitch is installed? If so,
seal the holes when the hitch is
removed. If the holes are not
sealed, dirt, water, and deadly
carbon monoxide (CO) from the
exhaust can get into the vehicle.
See Engine Exhaust 0197.
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Safety Chains
Always attach chains between the
vehicle and the trailer. Cross the
safety chains under the tongue of
the trailer to help prevent the tongue
from contacting the road if it
becomes separated from the hitch.
Leave enough slack so the rig can
turn. Never allow safety chains to
drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
Does the trailer have its own
brakes? Be sure to read and follow
the instructions for the trailer brakes
so they are installed, adjusted, and
maintained properly.
Because the vehicle has antilock
brakes, do not tap into the vehicle's
brake system. If this is done, both
brake systems will not work well or
at all.
Conversions and
Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical
Equipment
{Warning
The Data Link Connector (DLC) is
used for vehicle service and
Emission Inspection/Maintenance
testing. SeeMalfunction Indicator
Lamp (Check Engine Light) 0118.
A device connected to the DLC —
such as an aftermarket fleet or
driver-behavior tracking device —
may interfere with vehicle
systems. This could affect vehicle
operation and cause a crash.
Such devices may also access
information stored in the vehicle’s
systems.
Caution
Some electrical equipment can
damage the vehicle or cause
components to not work and
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Always check
with your dealer before adding
electrical equipment.
Add-on equipment can drain the
vehicle's 12-volt battery, even if the
vehicle is not operating.
The vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to add anything
electrical to the vehicle, see
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle 081 and Adding Equipment
to the Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle 081.
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244 Vehicle Care
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 245
Accessories andModifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 256
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . 258
Cooling System (Engine) . . . . . 259
Cooling System (Intercooler) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . 264
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 270 Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 270
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 271
Windshield Replacement . . . . . 271
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Back-Up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . 273
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . 274
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 275
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Run-Flat Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Tire Pressure for High-SpeedOperation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 297
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Storing the Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
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Jump Starting
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Towing the Vehicle
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Recreational VehicleTowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
General Information
For service and parts needs, visit
your dealer. You will receive
genuine parts and trained and
supported service people.
Accessories and
Modifications
Adding non-dealer accessories or
making modifications to the vehicle
can affect vehicle performance and
safety, including such things as
airbags, braking, stability, ride and
handling, emissions systems,
aerodynamics, durability, and
electronic systems like antilock
brakes, traction control, and stability
control. These accessories or
modifications could even cause
malfunction or damage not covered
by the vehicle warranty.
Damage to suspension components
caused by modifying vehicle height
outside of factory settings will not be
covered by the warranty.
Damage to vehicle components
resulting from modifications or the
installation or use of non-GM certified parts, including control
module or software modifications, is
not covered under the terms of the
vehicle warranty and may affect
remaining warranty coverage for
affected parts.
GM Accessories are designed to
complement and function with other
systems on the vehicle. See your
dealer to accessorize the vehicle
using genuine GM Accessories
installed by a dealer technician.
Also, see
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 081.
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246 Vehicle Care
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your Own
Service Work
{Warning
It can be dangerous to work on
your vehicle if you do not have
the proper knowledge, service
manual, tools, or parts. Always
follow owner manual procedures
and consult the service manual
for your vehicle before doing any
service work.
If doing some of your own service
work, use the proper service
manual. It tells you much more
about how to service the vehicle
than this manual can.
This vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to do your own
service work, see Airbag System
Check 082.
Keep a record with all parts receipts
and list the mileage and the date of
any service work performed.
Caution
Even small amounts of
contamination can cause damage
to vehicle systems. Do not allow
contaminants to contact the fluids,
reservoir caps, or dipsticks.
Hood
To open the hood:
1. Pull the hood release handle inside the vehicle. It is on the
lower left side of the instrument
panel.
2. Go to the front of the vehicleand move the secondary hood
release lever toward the right
side of the vehicle.
3. Lift the hood.
To close the hood:
Before closing the hood, be sure all
filler caps are on properly. Then,
bring the hood from full open to
within 152 mm (6 in) of the closed
position. Pause, then push the front
center of the hood with a swift, firm
motion to fully close the hood.
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Engine Compartment Overview
2.0L L4 Engine LTG