CAUTION!(Continued)
•Your vehicle has been built with improved fluids
that protect the performance and durability of your
vehicle and also allow extended maintenance inter-
vals. Do not use chemical flushes in these compo-
nents as the chemicals can damage your engine,
transmission, or air conditioning. Such damage is
not covered by the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
If a flush is needed because of component malfunc-
tion, use only the specified fluid for the flushing
procedure.
Engine Oil
Checking Oil Level
To assure proper lubrication of your vehicle’s engine, the
engine oil must be maintained at the correct level. The
engine oil level should be checked five minutes after a
warmed up engine has been shut off. Checking the oil while the vehicle is on level ground will
improve the accuracy of the oil level readings. Always
maintain the oil level within the SAFE zone on the
dipstick. Adding 1 quart (0.95 liters) of oil when the
reading is at the bottom of the SAFE zone will result in a
reading at the top of the safe zone on these engines.
CAUTION!
Overfilling or underfilling the crankcase will cause
aeration or loss of oil pressure. This could damage
your engine.
Change Engine Oil
The oil change indicator system will remind you that it is
time to take your vehicle in for scheduled maintenance.
Refer to the “Maintenance Schedule” for further informa-
tion.
600 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE
5. Place the shift lever momentarily into each gear posi-tion (allowing time for the transmission to fully en-
gage in each position), ending with the transmission in
PARK.
6. Remove the dipstick, wipe it clean and reinsert it until seated.
7.
Remove the dipstick again and note the fluid level on
both sides. The fluid level reading is only valid if
there is a solid coating of oil on both sides of the
dipstick. Note that the holes in the dipstick will be
full of fluid if the actual level is at or above the hole.
The fluid level should be between the HOT (upper)
reference holes on the dipstick at normal operating
temperature. If the fluid level is low, add fluid
through the dipstick tube to bring it to the proper
level. Do not overfill. Use ONLY the specified fluid
(refer to Fluids, Lubricants, And Genuine Parts for
fluid specifications). After adding any quantity of oil through the dipstick tube, wait a minimum of two
minutes for the oil to fully drain into the transmission
before rechecking the fluid level.
NOTE:
•The holes in the dipstick will be full of fluid if the
actual level is at or above the hole.
• If it is necessary to check the transmission below the
operating temperature, the fluid level should be
between the two COLD (lower) holes on the dipstick
with the fluid at approximately 80°F (27°C). If the
fluid level is correctly established at 80° F (27°C), it
should be between the HOT (upper) reference holes
when the transmission reaches 180° F (82°C). Re-
member it is best to check the level at the normal
operating temperature.
634 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE
