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DRIVING AND OPERATING 237
octane rating of less than 87, as this
may cause engine knock and will
lower fuel economy.
Prohibited Fuels
Caution
Do not use fuels with any of the
following conditions; doing so may
damage the vehicle and void its
warranty:. For vehicles which are not
FlexFuel, fuel labeled greater
than 15% ethanol by volume,
such as mid-level ethanol
blends (16 –50% ethanol),
E85, or FlexFuel.
. Fuel with any amount of
methanol, methylal, and
aniline. These fuels can
corrode metal fuel system
parts or damage plastic and
rubber parts.
. Fuel containing metals such
as methylcyclopentadienyl
manganese tricarbonyl
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
(MMT), which can damage
the emissions control system
and spark plugs.
. Fuel with a posted octane
rating of less than the
recommended fuel. Using this
fuel will lower fuel economy
and performance, and may
decrease the life of the
emissions catalyst.
California Fuel
Requirements
If the vehicle is certified to meet
California Emissions Standards, it is
designed to operate on fuels that meet
California specifications. See the
underhood emission control label.
If this fuel is not available in states
adopting California Emissions
Standards, the vehicle will operate
satisfactorily on fuels meeting federal
specifications, but emission control
system performance may be affected.
The malfunction indicator lamp could turn on and the vehicle may not pass
a smog-check test. See
Malfunction
Indicator Lamp (Check Engine Light)
0 133. If this occurs, return to your
authorized dealer for diagnosis. If it is
determined that the condition is
caused by the type of fuel used,
repairs may not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
Fuels in Foreign Countries
The U.S., Canada, and Mexico post
fuel octane ratings in anti-knock index
(AKI). For fuel not to use in a foreign
country, see “Prohibited Fuels” inFuel
0 236.
Fuel Additives
To keep fuel systems clean, TOP TIER
detergent gasoline is recommended.
See Fuel 0236.
If TOP TIER detergent gasoline is not
available, one bottle of GM Fuel
System Treatment Cleaner added to
the fuel tank at every engine oil
change, can help. GM Fuel System
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DRIVING AND OPERATING 241
{Warning
When towing a trailer, exhaust
gases may collect at the rear of the
vehicle and enter if the liftgate,
trunk/hatch, or rear-most window
is open.
When towing a trailer:. Do not drive with the liftgate,
trunk/hatch, or rear-most
window open.
. Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
. Also adjust the climate
control system to a setting
that brings in only outside air.
See “Climate Control Systems ”
in the Index.
For information about carbon
monoxide, see Engine Exhaust
0 195.
Towing a trailer requires a certain
amount of experience. The
combination you are driving is longer and not as responsive as the vehicle
itself. Get acquainted with the
handling and braking of the rig before
setting out for the open road.
Before starting, check all trailer hitch
parts and attachments, safety chains,
electrical connectors, lamps, tires, and
mirrors. If the trailer has electric
brakes, start the combination moving
and then apply the trailer brake
controller by hand to be sure the
brakes work.
During the trip, check occasionally to
be sure that the load is secure and the
lamps and any trailer brakes
still work.
Towing with a Stability Control
System
When towing, the sound of the
stability control system might be
heard. The system is reacting to the
vehicle movement caused by the
trailer, which mainly occurs during
cornering. This is normal when towing
heavier trailers.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the
vehicle ahead as you would when
driving the vehicle without a trailer.
This can help to avoid situations that
require heavy braking and sudden
turns.
Passing
More passing distance is needed when
towing a trailer. Because the rig is
longer, it is necessary to go 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 your 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.
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242 DRIVING AND OPERATING
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 so the trailer
will not strike soft shoulders, curbs,
road signs, trees, or other objects. Use
the turn signal well in advance and
avoid jerky or sudden maneuvers.
Turn Signals When Towing a
Trailer
The turn signal indicators on the
instrument cluster flash whenever
signaling a turn or lane change.
Properly hooked up, the trailer lamps
also flash, telling other drivers the
vehicle is turning, changing lanes,
or stopping. When towing a trailer, the arrows on
the instrument cluster flash for turns
even if the bulbs on the trailer are
burned out. 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 have
to be used so much that they would
get hot and no longer work well.
The vehicle can tow in D (Drive). Use
a lower gear if the transmission shifts
too often.
When towing at high altitude on steep
uphill grades, engine coolant boils 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 could show signs similar to
engine overheating. To avoid this, let
the engine run while parked,
preferably on level ground, with the
transmission in P (Park) for a few
minutes before turning the engine off.
If the overheat warning comes on, see
Engine Overheating
0261.
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.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the brake pedal
until the chocks absorb the load.
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DRIVING AND OPERATING 243
4. Reapply the brake pedal. Thenapply 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 while you:
.Start the engine.
. Shift into a gear.
. Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. 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 the
Maintenance Schedule 0330. Things
that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transmission
fluid, engine oil, axle lubricant, belts, cooling system, and brake system.
Inspect these before and during
the trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch
nuts and bolts are tight.
Engine Cooling When Trailer
Towing
The cooling system may temporarily
overheat during severe operating
conditions. See
Engine Overheating
0 261.
Trailer Towing
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 the vehicle's
tires.
Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
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 the tow vehicle has the
driver, a front seat passenger, and all
the required towing equipment. Cargo
in the tow vehicle must be subtracted
from the maximum trailer weight.
Use the following chart to determine
how much the vehicle can weigh,
based upon the vehicle model and
options.
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DRIVING AND OPERATING 247
Electric Trailer Brake Control Wiring
Provisions
These wiring provisions for an electric
trailer brake controller are included
with the vehicle as part of the trailer
wiring package. The instrument panel
contains blunt cut wires above the
parking brake assembly for the electric
trailer brake controller. The harness
contains the following wires:
.Blue: To Trailer
. Red/Black or Red/Blue:
Battery Feed
. White/Blue: Brake Apply Signal
. Black: Ground
The electric trailer brake controller
should be installed by your dealer or a
qualified service center.Trailer Sway Control (TSC)
Vehicles with StabiliTrak have a
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) feature.
Trailer sway is unintended side-to-side
motion of a trailer while being towed.
If the vehicle is towing a trailer and
the TSC detects that sway is
increasing, the vehicle brakes are
selectively applied at each wheel, to
help reduce excessive trailer sway.
If the vehicle is equipped with the
Integrated Trailer Brake Control
(ITBC) system, and the trailer has the
electric actuated brake system,
StabiliTrak may also apply the trailer
brakes.
If TSC is enabled, the Traction Control
System (TCS)/StabiliTrak warning
light will flash on the instrument
cluster. Vehicle speed must be
reduced. If trailer sway continues,
StabiliTrak can reduce engine torque
to help slow the vehicle. See Traction
Control/Electronic Stability Control
0 205.{Warning
Even if the vehicle is equipped with
TSC, trailer sway could result in
loss of control and the vehicle could
crash. If excessive trailer sway is
detected, slow down to a safe speed.
Check the trailer and vehicle to help
correct possible causes. These could
include an improperly or overloaded
trailer, unrestrained cargo, improper
trailer hitch configuration, excessive
vehicle-trailer speed, or improperly
inflated or incorrect vehicle or
trailer tires. See Towing Equipment
0 245 for trailer ratings and hitch
setup recommendations.
Adding non-dealer accessories can
affect the vehicle performance. See
Accessories and Modifications 0251.
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248 DRIVING AND OPERATING
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) 0133.
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 087 and
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 088.
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VEHICLE CARE 249
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . 257
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Battery - North America . . . . . . . . . 265
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266 Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Park Brake and P (Park)
Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . 267
Windshield Replacement . . . . . . . . 268
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Headlamps and Front Turn Signal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Back-Up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . 271
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . 272
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . 275
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281 Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Tire Terminology and
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Tire Pressure for High-Speed
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . 288
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . 297
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Storing the Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
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254 VEHICLE CARE
1.Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0257.
2. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See Engine Oil
0 254.
3. Engine Oil Dipstick. See Engine
Oil 0254.
4. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View). See Cooling System 0258.
5. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See Brake
Fluid 0264.
6. Battery - North America 0265.
7. Engine Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See Cooling System
0 258.
8. Positive (+) Battery Terminal (Under Cover). See Jump Starting
- North America 0314.
9. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See Washer Fluid
0 263.
10. Engine Compartment Fuse Block
0272.
11. Remote Negative (-) Battery Terminal. See Jump Starting -
North America 0314.Engine Oil
To ensure proper engine performance
and long life, careful attention must
be paid to engine oil. Following these
simple, but important steps will help
protect your investment:
.
Use engine oil approved to the
proper specification and of the
proper viscosity grade. See
“Selecting the Right Engine Oil” in
this section.
. Check the engine oil level regularly
and maintain the proper oil level.
See “Checking Engine Oil” and
“When to Add Engine Oil” in this
section.
. Change the engine oil at the
appropriate time. See Engine Oil
Life System 0256.
. Always dispose of engine oil
properly. See “What to Do with
Used Oil” in this section.
Checking Engine Oil
Check the engine oil level regularly,
every 650 km (400 mi), especially prior
to a long trip. The engine oil dipstick handle is a loop. See
Engine
Compartment Overview 0253 for the
location.
{Warning
The engine oil dipstick handle may
be hot; it could burn you. Use a
towel or glove to touch the dipstick
handle.
If a low oil Driver Information Center
(DIC) message displays, check the oil
level.
Follow these guidelines:
. To get an accurate reading, park
the vehicle on level ground. Check
the engine oil level after the
engine has been off for at least
two hours. Checking the engine oil
level on steep grades or too soon
after engine shutoff can result in
incorrect readings. Accuracy
improves when checking a cold
engine prior to starting. Remove
the dipstick and check the level.