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VEHICLE CARE 265
Caution (Continued)
Always use the correct automatic
transmission fluid. See
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants
0349.
Change the fluid and filter at the
scheduled maintenance intervals
listed in Maintenance Schedule 0339.
Be sure to use the transmission fluid
listed in Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants 0349.
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
See Engine Compartment Overview
0 260 for the location of the engine
air cleaner/filter.
When to Inspect the Engine Air
Cleaner/Filter
For intervals on changing and
inspecting the engine air cleaner/filter
see Maintenance Schedule 0339.
How to Inspect the Engine Air
Cleaner/Filter
Do not start the engine or have the
engine running with the engine air
cleaner/filter housing open. Before
removing the engine air cleaner/filter,
make sure that the engine air cleaner/
filter housing and nearby components
are free of dirt and debris. Remove the
engine air cleaner/filter. Lightly tap
and shake the engine air cleaner/filter
(away from the vehicle), to release
loose dust and dirt. Inspect the engine
air cleaner/filter for damage, and
replace if damaged. Do not clean the
engine air cleaner/filter or
components with water or
compressed air. To inspect or replace the engine air
cleaner/filter:
1. Screws
2. Electrical Connector
3. Air Duct Clamp
1. Locate the air cleaner/filter
assembly. See Engine
Compartment Overview 0260.
2. Disconnect the outlet duct by loosening the air duct clamp (3).
3. Disconnect the electrical connector (2) and the connector
harness from the cover.
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VEHICLE CARE 273
.A fluid leak in the brake hydraulic
system. Have the brake hydraulic
system fixed. With a leak, the
brakes will not work well.
Always clean the brake fluid reservoir
cap and the area around the cap
before removing it.
Do not top off the brake fluid. Adding
fluid does not correct a leak. If fluid is
added when the linings are worn,
there will be too much fluid when
new brake linings are installed. Add or
remove fluid, as necessary, only when
work is done on the brake hydraulic
system.
{Warning
If too much brake fluid is added, it
can spill on the engine and burn,
if the engine is hot enough. You or
others could be burned, and the
vehicle could be damaged. Add
brake fluid only when work is done
on the brake hydraulic system. When the brake fluid falls to a low
level, the brake warning light comes
on. See
Brake System Warning Light
0 123.
Brake fluid absorbs water over time
which degrades the effectiveness of
the brake fluid. Replace brake fluid at
the specified intervals to prevent
increased stopping distance. See
Maintenance Schedule 0339.
What to Add
Use only GM approved DOT 3 brake
fluid from a clean, sealed container.
See Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants 0349.
{Warning
The wrong or contaminated brake
fluid could result in damage to the
brake system. This could result in
the loss of braking leading to a
possible injury. Always use the
proper GM approved brake fluid.
Caution
If brake fluid is spilled on the
vehicle's painted surfaces, the paint
finish can be damaged. Immediately
wash off any painted surface.
Battery - North America
The original equipment battery is
maintenance free. Do not remove the
cap and do not add fluid.
Refer to the replacement number
shown on the original battery label
when a new battery is needed. See
Engine Compartment Overview 0260
for battery location.
{Warning
WARNING: Battery posts,
terminals, and related accessories
contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and birth
defects or other reproductive harm.
(Continued)
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Warning (Continued)
Batteries also contain other
chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer.WASH
HANDS AFTER HANDLING. For
more information go to
www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/
passenger-vehicle.
See California Proposition 65 Warning
0 256 and the back cover.
Vehicle Storage
{Warning
Batteries have acid that can burn
you and gas that can explode. You
can be badly hurt if you are not
careful. See Jump Starting - North
America 0322 for tips on working
around a battery without
getting hurt. Infrequent Usage: Remove the black,
negative (−) cable from the battery to
keep the battery from running down.
Extended Storage: Remove the black,
negative (−) cable from the battery or
use a battery trickle charger.
Four-Wheel Drive
Transfer Case
If the vehicle is equipped with
Four-Wheel Drive, be sure to perform
the lubricant checks described in this
section.
When to Check Lubricant
Refer to
Maintenance Schedule 0339
to determine how often to check the
lubricant.
How to Check Lubricant
To get an accurate reading, the vehicle
should be on a level surface.
1. Fill Plug
2. Drain Plug
If the level is below the bottom of the
fill plug (1) hole, located on the
transfer case, some lubricant will need
to be added. Add enough lubricant to
raise the level to the bottom of the fill
plug (1) hole. Use care not to
overtighten the plug.
What to Use
Refer to Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants 0349 to determine what
kind of lubricant to use.
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3. With the engine off, turn theignition on, but do not start the
engine. Without applying the
regular brake, try to move the
shift lever out of P (Park) with
normal effort. If the shift lever
moves out of P (Park), contact
your dealer for service.
Park Brake and P (Park)
Mechanism Check
{Warning
When you are doing this check, the
vehicle could begin to move. You or
others could be injured and
property could be damaged. Make
sure there is room in front of the
vehicle in case it begins to roll. Be
ready to apply the regular brake at
once should the vehicle begin
to move.
Park on a fairly steep hill, with the
vehicle facing downhill. Keeping your
foot on the regular brake, set the
parking brake. .
To check the parking brake's
holding ability: With the engine
running and the transmission in
N (Neutral), slowly remove foot
pressure from the regular brake
pedal. Do this until the vehicle is
held by the parking brake only.
. To check the P (Park) mechanism's
holding ability: With the engine
running, shift to P (Park). Then
release the parking brake followed
by the regular brake.
Contact your dealer if service is
required.
Wiper Blade Replacement
Windshield wiper blades should be
inspected for wear or cracking.
For the proper type and size, see
Maintenance Replacement Parts 0350.
Caution
Allowing the wiper arm to touch
the windshield when no wiper blade
is installed could damage the
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
windshield. Any damage that occurs
would not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Do not allow the wiper
arm to touch the windshield.
Front Wiper Blade Replacement
To replace the wiper blade assembly:
1. Pull the windshield wiper assembly away from the
windshield.
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{Warning
If the gas struts that hold open the
hood, trunk, and/or liftgate fail, you
or others could be seriously injured.
Take the vehicle to your dealer for
service immediately. Visually
inspect the gas struts for signs of
wear, cracks, or other damage
periodically. Check to make sure the
hood/trunk/liftgate is held open
with enough force. If struts are
failing to hold the hood/trunk/
liftgate, do not operate. Have the
vehicle serviced.
Caution
Do not apply tape or hang any
objects from gas struts. Also do not
push down or pull on gas struts.
This may cause damage to the
vehicle.
See Maintenance Schedule 0339.
Hood
Trunk
Liftgate
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VEHICLE CARE 299
vehicle by GM. TPMS sensors
could be damaged and would not
be covered by the vehicle
warranty.
Tire Pressure for
High-Speed Operation
{Warning
Driving at high speeds, 160 km/h
(100 mph) or higher, puts additional
strain on tires. Sustained
high-speed driving causes excessive
heat buildup and can cause sudden
tire failure. This could cause a
crash, and you or others could be
killed. Some high-speed rated tires
require inflation pressure
adjustment for high-speed
operation. When speed limits and
road conditions allow the vehicle to
be driven at high speeds, make sure
the tires are rated for high-speed
operation, are in excellent
condition, and are set to the correct
cold tire inflation pressure for the
vehicle load.When driving the vehicle at speeds of
160 km/h (100 mph) or higher, set the
cold inflation pressure to 20 kPa
(3 psi) above the recommended tire
pressure shown on the Tire and
Loading Information label. Return the
tires to the recommended cold tire
inflation pressure when high-speed
driving has ended. See
Vehicle Load
Limits 0178 and
Tire Pressure 0297.
Tire Pressure Monitor
System
The Tire Pressure Monitor System
(TPMS) uses radio and sensor
technology to check tire pressure
levels. The TPMS sensors monitor the
air pressure in your tires and transmit
tire pressure readings to a receiver
located in the vehicle.
Each tire, including the spare (if
provided), should be checked monthly
when cold and inflated to the
inflation pressure recommended by
the vehicle manufacturer on the
vehicle placard or tire inflation
pressure label. (If your vehicle has
tires of a different size than the size indicated on the vehicle placard or tire
inflation pressure label, you should
determine the proper tire inflation
pressure for those tires.)
As an added safety feature, your
vehicle has been equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS)
that illuminates a low tire pressure
telltale when one or more of your tires
is significantly under-inflated.
Accordingly, when the low tire
pressure telltale illuminates, you
should stop and check your tires as
soon as possible, and inflate them to
the proper pressure. Driving on a
significantly under-inflated tire causes
the tire to overheat and can lead to
tire failure. Under-inflation also
reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread
life, and may affect the vehicle's
handling and stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a
substitute for proper tire maintenance,
and it is the driver's responsibility to
maintain correct tire pressure, even if
under-inflation has not reached the
level to trigger illumination of the
TPMS low tire pressure telltale.
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A Tire and Loading Information label,
attached to your vehicle, shows the
size of the original equipment tires
and the correct inflation pressure for
the tires when they are cold. See
Vehicle Load Limits0178 for an
example of the Tire and Loading
Information label and its location.
Also see Tire Pressure 0297.
The TPMS can warn about a low tire
pressure condition but it does not
replace normal tire maintenance. See
Tire Inspection 0304, Tire Rotation
0 304, and Tires0291.
Caution
Tire sealant materials are not all
the same. A non-approved tire
sealant could damage the TPMS
sensors. TPMS sensor damage
caused by using an incorrect tire
sealant is not covered by the
vehicle warranty. Always use only
the GM approved tire sealant
available through your dealer or
included in the vehicle.
TPMS Malfunction Light and
Message
The TPMS will not function properly if
one or more of the TPMS sensors are
missing or inoperable. When the
system detects a malfunction, the low
tire pressure warning light flashes for
about one minute and then stays on
for the remainder of the ignition cycle.
A DIC warning message also displays.
The malfunction light and DIC
warning message come on at each
ignition cycle until the problem is
corrected. Some of the conditions that
can cause these to come on are:
.
One of the road tires has been
replaced with the spare tire. The
spare tire does not have a TPMS
sensor. The malfunction light and
DIC message should go off after
the road tire is replaced and the
sensor matching process is
performed successfully. See “TPMS
Sensor Matching Process ”later in
this section.
. The TPMS sensor matching
process was not done or not
completed successfully after
rotating the tires. The malfunction light and the DIC message should
go off after successfully
completing the sensor matching
process. See "TPMS Sensor
Matching Process" later in this
section.
. One or more TPMS sensors are
missing or damaged. The
malfunction light and the DIC
message should go off when the
TPMS sensors are installed and
the sensor matching process is
performed successfully. See your
dealer for service.
. Replacement tires or wheels do
not match the original equipment
tires or wheels. Tires and wheels
other than those recommended
could prevent the TPMS from
functioning properly. See Buying
New Tires 0306.
. Operating electronic devices or
being near facilities using radio
wave frequencies similar to the
TPMS could cause the TPMS
sensors to malfunction.
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identification code has been
matched to the driver side rear
tire, and the TPMS sensor
matching process is no longer
active. The TIRE LEARNING
ACTIVE message on the DIC
display screen goes off.
11. Turn the vehicle off.
12. Set all four tires to the recommended air pressure level
as indicated on the Tire and
Loading Information label.
Tire Inspection
We recommend that the tires,
including the spare tire, if the
vehicle has one, be inspected for
signs of wear or damage at least
once a month.
Replace the tire if:
.The indicators at three or more
places around the tire can
be seen.
.There is cord or fabric showing
through the tire's rubber.
.The tread or sidewall is
cracked, cut, or snagged deep
enough to show cord or fabric.
.The tire has a bump, bulge,
or split.
.The tire has a puncture, cut,
or other damage that cannot
be repaired well because of the
size or location of the damage.
Tire Rotation
Tires should be rotated every
12 000 km (7,500 mi). See
Maintenance Schedule 0339.
Tires are rotated to achieve a
uniform wear for all tires. The first
rotation is the most important.
Anytime unusual wear is noticed,
rotate the tires as soon as
possible, check for proper tire
inflation pressure, and check for
damaged tires or wheels. If the
unusual wear continues after the
rotation, check the wheel alignment. See
When It Is Time for
New Tires 0305 and
Wheel Replacement 0309.
Use this rotation pattern when
rotating the tires.
Do not include the spare tire in
the tire rotation.
Adjust the front and rear tires to
the recommended inflation
pressure on the Tire and Loading
Information label after the tires
have been rotated. See Tire
Pressure 0297 and
Vehicle Load Limits 0178.