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2020 - CRC - 4/23/19
Vehicle Care 245
Treadwear indicators are one way to
tell when it is time for new tires.
Treadwear indicators appear when
the tires have only 1.6 mm (1/16 in)
or less of tread remaining. SeeTire
Inspection 0243 and
Tire Rotation 0243.
The rubber in tires ages over time.
This also applies to the spare tire,
if the vehicle has one, even if it is
never used. Multiple factors
including temperatures, loading
conditions, and inflation pressure
maintenance affect how fast aging
takes place. GM recommends that
tires, including the spare if
equipped, be replaced after six years, regardless of tread wear. To
identify the age of a tire, use the tire
manufacture date which is the last
four digits of the DOT Tire
Identification Number (TIN) which is
molded into one side of the tire
sidewall. The first two digits
represent the week (01–52) and the
last two digits, the year. For
example, the third week of the year
2010 would have a four-digit DOT
date of 0310.Vehicle Storage
Tires age when stored normally
mounted on a parked vehicle. Park
a vehicle that will be stored for at
least a month in a cool, dry, clean
area away from direct sunlight to
slow aging. This area should be free
of grease, gasoline, or other
substances that can deteriorate
rubber.
Parking for an extended period can
cause flat spots on the tires that
may result in vibrations while
driving. When storing a vehicle for
at least a month, remove the tires or
raise the vehicle to reduce the
weight from the tires.
Buying New Tires
GM has developed and matched
specific tires for the vehicle. The
original equipment tires installed
were designed to meet General
Motors Tire Performance Criteria
Specification (TPC Spec)
system rating. When
replacement tires are needed,
GM strongly recommends
buying tires with the same TPC
Spec rating.
GM's exclusive TPC Spec
system considers over a dozen
critical specifications that impact
the overall performance of the
vehicle, including brake system
performance, ride and handling,
traction control, and tire
pressure monitoring
performance. GM's TPC Spec
number is molded onto the tire's
sidewall near the tire size. If the
Chevrolet Spark Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13556236) -
2020 - CRC - 4/23/19
Vehicle Care 247
The Tire and Loading
Information Label indicates the
original equipment tires on the
vehicle. SeeVehicle Load Limits
0 156.
Different Size Tires and
Wheels
If wheels or tires are installed that
are a different size than the original
equipment wheels and tires, vehicle
performance, including its braking,
ride and handling characteristics,
stability, and resistance to rollover
may be affected. If the vehicle has
electronic systems such as antilock
brakes, rollover airbags, traction
control, electronic stability control,
or All-Wheel Drive, the performance
of these systems can also be
affected.
{Warning
If different sized wheels are used,
there may not be an acceptable
level of performance and safety if
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
tires not recommended for those
wheels are selected. This
increases the chance of a crash
and serious injury. Only use GM
specific wheel and tire systems
developed for the vehicle, and
have them properly installed by a
GM certified technician.
See Buying New Tires 0245 and
Accessories and Modifications
0 198.
Wheel Covers
Installation
Tighten the wheel nut caps by hand
while pressing on the center of the
wheel cover with the other hand.
Then tighten an additional
one-quarter turn with the wheel
wrench.
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading
The following information relates
to the system developed by the
United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), which grades tires by
treadwear, traction, and
temperature performance. This
applies only to vehicles sold in
the United States. The grades
are molded on the sidewalls of
most passenger car tires. The
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
(UTQG) system does not apply
to deep tread, winter tires,
compact spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm),
or to some limited-production
tires.
While the tires available on
General Motors passenger cars
and light trucks may vary with
respect to these grades, they
must also conform to federal
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Vehicle Care 249
temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is
properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed,
underinflation, or excessive
loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause heat
buildup and possible tire failure.
Wheel Alignment and Tire
Balance
The tires and wheels were aligned
and balanced at the factory to
provide the longest tire life and best
overall performance. Adjustments to
wheel alignment and tire balancing
are not necessary on a regular
basis. Consider an alignment check
if there is unusual tire wear or the
vehicle is significantly pulling to one
side or the other. Some slight pull to
the left or right, depending on the
crown of the road and/or other road
surface variations such as troughs
or ruts, is normal. If the vehicle is
vibrating when driving on a smoothroad, the tires and wheels may need
to be rebalanced. See your dealer
for proper diagnosis.
Wheel Replacement
Replace any wheel that is bent,
cracked, or badly rusted or
corroded. If wheel nuts keep coming
loose, the wheel, wheel bolts, and
wheel nuts should be replaced.
If the wheel leaks air, replace it.
Some aluminum wheels can be
repaired. See your dealer if any of
these conditions exist.
Your dealer will know the kind of
wheel that is needed.
Each new wheel should have the
same load-carrying capacity,
diameter, width, offset, and be
mounted the same way as the one it
replaces.
Replace wheels, wheel bolts, wheel
nuts, or Tire Pressure Monitor
System (TPMS) sensors with new
GM original equipment parts.
{Warning
Using the wrong replacement
wheels, wheel bolts, or wheel
nuts can be dangerous. It could
affect the braking and handling of
the vehicle. Tires can lose air,
and cause loss of control, causing
a crash. Always use the correct
wheel, wheel bolts, and wheel
nuts for replacement.
Caution
The wrong wheel can also cause
problems with bearing life, brake
cooling, speedometer or
odometer calibration, headlamp
aim, bumper height, vehicle
ground clearance, and tire or tire
chain clearance to the body and
chassis.
Chevrolet Spark Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13556236) -
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Service and Maintenance 281
Additional
Maintenance and Care
Your vehicle is an important
investment and caring for it properly
may help to avoid future costly
repairs. To maintain vehicle
performance, additional
maintenance services may be
required.
It is recommended that your dealer
perform these services—their
trained dealer technicians know
your vehicle best. Your dealer can
also perform a thorough
assessment with a multi-point
inspection to recommend when your
vehicle may need attention.
The following list is intended to
explain the services and conditions
to look for that may indicate
services are required. Battery
The 12-volt battery supplies power
to start the engine and operate any
additional electrical accessories.
.
To avoid break-down or failure to
start the vehicle, maintain a
battery with full cranking power.
. Trained dealer technicians have
the diagnostic equipment to test
the battery and ensure that the
connections and cables are
corrosion-free.
Belts
. Belts may need replacing if they
squeak or show signs of
cracking or splitting.
. Trained dealer technicians have
access to tools and equipment
to inspect the belts and
recommend adjustment or
replacement when necessary. Brakes
Brakes stop the vehicle and are
crucial to safe driving.
.
Signs of brake wear may include
chirping, grinding, or squealing
noises, or difficulty stopping.
. Trained dealer technicians have
access to tools and equipment
to inspect the brakes and
recommend quality parts
engineered for the vehicle.
Fluids
Proper fluid levels and approved
fluids protect the vehicle’s systems
and components. See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants 0284 for GM approved
fluids.
. Engine oil and windshield
washer fluid levels should be
checked at every fuel fill.
. Instrument cluster lights may
come on to indicate that fluids
may be low and need to be
filled.
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282 Service and Maintenance
Hoses
Hoses transport fluids and should
be regularly inspected to ensure
that there are no cracks or leaks.
With a multi-point inspection, your
dealer can inspect the hoses and
advise if replacement is needed.
Lamps
Properly working headlamps,
taillamps, and brake lamps are
important to see and be seen on
the road.
.Signs that the headlamps need
attention include dimming, failure
to light, cracking, or damage.
The brake lamps need to be
checked periodically to ensure
that they light when braking.
. With a multi-point inspection,
your dealer can check the lamps
and note any concerns. Shocks and Struts
Shocks and struts help aid in control
for a smoother ride.
.
Signs of wear may include
steering wheel vibration, bounce/
sway while braking, longer
stopping distance, or uneven
tire wear.
. As part of the multi-point
inspection, trained dealer
technicians can visually inspect
the shocks and struts for signs
of leaking, blown seals,
or damage, and can advise
when service is needed.
Tires
Tires need to be properly inflated,
rotated, and balanced. Maintaining
the tires can save money and fuel,
and can reduce the risk of tire
failure.
. Signs that the tires need to be
replaced include three or more
visible treadwear indicators; cord
or fabric showing through the rubber; cracks or cuts in the
tread or sidewall; or a bulge or
split in the tire.
. Trained dealer technicians can
inspect and recommend the right
tires. Your dealer can also
provide tire/wheel balancing
services to ensure smooth
vehicle operation at all speeds.
Your dealer sells and services
name brand tires.
Vehicle Care
To help keep the vehicle looking like
new, vehicle care products are
available from your dealer. For
information on how to clean and
protect the vehicle’s interior and
exterior, see Interior Care 0269 and
Exterior Care 0264.
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Index 317
IndexA
Accessories andModifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Accessory Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . 195
Additional Information OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Additional Maintenance and Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Agreements
Trademarks and License . . . . . 141
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine . . . . . . . 207
Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Air Conditioning Regular Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Air Filter, Passenger Compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Air Intake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Airbag System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
How Does an AirbagRestrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Passenger Sensing System . . . . 49
What Makes an Airbag
Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
What Will You See after an Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Airbag System (cont'd)
When Should an Airbag
Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . . . 45
Airbags Adding Equipment to theVehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Passenger Status Indicator . . . . . 88
Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Servicing Airbag-Equipped Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Alarm Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Antenna Multi-band . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . 175 Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Appearance Care Exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Armrest Front Seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
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318 Index
Assistance Program,Roadside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Audio Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Automatic Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Emergency Braking (AEB) . . . . 188
Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Automatic Transmission
Shift Lock Control FunctionCheck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Auxiliary Jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Avoiding Untrusted Media Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
B
Battery
Exterior Lighting BatterySaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
Battery - North America . . . . 215, 257
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . . . 218
Bluetooth Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130, 131
Bluetooth Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 Brake
System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . 91
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213 Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 AutomaticEmergency (AEB) . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 160
Bulb Replacement
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Headlamps, Front TurnSignal, Sidemarker, and
Parking Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . . . 224
Taillamps, Turn Signal,
Stoplamps, and Back-up
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 California
Perchlorate Materials
Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
California Proposition
65 Warning . . . . . . . . . .197, 215, 257, Back Cover
Camera Rear Vision (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . 2
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Carbon Monoxide Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Cargo Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Tie-Downs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Caution, Danger, and Warning . . . . 3
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . . 89
Check Engine Light (MalfunctionIndicator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Ignition Transmission Lock . . . 217
Child Restraints Infants and Young Children . . . . . 57
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320 Index
Driving (cont'd)Drunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 153
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 155
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
E
Electrical Equipment,
Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Electrical System
Engine Compartment FuseBlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 226
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Emergency OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Check Light (Malfunction
Indicator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 201 Engine (cont'd)
Coolant Temperature
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Oil Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .211
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Reduced Power Light . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 171
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . . . 303
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Extender, Seat Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 109
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . 110
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
F
Filter,
Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 112
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Fluid Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 205
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Folding Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Frequency Statement Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Front Seat Armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Front Seats Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Fuel
Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Economy, Driving for Better . . . 149
Filling a Portable FuelContainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86