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304 DRIVING AND OPERATING
.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 used to tow trailers. See
Maintenance Schedule 0383. It is
especially important to check the
automatic transmission fluid, engine
oil, axle lubricant, belts, cooling
system, and brake system before and
during each trip.
Check periodically that all nuts and
bolts on the trailer hitch are tight.
Engine Cooling when Trailer
Towing
The cooling system may temporarily
overheat during severe operating
conditions. See Engine Overheating
0 326.
Trailer Towing (LSY 2.0L
L4 and LGY 3.0L
V6 Engines Only)
Caution
Towing a trailer improperly can
damage the vehicle and result in
costly repairs not covered by the
vehicle warranty. To tow a trailer
correctly, follow the directions in
this section and see your dealer for
important information about
towing a trailer with the vehicle.
Trailer Weight
{Warning
Never exceed the towing capacity
for your vehicle.
Safe trailering requires monitoring the
weight, speed, altitude, road grades,
outside temperature, dimensions of
the front of the trailer, and how
frequently the vehicle is used to tow a
trailer.
Before towing a trailer, always
separately weigh:
.the total weight on the vehicle's
tires.
.the trailer.
.the trailer tongue.
{Warning
You and others could be seriously
injured or killed if the trailer is too
heavy or the trailer brakes are
inadequate for the load. The vehicle
may be damaged, and the repairs
would not be covered by the vehicle
warranty.
Only tow a trailer if all the steps in
this section have been followed. Ask
your dealer for advice and
information about towing a trailer.
Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating (GVWR)
For information about the vehicle's
maximum load capacity, see Vehicle
Load Limits 0219. When calculating
the GVWR with a trailer attached, the
trailer tongue weight must be
included as part of the weight the
vehicle is carrying.
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DRIVING AND OPERATING 307
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) 0103.
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 (Continued)
Caution (Continued)
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 064 and
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 064.
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308 VEHICLE CARE
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . 318
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Engine Air Filter Life System . . . . 319
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . 320
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Brake Pad Life System (If Equipped) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329 Battery - North America . . . . . . . . . 330
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Park Brake and P (Park)
Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . 331
Windshield Replacement . . . . . . . . 332
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Headlamp Aiming
Front Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . 333
Bulb Replacement
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . 334
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . 334
Engine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . 337
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
Run-Flat Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
Self-Sealing Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Low-Profile Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . 345 Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Tire Terminology and
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
Tire Pressure for High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . 351
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . 359
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362
Storing the Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368
Jump Starting
Jump Starting - NorthAmerica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368
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VEHICLE CARE 309
Towing the Vehicle
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . 372
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
General Information
For service and parts needs, visit your
dealer. You will receive genuine GM
parts and GM-trained and supported
service people.
Genuine GM parts have one of these
marks:
California Proposition
65 Warning
{Warning
Most motor vehicles, including this
one, as well as many of its service
parts and fluids, contain and/or
emit chemicals known to the State
of California to cause cancer and
birth defects or other reproductive
harm. Engine exhaust, many parts
and systems, many fluids, and
some component wear by-products
contain and/or emit these
chemicals. For more information go
to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/
passenger-vehicle.
See Battery - North America 0330 and
Jump Starting - North America 0368
and the back cover.
California Perchlorate
Materials Requirements
Certain types of automotive
applications, such as airbag initiators,
seat belt pretensioners, and lithium
batteries contained in electronic keys,
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310 VEHICLE CARE
may contain perchlorate materials.
Perchlorate Material–special
handling may apply. See
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/
perchlorate.
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 vehicle 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 064.
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’s 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. To order the proper service
manual, see Publication Ordering
Information 0410.
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VEHICLE CARE 311
This vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to do your own
service work, seeServicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 064.
If equipped with remote vehicle start,
open the hood before performing any
service work to prevent remote
starting the vehicle accidentally. See
Remote Vehicle Start 013.
Keep a record with all parts receipts
and list the mileage and the date of
any service work performed. See
Maintenance Records 0395.
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
{Warning
For vehicles with auto engine stop/
start, turn the vehicle off before
opening the hood. If the vehicle is
on, the engine will start when the
hood is opened. You or others could
be injured.
{Warning
Components under the hood can
get hot from running the engine. To
help avoid the risk of burning
unprotected skin, never touch these
components until they have cooled,
and always use a glove or towel to
avoid direct skin contact.
Clear any snow from the hood before
opening. To open the hood:1. Pull the hood release lever with the
isymbol. It is on the lower left
side of the instrument panel.
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312 VEHICLE CARE
2. Go to the front of the vehicle andlocate the secondary release lever
under the front center of the hood.
Push the secondary hood release
lever to the right to release. 3. After you have partially lifted the
hood, the gas strut system will
automatically lift the hood and
hold it in the fully open position.
To close the hood: 1. Before closing the hood, be sure all filler caps are on properly, and all
tools are removed.
2. Pull the hood down until the strut system is no longer holding up
the hood.
3. Allow the hood to fall. Check to make sure the hood is latched
completely. Repeat this process
with additional force if necessary.
{Warning
Do not drive the vehicle if the hood
is not latched completely. The hood
could open fully, block your vision,
and cause a crash. You or others
could be injured. Always close the
hood completely before driving.
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316 VEHICLE CARE
8. Brake Fluid Reservoir. SeeBrake
Fluid 0329.
9. Remote Negative (-) Battery Terminal. See Jump Starting - North
America 0368.
10. Engine Compartment Fuse Block
0335.
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 0318.
.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 0313 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.
.If unable to wait two hours, the
engine must be off for at least
15 minutes if the engine is warm,
or at least 30 minutes if the engine
is not warm. Pull out the dipstick,
wipe it with a clean paper towel or
cloth, then push it back in all the
way. Remove it again, keeping the
tip down, and check the level.
When to Add Engine Oil
2.0L L4 Turbo (LSY) Engine
3.0L V6 Twin Turbo (LGY) Engine