Chevrolet Spark Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14622955) -
2021 - CRC - 8/17/20
Vehicle Care 161
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
California Proposition 65 Warning . . . . . 162
California Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . 162
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your Own Service Work . . . . . . . . . 163
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . 165
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . 169
Manual Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Hydraulic Clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Battery - North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Automatic Transmission Shift Lock Control Function Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . 178 Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Windshield Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Headlamp Aiming
Front Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker, and Parking Lamps . . . . . . 182
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, and Back-Up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . 186
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Tire Terminology and Definitions . . . . . . 193
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . 196
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . 197
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . 201
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . 203
Wheel Covers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . 203
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . 204
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Jump Starting
Jump Starting - North America . . . . . . . . . 211
Towing the Vehicle
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Chevrolet Spark Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14622955) -
2021 - CRC - 8/17/20
Vehicle Care 171
1. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View)
2. Engine Coolant Surge Tank andPressure Cap
{Warning
An underhood electric fan can start up
even when the engine is not running and
can cause injury. Keep hands, clothing,
and tools away from any underhood
electric fan.
{Warning
Do not touch heater or radiator hoses,
or other engine parts. They can be very
hot and can burn you. Do not run the
engine if there is a leak; all coolant could
leak out. That could cause an engine fire
and can burn you. Fix any leak before
driving the vehicle.
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in the vehicle is filled
with DEX-COOL engine coolant. This coolant
is designed to remain in the vehicle for
5 years or 240 000 km (150,000 mi),
whichever occurs first.
The following explains the cooling system
and how to check and add coolant when it
is low. If there is a problem with engine
overheating, see Engine Overheating 0173.
What to Use
{Warning
Plain water, or other liquids such as
alcohol, can boil before the proper
coolant mixture will. With plain water or
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
the wrong mixture, the engine could get
too hot but there would not be an
overheat warning. The engine could catch
fire and you or others could be burned.
Use a 50/50 mixture of clean drinkable
water and DEX-COOL coolant. This mixture:
.Gives freezing protection down to −37 °C
(−34 °F), outside temperature
.Gives boiling protection up to 129 °C
(265 °F), engine temperature
.Protects against rust and corrosion
.Will not damage aluminum parts
.Helps keep the proper engine
temperature
Caution
Do not use anything other than a mix of
DEX-COOL coolant that meets GM
Standard GMW3420 and clean, drinkable
water. Anything else can cause damage
to the engine cooling system and the
vehicle, which would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty.
Chevrolet Spark Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14622955) -
2021 - CRC - 8/17/20
172 Vehicle Care
Never dispose of engine coolant by putting
it in the trash, pouring it on the ground,
or into sewers, streams, or bodies of water.
Have the coolant changed by an authorized
service center, familiar with legal
requirements regarding used coolant
disposal. This will help protect the
environment and your health.
Checking Coolant
The vehicle must be on a level surface when
checking the coolant level.
It is normal to see coolant moving in the
upper coolant hose return line when the
engine is running.
Check to see if coolant is visible in the
coolant surge tank. If the coolant inside the
coolant surge tank is boiling, do not do
anything else until it cools down. SeeEngine
Overheating 0173.
The coolant surge tank is in the engine
compartment on the driver side of the
vehicle. See Engine Compartment Overview
0 165.
How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Surge Tank
If no problem is found, check to see if
coolant is visible in the coolant surge tank.
If coolant is visible but the coolant level is
not at the indicated level mark, add a
50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL coolant. Be sure the cooling
system, including the coolant surge tank
pressure cap, is cool before you do it.
{Warning
Spilling coolant on hot engine parts can
burn you. Coolant contains ethylene
glycol and it will burn if the engine parts
are hot enough.
{Warning
Steam and scalding liquids from a hot
cooling system are under pressure.
Turning the pressure cap, even a little,
can cause them to come out at high
speed and you could be burned. Never
turn the cap when the cooling system,
including the pressure cap, is hot. Wait
for the cooling system and pressure cap
to cool.
{Warning
Plain water, or other liquids such as
alcohol, can boil before the proper
coolant mixture will. With plain water or
the wrong mixture, the engine could get
too hot but there would not be an
overheat warning. The engine could catch
fire and you or others could be burned.
Chevrolet Spark Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14622955) -
2021 - CRC - 8/17/20
Vehicle Care 173
Caution
Failure to follow the specific coolant fill
procedure could cause the engine to
overheat and could cause system
damage. If coolant is not visible in the
surge tank, contact your dealer.
1. Remove the coolant surge tank pressurecap when the cooling system, including
the coolant surge tank pressure cap and
upper radiator hose, is no longer hot.
Turn the pressure cap slowly
counterclockwise about one-quarter of a
turn. If you hear a hiss, wait for that to
stop. This will allow any pressure still
left to be vented out the discharge hose.
2. Keep turning the pressure cap slowly and remove it.
3. Fill the coolant surge tank with the proper mixture to the indicated
level mark. 4. With the coolant surge tank pressure cap
off, start the engine and let it run until
you can feel the upper radiator hose
getting hot. Watch out for the engine
cooling fan.
By this time, the coolant level inside the
coolant surge tank may be lower. If the
level is lower, add more of the proper
mixture to the coolant surge tank until
the level reaches the indicated
level mark.
5. Reinstall the pressure cap tightly.
6. Verify coolant level after the engine is shut off and the coolant is cold.
If necessary, repeat coolant fill procedure
Steps 1–6.
If the coolant still is not at the proper
level when the system cools down again,
see your dealer.
Caution
If the pressure cap is not tightly installed,
coolant loss and engine damage may
occur. Be sure the cap is properly and
tightly secured.
Engine Overheating
The vehicle has an indicator to warn of the
engine overheating. See Engine Coolant
Temperature Warning Light 080.
If the decision is made not to lift the hood
when this warning appears, get service help
right away. See Roadside Assistance Program
0 243.
If the decision is made to lift the hood,
make sure the vehicle is parked on a level
surface.
Then check to see if the engine cooling fan
is running. If the engine is overheating, the
fan should be running. If it is not, do not
continue to run the engine. Have the vehicle
serviced.
Caution
Do not run the engine if there is a leak
in the engine cooling system. This can
cause a loss of all coolant and can
damage the system and vehicle. Have
any leaks fixed right away.
Chevrolet Spark Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14622955) -
2021 - CRC - 8/17/20
174 Vehicle Care
If Steam Is Coming from the Engine
Compartment
{Warning
Steam and scalding liquids from a hot
cooling system are under pressure.
Turning the pressure cap, even a little,
can cause them to come out at high
speed and you could be burned. Never
turn the cap when the cooling system,
including the pressure cap, is hot. Wait
for the cooling system and pressure cap
to cool.
If No Steam Is Coming from the Engine
Compartment
If an engine overheat warning is displayed
but no steam can be seen or heard, the
problem may not be too serious. Sometimes
the engine can get a little too hot when the
vehicle:
.Climbs a long hill on a hot day
.Stops after high-speed driving
.Idles for long periods in traffic
If the overheat warning is displayed with no
sign of steam: 1. Turn the air conditioning off. 2. Turn the heater on to the highest
temperature and to the highest fan
speed. Open the windows as necessary.
3. When it is safe to do so, pull off the road, shift to P (Park) or N (Neutral) for
an automatic transmission or Neutral for
a manual transmission, and let the
engine idle.
If the overheat warning no longer displays,
the vehicle can be driven. Continue to drive
the vehicle slowly for about 10 minutes.
Keep a safe vehicle distance from the vehicle
in front. If the warning does not come back
on, continue to drive normally and have the
cooling system checked for proper fill and
function.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and
park the vehicle right away.
If there is no sign of steam, idle the engine
for three minutes while parked. If the
warning is still displayed, turn off the
engine until it cools down.Washer Fluid
What to Use
When windshield washer fluid is needed, be
sure to read the manufacturer's instructions
before use. If operating the vehicle in an area where the temperature may fall below
freezing, use a fluid that has sufficient
protection against freezing.
Adding Washer Fluid
Open the cap with the washer symbol on it.
Add washer fluid until the tank is full. See
Engine Compartment Overview
0165 for
reservoir location.
Caution
.Do not use washer fluid that contains
any type of water repellent coating.
This can cause the wiper blades to
chatter or skip.
.Do not use engine coolant (antifreeze)
in the windshield washer. It can
damage the windshield washer system
and paint.
(Continued)
Chevrolet Spark Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14622955) -
2021 - CRC - 8/17/20
Index 261
Connected Services (cont'd)Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Connections Connected Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Control Traction and Electronic Stability . . . . . . . 147
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Coolant Engine Temperature Warning Light . . . . . 80
Cooling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Courtesy Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Courtesy Transportation Program . . . . . . . . 245
Cover
Cargo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Covers Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149 Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242 Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Text Telephone (TTY) Users . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Customer Information Publications Ordering Information . . . . . 247
Customer Satisfaction Procedure . . . . . . . . . 240
Cybersecurity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249D
Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Danger, Warning, and Caution . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Data Collection OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Diagnostics Connected Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Power Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Drive Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Driving
Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Impaired . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 Driving (cont'd)
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
E
Electrical Equipment, Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Electrical System
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . 186
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Emergency OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Check Light (Malfunction Indicator) . . . . . 75
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Coolant Temperature Warning Light . . . . 80
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Oil Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Chevrolet Spark Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14622955) -
2021 - CRC - 8/17/20
Index 265
OnStar Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
OnStar System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Operate Pedal Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
OperationFog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Outlets Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Overheating, Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Owner Manual Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77
P
Park
Shifting Into . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Shifting Out of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Park Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Brake and P (Park) MechanismCheck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Extended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Ultrasonic Sensor Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . 74
Passenger Compartment Air Filter . . . . . . . . 122
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Perchlorate Materials Requirements,
California . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Personalization Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Phone Apple CarPlay and Android Auto . . . . . . . . 112
Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108, 109
Port USB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Power Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Protection, Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Reduced Engine Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Retained Accessory (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Power Steering Warning Lights . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Pregnancy, Using Seat Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Privacy Vehicle Data Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Program Courtesy Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Proposition 65 Warning, California . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162, 176, 211, Back Cover
Publication Ordering Information . . . . . . . . 247
R
Radio Frequency Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Radios AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Satellite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Rear Window Washer/Wiper . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Rearview Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants . . . . . 234
Records Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . .214
Reduced Engine Power Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Reimbursement Program, GM Mobility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8, 9, 11
Replacement Parts
Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Replacing Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46