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Driving and Operating 359
the engine compartment fuse
block. The electric trailer brake
controller should be installed
by your dealer or a qualified
service center.
Trailer Lamps
Always check that all trailer
lamps are working at the
beginning of each trip, and
periodically on longer trips.
Turn Signals When
Towing a Trailer
When properly connected, the
trailer turn signals will
illuminate to indicate the
vehicle is turning, changing
lanes, or stopping. When
towing a trailer, the arrows on
the instrument cluster will
illuminate even if the trailer is
not properly connected or the
bulbs are burned out.
Trailer Sway
Control (TSC)
Vehicles with StabiliTrak/
Electronic Stability Control
(ESC) have a Trailer Sway
Control (TSC) feature. Trailer
sway is unintended
side-to-side motion of a trailer
while towing. If the vehicle is
towing a trailer and the TSC
detects that sway is
increasing, the vehicle brakes
are selectively applied to help
reduce excessive trailer sway.
If equipped with the
Integrated Trailer Brake
Control (ITBC) system, and the
trailer has an electric brake
system, StabiliTrak/ESC may
also apply the trailer brakes.
If TSC is enabled, the Traction
Control System (TCS)/
StabiliTrak/ESC warning light
will flash on the instrument
cluster. Reduce vehicle speed
by gradually removing your
foot from the accelerator
pedal. If trailer sway continues,
StabiliTrak/ESC can reduce
engine torque to help slow the
vehicle. TSC will not function if
StabiliTrak/ESC is turned off.
See Traction Control/
Electronic Stability Control
0276.
{Warning
Trailer sway can result in a
crash and in serious injury or
death, even if the vehicle is
equipped with TSC.
If the trailer begins to sway,
reduce vehicle speed by
gradually removing your foot
from the accelerator. Then
pull over to check the trailer
and vehicle to help correct
possible causes, including an
(Continued)
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360 Driving and Operating
Warning (Continued)
improperly or overloaded
trailer, unrestrained cargo,
improper trailer hitch
configuration, or improperly
inflated or incorrect vehicle
or trailer tires. See Towing
Equipment0356 for trailer
ratings and hitch setup
recommendations.
Trailer Tires
Special Trailer (ST) tires differ
from vehicle tires. Trailer tires
are designed with stiff
sidewalls to help prevent sway
and to support heavy loads.
These features can make it
difficult to determine if the
trailer tire pressures are low
only based on a visual
inspection.
Always check all trailer tire
pressures before each trip
when the tires are cool. Low
trailer tire pressure is a
leading cause of trailer tire
blowouts. Trailer tires deteriorate over
time. The trailer tire sidewall
will show the week and year
the tire was manufactured.
Many trailer tire
manufacturers recommend
replacing tires more than six
years old.
Overloading is another leading
cause of trailer tire blowouts.
Never load the trailer with
more weight than the tires are
designed to support. The load
rating is on the trailer tire
sidewall.
Always know the maximum
speed rating for the trailer
tires before driving. This may
be significantly lower than the
vehicle tire speed rating. The
speed rating may be on the
trailer tire sidewall. If the
speed rating is not shown, the
default trailer tire speed rating
is 105 km/h (65 mph).
Conversions and
Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical
Equipment
{Warning
The Data Link Connector
(DLC) is used for vehicle
service and Emission
Inspection/Maintenance
testing. See Malfunction
Indicator Lamp (Check
Engine Light)
0134. 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.
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362 Vehicle Care
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . 363
California PerchlorateMaterials
Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370
Engine Oil Life System . . . 373
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374
Engine Air Filter Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374
Engine Air Cleaner/ Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . 376
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . 381
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384 Battery - North
America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . 386
Wiper Blade
Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386
Windshield Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388
Headlamp Aiming
Front Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389
Bulb Replacement
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390
Electrical System
Electrical SystemOverload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 396
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . 401 Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . 402
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . 405
Tire Terminology and
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408
Tire Pressure for High-Speed
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 412
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 416
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 417
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . 419
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 421
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 421
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 423
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . 423
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 424
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . 425
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 426
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . 433
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370 Vehicle Care
8. Positive (+) BatteryTerminal (Under Cover).
See Jump Starting - North
America 0434.
9. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See Washer
Fluid 0382.
10. Engine Compartment Fuse Block 0392.
11. Remote Negative (-) Battery Terminal. See
Jump Starting - North
America 0434.
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 0373.
.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
Overview0367 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
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Vehicle Care 371
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 Engine
3.6L V6 Engine
If the oil is below the
cross-hatched area at the tip
of the dipstick and the engine has been off for at least
15 minutes, add 1 L (1 qt) of the
recommended oil and then
recheck the level. See
“Selecting the Right Engine
Oil”
later in this section for an
explanation of what kind of oil
to use. For engine oil
crankcase capacity, see
Capacities and Specifications
0 463.
Caution
Do not add too much oil. Oil
levels above or below the
acceptable operating range
shown on the dipstick are
harmful to the engine. If the
oil level is above the
operating range (i.e., the
engine has so much oil that
the oil level gets above the
cross-hatched area that
shows the proper operating
range), the engine could be
damaged. Drain the excess
oil or limit driving of the
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
vehicle, and seek a service
professional to remove the
excess oil.
See Engine Compartment
Overview 0367 for the
location of the engine oil
fill cap.
Add enough oil to put the level
somewhere in the proper
operating range. Push the
dipstick all the way back in
when finished.
Selecting the Right
Engine Oil
Selecting the right engine oil
depends on both the proper
oil specification and viscosity
grade. See Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants 0458.
Specification
Use full synthetic engine oils
that meet the dexos1
specification. Engine oils that
have been approved by GM as
meeting the dexos1
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Vehicle Care 373
Engine Oil Life
System
When to Change
Engine Oil
This vehicle has a computer
system that indicates when to
change the engine oil and
filter. This is based on a
combination of factors which
include engine revolutions,
engine temperature, and miles
driven. Based on driving
conditions, the mileage at
which an oil change is
indicated can vary
considerably. For the oil life
system to work properly, the
system must be reset every
time the oil is changed.
When the system has
calculated that oil life has been
diminished, it indicates that an
oil change is necessary.
A CHANGE ENGINE OIL
SOON message comes on.
Change the oil as soon as
possible within the next
1 000 km (600 mi). It ispossible that, if driving under
the best conditions, the oil life
system might indicate that an
oil change is not necessary for
up to a year. The engine oil
and filter must be changed at
least once a year and at this
time the system must be
reset. Your dealer has trained
service people who will
perform this work and reset
the system. It is also important
to check the oil regularly over
the course of an oil drain
interval and keep it at the
proper level.
If the system is ever reset
accidentally, the oil must be
changed at 5 000 km
(3,000 mi) since the last oil
change. Remember to reset
the oil life system whenever
the oil is changed.
How to Reset the Engine
Oil Life System
Reset the system whenever
the engine oil is changed so
that the system can calculate
the next engine oil change. To
reset the system:
1. Using the DIC controls on the right side of the
steering wheel, display
REMAINING OIL LIFE on
the DIC. See Driver
Information Center (DIC)
0144. When remaining oil
life is low, the CHANGE
ENGINE OIL SOON
message will appear on the
display.
2. Press the thumbwheel on the DIC controls and hold
down for a few seconds to
clear the CHANGE ENGINE
OIL SOON message and
reset the oil life at 100%.
Be careful not to reset the
oil life display accidentally
at any time other than
after the oil is changed.
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374 Vehicle Care
It cannot be reset
accurately until the next oil
change.
The oil life system can also be
reset as follows: 1. Display REMAINING OIL LIFE on the DIC. See Driver
Information Center (DIC)
0144.
2. Fully press and release the accelerator pedal three
times within five seconds.
If the CHANGE ENGINE
OIL SOON message is not
on, the system is reset.
The system is reset when the
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message is off.
If the CHANGE ENGINE OIL
SOON message comes back
on when the vehicle is started,
the engine oil life system has
not been reset. Repeat the
procedure.Automatic
Transmission Fluid
A transmission fluid leak is the
only reason for fluid loss. If a
leak occurs, take the vehicle to
your dealer and have it
repaired as soon as possible.
Caution
Use of the incorrect
automatic transmission fluid
may damage the vehicle, and
the damage may not be
covered by the vehicle
warranty. Always use the
correct automatic
transmission fluid. See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants 0458.
See your dealer to have the
fluid and filter changed at the
intervals listed in the
Maintenance Schedule 0454.
Engine Air Filter Life
System
If equipped, this feature
provides the engine air filter’s
remaining life and best timing
for a change. The timing to
change an engine air filter
depends on driving and
environmental conditions.
When to Change the
Engine Air Filter
When the Driver Information
Center (DIC) displays a
message to replace the engine
air filter at the next oil change,
follow this timing.
When the DIC displays a
message to replace the engine
air filter soon, replace the
engine air filter at the earliest
convenience.
The system must be reset
after the engine air filter is
changed.
If the DIC displays a message
to check the engine air filter
system, see your dealer.
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Vehicle Care 377
3.6L V6 Engine
1. Electric Engine CoolingFan (Out of View)
2. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure 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 engine cooling system in
the vehicle are filled with
DEX-COOL engine coolant
mixture. This coolant needs to
be checked and changed at
appropriate levels. See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants 0458 and
Maintenance Schedule 0454.
The following explains the
cooling systems and how to
check and add coolant when it
is low. If there is a problem
with engine overheating, see
Engine Overheating 0381.
What to Use
{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.
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.