CHEVROLET MALIBU 1997 5.G Owners Manual

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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0 Section 6 Service a-- - Aopearance Care
Here you will fiid information about the care of your Chevrolet. This section begins with service and fuel
information, and then it shows how to check important fluid and lubricant levels. There is also technical information
about your vehicle, and
a part devoted to its appearance care.
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6-18
6-18
6-23
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6-28
6-29
6-29
6-35
6-36 Doing
Your Own Service Work
What Kind of Fuel to Use
Using Fuel in Foreign Countries
Where to Put the Fuel and Filling the Tank
Checking Things Under the Hood
Checking Your Engine Oil
Automatic Transaxle Fluid
Engine Coolant
Where to
Fill the Windshield Washer Fluid
Important Brake Information
Information on Your Vehicle's Battery
Tips on Vehicle Storage
Bulb Replacement Procedures
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
How and When to Check Tire Inflation 6-39
6-42
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6-47
6-48
6-50
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6-52
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6-54 6-55
6-6 1
6-6
1
' 6-62
i 6-62 When
it is
Time to Buy New Tires
Wheel Alignment
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle
Care of the Safety Belts
Cleaning the Outside
of Your Vehicle
How to Clean Aluminum Wheels
Underbody Maintenance
Recommended Appearance Care Materials
Your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
The Electrical System
Fuses and Circuit Breakers
Replacement Bulb Types for Your Vehicle
Capacities and Specifications
Air Conditioning Specifications
Normal Replacement
Parts

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Service Doing Your Own Service Work
Your Chevrolet dealer knows your vehicle best and
wants you
to be happy with it. We hope you’ll go to
your dealer for all your service needs. You’ll get
genuine GM parts and GM-trained and supported service people.
We hope you’ll want to keep your GM vehicle all GM.
Genuine
GM parts have one of these marks:
@El-
n
Demo
If you want to do some of your own service work, you’ll
want to get the proper Chevrolet Service Manual. It tells
you much more about how
to service your Chevrolet
than
this manual can. To order the proper service
manual, see “Service and Owner Publications’’ in
the Index.
Your vehicle has an
air bag system. Before attempting to
do your own service work, see “Servicing Your Air
Bag-Equipped Chevrolet” in the Index.
You should keep a record with all parts receipts and list
the mileage and the date
of any service work you
perform. See “Maintenance Record”
in the Index.
6-2

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Fuel
/r CAUTION:
You can be injured and your vehicle could be
damaged if you
try to do service work on a
vehicle without knowing enough about it.
0 Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, the proper replacement parts
and tools before you attempt any vehicle
maintenance task.
Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts and
other fasteners. “English” and “metric”
fasteners can be easily confused.
If you use
the wrong fasteners, parts can later break
or fall
off. You could be hurt.
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle
Things you might add to the outside of your vehicle can
affect the airflow around it. This may cause wind noise
and affect windshield washer performance. Check with
your Chevrolet dealer before adding equipment to the
outside of your vehicle. Use regular unleaded gasoline rated
at
87 octane or
higher. At a minimum, it should meet specifications
ASTM D4814 in the United States and CGSB 3.5-M93
in Canada. Improved gasoline specifications have been
developed by the American Automobile Manufacturers
Association (AAMA)
for better vehicle performance
and engine protection. Gasolines meeting the AAMA
specification could provide improved driveability and
emission control system protection compared to
other gasolines.
Be sure the posted octane is at least
87. If the octane is
less than 87, you may get a heavy knocking noise when
you drive. If it’s bad enough, it can damage your engine.
If you’re using fuel rated at 87 octane or higher and you
still hear heavy knocking, your engine needs service.
But don’t worry if you hear a little pinging noise when
you’re accelerating or driving up a
hill. That’s normal,
and you don’t have to buy a higher octane fuel to get rid
of pinging. It’s the heavy, constant knock that means you have a problem.
6-3

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If your vehicle is certified to meet California Emission
Standards (indicated on the underhood tune-up label), it
is designed to operate on fuels that meet California specifications.
If such fuels are not available in states
adopting California emissions standards, your vehicle
will operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting federal
specifications, but emission control system performance
may be affected. The malfunction indicator lamp on
your instrument panel may turn
on and/or your vehicle
may fail a smog-check test.
If this occurs, return to your
authorized Chevrolet dealer for diagnosis to determine
the cause of failure. In the event it is determined that the
cause of the condition is the type of fuels used, repairs
may not be covered by your warranty.
Some gasolines that are not reformulated
for low
emissions contain an octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadlenyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT);
ask your service station operator whether or not his fuel
contains MMT. General Motors does not recommend the
use of such gasolines. If fuels containing MMT
are used,
spark plug life may be reduced and your emission
control system performance may be affected. The
malfunction indicator lamp
on your instrument panel
may
turn on. If this occurs, return to your authorized
Chevrolet dealer for service.
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines in the United States
are now required to contain additives that will help
prevent deposits from forming
in your engine and fuel
system, allowing your emission control system to
function properly. Therefore, you should not have to add
anything to
the fuel. In addition, gasolines containing
oxygenates, such as ethers and ethanol, and
reformulated gasolines may be available in your area to
help clean the air. General Motors recommends that you
use these gasolines if they comply with the specifications described earlier.
NOTICE:
Your vehicle was not designed for fuel that
contains methanol. Don’t use it. It can corrode
metal parts in your fuel system and also damage
plastic and rubber parts. That damage wouldn’t
be covered under your warranty.
6-4

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Fuels in Foreign Countries
If you plan on driving in another country outside the
United States or Canada, the proper fuel may be hard to
find. Never use leaded gasoline or any other fuel not
recommended in the previous text on fuel. Costly repairs
caused by use
of improper fuel wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
To check on fuel availability, ask an auto club, or
contact a major oil company that does business in the
country where you’ll be driving.
You can also write us at the following address for
advice. Just tell us where you’re going and give your
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
General Motors International Product Center
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario LlH 8P7
Filling Your Tank
Gasoline vapor is highly flammable. It burns
violently, and that can cause very bad injuries.
Don’t smoke if you’re near gasoline or refueling
your vehicle. Keep sparks, flames and smoking materials away from gasoline.
6-5

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The cap is behind a hinged door on the right side of your
vehicle.
To open the door, insert your finger into the
finger depression in the fuel door. To
take off the cap, turn it slowly to the left
(counterclockwise). The cap has a spring in it; if you let
go of the cap too soon, it will spring back to the right.
While refueling, hang the tethered cap inside the fuel door.
A CAUTION:
If you get gasoline on yourself and then
something ignites
it, you could be badly burned.
Gasoline can spray out on you if you open the
fuel filler cap too quickly. This spray can happen
if your tank is nearly full, and is more likely in
hot weather. Open the fuel filler cap slowly and
wait for any “hiss” noise
to stop. Then unscrew
the cap all the
way.
Be careful not to spill gasoline. Clean gasoline from
painted surfaces as soon as possible. See “Cleaning the
Outside of
Your Chevrolet” in the Index.
6-6

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When you put the cap back on, turn it to the right
(clockwise) until you hear a clicking sound. Make sure
you
fully install the cap. The diagnostic system can
determine
if the fuel cap has been left off or improperly
installed.
This would allow fuel to evaporate into the
atmosphere. See “Malfunction Indicator Lamp” in
the Index.
I NOTICE:
If you need a new cap, be sure to get the right
type. Your dealer
can get one for you. If you get
the wrong type,
it may not fit properly. This may
cause your malfunction indicator lamp to light
and your fuel
tank and emissions system may be
damaged. See “Malfunction Indicator Lamp”
in
the Index.
Checking Things Under the Hood
An electric fan under the hood can start up and
injure you even when the engine
is not running.
Keep hands, clothing and tools away from any
underhood electric fan.
I I
6-7

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I'
A CA TION:
I
Things that burn can get on hot engine parts and
start a fire. These include liquids like gasoline,
oil, coolant, brake fluid, windshield washer and
other fluids, and plastic or rubber. You or others
could be burned. Be careful not to drop or spill
things that will burn onto
a hot engine.
The following sections tell
you how to check fluids,
lubricants and important parts under the hood.
Hood Release
To open the hood, first pull
the hood release handle
inside the vehicle.
6-8

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Then go to the front of the vehicle and lift the secondary
hood release handle before lifting. Lift the hood, release
the
hood prop from its
retainer and put the hood
prop into the slot marked
PROP ROD.
'efore closing the hood, be sure all the filler caps
re
on properly. Then let the hood drop from about
to
12 inches (20 to 30 cm).
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