GMC CANYON 2006 Owner's Manual

Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle
Things you might add to the outside of your vehicle can
affect the airow around it. This may cause wind
noise and affect windshield washer performance. Check
with your dealer before adding equipment to the
outside of your vehicle.
Fuel
Use of the recommended fuel is an important part of the
proper maintenance of your vehicle.
Gasoline Octane
Use regular unleaded gasoline with a posted octane
rating of 87 or higher. If the octane rating is less than 87,
you may notice an audible knocking noise when you
drive, commonly referred to as spark knock. If this
occurs, use a gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher as
soon as possible. If you are using gasoline rated at
87 octane or higher and you hear heavy knocking, your
engine needs service.
Gasoline Specications
At a minimum, gasoline should meet ASTM specication
D 4814 in the United States or CAN/CGSB-3.5 in
Canada. Some gasolines may contain an
octane-enhancing additive called methylcyclopentadienyl
manganese tricarbonyl (MMT). General Motors
recommends against the use of gasolines containing
MMT. SeeAdditives on page 5-6for additional
information.
5-5

California Fuel
If your vehicle is certied to meet California Emissions
Standards, it is designed to operate on fuels that
meet California specications. See the underhood
emission control label. If this fuel is not available
in states adopting California emissions standards, your
vehicle will operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting
federal specications, but emission control system
performance may be affected. The malfunction indicator
lamp may turn on and your vehicle may fail a
smog-check test. SeeMalfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 3-32. If this occurs, return to your authorized GM
dealer for diagnosis. If it is determined that the
condition is caused by the type of fuel used, repairs
may not be covered by your warranty.
Additives
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines in the United States
are now required to contain additives that will help
prevent engine and fuel system deposits from forming,
allowing your emission control system to work properly. In
most cases, you should not have to add anything to your
fuel. However, some gasolines contain only the minimum
amount of additive required to meet U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency regulations. To help keep fuel injectors
and intake valves clean, or if your vehicle experiences
problems due to dirty injectors or valves, look for gasoline
that is advertised as TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline. Also,
your GM dealer has additives that will help correct and
prevent most deposit-related problems.
Gasolines containing oxygenates, such as ethers and
ethanol, and reformulated gasolines may be available in
your area. General Motors recommends that you use
these gasolines if they comply with the specications
described earlier. However, E85 (85% ethanol) and other
fuels containing more than 10% ethanol must not be used
in vehicles that were not designed for those fuels.
5-6

Notice:Your vehicle was not designed for fuel that
contains methanol. Do not use fuel containing
methanol. It can corrode metal parts in your fuel
system and also damage the plastic and rubber
parts. That damage would not be covered under
your warranty.
Some gasolines that are not reformulated for low
emissions may contain an octane-enhancing additive
called methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl
(MMT); ask the attendant where you buy gasoline
whether the fuel contains MMT. General Motors
recommends against the use of such gasolines. Fuels
containing MMT can reduce the life of spark plugs
and the performance of the emission control system may
be affected. The malfunction indicator lamp may turn
on. If this occurs, return to your authorized GM dealer for
service.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 nd. Never use leaded gasoline or any other fuel
not recommended in the previous text on fuel. Costly
repairs caused by use of improper fuel would not
be covered by your warranty.
To check the fuel availability, ask an auto club, or
contact a major oil company that does business in the
country where you will be driving.
5-7

Filling the Tank
{CAUTION:
Fuel vapor burns violently and a fuel re can
cause bad injuries. To help avoid injuries to
you and others, read and follow all the
instructions on the pump island. Turn off your
engine when you are refueling. Do not smoke
if you are near fuel or refueling your vehicle.
Keep sparks, ames, and smoking materials
away from fuel. Do not leave the fuel pump
unattended when refueling your vehicle — this
is against the law in some places. Keep
children away from the fuel pump; never let
children pump fuel.The tethered fuel cap is located behind a hinged fuel
door on the driver’s side of the vehicle.
To remove the fuel cap, turn it slowly counterclockwise.
While refueling, hang the tethered fuel cap from the
hook on the fuel door.
5-8

{CAUTION:
If you spill fuel and then something ignites it,
you could be badly burned. Fuel can spray out
on you if you open the fuel cap too quickly.
This spray can happen if your tank is nearly
full, and is more likely in hot weather. Open
the fuel cap slowly and wait for any hiss noise
to stop. Then unscrew the cap all the way.
Be careful not to spill fuel. Do not top off or overll the
tank and wait a few seconds after you have nished
pumping before removing the nozzle. Clean fuel
from painted surfaces as soon as possible. See
Washing Your Vehicle on page 5-97.
When replacing the fuel cap, turn it clockwise until it
clicks. Make sure the cap is fully installed. 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. If the fuel cap is
not properly installed, the FUEL CAP message
will appear on the Driver Information Center (DIC) and
the check engine light will be lit on the instrument
panel cluster. SeeDIC Warnings and Messages on
page 3-42andMalfunction Indicator Lamp on page 3-32
for more information.
{CAUTION:
If a re starts while you are refueling, do not
remove the nozzle. Shut off the ow of fuel by
shutting off the pump or by notifying the
station attendant. Leave the area immediately.
Notice:If you need a new fuel cap, be sure to get
the right type. Your dealer can get one for you.
If you get the wrong type, it may not t properly.
This may cause your malfunction indicator lamp to
light and may damage your fuel tank and emissions
system. SeeMalfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 3-32.
5-9

Filling a Portable Fuel Container
{CAUTION:
Never ll a portable fuel container while it is in
your vehicle. Static electricity discharge from
the container can ignite the gasoline vapor.
You can be badly burned and your vehicle
damaged if this occurs. To help avoid injury to
you and others:
Dispense gasoline only into approved
containers.
Do not ll a container while it is inside a
vehicle, in a vehicle’s trunk, pickup bed, or
on any surface other than the ground.
Bring the ll nozzle in contact with the
inside of the ll opening before operating
the nozzle. Contact should be maintained
until the lling is complete.
Do not smoke while pumping gasoline.
Checking Things Under
the Hood
{CAUTION:
Things that burn can get on hot engine parts
and start a re. These include liquids like fuel,
oil, coolant, brake uid, windshield washer and
other uids, 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.
5-10

Hood Release
To open the hood, do the following:
1. Pull the handle with
this symbol on it. It is
located inside the
vehicle on the lower
left side of the
instrument panel.2. Release the secondary latch on the hood. It is
located below the front center of the hood.
3. Lift the hood.
4. Release the hood prop from its retainer and put the
hood prop into the slot in the hood.
Before closing the hood, be sure all the ller caps are
on properly. Then lift the hood to relieve pressure on the
hood prop. Remove the hood prop from the slot in the
hood and return the prop to its retainer. Lower the hood
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm) above the vehicle and
release it to latch fully. Check to make sure the hood is
closed and repeat the procedure if necessary.
5-11

Engine Compartment Overview
When you open the hood on the 2.8L engine (3.5L engine similar), you will see the following:
5-12

A. Windshield Washer Fluid. See “Adding Washer
Fluid” underWindshield Washer Fluid on page 5-36.
B. Engine Coolant Recovery Tank. SeeEngine
Coolant on page 5-25.
C. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. SeeEngine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 5-18.
D. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir (low in engine
compartment). SeePower Steering Fluid on
page 5-35.
E. Automatic Transmission Fluid Dipstick (If Equipped).
See “Checking the Fluid Level” underAutomatic
Transmission Fluid on page 5-19.
F. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When to Add Engine Oil”
underEngine Oil on page 5-13.
G. Radiator Pressure Cap. SeeCooling System on
page 5-30.
H. Remote Negative (−) Terminal (GND). SeeJump
Starting on page 5-42.
I. Engine Oil Dipstick. See “Checking Engine Oil”
underEngine Oil on page 5-13.
J. Remote Positive (+) Terminal. SeeJump Starting on
page 5-42.
K. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See “Brake Fluid” under
Brakes on page 5-37.L. Engine Compartment Fuse Block. SeeEngine
Compartment Fuse Block on page 5-103.
M. Battery. SeeBattery on page 5-41.
N. Hydraulic Clutch Fluid Reservoir (If Equipped).
SeeHydraulic Clutch on page 5-24.
Engine Oil
Checking Engine Oil
It is a good idea to check your engine oil every time you
get fuel. In order to get an accurate reading, the oil
must be warm and the vehicle must be on level ground.
The engine oil dipstick handle is a yellow loop. See
Engine Compartment Overview on page 5-12for
the location of the engine oil dipstick.
1. Turn off the engine and give the oil several minutes
to drain back into the oil pan. If you do not do this,
the oil dipstick might not show the actual level.
2. Pull out the dipstick and clean it with a paper towel
or cloth, then push it back in all the way. Remove it
again, keeping the tip down, and check the level.
5-13

When to Add Engine Oil
If the oil is below the cross-hatched area (L), you will
need to add at least one quart/liter of oil. But you must
use the right kind. This section explains what kind of
oil to use. For engine oil crankcase capacity, see
Capacities and Specications on page 5-108.
Notice:Do not add too much oil. If 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.SeeEngine Compartment
Overview on page 5-12for
the location of the
engine oil ll cap.
Be sure to add enough oil to put the level somewhere in
the proper operating range. Push the dipstick all the
way back in when you are through.
5-14