maintenance SATURN RELAY 2007 User Guide

When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal
down while you do the following:
Start your engine.
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
Your vehicle will need service more often when
you are pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance
Schedule for more on this. Things that are
especially important in trailer operation are
automatic transaxle uid, engine oil, belts, cooling
system, and brake system. Each of these is
covered in this manual, and the Index will help
you nd them quickly. If you are trailering, it is a
good idea to review these sections before you
start your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and
bolts are tight.
Trailer Wiring Harness
Your vehicle may have a trailer wiring harness
package located in the glove box. It can be
connected from the rear of your vehicle to your
trailer. Contact your retailer for more information.
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Tires............................................................ 462
Tire Sidewall Labeling............................... 463
Tire Terminology and Denitions............... 466
Ination - Tire Pressure............................. 469
High-Speed Operation............................... 471
Tire Inspection and Rotation...................... 472
When It Is Time for New Tires.................. 473
Buying New Tires...................................... 474
Different Size Tires and Wheels................ 476
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..................... 477
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance............ 478
Wheel Replacement.................................. 478
Tire Chains............................................... 480
Accessory Inator...................................... 480
If a Tire Goes Flat.................................... 483
Changing a Flat Tire................................. 484
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools.......... 485
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing
the Spare Tire....................................... 488
Secondary Latch System........................... 495
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools...... 497
Compact Spare Tire.................................. 500Appearance Care........................................ 501
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle.......... 501
Fabric/Carpet............................................. 502
Leather...................................................... 503
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other
Plastic Surfaces..................................... 504
Care of Safety Belts.................................. 504
Weatherstrips............................................ 504
Washing Your Vehicle............................... 505
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses................ 505
Finish Care............................................... 505
Windshield, Backglass, and
Wiper Blades......................................... 506
Aluminum Wheels...................................... 507
Tires......................................................... 507
Sheet Metal Damage................................. 508
Finish Damage.......................................... 508
Underbody Maintenance............................ 508
Chemical Paint Spotting............................ 508
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials............ 509
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
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California Proposition 65 Warning
Most motor vehicles, including this one, 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 (including some inside
the vehicle), many uids, and some component
wear by-products contain and/or emit these
chemicals.
Doing Your Own Service Work
{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.
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.
If you want to do some of your own service work,
you will want to use the proper service manual.
It tells you much more about how to service your
vehicle than this manual can. To order the
proper service manual, seeService Publications
Ordering Information on page 553.
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Your vehicle has an airbag system. Before
attempting to do your own service work, see
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on
page 99.
You should keep a record with all parts receipts
and list the mileage and the date of any service
work you perform. SeeMaintenance Record
on page 534.
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 retailer 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.
To help keep your engine clean and maintain
optimum vehicle performance, Saturn recommends
the use of gasoline advertised as TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline.
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). Saturn recommends against the use
of gasolines containing MMT. SeeAdditives on
page 415for additional information.
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Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
SeeEngine Compartment Overview on page 422
for the location of the engine air cleaner/lter.
When to Inspect the Engine
Air Cleaner/Filter
Inspect the air cleaner/lter at the MaintenanceII
intervals and replace it at the rst oil change
after each 50,000 mile (85 000 km) interval. See
Scheduled Maintenance on page 522for more
information. If you are driving in dusty/dirty
conditions, inspect the lter at each engine oil
change.
How to Inspect the Engine
Air Cleaner/Filter
To inspect the air cleaner/lter, remove the lter
from the vehicle and lightly shake the lter to
release loose dust and dirt. If the lter remains
caked with dirt, a new lter is required. Do not use
compressed air to clean the lter.
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Checking the Fluid Level
Prepare your vehicle as follows:
1. Park your vehicle on a level place. Keep the
engine running.
2. With the parking brake applied, place the shift
lever in PARK (P).
3. With your foot on the brake pedal, move the
shift lever through each gear range, pausing
for about three seconds in each range.
Then, position the shift lever in PARK (P).
4. Let the engine run at idle for three to
ve minutes.
Then, without shutting off the engine, follow these
steps:
1. Pull out the dipstick and wipe it with a clean
rag or paper towel.
The automatic transaxle dipstick is located
toward the back of the engine compartment,
near the brake master cylinder reservoir.
The dipstick handle is a red loop. SeeEngine
Compartment Overview on page 422for
more information on location.
2. Push it back in all the way, wait three
seconds, and then pull it back out again.3. Check both sides of the dipstick, and read the
lower level. The uid level must be in the
cross-hatched area.
4. If the uid level is in the acceptable range,
push the dipstick back in all the way.
How to Add Automatic Transaxle Fluid
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine
what kind of transaxle uid to use. See
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants on page 530.
If the uid level is low, add only enough of the
proper uid to bring the level into the
cross-hatched area on the dipstick.
1. Pull out the dipstick.
2. Using a long-neck funnel, add enough uid at
the dipstick hole to bring it to the proper level.
It does not take much uid, generally less
than one pint (0.5 L). Do not overll.
Notice:Use of the incorrect automatic
transaxle uid may damage your vehicle, and
the damages may not be covered by your
warranty. Always use the automatic transaxle
uid listed inRecommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 530.
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3. After adding uid, recheck the uid level as
described under “How to Check Automatic
Transaxle Fluid,” earlier in this section.
4. When the correct uid level is obtained, push
the dipstick back in all the way.
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in your vehicle is lled with
DEX-COOL®engine coolant. This coolant is
designed to remain in your vehicle for ve years or
150,000 miles (240 000 km), whichever occurs rst,
if you add only DEX-COOL
®extended life coolant.
The following explains your cooling system and
how to add coolant when it is low. If you have a
problem with engine overheating, seeEngine
Overheating on page 435.A 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL
®coolant will:
Give freezing protection down to−34°F (−37°C).
Give boiling protection up to 265°F (129°C).
Protect against rust and corrosion.
Help keep the proper engine temperature.
Let the warning messages and gages work
as they should.
Notice:Using coolant other than DEX-COOL
®
may cause premature engine, heater core,
or radiator corrosion. In addition, the engine
coolant may require changing sooner, at
the rst maintenance service after each
30,000 miles (50 000 km) or 24 months,
whichever occurs rst. Any repairs would not
be covered by your warranty. Always use
DEX-COOL
®(silicate-free) coolant in your
vehicle.
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Battery
Your vehicle has a maintenance free battery.
When it is time for a new battery, get one that has
the replacement number shown on the original
battery’s label. We recommend an ACDelco
®
replacement battery.
Warning:Battery posts, terminals, and related
accessories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive harm.
Wash hands after handling.
Vehicle Storage
If you are not going to drive your vehicle
for 25 days or more, remove the black,
negative (−) cable from the battery. This will
help keep your battery from running down.
{CAUTION:
Batteries have acid that can burn you and
gas that can explode. You can be badly
hurt if you are not careful. SeeJump
Starting on page 450for tips on working
around a battery without getting hurt.
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Replacement Bulbs
Exterior Lamp Bulb Number
Back-up 3057KX
Front Turn Signal, DRL
and Parking3157NAK
High-Beam and Low-Beam
HeadlampsH11
License Plate Lamp 168
Sidemarker 194
Stoplamp, Taillamp and
Turn Signal3057KX
For replacement bulbs not listed here, contact
your retailer.
Windshield Wiper Blade
Replacement
Windshield wiper blades should be inspected for
wear and cracking. SeeScheduled Maintenance
on page 522for more information.
Replacement blades come in different types and
are removed in different ways. For proper type and
length, seeNormal Maintenance Replacement
Parts on page 532.
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Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be rotated every 5,000 to 8,000 miles
(8 000 to 13 000 km).
Any time you notice unusual wear, rotate your
tires as soon as possible and check wheel
alignment. Also check for damaged tires or wheels.
SeeWhen It Is Time for New Tires on page 473
andWheel Replacement on page 478for
more information.
The purpose of regular rotation is to achieve
more uniform wear for all tires on the vehicle.
The rst rotation is the most important. See
Scheduled Maintenance on page 522.When rotating your tires, always use the correct
rotation pattern shown here.
Do not include the compact spare tire in your tire
rotation.
After the tires have been rotated, adjust the front
and rear ination pressures as shown on the
Tire and Loading Information label.
Make certain that all wheel nuts are properly
tightened. See “Wheel Nut Torque” under
Capacities and Specications on page 518.
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