table of SATURN SKY 2007 User Guide

Your Driving, the Road, and
Your Vehicle
Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about driving is:
Drive defensively.
Please start with a very important safety device in
your vehicle: Buckle up. SeeSafety Belts: They
Are for Everyone on page 12.
{CAUTION:
Defensive driving really means “Be ready
for anything.” On city streets, rural roads,
or expressways, it means “Always expect
the unexpected.” Assume that pedestrians
or other drivers are going to be careless
and make mistakes. Anticipate what they
might do and be ready. Rear-end collisions
are about the most preventable of
accidents. Yet they are common. Allow
enough following distance. Defensive
driving requires that a driver concentrate
on the driving task. Anything that distracts
from the driving task makes proper
defensive driving more difficult and can
even cause a collision, with resulting
injury. Ask a passenger to help do these
things, or pull off the road in a safe place to
do them. These simple defensive driving
techniques could save your life.
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Once you are moving on the freeway, make
certain you allow a reasonable following distance.
Expect to move slightly slower at night.
When you want to leave the freeway, move to the
proper lane well in advance. If you miss your
exit, do not, under any circumstances, stop and
back up. Drive on to the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite
sharply. The exit speed is usually posted. Reduce
your speed according to your speedometer, not
to your sense of motion. After driving for any
distance at higher speeds, you may tend to think
you are going slower than you actually are.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you are ready. Try to be well rested.
If you must start when you are not fresh — such
as after a day’s work — do not plan to make
too many miles that rst part of the journey.
Wear comfortable clothing and shoes you can
easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it is ready to go. If it
needs service, have it done before starting out.Of course, you will nd experienced and able
service experts at Saturn retailers all across the
United States and Canada. They will be ready
and willing to help if you need it.
Here are some things you can check before a trip:
Windshield Washer Fluid:Is the reservoir full?
Are all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blades:Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids:Have you
checked all levels?
Lamps:Are they all working? Are the lenses
clean?
Tires:They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip. Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are the tires all inated
to the recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts:What is the weather
outlook along your route? Should you delay
your trip a short time to avoid a major storm
system?
Maps:Do you have up-to-date maps?
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{CAUTION:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your
vehicle. This can cause deadly CO (carbon
monoxide) gas to get inside. CO could
overcome you and kill you. You cannot see
it or smell it, so you might not know it is in
your vehicle. Clear away snow from around
the base of your vehicle, especially any
that is blocking your exhaust pipe. And
check around again from time to time to be
sure snow does not collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of
the vehicle that is away from the wind.
This will help keep CO out.Run your engine only as long as you must. This
saves fuel. When you run the engine, make it go
a little faster than just idle. That is, push the
accelerator slightly. This uses less fuel for the heat
that you get and it keeps the battery charged.
You will need a well-charged battery to restart the
vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on with
your headlamps. Let the heater run for a while.
Then, shut the engine off and close the window
almost all the way to preserve the heat. Start
the engine again and repeat this only when you
feel really uncomfortable from the cold. But do it as
little as possible. Preserve the fuel as long as
you can. To help keep warm, you can get out of
the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or so until help comes.
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Service........................................................ 233
Accessories and Modications................... 233
California Proposition 65 Warning.............. 234
Doing Your Own Service Work.................. 234
Adding Equipment to the Outside
of Your Vehicle...................................... 235
Fuel............................................................. 235
Gasoline Octane........................................ 235
Gasoline Specications.............................. 236
California Fuel........................................... 236
Additives................................................... 236
Fuels in Foreign Countries........................ 237
Filling the Tank......................................... 238
Filling a Portable Fuel Container............... 240
Checking Things Under the Hood.............. 240
Hood Release........................................... 241
Engine Compartment Overview.................. 242
Engine Oil................................................. 245
Engine Oil Life System.............................. 250
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter............................ 252
Automatic Transmission Fluid.................... 254
Manual Transmission Fluid........................ 254
Hydraulic Clutch........................................ 254Engine Coolant.......................................... 255
Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap............ 258
Engine Overheating................................... 258
Cooling System......................................... 260
Power Steering Fluid ................................. 266
Windshield Washer Fluid........................... 267
Brakes...................................................... 268
Battery...................................................... 271
Jump Starting............................................ 272
Rear Axle.................................................... 278
Headlamp Aiming........................................ 278
Bulb Replacement....................................... 279
Halogen Bulbs........................................... 279
Headlamps and Parking Lamps................. 279
Front Turn Signal, Parking and
Fog Lamps............................................ 280
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps
and Sidemarker Lamps.......................... 281
Back-Up Lamps......................................... 282
License Plate Lamp................................... 282
Replacement Bulbs................................... 283
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement....... 283
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
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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:
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.
{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.
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Brakes
Brake Fluid
Your brake master
cylinder reservoir is
lled with DOT-3 brake
uid. SeeEngine
Compartment Overview
on page 242for the
location of the reservoir.
There are only two reasons why the brake uid
level in the reservoir might go down. The rst
is that the brake uid goes down to an acceptable
level during normal brake lining wear. When
new linings are put in, the uid level goes back
up. The other reason is that uid is leaking out of
the brake and/or clutch hydraulic system. If it
is, you should have your brake and/or clutch
system xed, since a leak means that sooner or
later your brakes and/or clutch will not work
well, or will not work at all.So, it is not a good idea to top off your brake/clutch
uid. Adding uid will not correct a leak. If you
add uid when your brake linings are worn, then
you will have too much uid when you get
new brake linings. You should add or remove
uid, as necessary, only when work is done on
the brake/clutch hydraulic system.
{CAUTION:
If your vehicle has too much brake uid, it
can spill on the engine. The uid will burn
if the engine is hot enough. You or others
could be burned, and your vehicle could
be damaged. Add brake uid only when
work is done on the brake and/or clutch
hydraulic system.
When your brake uid falls to a low level, your
brake warning light will come on. SeeBrake
System Warning Light on page 134.
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Different Size Tires and Wheels
If you add wheels or tires that are a different
size than your original equipment wheels and
tires, this may affect the way your vehicle
performs, including its braking, ride and handling
characteristics, stability, and resistance to
rollover. Additionally, if your vehicle has electronic
systems such as, anti-lock brakes, traction
control, and stability control, the performance
of these systems can be affected.{CAUTION:
If you add different sized wheels, your
vehicle may not provide an acceptable
level of performance and safety if tires
not recommended for those wheels are
selected. You may increase the chance
that you will crash and suffer serious
injury. Only use Saturn specic wheel and
tire systems developed for your vehicle,
and have them properly installed by a
Saturn certied technician.
SeeBuying New Tires on page 296and
Accessories and Modications on page 233for
additional information.
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The following services are provided in the U.S.
during the Bumper-to-Bumper warranty period and
in Canada, during the Base Warranty coverage
period of the New Vehicle Limited Warranty, up to
a maximum coverage of $100.
Fuel Delivery:Delivery of enough fuel for the
customer to get to the nearest service station
(approximately $5 in the U.S. and 10 litres
in Canada). Service to provide diesel may
be restricted. For safety reasons, propane
and other alternative fuels will not be provided
through this service.
Lock-out Service:To ensure security, the
driver must present the vehicle registration
and personal ID before lock-out service
is provided. Lock-out service will be covered
at no charge if you are unable to gain
entry into your vehicle. If you vehicle will not
start, Roadside Assistance will arrange to have
your vehicle towed to the nearest authorized
retailer. In the U.S., replacement keys made
at the customer’s expense will be delivered
within 10 miles.
Emergency Tow From a Public Roadway
or Highway:Tow to the nearest Saturn
retailer for warranty service or in the event
of a vehicle-disabling accident. Winch-out
assistance provided when the vehicle is mired
in sand, mud, or snow.
Flat Tire Change:If your vehicle has a spare
time, installation of that tire, in good condition,
will be covered at no charge. The customer
is responsible for the repair or replacement
of the tire if not covered by a warrantable
failure.
Jump Start:No-start occurrences which
require a battery jump start will be covered
at no charge.
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A recycled original equipment GM part, may be
an acceptable choice to maintain your vehicle’s
originally designed appearance and safety
performance, however, the history of these parts
is not known. Such parts are not covered by
your GM New Vehicle Limited Warranty, and any
related failures are not covered by that warranty.
Aftermarket collision parts are also available. These
are made by companies other than GM and may
not have been tested for your vehicle. As a result,
these parts may t poorly, exhibit premature
durability/corrosion problems, and may not perform
properly in subsequent collisions. Aftermarket parts
are not covered by your GM New Vehicle Limited
Warranty, and any vehicle failure related to such
parts are not covered by that warranty.
Repair Facility
GM also recommends that you choose a collision
repair facility that meets your needs before you
ever need collision repairs. Your Saturn retailer
may have a collision repair center with GM-trained
technicians and state of the art equipment, or
be able to recommend a collision repair center
that has GM-trained technicians and comparable
equipment.
Insuring Your Vehicle
Protect your investment in your GM vehicle with
comprehensive and collision insurance coverage.
There are signicant differences in the quality
of coverage afforded by various insurance policy
terms. Many insurance policies provide reduced
protection to your GM vehicle by limiting
compensation for damage repairs by using
aftermarket collision parts. Some insurance
companies will not specify aftermarket collision
parts. When purchasing insurance, we recommend
that you assure your vehicle will be repaired
with GM original equipment collision parts. If such
insurance coverage is not available from your
current insurance carrier, consider switching
to another insurance carrier.
If your vehicle is leased, the leasing company
may require you to have insurance that assures
repairs with Genuine GM Original Equipment
Manufacturer (OEM) parts or Genuine
Manufacturer replacement parts. Read your
lease carefully, as you may be charged at the
end of your lease for poor quality repairs.
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In some states/provinces with “no fault”
insurance laws, a report may not be necessary.
This is especially true if there are no injuries
and both vehicles are driveable.
Choose a reputable collision repair facility for
your vehicle. Whether you select a Saturn
retailer or a private collision repair facility to x
the damage, make sure you are comfortable
with them. Remember, you will have to feel
comfortable with their work for a long time.
Once you have an estimate, read it carefully
and make sure you understand what work will
be performed on your vehicle. If you have a
question, ask for an explanation. Reputable
shops welcome this opportunity.
Managing the Vehicle Damage
Repair Process
In the event that your vehicle requires damage
repairs, GM recommends that you take an active
role in its repair. If you have a pre-determined
repair facility of choice, take your vehicle there,
or have it towed there. Specify to the facility thatany required replacement collision parts be
original equipment parts, either new Genuine GM
parts or recycled original GM parts. Remember,
recycled parts will not be covered by your
GM vehicle warranty.
Insurance pays the bill for the repair, but you
must live with the repair. Depending on your
policy limits, your insurance company may initially
value the repair using aftermarket parts. Discuss
this with your repair professional, and insist
on Genuine GM parts. Remember if your vehicle
is leased you may be obligated to have the
vehicle repaired with Genuine GM parts, even
if your insurance coverage does not pay the
full cost.
If another party’s insurance company is paying
for the repairs, you are not obligated to accept
a repair valuation based on that insurance
company’s collision policy repair limits, as you
have no contractual limits with that company.
In such cases, you can have control of the repair
and parts choices as long as cost stays within
reasonable limits.
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