coolant CHEVROLET CAVALIER 2002 3.G User Guide

5-12
Cooling System
When you decide it's safe to lift the hood, here's what
you'll see:
2.2L L4 (LN2) Engine
A. Coolant Surge Tank with Pressure Cap
B. Electric Engine Cooling Fan
2.2L L4 ECOTEC
(L61) Engine
A. Coolant Surge Tank with Pressure Cap
B. Electric Engine Cooling Fan

5-13
2.4L L4 (LD9) Engine
A. Coolant Surge Tank with Pressure Cap
B. Electric Engine Cooling Fan
CAUTION:
An electric engine cooling fan under the hood can
start up even when the engine is not running and
can injure you. Keep hands, clothing and tools
away from any underhood electric fan.

5-14
If the coolant inside the coolant surge tank is boiling,
don't do anything else until it cools down. The vehicle
should be parked on a level surface.
The coolant level should be
at the FULL COLD mark.
If it isn't, you may have a
leak at the pressure cap or
in the radiator hoses, heater
hoses, radiator, water pump
or somewhere in the
cooling system.
CAUTION:
Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine
parts, can be very hot. Don't touch them.
If you do, you can be burned.
Don't run the engine if there is a leak. If you run
the engine, it could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you could be burned.
Get any leak fixed before you drive the vehicle.
If there seems to be no leak, with the engine on,
check to see if the electric engine cooling fan is running.
If the engine is overheating, the fan should be running.
If it isn't, your vehicle needs service.

5-15
NOTICE:
Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn't covered by your warranty.
NOTICE:
When adding coolant, it is important that you
use only DEX
-COOL
(silicate-free) coolant.
If coolant other than DEX-COOL is added to
the system, premature engine, heater core or
radiator corrosion may result. In addition, the
engine coolant will require change sooner
-- at
30,000 miles (50 000 km) or 24 months,
whichever occurs first. Damage caused by the
use of coolant other than DEX
-COOL
is not
covered by your new vehicle warranty.
How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Surge Tank
NOTICE:
This vehicle has a specific coolant fill procedure.
Failure to follow this procedure could cause your
engine to overheat and be severely damaged.
If you haven't found a problem yet, check to see if
coolant is visible in the surge tank. If coolant is visible
but the coolant level isn't at the FULL COLD mark,
add a 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and
DEX
-COOL
coolant at the coolant surge tank, but
be sure the cooling system, including the coolant surge
tank pressure cap, is cool before you do it. See ªEngine
Coolantº in the Index for more information.

5-16
If no coolant is visible in the surge tank, add coolant
as follows:
CAUTION:
Steam and scalding liquids from a hot cooling
system can blow out and burn you badly.
They are under pressure, and if you turn the
coolant surge tank pressure cap
-- even a
little
-- they can come out at high speed.
Never turn the cap when the cooling system,
including the coolant surge tank pressure cap,
is hot. Wait for the cooling system and coolant
surge tank pressure cap to cool if you ever have
to turn the pressure cap.

5-17
CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water, or some other
liquid such as alcohol, can boil before the proper
coolant mixture will. Your vehicle's coolant
warning system is set for the proper coolant
mixture. With plain water or the wrong mixture,
your engine could get too hot but you wouldn't
get the overheat warning. Your engine could
catch fire and you or others could be burned.
Use a 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water
and DEX
-COOL
coolant.
NOTICE:
In cold weather, water can freeze and crack the
engine, radiator, heater core and other parts.
So use the recommended coolant.
CAUTION:
You can be burned if you spill coolant on hot
engine parts. Coolant contains ethylene glycol
and it will burn if the engine parts are hot
enough. Don't spill coolant on a hot engine.

5-18
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface. You can remove
the coolant surge tank pressure cap when the cooling
system, including the coolant surge tank pressure cap
and upper radiator hose, is no longer hot. Turn the
pressure cap slowly counterclockwise (left) about
two or two and one
-half turns. If you hear a hiss,
wait for that to stop. This will allow any pressure
still left to be vented out the discharge hose.
2. Then keep turning the
pressure cap slowly,
and remove it.

5-19
3. Then fill the coolant surge tank with the proper
mixture, to the hash mark on the label. Wait about
five minutes, then check to see if the level is below
the hash mark. If the level is below the hash mark,
add additional coolant to bring the level up to the
hash mark. Repeat this procedure until the level
remains constant at the hash mark for at least
five minutes.
4. With the coolant surge
tank pressure cap off,
start the engine and
let it run until you
can feel the upper
radiator hose getting
hot. Watch out for the
engine cooling fan.
By this time, the coolant level inside the coolant
surge tank may be lower. If the level is lower than
the FULL COLD mark, add more of the proper
mixture to the coolant surge tank until the level
reaches the FULL COLD mark.

6-
6-1
Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Here you will find information about the care of your vehicle. 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.
6
-2 Service
6
-3 Fuel
6
-5 Fuels in Foreign Countries
6
-6 Filling Your Tank
6
-8 Filling a Portable Fuel Container
6
-9 Checking Things Under the Hood
6
-14 Engine Oil
6
-21 Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
6
-23 Automatic Transaxle Fluid
6
-24 Manual Transaxle Fluid
6
-24 Hydraulic Clutch
6
-25 Engine Coolant
6
-28 Surge Tank Pressure Cap
6
-29 Power Steering Fluid6
-29 Windshield Washer Fluid
6
-31 Brakes
6
-35 Battery
6
-36 Bulb Replacement
6
-43 Tires
6
-51 Appearance Care
6
-52 Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle
6
-54 Care of Safety Belts
6
-55 Cleaning the Outside of Your Vehicle
6
-60 Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
6
-61 Electrical System
6
-66 Replacement Bulbs
6
-66 Capacities and Specifications
6
-67 Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts

6-9
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 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.
Hood Release
To open the hood, do the following.
1. Pull the handle located
inside the vehicle on
the driver's side under
the instrument panel.