checking oil CHEVROLET COLORADO 2007 1.G Owners Manual

Service........................................................ 324
Accessories and Modications................... 324
California Proposition 65 Warning.............. 324
Doing Your Own Service Work.................. 325
Adding Equipment to the
Outside of Your Vehicle......................... 325
Fuel............................................................. 326
Gasoline Octane........................................ 326
Gasoline Specications.............................. 326
California Fuel........................................... 326
Additives................................................... 326
Fuels in Foreign Countries........................ 327
Filling the Tank......................................... 328
Filling a Portable Fuel Container............... 330
Checking Things Under the Hood.............. 331
Hood Release........................................... 331
Engine Compartment Overview.................. 332
Engine Oil................................................. 333
Engine Oil Life System.............................. 336Engine Air Cleaner/Filter............................ 338
Automatic Transmission Fluid.................... 339
Manual Transmission Fluid........................ 342
Hydraulic Clutch........................................ 344
Engine Coolant.......................................... 345
Radiator Pressure Cap.............................. 348
Engine Overheating................................... 348
Cooling System......................................... 350
Engine Fan Noise..................................... 355
Power Steering Fluid................................. 355
Windshield Washer Fluid........................... 356
Brakes...................................................... 357
Battery...................................................... 361
Jump Starting............................................ 362
Rear Axle.................................................... 368
Four-Wheel Drive........................................ 368
Front Axle................................................... 369
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
321

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.
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.
331

A. Windshield Washer Fluid. See “Adding Washer
Fluid” underWindshield Washer Fluid on
page 356.
B. Engine Coolant Recovery Tank. SeeEngine
Coolant on page 345.
C. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. SeeEngine
Air Cleaner/Filter on page 338.
D. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir (low in engine
compartment). SeePower Steering Fluid
on page 355.
E. Automatic Transmission Fluid Dipstick
(If Equipped). See “Checking the Fluid Level”
underAutomatic Transmission Fluid on
page 339.
F. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When to Add Engine
Oil” underEngine Oil on page 333.
G. Radiator Pressure Cap. SeeCooling System
on page 350.
H. Remote Negative (−) Terminal (GND).
SeeJump Starting on page 362.
I. Engine Oil Dipstick. See “Checking Engine Oil”
underEngine Oil on page 333.
J. Remote Positive (+) Terminal. SeeJump
Starting on page 362.K. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See “Brake Fluid” under
Brakes on page 357.
L. Engine Compartment Fuse Block. SeeEngine
Compartment Fuse Block on page 433.
M. Battery. SeeBattery on page 361.
N. Hydraulic Clutch Fluid Reservoir (If Equipped).
SeeHydraulic Clutch on page 344.
Engine Oil
Checking Engine Oil
It is a good idea to check the 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.
SeeEngine Compartment Overview on page 332
for 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.
333

How to Add Automatic
Transmission Fluid
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine
what kind of transmission uid to use. See
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants on page 452.
Add uid only after checking the transmission
uid while it is hot. A cold check is used only as a
reference. If the uid level is low, add only enough
of the proper uid to bring the level up to the HOT
area for a hot check. It does not take much uid,
generally less than one pint (0.5 L). Do not overll.
Notice:Use of the incorrect automatic
transmission uid may damage your vehicle,
and the damages may not be covered by
your warranty. Always use the automatic
transmission uid listed inRecommended
Fluids and Lubricants on page 452.
After adding uid, recheck the uid level as
described under “How to Check Automatic
Transmission Fluid,” earlier in this section.
When the correct uid level is obtained, push
the dipstick back in all the way; then ip the
handle down to lock the dipstick in place.
Manual Transmission Fluid
When to Check
A good time to have it checked is when the
engine oil is changed. However, the uid in your
manual transmission does not require changing.
How to Check
Because this operation can be a little difficult,
you may choose to have this done at your
GM dealer/retailer service department.
If you do it yourself, be sure to follow all the
instructions here, or you could get a false reading.
Notice:Too much or too little uid can
damage your transmission. Too little uid
could cause the transmission to overheat.
Be sure to get an accurate reading if you
check your transmission uid.
Check the uid level only when your engine is off,
the vehicle is parked on a level place and the
transmission is cool enough for you to rest your
ngers on the transmission case.
342

What to Use
Use a mixture of one-half clean, drinkable water
and one-half DEX-COOL®coolant which will
not damage aluminum parts. If you use this coolant
mixture, you do not need to add anything else.
{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 would
not get the overheat warning. Your engine
could catch re and you or others could
be burned. Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and the proper coolant.Notice:If you use an improper coolant
mixture, your engine could overheat and be
badly damaged. The repair cost would not be
covered by your warranty. Too much water
in the mixture can freeze and crack the engine,
radiator, heater core, and other parts.
Notice:If you use extra inhibitors and/or
additives in your vehicle’s cooling system,
you could damage your vehicle. Use only
the proper mixture of the engine coolant
listed in this manual for the cooling system.
SeeRecommended Fluids and Lubricants
on page 452for more information.
Checking Coolant
The coolant recovery
tank cap has this
symbol on it.
346