CHEVROLET VENTURE 1998 Owners Manual

NOTE:
INSTALL
OF BAG , BOlTOM
.BAG & TOOLS
I TOOL STORAGE
Replace all jacking tools as they were stored in the jack
storage compartment and replace the compartment
cover. To replace the cover, line up the tabs on the right
of the cover with the slots
in the cover opening. Push the
cover in place and push down the tab
so that it rests in
the groove. This secures the cover in place. Unless you have the plastic “bolt-on” wheel covers, be
sure
to also store the center cap. When you replace the
compact spare with
a full-size tire, replace the bolt-on
wheel covers and the center cap. Tighten them “hand
tight” over the wheel nuts, using the folding wrench.
Compact Spare Tire
Although the compact spare tire was fully inflated when
your vehicle was new, it can lose air after a time. Check
the inflation pressure regularly. It should be
60 psi
(420 Pa).
After installing the compact spare on your vehicle, you
should stop as soon as possible and make sure your
spare tire
is correctly inflated. The compact spare is
made
to perform well at speeds up to 65 mph (105
km/h) for distances up to 3,000 miles (5 000 km), so you
can finish your trip and have your full-size tire repaired
or replaced where
you want. Of course, it’s best to
replace your spare with a full-size tire as soon as you
can. Your spare will last longer and be in good shape in
case you need it again.
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NOTICE:
When the compact spare is installed, don’t take
your vehicle through an automatic car wash with
guide rails. The compact spare can get caught on
the rails. That can damage the tire and wheel,
and maybe other parts
of your vehicle.
Don’t
use your compact spare on other vehicles.
And don’t
mix your compact spare tire or wheel with
other wheels or tires. They won’t fit. Keep your spare
tire and its wheel together.
NOTICE:
Tire chains won’t fit your compact spare. Using
them can damage your vehicle and can damage
the chains too. Don’t use tire chains on your
compact spare.
If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice
or Snow
What you don’t want to do when your vehicle is stuck is
to spin your wheels
too fast. The method known as
“rocking” can help you get out when you’re stuck, but
you must use caution.
I
If you let your tires spin at high speed, they can
explode, and you or others could be injured. And,
the transaxle or other parts
of the vehicle can
overheat. That could cause an engine
compartment fire
or other damage. When you’re
stuck, spin the wheels as little as possible. Don’t
spin the wheels above
35 mph (55 km/h) as shown
on the speedometer.
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NOTICE:
~
Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of your
vehicle as well
as the tires. If you spin the wheels
too fast while shifting your transaxle back and
forth, you can destroy your transaxle.
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle,
see “Tire Chains”
in the Index.
Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your front wheels. If your vehicle
has traction control, you should turn your traction
control system off. (See “Traction Control System” in
the Index.) Then shift back and forth between
REVERSE (R) and a forward gear, spinning the wheels as little as possible. Release the accelerator pedal while
you shift, and press lightly on the accelerator pedal
when the transaxle is in gear. If that doesn’t get you out\

after a few tries, you may need to be towed out. If you
do need to be towed out, see “Towing Your Vehicle’’ in
the Index.
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@% NOTES
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b% NOTES
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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- 18
6-2 1
6-24
6-25
6-26
6-30
6-3
1
6-39 6-2
Service
6-3 Fuel
6-7 Filling a Portable Fuel Container
6-
8 Checking Things Under the Hood
6-11 Engine Oil
6-15 Air Cleaner
6-16 Passenger Compartment Air Filter
Replacement
Automatic Transaxle Fluid
Engine Coolant
Radiator Pressure Cap
Windshield Washer Fluid
Brakes
Battery
Bulb Replacement
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement 6-40
6-48
6-48
6-52
6-54
6-54
6-55
6-56
6-57
6-64
6-65
6-65
6-66
6-66
6-66 Tires
Appearance
Care
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle
Cleaning the Outside of Your Vehicle
Underbody Maintenance Chemical Paint Spotting
Appearance Care Materials Chart
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
Electrical System
Replacement Bulbs
Capacities and Specifications
Engine Specifications
Vehicle Dimensions
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
Air Conditioning Refrigerants
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Service
Your dealer knows your vehicle best and wants you to
be happy with it. We hope you’ll
go to your dealer for
all your service needs. You’ll get genuine
GM parts and
GM-trained and supported service people.
We hope you’ll want to keep your GM vehicle all
GM.
Genuine GM parts have one of these marks:
Genuine
Doing Your Own Service Work
If you want to do some of your own service work, you’ll
want to use the proper Chevrolet Service Manual. It tells
you much more about how to service your vehicle than
this manual can.
To order the proper service manual, see
“Service and Owner Publications” in the Index.
Your vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting to
do your own service work, see “Servicing Your Air
Bag-Equipped Vehicle” in the Index.
You should keep a record with all parts receipts and list
the mileage and the date
of any service work you
perform. See “Maintenance Record” in the Index.
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Fuel
L
You can be injured and your ve :le 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.
Adding Equipment to the - hide of
Your Vehicle
Things you might add to the outside of your vehicIe can
affect the airflow 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. Use regular unleaded gasoline rated at
87 octane
or
higher. At
a minimum, it should meet specifications
ASTM
D4814 in the United States and CGSB 3.5-M93
in Canada. Improved gasoline specifications have been
developed by the American Automobile Manufacturers
Association (AAMA) for better vehicle performance
and engine protection. Gasolines meeting the
AAMA
specification could provide improved driveability
and emission control system protection compared to
other gasolines.
Be sure the posted octane is at least 87. If the octane is
less than 87,
you may get a heavy knocking noise when
you drive. If it’s bad enough, it can damage your engine.
If you’re using fuel rated at
87 octane or higher and you
hear heavy knocking, your engine needs service. But
don’t worry if you hear a little pinging noise when
you’re accelerating or driving up
a hill. That’s normal,
and you don’t have
to buy a higher octane fuel to get rid
of pinging. It’s the heavy, constant knock that means
you have
a problem.
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If your vehicle is certified to meet California Emission
Standards (indicated on the underhood emission control
label),
it is designed to operate on fuels that meet
California specifications. If such fuels are not available
in states adopting California emissions standards, your
vehicle will operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting
federal specifications, but emission control system
performance may be affected. The malfunction indicator
lamp on your instrument panel may turn on and/or your
vehicle may fail a smog-check test. If
this occurs, return
to your authorized Chevrolet dealer for diagnosis to
determine the cause of failure. In the event it is
determined that the cause of the condition is the type
of
fuels used, repairs may not be covered by your warranty.
Some gasolines that are not reformulated for low
emissions contain an octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl
(MMT);
ask your service station operator whether or not his fuel
contains MMT. General Motors does not recommend the
use of such gasolines. If fuels containing
MMT are used,
spark plug life may be reduced and your emission
control system performance may be affected. The
malfunction indicator lamp on your instrument panel
may turn on.
If this occurs, return to your authorized
Chevrolet dealer for service.
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines in the United States
are now required to contain additives that will help
prevent deposits from forming in your engine and fuel
system, allowing your emission control system to
function properly. Therefore, you should not have to
add anything to the fuel. In addition, gasolines
containing oxygenates, such as ethers and ethanol, and
reformulated gasolines may be available in your area to
help clean the air. General Motors recommends that you
use these gasolines
if they comply with the
specifications described earlier.
NOTICE:
Your vehicle was not designed for fuel that
contains methanol. Don’t use it. It can corrode
metal parts in your fuel system and also damage
plastic and rubber parts. That damage wouldn’t
be covered under your warranty.
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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
find. Never use leaded gasoline or any other fuel not
recommended in the previous text on fuel. Costly repairs
caused by use of improper fuel wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
To check on fuel availability, ask an auto club, or
contact a major oil company that does business in the
country where you’ll be driving.
You can also write us at the following address for
advice. Just
tell us where you’re going and give your
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
General Motors Overseas Distribution Corporation
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario
L1H 8P7
Filling Your Tank
When the fuel door is opened on a vehicle with dual
sliding doors, the driver’s side sliding door will only
open partway.
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