spare wheel CHEVROLET VENTURE 2004 1.G Owners Manual

All-Wheel Drive Disable Warning
Message
Your vehicle may have this message. If it does, it will
come on when there is a spare tire on the vehicle, or
when the anti-lock brake system warning light comes on,
or when the rear differential uid is overheating. This
message will go out when the differential uid cools.
The all-wheel drive system will be disabled until the
compact spare tire is replaced by a full-size tire. If the
warning message is still on after putting on the full-size
tire, you need to reset the warning message. To
reset the warning message, turn the ignition off and
then back on again. If the message stays on, see your
dealer right away. SeeAll-Wheel Drive (AWD)
System on page 4-11for more information.
Low Fuel Warning Message
If your fuel is low, the warning message will come on
and stay on until you add fuel.
If the warning message is still on after adding fuel, you
need to reset the warning message. To reset the
warning message, turn the ignition off and then back on.
If the message stays on, see your dealer. United StatesCanada
United StatesCanada
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Service............................................................5-3
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-3
Adding Equipment to the Outside of Your
Vehicle......................................................5-4
Fuel................................................................5-4
Gasoline Octane............................................5-4
Gasoline Specications....................................5-5
California Fuel...............................................5-5
Additives.......................................................5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-6
Filling Your Tank............................................5-7
Filling a Portable Fuel Container.....................5-10
Checking Things Under the Hood....................5-10
Hood Release..............................................5-11
Engine Compartment Overview.......................5-12
Engine Oil...................................................5-13
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-18
Automatic Transaxle Fluid..............................5-20
Engine Coolant.............................................5-22
Radiator Pressure Cap..................................5-25
Engine Overheating.......................................5-25
Cooling System............................................5-28
Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-36
Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-38
Brakes........................................................5-39
Battery........................................................5-42Jump Starting...............................................5-43
All-Wheel Drive..............................................5-48
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-50
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-50
Headlamps..................................................5-50
Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker and Parking
Lamps.....................................................5-52
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps and
Back-up Lamps.........................................5-54
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-56
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-56
Tires..............................................................5-58
Ination - Tire Pressure.................................5-68
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-69
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-71
Buying New Tires.........................................5-71
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-72
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-74
Wheel Replacement......................................5-74
Tire Chains..................................................5-75
Accessory Inator.........................................5-76
If a Tire Goes Flat........................................5-78
Changing a Flat Tire.....................................5-78
Compact Spare Tire......................................5-96
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

If your tires have too much air (overination), you
can get the following:
Unusual wear
Bad handling
Rough ride
Needless damage from road hazards
When to Check
Check your tires once a month or more.
Also, check the tire pressure of the compact spare tire.
It should be at 60 psi (420 kPa).
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire
pressure. You can’t tell if your tires are properly inated
simply by looking at them. Radial tires may look
properly inated even when they’re underinated.
Remove the valve cap from the tire valve stem. Press
the tire gage rmly onto the valve to get a pressure
measurement. If the cold tire ination pressure is low,
add air until you reach the recommended pressure
on the Certication/Tire label or the Tire and Loading
Information label.If you overll the tire, release air by pushing on the
metal stem in the center of the tire valve. Recheck the
tire pressure with the tire gage.
Be sure to put the valve caps back on the valve stems.
They help prevent leaks by keeping out dirt and
moisture.
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 5-71andWheel Replacement
on page 5-74for more information.
Make sure the spare tire is stored securely. Push, pull
and then try to rotate or turn the tire. If the tire
moves, use the folding wrench to tighten the cable. See
“Storing the Spare Tire and Tools” underChanging a
Flat Tire on page 5-78.
The purpose of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear for all tires on the vehicle. The rst rotation
is the most important. SeeScheduled Maintenance
on page 6-4.
5-69

When rotating your tires, always use the correct rotation
pattern shown here.
Don’t 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
Certication/Tire label or the Tire and Loading
Information label.
Make certain that all wheel nuts are properly tightened.
See “Wheel Nut Torque” underCapacities and
Specications on page 5-113.
{CAUTION:
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the parts to
which it is fastened, can make wheel nuts
become loose after a time. The wheel could
come off and cause an accident. When you
change a wheel, remove any rust or dirt from
places where the wheel attaches to the vehicle.
In an emergency, you can use a cloth or a
paper towel to do this; but be sure to use a
scraper or wire brush later, if you need to, to
get all the rust or dirt off. See “Changing a Flat
Tire” in the Index.
5-70

If you ever replace your tires with those not having a
TPC Spec number, make sure they are the same size,
load range, speed rating and construction type (bias,
bias-belted or radial) as your original tires.
{CAUTION:
Mixing tires could cause you to lose control
while driving. If you mix tires of different sizes
or types (radial and bias-belted tires), the
vehicle may not handle properly, and you
could have a crash. Using tires of different
sizes may also cause damage to your vehicle.
Be sure to use the same size and type tires on
all wheels. It’s all right to drive with your
compact spare temporarily, it was developed
for use on your vehicle. SeeCompact Spare
Tire on page 5-96.
{CAUTION:
If you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle, the
wheel rim anges could develop cracks after
many miles of driving. A tire and/or wheel
could fail suddenly, causing a crash. Use only
radial-ply tires with the wheels on your vehicle.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the
tire sidewall between tread shoulder and maximum
section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance. (This
applies only to vehicles sold in the United States.)
The grades are molded on the sidewalls of most
passenger car tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading
system does not apply to deep tread, winter-type
5-72

snow tires, space-saver or temporary use spare tires,
tires with nominal rim diameters of 10 to 12 inches
(25 to 30 cm), or to some limited-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors passenger
cars and light trucks may vary with respect to these
grades, they must also conform to federal safety
requirements and additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) standards.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specied government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and
a half (1.5) times as well on the government course as
a tire graded 100. The relative performance of tires
depends upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart signicantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits, service practices and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction – AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A,
B, and C. Those grades represent the tire’s ability
to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specied government test surfaces ofasphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance. Warning: The traction grade
assigned to this tire is based on straight-ahead braking
traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction characteristics.
Temperature – A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire’s resistance to the generation
of heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested
under controlled conditions on a specied indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained high temperature can
cause the material of the tire to degenerate and
reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can lead to
sudden tire failure. The grade C corresponds to a
level of performance which all passenger car tires must
meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades B and A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel than the
minimum required by law.
Warning: The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly inated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed, underination, or
excessive loading, either separately or in combination,
can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
5-73

Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
The tools you will need are
located in the storage
compartment at the rear of
the vehicle, on the
passenger’s side.
To remove the tools, do the following:
1. Remove the side convenience net.
2. Open the jack storage compartment by lifting up the
tab and pulling the cover off.A. Jack
B. Strap
C. Bracket
D. Wing Nut
E. Jacking InstructionsF. Bag and Tools
G. Tire Bag and Cable
(All-Wheel Drive
(AWD) only)
3. Remove the jack and jacking tools by loosening the
wing nut and bracket.
4. Separate the plastic pouch from the jack and
remove the jacking tools, including the folding
wrench and extension, from the pouch.
5-80

3. To remove the compact spare tire from the cable,
tilt the retainer at the end of the cable so it can be
pulled up through the wheel opening.4. If your vehicle is an AWD vehicle, after removing
the compact spare tire, turn the wrench clockwise
to raise the cable back up.
On an AWD vehicle, you can not store a full-size
tire under the vehicle. It should be stowed inside the
vehicle by the cable provided. See “Storing the
Flat Tire on an All-Wheel-Drive Vehicle” later in this
section.
If you have a front-wheel-drive vehicle, the hoist is
used to store a full-size or a at road tire under
the vehicle. See “Storing the Spare Tire and Tools”
and “Storing the Flat Tire on a Front-Wheel Drive
Vehicle” later in this section.
If the compact spare tire will not lower, check under the
vehicle to see if the tire is hanging loose and the
cable end and spring under the wheel plate are missing.
If so, the secondary latch system is engaged. See
“Secondary Latch System” later in this section.
To continue changing the at tire see “Removing the
Flat Tire and Installing the Spare Tire” later in this
section.
5-82

Secondary Latch System
Your vehicle may have an underbody mounted tire hoist
assembly equipped with a secondary latch system.
It is designed to stop a tire from suddenly falling off your
vehicle if the cable holding the spare tire is damaged.
For the secondary latch to work, the tire must be stowed
with the valve stem pointing down.
Front-wheel-drive vehicles use the underbody tire hoist
assembly to store either the compact spare or a at
road tire. See “Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools”
later in this section for instructions on storing the
spare or at tire correctly.
If your vehicle is equipped with AWD, the underbody tire
hoist assembly stores only the compact spare tire.
See “Storing the Spare Tire and Tools” later in
this section for instructions. To store a at full-size tire
correctly, see “Storing the Flat Tire on an
All-Wheel-Drive Vehicle” later in this section.{CAUTION:
Before beginning this procedure read all the
instructions. Failure to read and follow the
instructions could damage the hoist assembly
and you and others could get hurt. Read and
follow the instructions listed below.
To release the spare tire from the secondary latch, do
the following:
{CAUTION:
Someone standing too close during the
procedure could be injured by the jack.
If the spare tire does not slide off the jack
completely, make sure no one is behind you or
on either side of you as you pull the jack out
from the spare.
5-83

1. Place the jack under the vehicle, ahead of the rear
bumper. Position the center lift point of the jack
under the center of the compact spare tire.
2. Turn the folding wrench clockwise to raise the jack
until it lifts the secondary latch device under the
wheel plate.
3. Keep raising the jack until the compact spare tire
stops moving upward and is held rmly in place,
this lets you know that the secondary latch
has released.
4. Lower the jack by turning the folding wrench
counterclockwise. Keep lowering the jack until the
compact spare tire is resting on the folding wrench.5. Grasp the compact spare tire with both hands and
pull it out from under the vehicle.
6. Reach under the vehicle and remove the folding
wrench and jack.
Have the hoist assembly inspected as soon as you can.
You will not be able to store a spare or at tire using
the hoist assembly until it has been repaired or replaced.
5-84