Engine Oldsmobile Alero 2003 s Owners Manual

Scheduled Maintenance
The services shown in this schedule up to 100,000 miles
(1
66 000 km) should be repeated after 100,000 miles
(1
66 000 km) at the same intervals for the life of
this vehicle. The services shown at 150,000 miles
(240 000 km) should be repeated at the same interval
after 150,000 miles
(240 000 km) for the life of this
vehicle.
See
Part B: Owner Checks and Services on page 6-9
and Part C: Periodic Maintenance Inspections on
page
6- 13.
Footnotes
t The U.S. EfMrmmef%al Prdectim Agency or the
California Air Resources Board has determined that the
failure to perform this maintenance item will not nullify
the emission warranty or limit recall liability prior to
the completion of the vehicle's useful life. We, however,
urge that all recommended maintenance services be
performed at the indicated intervals and the
,iia;ii;eiiaiic.e be ,.ec.ui.u'eu'.
+ A good time to check your brakes is during tire
rotation. See Brake System Inspection on page
6-14.
Engine Oil Scheduled Maintenance
Change engine oil and filter as indicated by the GM
Oil Life SystemTM (or every 12 months, whichever
occurs first). Reset the system.
Your vehicle has a computer system that lets you know
when to change the engine oil and filter. This
is
based on engine revolutions and engine temperature,
and not on mileage. Based on driving conditions,
the mileage at which an oil change will be indicated can
vary considerably. For the oil life system to work
properly, you must reset the system every time the oil is
changed.
When the system has calculated that
oil life has been
diminished, it
wi!! indicate that an oil change is
necessary. A CHANGE OIL light will come on. Change
your oil as soon as possible within the next two
times you stop for fuel. It is possible that,
if you are
driving under the best conditions, the oil life system may
not indicate that an oil change is necessary for over a
year. However, your engine oil and filter must
be
must be reset. It is also important to check your oil
regularly and keep it at the proper level.
chs-mgd
!ezst s-ve 2 ye2r 2nd 2t this ?im,e the cwctam 'J -*-* ' *
6-5

If the system is ever reset accidentally, you must
change your oil at
3,000 miles (5 000 km) since your
last oil change. Remember to reset the oil life system
whenever the oil
is changed. See Engine Oil on
page
5-15 for information on resetting the system.
After the services are performed, record the date,
odometer reading and who performed the service on the
maintenance record pages in part
E of this schedule.
An Emission Control Service.
7,500 Miles (12 500 km)
0 Rotate tires. See Tire Inspection and Rotation on
page
5-55 for proper rotation pattern and additional
information.
(See footnote +.)
15,000 Miles (25 000 km)
0 Inspect engine air cleaner filter if you are driving in
dusty conditions. Replace filter
if necessary. An
Emission Control Service. (See footnote
t.)
0 Rotate tires. See Tire Inspection and Rotation on
page
5-55 for proper rotation pattern and additional
information.
(See footnote +.)
22,500 Miles (37 500 km)
0 Rotate tires. See Tire Inspection and Rotation on
page
5-55 for proper rotation pattern and additional
information.
(See footnote +.)
30,000 Miles (50 000 km)
0 Rotate tires. See Tire Inspection and Rotation on
page
5-55 for proper rotation pattern and additional
information.
(See footnote +.)
il Replace engine air cleaner filter. An Emission
Control Service.
37,500 Miles (62 500 km)
El Rotate tires. See Tire Inspection and Rotation on
page
5-55 for proper rotation pattern and additional
information.
(See footnote +.)
45,000 Miles (75 000 km)
0 Inspect engine air cleaner filter if you are driving in
dusty conditions. Replace filter
if necessary. An
Emission Control Service. (See footnote
t.)
0 Rotate tires. See Tire Inspection and Rotation on
page
5-55 for proper rotation pattern and additional
information.
(See footnote +.)
6-6

50,000 Miles (83 000 km)
0 Change automatic transaxle fluid and filter if the
vehicle is mainly driven under one or more of
these conditions:
- In heavy city traffic where the outside
temperature regularly reaches
90°F (32°C) or
higher.
- In hilly or mountainous terrain.
- When doing frequent trailer towing.
- Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery
service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, the fluid and filter do not require changing.
52,500 Miles (87 500 km)
c3 Rotate tires. See Tire Inspection and Rotation on
page
5-55 for proper rotation pattern and additional
information.
(See footnote +.)
60,000 Miles (100 000 km)
0 Rotate tires. See Tire Inspection and Rotation on
page
5-55 for proper rotation pattern and additional
information.
(See footnote +.)
0 Replace engine air cleaner filter. An Emission
Control Service.
67,500 Miles (1 12 500 km)
0 Rotate tires. See Tire Inspection and Rotation on
page
5-55 for proper rotation pattern and additional
information.
(See footnote +.)
75,000 Miles (125 000 km)
LI Inspect engine air cleaner filter if you are driving in
dusty conditions. Replace filter
if necessary. An
Emission Control Service. (See footnote
f.)
0 Rotate tires. See Tire Inspection and Rotation on
page
5-55 for proper rotation pattern and additional
information.
(See footnote +.)
U Rotate tires. See Tire Inspection and Rotation on
page
5-55 for proper rotation pattern and additional
information.
(See footnote +.)
6-7

90,000 Miles (150 000 km)
0 Replace engine air cleaner filter. An Emission
0 Rotate tires. See Tire Inspection and Rotation on
Control Service.
page
5-55 for proper rotation pattern and additional
information.
(See footnote +.)
97,500 Miles (162 500 km)
0 Rotate tires. See Tire Inspection and Rotation on
page
5-55 for proper rotation pattern and additional
information.
(See footnote +.)
100,000 Miles (166 000 km)
0 Inspect spark plug wires (except 2.2L Code F
L4 engine). An Emission Control Service.
0 Replace spark plugs. An Emission Control Service.
0 Change automatic transaxle fluid and filter if the
vehicle
is mainly driven under one or more of
these conditions:
- In heavy city traffic where the outside
temperature regularly reaches
90°F (32°C) or
higher.
- In hilly or mountainous terrain.
- When doing frequent trailer towing.
- Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery
service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, the fluid and filter do not require changing.
150,000 Miles (240 000 km)
0 Drain, flush and refill cooling system (or every
60 months since last service, whichever occurs first).
See
Engine Coolant on page 5-23 for what to use.
Inspect hoses. Clean radiator, condenser, pressure
cap and neck. Pressure test the cooling system
and pressure cap.
An Emission Control Service.
0 Inspect engine accessory drive belt. An Emission
Control Service.
6-8

Part B: Owner Checks and Services
Listed in this part are owner checks and services
which should be performed at the intervals specified to
help ensure the safety, dependability and emission
control performance of your vehicle.
Be sure any necessary repairs are completed at once.
Whenever any fluids or lubricants are added to your
vehicle, make sure they are the proper ones, as shown
in Part
D.
At Each Fuel Fill
It is important for you or a service station attendant to
perform these Lmderhood checks at each fuel fil!.
Engine Oil Level Check
Check the engine oil level and add the proper oil if
necessary. See Engine Oil on page 5-15 for further
details.
Engine Coolant Level Check
Check the engine coolant level and add DEX-COOL@
coolant mixture
if necessary. See Engine Coolant
on page
5-23 for further details.
Windshield Washer Fluid Level Check
Check the windshield washer fluid level in the windshield
washer tank and add the proper fluid
if necessary.
See
Windshield Washer Fluid on page 5-36 for further
details.
At Least Once a Month
Tire Inreation Check
Make sure tries are inflated to the correct pressures.
Don’t forget to check your spare tire. See
Tires on
page 5-53 for further details.
Cassette Deck Service
Ziean casseiire deck. Zieaning snouid be done every
50 hours of tape play. See Audio System(s) on
page
3-38 for further details.
6-9

Body Lubrication Service
Lubricate all the door hinges and latches, including
those for the hood and the trunk lid. Part
D tells
you what to use. More frequent lubrication may be
required when exposed to a corrosive environment.
Starter S---:tc" Ct---'-
Automatic Transaxle Shift Lock Control
System Check
When you are doing this chec the vehicle
could move suddenly.
If it does, you or others
could be injured. Follow the steps below.
When you are doing this check, the vehicle
could move suddenly.
If it does, you or others
CGG!~ be i~j~d. FO~~GVV the steps below.
1. Before you start, be sure you have enough room
2. Firmly apply both the parking brake and the regular
around the vehicle.
brake. See
Parking Brake on page 2-26 if
necessary.
Do not use the accelerator pedal, and be ready to
turn
off the engine immediately if it starts.
3. Try to start the engine in each gear. The starter
should work only in PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N).
If the starter works in any other position, your
vehicle needs service.
1. Before you start, be sure you have enough room
around the vehicle. It should be parked
on a level
surface.
2. Firmly apply the parking brake. See Parking Brake
on page
2-26 if necessary.
Be ready to apply the regular brake immediately
if
the vehicle begins to move.
but don't start the engine. Without applying the
regular brake, try to move the shift lever out
of PARK (P) with normal effort. If the shift lever
moves out of PARK (P), your vehicle needs service.
3. With the engine off, turn the key to the ON position,
6-1 1

Ignition Transaxle Lock Check
While parked, and with the parking brake set, try to turn
the ignition key to
OFF in each shift lever position.
With an automatic transaxle, the key should turn to
OFF only when the shift lever is in PARK (P).
With a manual transaxle, the key should turn to
OFF only when the shift lever is in reverse.
On all vehicles, the key should come out only
in OFF.
Parking Brake and Automatic Transaxle
Parl- 'P) ""xhanism Check
Park on a fairly steep hill, with the vehicle facing
downhill. Keeping your foot on the regular brake, set the
parking brake.
To check the parking brake's holding ability:
With the engine running and transaxle in
NEUTRAL (N), slowly remove foot pressure from
the regular brake pedal.
Do this until the vehicle is
held by the parking brake only.
To check the PARK (P) mechanism's holding
ability: With the engine running, shift to PARK (P).
Then release the parking brake followed by the
regular brake.
Underbody Flushing Service
When you are doing this check, your vehicle
could begin to move. You or others could be
injured and property could be damaged. Make
sure there is room in front of your vehicle in
case it begins to roll. Be ready
to apply the
regular brake at once should the vehicle begin
to move.
I
At least every spring, use plain water to flush any
corrosive materials from the underbody. Take care to
clean thoroughly any areas where mud and other debris
can collect.
6-1 2

Part C: Periodic Maintenance
Inspections
Listed in this part are inspections and services which
should be performed at least twice a year (for instance,
each spring and fall).
You should let your dealer’s
service department or other qualified service center do
these jobs. Make sure any necessary repairs are
completed at once.
Proper procedures to perform these services may be
found in a service manual. See
Service Publications
Ordering Information on page
7- IO.
Steering, Suspension and Front
Drive Axle Boot and Seal Inspection
Inspect the front and rear suspension and steering
system for damaged, loose or missing parts, signs of
wear or lack of lubrication. Inspect the power steering
lines and hoses for proper hook-up, binding, leaks,
cracks, chafing, etc. Clean and then inspect the drive
axle boot seals for damage, tears or leakage. Replace
seals
if necessary.
Exhaust System Inspection
Inspect the complete exhaust system. Inspect the body
near the exhmst system. Look for broken, damaged,
missing or out-of-position parts as well as open seams,
holes, loose connections or other conditions which
could cause a heat build-up in the floor pan or could let
exhaust fumes into the vehicle. See
Engine Exhaust
on page
2-30.
6-1 3

Fuel System Inspection
Inspect the complete fuel system for damage or leaks.
Engine Cooling System Inspection
Inspect the hoses and have them replaced if they
are cracked, swollen or deteriorated. Inspect all pipes,
fittings and clamps; replace as needed. Clean the
outside of the radiator and air conditioning condenser.
To help ensure proper operation, a pressure test of
the cooling system and pressure cap is recommended
at least once a year.
Throttle System Inspection
Inspect the throttle system for interference or binding,
and for damaged or missing parts. Replace parts
as needed. Replace any components that have high
effort or excessive wear.
Do not lubricate accelerator
and cruise control cables.
Brake System Inspection
Inspect the complete system. Inspect brake lines and
hoses for proper hook-up, binding, leaks, cracks,
chafing, etc. Inspect disc brake pads for wear and rotors
for surface condition. Inspect other brake parts,
including calipers, parking brake, etc. You may need to
have your brakes inspected more often
if your driving
habits or conditions result in frequent braking.
6-1 4

Service Publications Ordering
Information
Service Manuals
Service Manuals have the diagnosis and repair
information on engines, transmission, axle, suspension,
brakes, electrical, steering, body, etc.
RETAIL SELL PRICE:
$120.00
Transmission, Transaxle, Transfer
Case Unit Repair Manual
This manual provides information on unit repair service
procedures, adjustments, and specifications for GM
transmissions, transaxles, and transfer cases.
RETAIL SELL PRICE:
$50.00
Service Bulletins
Service Bulletins give technical service information
needed to knowledgeably service General Motors cars
and trucks. Each bulletin contains instructions to
assist in the diagnosis and service of your vehicle.
In Canada, information pertaining to Product Service
Bulletins can be obtained by contacting your General
Motors dealer or by calling 1-800-GM-DRIVE
(1 -800-463-7483).
Owner’s Information
Owner publications are written specifically for owners
and intended to provide basic operational information
about the vehicle. The owner’s manual will include
the Maintenance Schedule for all models.
in-Portfolio: Includes
a Portfolio, Owner’s Manual, and
Warranty Booklet.
RETAIL SELL PRICE:
$35.00
Without Portfolio: Owner’s Manual only.
RETAIL SELL PRICE:
$25.00
7-1 0