Owner's Manual

At a minimum, the gasoline
you
use 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 for premium is at least
91
(at
least
89
for middle grade and
87
for regular).
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 the recommended 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.
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.
6-4