CHEVROLET ASTRO 1996 Owners Manual

Trailer Wiring Harness
If you have the optional trailering package, your vehicle
will have an eight-wire harness, including the center
high-mounted stoplamp battery feed wire. The harness
is stored on the passenger side
of the vehicle near the
rear wheel well. This harness
has a 30 amp battery feed
wire and no connector, and should be wired by a
qualified electrical technician. After choosing an
aftermarket trailer mating connector pair, have the
technician attach one connector to the eight-wire trailer
harness and the other connector to the wiring harness on
the trailer, Be sure the wiring harness on the trailer is
taped or strapped
to the trailer’s frame rail and leave it
loose enough
so the wiring doesn’t bend or break, but
not
so loose that it drags on the ground. The eight-wire
harness must be routed out
of your vehicle between the
rear door and the floor, with enough of the harness left
on both sides
so that the trailer or the body won’t pull it.
If you do not have the optional trailering package, your
vehicle will still have a trailering harness.
The harness is
located near the passenger’s side rear wheel well. It
consists of six wires that may be used
by after-market
trailer hitch installers. The technician can use the
following color code chart when connecting the wiring
harness to your trailer.
0 BROWN: Rear lamps.
YELLOW Left stoplamp and turn signal.
0 DARK GREEN: Right stoplamp and turn signal.
WHITE (Heavy Gage): Ground.
LIGHT GREEN: Back-up lamps.
0 WHITE (Light Gage): Center High-Mounted
0 BLUE: Auxiliary circuit (eight-wire harness only).
0 ORANGE: Fused auxiliary (eight-wire harness only).
xore the harness in its original place. Wrap the harness
together and
tie it neatly so it won’t be damaged.
Stoplamp.
4-37

NOTES
4-38

Section 5 Problems on the Road
I
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that
can occur
on the road.
Hazard Warning Flashers
They also let police know you have a problem. Your
front and rear turn signal lamps will flash on and
off.
Your hazard warning flashers let you warn others. Press the button
down to make your front and rear turn
signal lamps flash
on and off. Your hazard warning
flashers work
no matter what position your key is in,
and even
if the key isn’t in.
5-1

The hazard warning flasher button is located on top of
the steering column.
To turn off the flashers, press the button down again.
When the hazard warning flashers
are on, your turn
signals won’t work. They also won’t flash while
you’re braking.
Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can set one up
at the side of the road about
300 feet (100 m) behind
your vehicle.
Jump Starting
If your battery has’run down, you may want to
use another vehicle and some jumper cables to start
yourvehicle. But please follow the numbered steps to
do it safely.
/i CAUTION:
Batteries can hurt you. They can be
dangerous because:
They contain acid that can burn you.
They contain gas that can explode or ignite.
They contain enough electricity to burn you.
If you don’t follow these steps exactly, some or all
of these
,. things can hurt you.,
I NOTICE: I
Ignoring these steps could result in’costly damage
to your vehicle that wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
Trying to start your vehicle
by pushing or pulling, ,
it won’t work, and it could damage your vehicle.
5-2

1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with
a negative ground system.
NOTICE:
If the other system isn’t a 12-volt system with a
negative ground, both vehicles can be damaged.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicles aren’t touching
each other.
If they are, it could cause a ground
connection you don’t want.
You wouldn’t be able to
start your vehicle, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
You could be injured
if the vehicles roll. Set the
parking brake firmly on each vehicle. Put an
automatic transmission
in PARK (P) or a manual
transmission in NEUTRAL (N). If you have a
four-wheel-drive vehicle
with a manual transfer case
shift lever, be sure the transfer case
is not in
NEUTRAL (N).
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
unnecessary accessories plugged into
the cigarette
lighter or accessory power outlets. Turn off all lamps
that aren’t needed
as well as radios. This will avoid
sparks and help save both batteries.
In addition, it
could save your radio!
I NOTICE:
If you leave your radio on, it could be badly
damaged. The repairs wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries. Find the
positive
(+) and negative (-) terminals on
each battery.
5-3

I A CAUTION:
Using a match near a battery can cause battery
gas to explode. People have been hurt doing this,
and some have been blinded. Use
a flashlight if
you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water. You’don’t
need to add water to the Delco Freedom’ battery
installed in every new
GM vehicle. But if a
battery
has filler caps, be sure the right amount
of fluid is there. If it is low, add water to take
care
of that first. If you don’t, explosive gas could
be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn you.
Don’t get it on you.
If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or on your skin, flush the place with
water and get medical help immediately.
5. Check that the jumper cables don’t have loose or
missing insulation.
If they do, you could get a shock.
The vehicles could be damaged too.
Before you connect the cables, here are some basic
things you should
know. Positive (+) will go
to positive (+) and negative (-) will go to
negative (-) or a metal engine part. Don’t connect
positive
(+) to negative (-) or you’ll get a short that
would damage the battery
and maybe other
parts too.
Fans or other moving engine pa, can injure you
badly. Keep your hands
away from moving parts
once the engines are running.
5-4

6. Connect the red
positive
(+) cable to the
positive
(+) terminal
of the vehicle with the
dead battery.
7. Don’t let the other
end touch metal.
I
Connect it to the
positive
(+) terminal of
the good battery.
8. Now connect the black
negative
(-) cable to
the good battery’s
negative
(-) terminal.
Don’t
let the other end
touch anything
until the
next step. The other end
of the negative (-) cable
doesn’t go to the dead
battery.
It goes to a
heavy unpainted metal
part
of the vehicle with
the dead battery.
9. Attach the cable at least
18 inches (45 cm) away
from the dead battery,
but
not near engine parts
that move.
The electrical
connection is just
as
good there, but the
chance
of sparks getting
back to the battery is
much less.

10. Now start the vehicle with the good battery and run
11. Try to start the vehicle with
the dead battery. If it
the engine for a while.
won’t start after a
few tries, it probably needs service.
12. Remove the cables in reverse order to prevent
electrical shorting. Take care that they don’t
touch
each other or any other metal.
0
1 I
I-B
+
A. Heavy Metal Engine Part
B. Good Battery
C. Dead Battery
Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have a GM dealer or a professional towing
service tow your vehicle. They can provide the right
equipment and know how to tow it without damage. See
“Roadside Assistance” in the Index.
If your vehicle has been changed or modified since
it
was factory-new by adding aftermarket items like fog
lamps, aero skirting, or special tires and wheels, these
things can be damaged during towing.
Before
you do anything, turn on the hazard
warning flashers.
When
you call, tell the towing service:
Whether your vehicle has rear-wheel drive or the
all-wheel-drive option.
That your vehicle cannot be towed from the front or
rear with sling-type equipment.
0 The make, model and year of your vehicle.
Whether you can still move the shift lever.
0 If there was an accident, what was damaged.
5-6

A CAUTION:
To help avoid injury to you or others:
0 Never let passengers ride in a vehicle that is
0 Never tow faster than safe or posted speeds.
0 Never tow with damaged parts not
0 Never get under your vehicle after it has
0 Always use separate safety chains on each
0 Use T-hooks on front or rear of vehicle.
being towed.
fully secured. been lifted by the tow truck.
side when towing
a vehicle.
/1 CAUTION:
=
A vehicle can fall from a car carrier if it isn’t
adequately secured. This can cause
a collision,
serious personal injury and vehicle damage. The
vehicle should be tightly secured with chains
or
steel cables before it is transported.
Don’t use substitutes (ropes, leather straps,
canvas webbing, etc.) that can be cut
by sharp
edges underneath the towed vehicle.
5-7

When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition
key in the
OFF position. The steering wheel should
be clamped in a straight-ahead position, with
a
clamping device designed for towing service. Do not
use the vehicle’s steering column lock for this. The
transmission should be in NEUTRAL
(N) and the
parking brake released.
If your vehicle has the all-wheel-drive option,
it can
only be towed with all four wheels
off the ground. A
dolly must be used under the un-raised wheels when
towing or the vehicle must be transported
on a flat
bed carrier.
Don’t have your vehicle towed
with the wheels in
contact with the ground if it has all-wheel drive. If a
vehicle with all-wheel drive must be towed with
sling-type or wheel-lift equipment, then either the front
or rear wheels must be supported on a dolly.
NOTICE:
If your vehicle has all-wheel drive, do not have
it towed with the wheels in contact with the
ground or vehicle damage may occur.
A dolly
must be used under the un-raised wheels when
towing or the vehicle must be transported
on a
flat bed carrier.
5-8