CHEVROLET ASTRO 1997 2.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Starting Your Engine
Move your shift lever to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N).
Your engine won’t start in any other position -- that’s a
safety feature.
To restart when you’re already moving,
use NEUTRAL
(N) only.
NOTICE:
Don’t try to shift to PARK (P) if your vehicle
is moving.
If you do, you could damage the
transmission. Shift
to PARK (P) only when
your vehicle is stopped.
1. Without pushing the accelerator pedal, turn your
ignition key to START. When the engine starts, let
go
of the key. The idle speed will go down as your
engine gets warm.
NOTICE:
Holding your key in START for longer than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to
be drained much sooner. And the excessive heat
can damage your starter motor.
2. If it doesn’t start right away, hold your key in
START. If it doesn’t start in 10 seconds, push the
accelerator pedal all the way down for five more
seconds, or until it starts.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 3. If your engine still won’t start (or starts but then
stops), wait
15 seconds and start over.
When the engine starts, let go
of the key and the
accelerator pedal.
NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle.
If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the way
the engine operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your dealer.
If you don’t,
your engine might not perform properly.
If you ever have to have your vehicle towed, see
the part of this manual that tells how to do it
without damaging your vehicle. See “Towing
Your Vehicle” in the Index.
Fuel Regulator
You have a fuel regulator that shuts the fuel off when
the engine reaches 5,600 rpm.
Engine Coolant Heater (Option)
In very cold weather,
0°F (-18°C) or colder,
the engine coolant heater
can help. You’ll get easier
starting and better fuel
economy during engine
warm-up. Usually, the
coolant heater should be
plugged in a minimum
of
four hours prior to starting
your vehicle.
To Use the Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 1 10-volt AC outlet.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A CAUTION:
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet could cause an electrical shock.
Also, the wrong
kind of extension cord could overheat and cause
a fire. You could be seriously injured. Plug the
cord into a properly grounded three-prong 110-volt
AC outlet. If the cord won’t reach, use
a heavy-duty three-prong extension cord rated
for at least
15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and
store the cord as it was before
to keep it away
from moving engine parts. If
you don’t, it could
be damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends on the outside temperature, the
kind of oil you have, and some other things. Instead
of
trying to list everything here, we ask that you contact
your
GM dealer in the area where you’ll be parking your
vehicle. The dealer can give you the best advice for that
particular area.
Automatic Transmission Operation
There are several different positions for your shift lever.
PARK
(P): This locks your rear wheels. It’s the best
position to use when you start your engine because your
vehicle can’t move easily.
I A CAUTION:
It is dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the
shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
CAUTION: (Continued)
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to.
If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured.
To be sure your
vehicle won’t move, even when you’re on fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake anc
move the shift lever to
PARK (P).
See “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in the Index. If
you’re pulling
a trailer, see “Towing a Trailer”
in the Index.
Ensure the shift lever is
fully in PARK (P)
before starting the engine. Your vehicle has a
brake-transmission shift interlock.
You have to fully
apply your regular brakes before you can shift from
PARK
(P) when the ignition key is in the RUN position.
If you cannot shift out
of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever
-- push the shift lever all the way into
PARK
(P) as you maintain brake application. Then
move the shift lever into the gear
you wish. See
“Shifting Out of PARK (P)” in this section.
NOTICE:
Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle is
moving forward could damage your
transmission. Shift to
REVERSE (R) only after
your vehicle is stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice or sand without damaging your transmission, see
“Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow” in the Index.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine NEUTRAL (N): In this position, your engine doesn’t
connect with the wheels.
To restart when you’re
already moving,
use NEUTRAL (N) only. Also, use
NEUTRAL (N) when your vehicle is being towed.
I
Shifting out of PARK (P) or NEU’I AL (N) while
your engine is “racing” (running at high speed)
is
dangerous. Unless your foot is firmly on the
brake pedal, your vehicle could move very
rapidly.
You could lose control and hit people or
objects. Don’t shift out of PARK (P) or
NEUTRAL
(N) while your engine is racing.
NOTICE:
Damage to your transmission caused by shifting
out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL
(N) with the
engine racing isn’t covered by your warranty. DRIVE
(D):
This position is for normal driving. If you
need more power for passing, and you’re:
0 Going less than about 35 mph (56 kmk), push your
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
0 Going about 35 mph (56 kdh) or more, push the
accelerator pedal all the way down. You’ll shift
down
to the next gear and have more power.
DRIVE
(D) should be used for normal towing.
THIRD (3): This position is also used for normal
driving, however
it offers more power and lower fuel
economy than DRIVE (D).
You should use THIRD (3)
when carrying a heavy load or driving on steep hills.
SECOND (2): This position gives you more power but
lower
fuel economy. You can use SECOND (2) on hills.
It can help control your speed as
you go down steep
mountain roads, but then
you would also want to use
your brakes
off and on.
If you manually select SECOND
(2), the transmission
will drive in second gear.
You may use this feature
for reducing torque to the rear wheels when you are
trying
to start your vehicle from a stop on slippery
road surfaces.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine FIRST (1): This position gives you even more power
(but lower fuel economy) than
SECOND (2). You can
use it
on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If the
selector lever is put in FIRST
(l), the transmission
won’t shift into first gear until the vehicle is going
slow enough.
NOTICE:
If your rear wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might happen if you were stuck in
very deep sand or mud or were up against
a solid
object. You could damage your transmission or
transfer case or both.
Also, if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold
your vehicle there with only the accelerator
pedal. This could overheat and damage the transmission. Use your brakes or shift into
PARK
(P) to hold your vehicle in position
on a hill.
Locking Rear Axle
If you have this feature, your rear axle can give you
additional traction on snow, mud, ice, sand or gravel. It
works like a standard axle most of the time, but when
one
of the rear wheels has no traction and the other does,
the locking feature will allow the wheel with traction to
move the vehicle.
All-Wheel Drive (Option)
If your vehicle has
all-wheel drive, your
engine’s driving power
is sent to all four wheels
for extra traction.
This is like four-wheel drive, but there is
no separate
lever
or switch to engage or disengage the front axle.
It is fully automatic, and adjusts itself as needed
for
road conditions.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the regular brake pedal
down with your right foot.
Push down the parking brake pedal with your left foot.
If the ignition is
on, the brake system warning light will
come
on.
To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down. Pull the brake release lever located on the
lower
left side of the steering column.
I NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause
your rear brakes to overheat. You may have to
replace them, and you could also damage other
parts
of your vehicle.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any hill,
see “Towing a Trailer’’ in the Index. That section shows
what
to do first to keep the trailer from moving.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Shiftir: Into PARK (P)
A CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
If you have left the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others could be
injured.
To be sure your vehicle won’t move, even
when you’re on fairly level ground, use the steps
that follow. If you’re pulling a trailer, see
“Towing
a Trailer” in the Index.
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever into the PARK (P) position
like this:
1
Pull the lever toward you.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Move the lever up as far as it will go.
3. Turn the ignition key to LOCK.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
remove the key from your ignition, your vehicle is
in PARK
(P).
Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Engine Running
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with the
engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P)
with the parking brake firmly set. And, if you
leave the vehicle with the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch fire. You
or others could
be injured. Don’t leave your vehicle with the
engine running unless you have to.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle
is in PARK (P) and your
parking brake
is firmly set before you leave it. After
you’ve moved the shift lever to PARK (P), hold the
regular brake pedal down. Then, see if
you can move the
shift lever away from
PARK (P) without first pulling it
toward you. If you can, it means that the shift lever
wasn’t
fully locked into PARK (P).
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transmission into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on
the parking pawl in
the transmission. You may find it difficult to pull the
shift lever out of PARK (P). This is called “torque lock.”
To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then
shift into PARK (P) properly before you leave the
driver’s seat. To find out how, see “Shifting Into
PARK
(P)” in the Index.
When
you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out
of PARK (P) before you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another
vehicle push yours
a little uphill to take some of the
pressure from
the parking pawl in the transmission,
so you can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).
Shifting Out of PARK (P)
Your vehicle has a brake-transmission shift interlock.
You have to fully apply your regular brake before
you can shift from PARK (P) when
the ignition is in
the
RUN position. See “Automatic Transmission” in
the Index.
If you cannot shift out
of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever
-- push the shift lever all the way into
PARK (P) as you maintain brake application. Then
move the shift lever into the gear
you want.
If you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can’t
shift out of PARK
(P), try this:
I. Turn the key to OFF.
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
3. Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the vehicle and then shift to the drive gear
you want.
5. Have the vehicle fixed as soon as you can.
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