tow CHEVROLET ASTRO 1998 2.G Service Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle, with a trailer
attached,
on a hill. If something goes wrong, your rig
could start
to move. People can be injured, and both
your vehicle and
the trailer can be damaged.
But if you ever have
to park your rig on a hill, here’s
how to do
it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your parking
brake, and shift to
PARK (P).
5. Release the regular brakes.
PARK (P) yet.
When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while
you:
0 Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
:ks.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the choc
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transmission fluid (don’t
overfill), engine oil, axle lubricant, belt, cooling system
and brake adjustment. Each
of these is covered in this
manual, and the Index will help
you find them quickly.
If you’re trailering, it’s a good idea
to review these
sections before you start your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
4-36

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Section 5 Problems on the Road
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the road.
5-2
5-3 5-3
5-7
5-13
5- 15 Hazard
Warning Flashers
Other Warning Devices
Jump Starting
Towing Your Vehicle
Engine Overheating
Cooling System 5-22
5-22
5-23
5-36 5-37 Engine
Fan Noise
If a Tire Goes Flat
Changing a Flat Tire
Compact Spare Tire
If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow
5-1

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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:
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0
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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.
The make, model and year
of your vehicle.
Whether
you can still move the shift lever.
If there was an accident, what was damaged.
I /1 CAUTION:
To
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help avoid
injury to
you or others:
Never let passengers ride in
a vehicle that
is being towed.
Never tow faster than safe or posted speeds.
Never tow with damaged parts not
fully secured.
Never get under your vehicle after it has
been lifted by the tow truck.
Always use separate safety chains on each
side when towing
a vehicle.
Use T-hooks on front or rear
of vehicle.
5-7

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A 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.
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.
I I
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 unraised 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 unraised wheels when
towing or the vehicle must be transported
on a
flat bed carrier.
5-8

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Towing From the Front
(Except
All-Wheel Drive)
Tow Limits -- 35 mph (56 kdh), 50 miles (80 km)
I
NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or the
front bumper system will be damaged. Use
wheel-lift or car-carrier equipment. Additional
ramping may be required for car-carrier
equipment. Use safety chains and wheel straps.
Towing a vehicle over rough surfaces could
damage
a vehicle. Damage can occur from
vehicle to ground or vehicle to wheel-lift
equipment. To help avoid damage, install a
towing dolly and raise the vehicle until
adequate clearance is obtained between the ground and/or wheel-lift equipment.
Do not attach winch cables or J-hooks to
suspension components when using car-carrier
equipment. Always use T-hooks inserted in the
T-hook slots.
5-9

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Towing From the Front (All-Wheel Drive)
A towing dolly must be used under the rear wheels when
towing
from the front.
NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or the
front bumper system will be damaged. Use
wheel-lift or car-carrier equipment. Additional
ramping may be required for car-carrier
equipment. Use safety chains and wheel straps.
Towing a vehicle over rough surfaces could
damage a vehicle. Damage can occur from
vehicle to ground or vehicle to wheel-lift
equipment.
To help avoid damage, install a
towing dolly and raise the vehicle until
adequate clearance is obtained between the
ground and/or wheel-lift equipment.
Do not attach winch cables or J-hooks
to
suspension components when using car-carrier
equipment. Always use T-hooks inserted in the T-hook slots.
5-10

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Towing From the Rear
(Except All-Wheel Drive)
NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or the rear
bumper system will be damaged. Use wheel-lift
or car-carrier equipment. Additional ramping
may be required for car-carrier equipment.
Use safety chains and wheel straps.
Towing a vehicle over rough surfaces could
damage
a vehicle. Damage can occur from
vehicle to ground or vehicle to wheel-lift
equipment.
To help avoid damage, install a
towing dolly and raise the vehicle until
adequate clearance is obtained between the
ground and/or wheel-lift equipment.
5-11

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Towing From the Rear (All-Wheel Drive)
A towing dolly must be used under the front wheels
when towing
from the reaK
NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or the rear
bumper system will be damaged. Use wheel-lift
or car-carrier equipment. Additional ramping
may be required for car-carrier equipment. Use
safety chains and wheel straps.
Towing a vehicle over rough surfaces could
damage
a vehicle. Damage can occur from
vehicle to ground or vehicle to wheel-lift
equipment.
To help avoid damage, install a
towing dolly and raise the vehicle until
adequate clearance
is obtained between the
ground and/or wheel-lift equipment.
5-12

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
If you get the overheat warning but see or hear no
steam, the problem may not be too serious. Sometimes
the engine can get a little too hot when you:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high-speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
0 Tow a trailer. See “Driving on Grades” in the Index.
If
you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for a minute or
so:
I. Turn off your air conditioner.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window as necessary.
3. If you’re in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving
-- DRIVE (D).
If you no longer have the overheat warning, you
can drive. Just
to be safe, drive slower for about
10 minutes. If the warning doesn’t come back on,
you can drive normally.
If
the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park
your vehicle right away.
If there’s still
no sign of steam, push the accelerator
until the engine speed is about twice as fast as normal
idle speed. Bring the engine speed back
to normal idle
speed after two or three minutes. Now see if the warning
stops. But then,
if you still have the warning, turn ofs
the engine nncl get everyone out of the vehicle until it
cools down.
You
may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
5-14

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Engine Fan Noise
This vehicle has a clutched engine cooling fan. When
the clutch is engaged, the fan spins faster to provide
more air to cool the engine. In most everyday driving
conditions, the clutch is not
fully engaged. This
improves fuel economy and reduces fan noise. Under
heavy vehicle loading, trailer towing andor high
outside temperatures, the fan speed increases when the
clutch engages.
So you may hear an increase in fan
noise. This is normal and should not be mistaken
as the
transmission slipping or making extra shifts. It is merely
the cooling system functioning properly. The fan will
slow down when additional cooling
is not required and
the clutch disengages.
You may also hear this fan noise when you start the
engine. It will go away
as the fan clutch disengages.
If a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out” while you’re driving,
especially
if you maintain your tires properly. If air goes
out of
a tire, it’s much more likely to leak out slowly.
But
if you should ever have a “blowout,” here are a few
tips about what to expect and what
to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot off
the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel firmly.
Steer
to maintain lane position, and then gently brake to
a stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a
skid and may require the same correction you’d use in a
skid. In any rear blowout, remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the way you want the vehicle to go. It may be
very bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently
brake to
a stop -- well off the road if possible.
If
a tire goes flat, the next part shows how to use your
jacking equipment to change a flat tire safely.
5-22