light CHEVROLET ASTRO 1996 Service Manual

Off-Road Recovery
You may find sometime that your right wheels have
dropped off the edge
of a road onto the shoulder while
you’re driving.
If
the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the
pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease off the
accelerator and then, if there
is nothing in the way,
steer
so that your vehicle straddles the edge of the
pavement. You can turn the steering wheel up to
one-quarter turn until the right front tire contacts the
pavement edge. Then turn your steering wheel
to go
straight down the roadway.
Passing
The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a
two-lane highway waits for just the right moment,
accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead, then goes
back
into the right lane again. A simple maneuver?
Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle on a two-lane
highway is a potentially dangerous move, since the
passing vehicle occupies the same lane as oncoming
traffic for several seconds.
A miscalculation, an error in
judgment, or a brief surrender to frustration or anger can
suddenly put the passing driver face
to face with the
worst
of all traffic accidents -- the head-on collision.
So here are some tips for passing:
0 “Drive ahead.” Look down the road, to the sides and
to crossroads for situations that might affect your
passing patterns.
If you have any doubt w’hatsoever
about making a successful pass, wait for a better time.
0 Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings and lines.
If you can see a sign up ahead that might indicate
a
turn or an intersection, delay your pass. A broken
center line usually indicates it’s all right to pass (providing the road ahead is clear). Never cross a solid
line
on your side of the lane or a double solid line,
even
if the road seems empty of approaching traffic.
4-10

Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving. One
reason
is that some drivers are likely to be impaired -- by
alcohol
or drugs, with night vision problems, or by fatigue.
Here are some tips on night driving.
0 Drive defensively.
Don’t drink and drive.
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind you.
0 Since you can’t see as well, you may need to slow
down and keep more space between you and other
vehicles.
0 Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps
can light up only so much road ahead.
0 In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you’re tired, pull off the road in a safe place
and rest.
Night Vision
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as
we get older these differences increase. A 50-year-old
driver may require at least twice
as much light to see the
same thing at night
as a 20-year-old.
What you do
in the daytime can also affect your night
vision. For example,
if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes
will have less trouble adjusting to night. But
if you’re
driving, don’t wear sunglasses at night. They may cut
down on glare from headlamps, but they also make a lot
of things invisible.
4-13

You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps. It can take a second or two, or even several
seconds, for your eyes
to readjust to the dark. When
you are faced with severe glare (as from a driver who
doesn’t lower the high beams,
or a vehicle with
misaimed headlamps), slow down a little. Avoid
staring directly into the approaching headlamps.
Keep your windshield and all the glass
on your vehicle
clean
-- inside and out. Glare at night is made much
worse by dirt
on the glass. Even the inside of the glass
can build up a film caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and flash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils
of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that your headlamps light up far less of a
roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep your
eyes moving; that way, it’s easier to pick out dimly
lighted objects. Just as your headlamps should be
checked regularly for proper aim,
so should your eyes
be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from night
blindness
-- the inability to see in dim light -- and
aren’t
even aware of it.
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
L
Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a wet
road, you can’t stop, accelerate or turn as well because
your tire-to-road traction
isn’t as good as on dry roads.
And,
if your tires don’t have much tread left, you’ll get
even
less traction. It’s always wise to go slower and be
cautious
if rain starts to fall while you are driving. The
surface may get wet suddenly when your reflexes are
tuned for driving on dry pavement.
4-14

The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. Even if your
windshield wiper blades are
in good shape, a heavy rain
can make
it harder to see road signs and traffic signals,
pavement markings,
the edge of the road and even
people walking.
It’s wise to keep
your wiping equipment in good shape
and keep your windshield washer tank filled
with
washer fluid. Replace your windshield wiper inserts
when they show signs
of streaking or missing areas on
the windshield, or when strips of rubber start to separate
from the inserts. Driving too fast through large water puddles
or
even
going through some car washes can cause problems, too.
The water may affect your brakes. Try to avoid puddles.
But if you can’t, try to slow down before you hit them.
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They won’t work
well in a quick stop and may cause pulling to one
side.
You could lose control of the vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle of water or
a car wash, apply your brake pedal lightly until
your brakes work normally.
49.1 5

Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up
under
your tires that they can actually ride on the water.
This can happen if the road
is wet enough and you’re
going fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning,
it has little or no contact with the road.
Hydroplaning doesn’t happen often. But it can
if your
tires haven’t much tread or
if the pressure in one or
more is low. It can happen if a lot
of water is standing on
the road. If you can see reflections from trees, telephone
poles or other vehicles, and raindrops “dimple” the
water’s surface, there could be hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There
just isn’t a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning.
The best advice is to slow down when
it is raining.
Driving Through Deep Standing Water
NOTICE:
If you drive too quickly through deep puddles
or standing water, water can come in through
your engine’s air intake and badly damage your
engine. Never drive through water that is slightly
lower than the underbody
of your vehicle. If you
can’t avoid deep puddles or standing water, drive
through them very slowly.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
0 Besides slowing down, allow some extra following
distance. And be especially careful when you pass
another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear room
ahead, and be prepared
to have your view restricted
by road spray.
“Tires’’
in the Index.)
0 Have good tires with proper tread depth. (See
4-16

City Driving One of the biggest problems with city streets is the
amount of traffic on them.
You’ll want to watch out for
what the other drivers are doing and pay attention to
traffic signals.
Here are ways to increase your safety
in city driving:
Know the best way to get to where you are going. Get
a city map and plan your trip into an unknown part of
the city just as you would for a cross-country trip.
Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most
large cities. You’ll save time and energy. (See
the
next part, “Freeway Driving.”)
0 Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic light is
there because the corner is busy enough
to need it.
When a light turns green, and just before you
start to
move, check both ways for vehicles that have not
cleared the intersection or may be running the red light.
4-17

Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to move
slightly slower at night.
When you want
to leave the freeway, move to the proper
lane well
in advance. If you miss your exit, do not,
under any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive on to
the next exit.
The
exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit speed is usually posted.
Reduce your speed according to
your speedometer, not
to your sense of motion. After driving for any distance
at higher speeds, you may tend
to think you are going
slower than
you actually are.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you’re ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must start when you’re
not fresh -- such as after a day’s
work
-- don’t plan to make too many miles that first part
of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes
you
can easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it’s ready to go. If it needs
service, have it done before starting
out. Of course,
you’ll find experienced and able service experts
in GM
dealers all across North America. They’ll be ready and
willing
to help if you need it.
Here are some things you can check before a trip:
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Windshield WcrslTer Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked
all levels?
Lamps: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
Tires: They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip. Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are the tires all inflated to the
recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip a short
time to avoid
a major storm system?
Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps?
4-19

Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle.
This can cause deadly
CO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get inside. CO could overcome you and kill
you. You can’t see it or smell it,
so you might not
know it is in your vehicle. Clear away
snow from
around the base of your vehicle, especially any
that is blocking your exhaust pipe. And check
around again from time to time to be sure snow
doesn’t collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that’s away from the wind. This will help
keep CO out. Run your
engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little faster
than just idle. That
is, push the accelerator slightly. This
uses less fuel for the heat that
you get and it keeps the
battery charged. You will need a well-charged battery
to
restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on
with your headlamps. Let the heater run for awhile.
Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again
and repeat
this only when you feel really uncomfortable
from the cold. But do it as little as possible. Preserve the
fuel as long as you can. To help keep warm, you can get
out of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour
or so until help comes.
4-25

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

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