four wheel drive CHEVROLET ASTRO 1996 Owners Manual

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.
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.
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.
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.
2-21

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

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