CHEVROLET ASTRO 1998 2.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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’s 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.
Brown: Rear lamps.
0 Yellow: Left stoplamp and turn signal.
Dark Green: Right stoplamp and turn signal.
White (Heavy Gage): Ground.
0 Light Green: Back-up lamps.
0 White (Light Gage): Center High-Mounted
Stoplamp.
Blue: Auxiliary circuit (eight-wire harness only).
0 Orange: Fused auxiliary (eight-wire harness only).
Store the harness
in its original place. Wrap the harness
together and tie
it neatly so it won’t be damaged.
4-37

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 4-38

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 Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning flashers let you warn others. They
also let police know you have a problem. Your front and
rear turn signal
lamps will flash on and off. The
hazard warning
flasher button is located on top of
the steering column.
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.
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.
5-2

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 your
vehicle. But please follow the numbered steps
to do
it safely.
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
If you don’t follow these steps exactly, some or
all
of these things can hurt you.
burn
you.
NOTICE:
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.
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.
5-3

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine To avoid the possibility of the vehicles rolling, set
the parking brake firmly on both vehicles involved
in the jump start procedure. Put an automatic
transmission in PARK
(P).
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!
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.
A CAUTION:
1 ng 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.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 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.
A CAUTION:
Fans or other moving engine parts can injure yo1
badly. Keep your hands away from moving parts once the engine
is running.
5. Connect the red
positive
(+) cable to
the positive
(+) terminal
of the vehicle with the
dead battery.
Don’t let the other
end touch metal.
Connect
it to the
positive
(+) terminal
of the good battery.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 9.
10.
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.
11. Try to start the vehicle with the dead battery.
If it 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.
The other end of the negative
(-) cable does not go
to the dead battery. It goes to a heavy unpainted
metal part
of the vehicle with the dead battery.
Make your last connection away from the battery,
to the engine block, frame or other unpainted metal
part of your vehicle.
The electrical connection is just
as good there, but
the chance
of sparks getting back to the battery is
much less.
Now start the vehicle with the good battery and run
the engine
for a while.
1Al
A. Engine Block, Frame, Unpainted Metal Engine
B. Good Battery
C. Dead Battery
Part
or Body
Surface
J
5-6

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:
0
0
0
0
0
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
0
0
0
0
0
0
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