engine CHEVROLET ASTRO 1998 2.G Owners Manual
[x] Cancel search | Manufacturer: CHEVROLET, Model Year: 1998, Model line: ASTRO, Model: CHEVROLET ASTRO 1998 2.GPages: 414, PDF Size: 21.46 MB
Page 221 of 414

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   
Page 222 of 414

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 4-38
Page 223 of 414

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   
Page 224 of 414

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   
Page 225 of 414

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   
Page 226 of 414

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.   
Page 227 of 414

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.   
Page 228 of 414

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   
Page 229 of 414

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   
Page 230 of 414

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