ABS CHEVROLET ASTRO CARGO VAN 1995 2.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Cigarette LighterIAshtrays
The cigarette lighter is on the left of the engine cover console. To use the
lighter, press it in all the way and let go. When it’s ready, it will
pop back by
itself.
Don’t hold
a cigarette lighter in with your hand while it is heating. If you
do, it won’t be able to back away from the heating element when it’s ready.
That can make it overheat, damaging the lighter and the heating element.
To remove the smaller
ashtrays on each
sidewall, press down
on the tabs inside and
pull out.
Don’t put papers and other things that burn into your ashtrays.
If you do,
cigarettes or other smoking materials could set them on fire, causing
damage.
2-46

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Assist Handles
Assist handles may be located on the inside passenger vehicle pillars.
Grasp them as
necessary to help
you enter and exit
your vehicle.
Storage Compartments
If you have the
optional rear hatch and Dutch doors, you
will also have an
assist handle on the
inside hatch.
Your front storage
compartment is at the
center
of the engine
cover.
To open the
compartment, press
the two tabs together
and pull.
If you have an
optional sliding tray
storage compartmen
it is under the front
passenger
seat. To
open the
compartment, move the latch in the top
handle and pull the
tray forward.
2-47

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your vehicle has an advanced electronic braking system that can help you
keep it under control. When you start your vehicle and begin to drive away,
you may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise. This is the ABS system
testing itself.
nere
s now anti-lock works. Let’s say the road is wet. You’re driving safely.
Suddenly an animal jumps out
in front of you.
You slam on the brakes. Here’s what happens with ABS.
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If one of the wheels is
about
to stop rolling, the computer will separately work the brakes at each
front wheel and at
the rear wheels. The anti-lock system can change the
brake pressure faster than any driver could. The computer is programmed to
make the most
of available tire and road conditions. You can steer around
the obstacle while braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on wheel speed and
controls braking pressure accordingly.
4-6

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Loss of Confrol
Let’s review what driving experts say about what happens when the three
control systems (brakes, steering and acceleration) don’t have enough
friction where the tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying to steer and constantly seek an
escape route or area of less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle. Defensive drivers avoid
most skids by taking reasonable care suited to existing conditions, and by
not “overdriving” those conditions. But skids are always possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle’s three control systems.
In the braking skid your wheels aren’t rolling. In the steering or cornering
skid, too much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and lose
cornering force. And in the acceleration skid too much throttle causes the
driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best handled by easing your
foot
off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the accelerator pedal and
quickly steer the way you want the vehicle to go. If you start steering
quickly enough, your vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice, gravel, or other
material is on the road. For safety, you’ll want to slow down and adjust your
driving to these conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and vehicle control more
limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try your best to avoid
sudden steering, acceleration, or braking (including engine braking by
shifting to a lower gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires to slide.
You may not realize the surface is slippery until your vehicle is skidding.
Learn to recognize warning clues
- such as enough water, ice or packed
snow on the road to make a “mirrored surface”
- and slow down when you
have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock brake system (ABS) helps avoid only the braking
skid.
4-11

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start down a long or steep
downgrade. If
you don’t shift down, you might have to use your brakes so
much that they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce your speed to around
45 mph
(70 km/h) to reduce the possibility of engine and transmission overheating.
When towing at high altitude
on steep uphill grades, consider the following:
Engine coolant will boil at
a lower temperature than at normal altitudes. If
you turn your engine off immediately after towing at high altitude on steep
uphill grades, your vehicle may show signs similar to engine overheating.
To avoid this, let the engine run while parked (preferably on level ground)
with the automatic transmission
in PARK (P) for a few minutes before
turning the engine off. If you do get the overheat warning, see “Engine
Overheating”
in the Index.
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 PARK (P) yet. Turn your
wheels into the curb when facing downhill and away from the curb
when facing uphill.
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
5. Release the regular brakes.
PARK (P).
When You Are Ready to Leave After Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down while you:
Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
0 Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
4-32

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 5. Pull out the bulb
and replace it
with the new
bulb.
6. Reverse Steps
1-4 to reinstall
the rear lamp.
Center High Mounted Stop Lamp (CHMSL)
I
Other Maintenance Items
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
To replace your
windshield wiper
blade inserts, lift the
wiper arm away from
the windshield. Pinch the two tabs on the
wiper
arm and slide
the insert out of the
blade. Slide the new
one in place. Make
sure the tabs are
locked into position.
6-39

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine index
A
Adding Equipment to Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle (See “Supplemental
Inflatable Restraint System (SIR)”)
Air Bag (See “Supplemental Inflatable Restraint System (SIR)”)
Readiness Light (See “Lights”)
Air Cleaner (See “Engine-Air Cleaner”)
Air Conditioning (See “Heater/Air Conditioning Controls”)
All-Wheel Drive (Option)
.................................... 2.27, 6.21
How to Check
................................................ 6-21
Whentocheck
............................................... 6-21
Antennacare
................................................... 3-20
Anti-Lock Brakes (See “Brakes”)
Appearance Care
................................................. 6-48
Materials Chart
............................................... 6-56
Arbitration Program (See “Better Business Bureau Mediation”)
Assist Handles
.................................................. 2-47
Care of Your Cassette Player and Tape
............................. 3-19
Care of Compact Discs
......................................... 3-20
Delco LOC II@ Anti-Theft Feature
............................... 3-17
ETR@ AM Radio
.............................................. 3-7
ETR@ AM-FM Stereo Audio Cassette System
....................... 3-9
ETR@ AM-FM Stereo Audio Cassette System with Equalizer
.......... 3-12
ETR@ AM-FM Stereo Audio Compact Disc (CD) System
............. 3-14
ETR@ AM-FM Stereo Audio System
.............................. 3-8
Understanding Radio Reception
.................................. 3-18
Audiosystems
................................................... 3-6
Automatic Transmission
( See “Transmission”)
Axle Front
....................................................... 6-21
LockingRear
................................................. 2-22
Rear
........................................................ 6-22
Battery
........................................................ 6-32
Belts (See “Safety Belts”)
Better Business Bureau Mediation
.................................... 8-3
Beveragecooler
................................................. 2-48
Blizzard (See “Driving-If You’re Caught
in a Blizzard”)
Brakes Adjustment
.................................................. 6-31
Anti-Lock (ABS)
.............................................. 4-6
Anti-Lock Warning Light (See “Lights”)
Master Cylinder
............................................... 6-29
PedalTravel
................................................. 6-31
System Warning Light (See “Lights”)
To Check Brake Fluid
.......................................... 6-30
Trailer (See “Trailer-Brakes”)
Wear
....................................................... 6-31
Parking
..................................................... 2-21
Replacingparts
............................................... 6-32
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