CHEVROLET ASTRO PASSENGER 1993 1.G Owners Manual

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.
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 could be damaged during towing.
Before you do anything, turn on the hazard warning flashers.
When you call, tell the towing service:
That, if your vehicle has all-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive with fog
lamps, it cannot be towed from the front with sling-type equipment.
That your vehicle has rear-wheel drive, or that it has the all-wheel-drive
option.
The make, model, and year of your vehicle.
Whether you can still move the shift lever.
If there was an accident, what was damaged.
* To help avoid injury to you or others:
I
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
Always use separate safety chains on each side when towing a
truck.
I vehicle.
When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition key
off. 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
N (Neutral) 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
If your vehicle has rear-wheel drive, don’t have it towed on t\
he rear wheels
unless you must.
If a vehicle with rear-wheel drive must be towed on the rear
wheels, don’t go more than
35 mph (56 kmlh) or farther than 50 miles
(80 km) or your transmission will be damaged. If these limits must be
exceeded, then the rear wheels have to be supported on a doll\
y.
1 CAUTION
L A vehicle can fall from a car carrier if it isn’t properly secured. This
b can cause a collision, serious personal injury and vehicle dama\
ge.
The vehicle should be tightly secured with chains or steel cab\
les
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.
Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature gage and the warning light about a hot
engine on your vehicle’s instrument panel.
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine:
PO452
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine CALITION
I
Steam from an overheated engine can burn you badly, even if you
just open the hood. Stay away from the engine
if you see or hear
steam coming from it. Just turn it
off and get everyone away from
the vehicle until it cools down. Wait until there is no sign of steam
or
coolant before opening the hood.
If you keep driving when your engine is overheated, the liquids in it
can catch fire. You or others could be badly burned. Stop your
engine
if it overheats, and get out of the vehicle until the engine is
cool
m
NOTICE ~~ ~
I your engine catches fire because you keep driving with no coolant, yolrl
lehicle can be badly damaged.
Thrr costly repairs would not be covered
y your warranty.
If No Steam /s Coming From Your Engine:
If you get the overheat warning but see or hear no steam, the problem may
not be
too serious. Sometimes the engine can get a little too hot when you:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam, try t\
his for a minute
or
so:
1. If you have an air conditioner, turn it off.
2. Turn your heater to full hot at the fan speed and open the window as
necessary.
3. If you’re in a traffic jam, shift to N (Neutral).
If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can drive. Just to be safe,
drive slower for about ten minutes.
If the warning doesn’t come back on, you
can drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your vehicle \
right away.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If there’s still no sign of steam, push the accelerator until the engine speed is
about twice
as fast as normal idle speed. Bring the engine speed back to
normal idle speed after two
or three minutes. Now see if the warning stops.
But then,
if you still have the warning, TURN OFF THE ENGINE AND GET
EVERYONE OUT OF THE VEHICLE until it cools down.
You may decide not to
lift the hood but to get service help right away.
PO424
When you decide it’s safe to lift the hood, here’s what \
you’ll see:
A. Coolant recovery tank
B. Radiator pressure cap
C. Engine fan
If the coolant inside the coolant recovery tank is boiling, don’t do anything
else until
it cools down.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine c I
PO453
The coolant level should be at or above FULL. If it isn't, you may have a
leak in the radiator hoses, heater hoses, radiator, water pump or somew\
here
else in the cooling system.
mm I CAUTION
How to Add Coolant to the Coolant Recovery Tank
If you haven't found a problem yet, but the coolant level isn't \
at or above
FULL, add a 50/50 mixture of clean water (preferable distilled) and a proper
antifreeze at the coolant recovery tank. (See "Engine Coolant" \
in the Index
for more information about the proper coolant mix.)
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 1 CAUTION
A Adding only plain water to your cooling system can be dangerous.
Plain water, or some other liquid like alcohol, can boil before the
proper coolant mix
will. Your vehicle’s coolant warning system is set
for the proper coolant mix. With plain water or the wrong mix, yo\
ur
engine could get too hot but you wouldn’t get the overheat \
warning.
Your engine could catch fire and you or others could be burned. Use
~ cold weather, water can freeze and crack the engine, radiator, heater
‘e and other parts. Use the recommended coolant.
I CAUTION
A You can be burned if you spill coolant on hot engine parts. Coolant
enough. Don’t spill coolant on a hot engine.
b contains ethylene glycol and it will burn if the engine parts are hot
Vwn the coolant in the coolant recovery tank is at or above FULL, start
your vehicle.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If the overheat warning continues, there's one more thing you can try. You
can add the proper coolant mix directly to the radiator, but be sure the
cooling
system is cool before you do it.
I CAUTION
II
A
Steam and scalding liquids from a hot cooling system can blow out
and burn you badly. They are under pressure, and
if you turn the
radiator pressure cap-even a little-they can come out at high
speed. Never
turn the pressure cap when the cooling system,
including the radiator pressure cap, is hot. Wait
for the cooling
system and radiator pressure cap
to cool if you ever have to turn
the pressure cap.
I A
PO425
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Problems on #he Road
How to Add Coolant to the Radiator
PO422
1. You can remove the radiator pressure cap when the cooling system,
including the radiator pressure cap
and upper radiator hose, is no longer
hot. Turn the pressure cap slowly to the left until it
first stops. (Don't
press down while turning the pressure cap.)
If YOU hear a hiss, wait for that to stop. A hiss means there is Still SOt-t~e
pressure left.
2. Then keep turning the pressure cap, but now push down as you turn it.
Remc- the pressure cap.
PO423
3. Fill the radiator with the proper mix, up to the base of the filler neck,
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 4. Then fill the coolant recovery tank to FULL.
t
PO658
5. Put the cap back on the coolant recovery tank, but leave the \
radiator
6. Start the engine and let it run until you can feel the upper radiator hose
7. By this time, the coolant level inside the radiator filler neck may be
pressure cap
off.
getting hot.
Watch out for the engine fan.
lower. If the level
is lower, add more of the proper mix through the filler
neck until the level reaches the base of the filler neck.
I PO407
8. Then replace the pressure cap. Be sure the arrows on the pres\
sure cap
line up like this.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Pmblems on the Road
Engine Fan Noise
This vehicle has a clutched engine cooling fan. When the clutc\
h is engaged,
the fan spins faster
to provide more air to cool the engine. In most every day
driving conditions, the clutch is not engaged. This improves fu\
el economy and
reduces fan noise. Under heavy vehicle loading, trailer towing \
andlor high
outside temperatures, the fan speed increases when the clutch e\
ngages.
So
you may hear an increase in fan noise. This is normal and should not be
mistaken as the transmission slipping
or making extra shifts. It is merely the
cooling system functioning properly. The fan will slow down whe\
n additional
cooling is not required and the clutch disengages.
You may also hear this fan noise when you start the engine.
It will go away
as the fan clutch disengages.
If a Tim Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out” while you’re driving, especially if you
maintain your tires properly.
If air goes out of a tire, it’s much more likely to
leak out slowly. But
if you should ever have a “blowout,” here are a few tips
about what to expect and what
to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that pulls the vehicle toward
that side. Take your foot
off the accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel
firmly. Steer
to maintain lane position, then gently brake to a stop well out of
the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a skid \
and may
require the same correction you’d use in a skid. In any rear blowout, remove
your foot from the accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under co\
ntrol by steering
the way you want the vehicle
to go. It may be very bumpy and noisy, but
you can still steer. Gently brake
to a stop, well off the road if possible.
If your tire goes flat, the next part shows how to use your jacking equipment
to change a flat tire safely.
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