CHEVROLET ASTRO PASSENGER 1994 1.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your shoulder to make
sure there isn’t another vehicle in your “blind” spot.
Once you are moving on
the freeway, make certain you allow a reasonable
following distance. Expect to move slightly slower
at night.
When you want
to leave the freeway, move to the proper lane well in
advance. If you miss your exit do not, under any circumstances, stop and
back up. Drive on to the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit speed is usually posted.
Reduce your speed according to your speedometer, not to your sense of
motion. After driving for any distance at higher speeds, you may tend to
think you are going slower than you actually are.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you’re ready. Try to be well rested. If you must start when you’re
not fresh
- such as after a day’s work - don’t plan to make too many
miles that first part of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes you
can easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep
it serviced and maintained,
it’s ready to go. If
it needs service, have it done before starting out. Of course,
you’ll find experienced and able service experts in
GM dealerships all across
North America. They’ll be ready and willing to help
if you need it.
Here are some things you can check before a trip:
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Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are all windows clean
inside and outside?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked all levels?
Lights: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
Tires: They are vitally important to a safe, trouble-free trip. Is the tread
good enough for long-distance driving? Are the tires all inflated to the
recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather outlook along your route?
Should you delay your trip a short time to avoid a major storm system?
Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps?
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as “highway hypnosis”? Or is it just plain
falling asleep at the wheel? Call it highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or
whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch of road with the same scenery,
along with the hum of the tires on the road, the drone of the engine, and the
rush of the wind against the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Don’t let
it
happen to you! If it does, your vehicle can leave the road in less than a
second,
and you could crash and be injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be aware that
it can
happen.
Then here are some tips:
Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a comfortably cool
interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and to the sides. Check
your mirrors and your instruments frequently.
If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest, service, or parking area
and take a nap, get some exercise, or both. For safety, treat drowsiness
on the highway as an emergency.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from driving in flat or
rolling terrain.
If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you’re planning to visit there,
here are some tips that can make your trips safer and more enjoyable.
Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid levels and also the
brakes, tires, cooling system and transmission. These parts can work
hard on mountain roads.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0 Know how to go down hills. The most important thing to know is this:
let your engine do some
of the slowing down. Shift to a lower gear
when you go down a steep or long hill.
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Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift down to a lower gear.
The lower gears help cool your engine and transmission, and you can
climb the hill better.
Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane roads
in hills or
mountains. Don’t swing wide or cut across the center of the road. Drive
at speeds that let you stay in your own lane.
As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There could be something in
your lane, like a stalled car or an accident.
You may see highway signs on mountains that warn of special
problems. Examples are long grades, passing or no-passing zones, a
falling rocks area, or winding roads. Be alert to these and take
appropriate action.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your vehicle in good shape for winter. Be sure your engine
coolant
mix is correct.
You may want to put winter emergency supplies in your vehicle.
Include an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a supply of windshield
washer fluid, a rag, some winter outer clothing,
a small shovel, a flashlight,
a red cloth, and a couple
of reflective warning triangles. And, if you will be
driving under severe conditions, include a small bag of sand, a piece of old
carpet or a couple of burlap bags to help provide traction. Be sure you
properly secure these items in your vehicle.
Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your tires meet the road probably have
good traction.
However, if there is snow or ice between your tires and the road, you can
have a very slippery situation. You’ll have a lot less traction or “grip” and
will need to be very careful.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine What’s the worst time for this? “Wet ice.” Very cold snow or ice can be
slick and hard to drive on. But wet ice can be even more trouble because
it
may offer the least traction of all. You can get “wet ice” when it’s about
freezing
(32°F; 0°C) and freezing rain begins to fall. Try to avoid driving
on wet ice
until salt and sand crews can get there.
Whatever the condition
- smooth ice, packed, blowing or loose snow -
drive with caution.
Accelerate gently. Try not to break the fragile traction. If you accelerate too
fast, the drive wheels will spin and polish the surface under the tires even
more.
Your anti-lock brakes improve your ability to make a hard stop on a
slippery road. Even though you have an anti-lock braking system, you’ll
want to begin stopping sooner than you would on dry pavement. See
“Anti-lock”
in the Index.
Allow greater following distance on any slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be fine until you hit a spot
that’s covered with ice. On an otherwise clear road, ice patches may
appear
in shaded areas where the sun can’t reach: around clumps of
trees, behind buildings, or under bridges. Sometimes the surface of a
curve or an overpass may remain icy when
the surrounding roads are
clear. If you see a patch of ice ahead
of you, brake before you are on it.
Try not to brake while you’re actually on the ice, and avoid sudden
steering maneuvers.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If You’re Caught in a Blizzard
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If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a serious \
situation. You
should probably stay with your vehicle unless you know for sure that you
are near help and you can hike through the snow. Here are some t\
hings to do
to summon help and keep yourself and your passengers safe: Turn o\
n your
hazard flashers. Tie a red cloth to your vehicle
to alert police that you’ve
been stopped by the snow. Put on extra clothing
or wrap a blanket around
you. If you have no blankets or extra clothing, make body insulators from
newspapers, burlap bags, rags, floor mats
- anything you can wrap around
yourself or tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
You can
run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves fuel. When you run
the engine, make it go a little faster than just idle. That is, push the
accelerator slightly. This uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps
the battery charged. You will need a well-charged battery to restart the
vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on with your headlights. Let the
heater
run for awhile.
Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost all the way to
preserve the heat. Start the engine again and repeat this only when you feel
really uncomfortable from the cold. But do it as little as possible. Preserve
the
fuel as long as you can. To help keep warm, you can get out of the
vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises every half hour or
so until
help comes.
Towing a Trailer
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine NOTICE:
Pulling a trailer improperly can damage your vehicle and result\

in costly repairs not covered by your warranty.
To pull a trailer
correctly, follow the advice in this section, and see your
GM
dealer for important information about towing a trailer with
your vehicle.
Every vehicle is ready for some trailer towing. If it was built with trailering
options, as many are, it’s ready for heavier trailers. But trailering is different
than just driving your vehicle by itself. Trailering means changes in
handling, durability, and fuel economy. Successful, safe trailering takes
correct equipment, and it has to be used properly.
That’s the reason for this section. In it are many time-tested, important
trailering tips and safety rules. Many of these are important for your safety
and that of your passengers.
So please read this section carefully before you
pull a trailer.
If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer
If you do, here are some important points.
There are many different laws having to do with trailering. Make sure
your rig will be legal, not only where you live but also where you’ll be
driving.
A good source for this information can be state or provincial
police.
0 Consider using a sway control if your trailer will weigh 2,000 pounds
(900 kg) or less. You should always use a sway control if your trailer
will weigh more than
2,000 pounds (900 kg).
You can ask a hitch dealer about sway controls.
Don’t tow a trailer at all during the first 500 miles (800 km) your new
vehicle is driven. Your engine, axle or other parts could be damaged.
Then, during the first 500 miles (800 km) that you tow a trailer, don’t
drive over
50 mph (80 kmh) and don’t make starts at full throttle. This
helps your engine and other parts of your vehicle wear in at the heavier
loads.
You should use “D” (Drive) when towing a trailer. Operating your
vehicle in “D” (Drive) when towing a trailer will minimize heat
buildup and extend the life of
your transmission.
Three important considerations have to do with weight:

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It depends on how you plan to use your rig. For example, speed, altitude,
road grades, outside temperature and how much your vehicle is used to pull
a trailer are all important. And,
it can also depend on any special equipment
that you have on your vehicle.
You can ask your dealer for our trailering information or advice, or you can
write us at the address listed in your Warranty and Owner Assistance
Information Booklet.
In Canada, write to General Motors of Canada Limited, Customer
Assistance Center,
1908 Colonel Sam Drive, Oshawa, Ontario LlH 8P7.
Weight of the Trailer Tongue
The tongue load (A) of any trailer is an important weight to measure
because it affects the total or gross weight
of your vehicle. The gross vehicle
weight (GVW) includes the curb weight of the vehicle, any cargo you may
carry in it, and the people who will be riding in the vehicle. And if you will
tow a trailer, you must add the tongue load to the
GVW because your
vehicle will be carrying that weight, too. See “Loading Your Vehicle”
in the
Index for more information about your vehicle’s maximum load capacity.
A B
If you’re using a “dead-weight” hitch, the trailer tongue (A) should weigh
10% of the total loaded trailer weight (B). If you have a
“weight-distributing” hitch, the trailer tongue (A) should weigh
12% of the
total loaded trailer weight (B).
After you’ve loaded your trailer, weigh the trailer and then the tongue,
separately, to see if the weights are proper. If they aren’t, you may be able to
get them right simply by moving some items around
in the trailer.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Total Weight on Your Vehicle’s Tires
Be sure your vehicle’s tires are inflated to the limit for cold tires. You’ll find
these numbers on the Certification label at the rear edge of the driver’s door
or see “Tire Loading”
in the Index. Then be sure you don’t go over the
GVW limit for your vehicle.
Hitches
It’s important to have the correct hitch equipment. Crosswinds, large trucks
going by, and rough roads are a few reasons
why you’ll need the right hitch.
Here are some rules to follow:
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If you’ll be pulling a trailer that, when loaded, will weigh more than
2,000 pounds (900 kg), be sure to use a properly mounted,
weight-distributing hitch and sway control
of the proper size. This
equipment is very important for proper vehicle loading and good
handling
when you’re driving.
Will you have to make any holes in the body of your vehicle when you
install a trailer hitch? If you do, then be sure to seal the holes later
when you remove the hitch. If you don’t seal them, deadly carbon
monoxide (CO) from your exhaust can get into your vehicle (see
“Carbon Monoxide” in the Index). Dirt and water can, too.
Safety Chains
You should always attach chains between your vehicle and your trailer,
Cross the safety chains under the tongue of the trailer
so that the tongue will
not drop to the road if it becomes separated from the hitch. Instructions
about safety chains may be provided by the hitch manufacturer or by the
trailer manufacturer. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendation for
attaching safety chains. Always leave just enough slack
so you can turn with
your rig. And, never allow safety chains to drag on
the ground.
Trailer Brakes
If your trailer weighs more than 1,000 pounds (450 kg) loaded, then it needs
its own brakes
- and they must be adequate. Be sure to read and follow the
instructions for the trailer brakes
so you’ll be able to install, adjust and
maintain them properly.
Your trailer brake system can tap into your vehicles’s hydraulic brake
system, except:
0 Don’t tap into your vehicle’s brake system if the trailer’s brake system
will use more than
0.02 cubic inch (0.3~~) of fluid from your vehicle’s
master cylinder.
If it does, both braking systems won’t work well. You
could even lose your brakes.
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