parking brake CHEVROLET ASTRO PASSENGER 1994 1.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Features & Controls
Section
A
..
Here you can learn about the many standard and optional features on your
vehicle. and information on starting. shifting. and braking
. Also explained
are the instrument panel and
the warning systems that tell you if everything
is working properly- and what to
do if you have a problem .
For explanation of vehicle symbols. refer to “Vehicle Symbols” in the
Introduction
.
Keys ................................. .................. 2-3
Your Doors and How They Work
..................... ....... 2-5
DoorLocks
................................................ 2-8
Theft
..............................................
New Vehicle “Break-In” ................. .......
. . 2-11
. . 2-12
Ignition Switch
....... ....... .......................... 2-13
Starting Your Engine
....................................... 2-14
FuelRegulator
......................................... 2-15
Driving Through Deep Standing Water
... ............... 2-15
Automatic Transmission
.................................... 2-17
Engine
Block Heater
................................... 2-16
.. ..< .. Locking Rear Axle ...................... .... 2-20
ParkingBrake
............................................ 2-20
Shifting Into
“P’ (Park) ....... .......................... 2-21
Shifting Out of “P” (Park)
................................... 2-22
Parking Over Things That Burn
............................... 2-23
EngineExhaust
.....................................
Running Your Engine While You’re Parked .............
.... 2-24
. . 2-24
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Key in the Ignition
If you walk away from your vehicle with the keys inside, it’s an easy target
for joy riders or professional thieves
- so don’t do it.
When you park your vehicle and open the driver’s door, you’ll hear
a chime
reminding you to remove your key from the ignition and take it with you.
Always do this. Your steering wheel
will be locked, and so will your
ignition and transmission. And remember to lock the doors.
Parking at Night
Park in a lighted spot, close all windows and lock your vehicle. Remember
to keep your valuables out
of sight. Put them in a storage area, or take them
with you.
Parking Lots
If you park in a lot where someone will be watching your vehicle, it’s best
to lock
it up and take your keys. But what if you have to leave your ignition
key? What
if you have to leave something valuable in your vehicle?
Put your valuables in a storage area out of sight.
Lock all the doors except the driver’s.
Then take the door key with you.
New Vehicle “Break-In ”
NOTICE:
Your modern vehicle doesn’t need an elaborate “break-in.” But
it will perform better in the long run if you follow these
guidelines:
0 Keep your speed at 55 mph (88 km/h) or less for the first
500 miles (804 km).
Don’t drive at any one speed - fast or slow - for the first
500 miles (804 km). Don’t make full-throttle starts.
0 Avoid making hard stops for the first 200 miles (322 km) or
so. During this time your new brake linings aren’t yet broken
in. Hard stops with new linings can mean premature wear and
earlier replacement. Follow this “breaking-in” guideline
every time you get new brake linings.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Locking Rear Axle
If you have this feature, your rear axle can give you additional traction on
snow, mud, ice, sand or gravel. It works like a standard axle most of the
time, but when
one of the rear wheels has no traction and the other does, the
locking feature will allow the wheel with traction
to move the vehicle.
Parking Brake
To Set the Parking Brake:
I
I
Hold the regular brake
pedal down with your
right foot. Push down
the parking brake
pedal with your left
foot.
If the ignition is
on, the brake system
warning light will
come on.
To Release the Parking Brake:
Hold the regular brake
pedal down. Pull the
brake release lever.
NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause your rear brakes \
to
overheat. You may have to replace them, and you could also
damage other parts
of your vehicle.
2-20

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If you are on a hill: See “Parking on Hills” in the Index. That section
shows how to turn your front wheels.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any hill: See “Towing a
Trailer” in the Index. That section shows what to do first to keep the trailer
from moving.
Shifting lnto “Pyy (Park)
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and set the parking
brake.
3. Move the ignition key to LOCK
2. Move the shift
lever into
“P’
(Park) position
like this:
0 Pull the lever
toward you.
0 Move the
lever up
as far
as it will go.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can walk away from your
vehicle with the ignition key
in your hand, your vehicle is in
“P” (Park).
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Leaving Your Vehide With the Engine Running
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine running, be sure your
vehicle is in “P” (Park) and your parking brake is firmly set before you
leave it. After you’ve moved the shift lever into the
“P” (Park) position,
hold the regular brake pedal down. Then, see if you can move the shift lever
away from
“F’” (Park) without first pulling it toward you. If you can, it
means that the shift lever wasn’t fully locked into
“P” (Park).
Shifting Out of “P” (Park)
Your vehicle has a brake-transmission shift interlock. You have to fully
apply your regular brake before you can shift from “P” (Park) when the
ignition is in the
RUN position. See “Automatic Transmission” in the Index.
If you cannot shift out of
“P” (Park), ease pressure on the shift lever - push
the shift lever all the way into
“P” (Park) as you maintain brake application.
Then move the shift lever into the gear you want.
If you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can’t shift out of “P” (Park),
try this:
1. Turn the key to OFF.
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
3. Shift to “N’ (Neutral).
4. Start the vehicle and then shift to the drive gear you want.
5. Have the vehicle fixed as soon as you can.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your transmission into
“I?’ (Park) properly, the weight of the vehicle may put too much force on
the parking pawl
in the transmission. You may find it difficult to pull the
shift lever out of
“P” (Park). This is called “torque lock.” To prevent torque
lock, set the parking brake and then shift into “P” (Park) properly before
you leave the driver’s seat.
To find out how, see “Shifting Into ‘P’ (Park)” in
the Index.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out
of “P” (Park)
BEFORE you release the parking brake.
If “torque lock” does occur, you may need to have another vehicle push
yours a little uphill to take some of the pressure from the transmission,
so
you can pull the shift lever out of “P” (Park).
Parking Over Things That Burn
I
8
2-23

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Daytime Running Lights (DRL) indicator Light
(Canada Only)
If your vehicle was first sold, when new, in Canada, you will have this light
on the instrument panel. It goes on whenever the Daytime Running Lights
are on, the ignition is on, the headlamp switch is off, and the parking brake
is released.
Daytime Running Lights (Canada Only)
The Canadian Federal Government has decided that “Daytime Running \
Lights” (DRL) is a useful feature, in that DRL can make your vehicle more
visible to pedestrians and other drivers during daylight hours. DRL is
required on new vehicles sold in Canada.
The high beam headlights will come
on at reduced brightness in daylight
when:
0 The ignition is on,
0 The headlight switch is off, and
0 The parking brake is released.
When you turn on your headlights, the DRL will switch off and the exterior
lights will come on. When
you turn off the headlights, the exterior lights
will go out and the high beams will change to the reduced brightness of
DRL again.
The DRL indicator light on the instrument panel will go on whenever the
DRL is
on. This light means that only the DRL is on. When you turn on
your exterior lights, this light will go out.
If the DRL indicator light is on at dawn
or dusk, it is a reminder to turn on
your headlights.
Of course, you may still turn
on the headlights any time you need to.
To idle your vehicle with the DRL off, set the parking brake, The DRL will
stay off until you release the parking brake.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If the warning light comes on, there could be a brake problem. Have your
brake system inspected right away.
This light should come on as you start the vehicle. If it doesn’t come on
then, have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn you if there’s a problem.
If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the road and stop
carefully. You may notice that the pedal is harder to push.
Or, the pedal may
go closer to the floor. It may take longer to stop. If the light is still
on, have
the vehicle towed for service. (See “Towing Your Vehicle” in the Index.)
The brake system warning light will also come on when
YOU set your
parking brake, and it will stay on
if your parking brake doesn’t release fully.
If it stays on after your parking brake is fully released, it means YOU have a
brake problem.
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
Standard Cluster Digital Cluster
I
With anti-lock, this light will go on when you start your engine and may
stay on for several seconds. That’s normal. If the light doesn’t come on,
have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn you if there is a problem.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Daytime Running Lights (DRL) lndicator Light
(Canadian Vehicles Only)
L,
The DRL indicator is
on whenever the
ignition and the
headlight switch and
parking brake are off.
For more details about
DRL, see “Lights” in
this part.
The
DRL indicator light is on the lower left of the standard cluster. If you
have the digital cluster, it is
on the top left.
Headlight High Beam Indicator Light
The high beam
indicator is on
whenever
you use
your high beam
headlights. For more
details, see “Headlight
High-Low Beam
Changer” in this part.
The light
is on the left hand side of the standard cluster. If you have the
digital cluster, it is on the top of the cluster.

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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