towing CHEVROLET EXPRESS 1996 1.G User Guide

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Driving with a m .’ .er
If you have a rear-most window open and you
pull
a trailer with your vehicle, carbon monoxide
(CO) could come into your vehicle. You can’t see
or smell
CO. It can cause unconsciousness or
death. (See “Engine Exhaust” in the Index.) To
maximize your safety when towing
a trailer:
a
a
a
Have your exhaust system inspected for
leaks, and make necessary repairs before
starting
on your trip.
Keep the rear-most windows closed.
If exhaust does come into your vehicle
through a window in the rear
or another
opening, drive with your front, main
heating or cooling system on and with the
fan on any speed. This will bring fresh,
outside air into your vehicle.
Do not use
MAX A/C because it only recirculates the
air inside your vehicle. (See “Comfort
Controls” in the Index.)
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of experience.
Before setting
out for the open road, you’ll want to get
to know
your rig. Acquaint yourself with the feel of
handling and braking with the added weight of the
trailer. And always keep in mind that the vehicle you are
driving is now a good deal longer and not nearly
as
responsive as your vehicle is by itself.
Before
you start, check the trailer hitch and platform
(and attachments),
safety chains, electrical connector,
lamps, tires and mirror adjustment. If the trailer has
electric brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving and
then apply the trailer brake controller by hand to be sure
the brakes are working. This lets you check your
electrical connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally
to be sure that the
load is secure, and that the lamps and any trailer brakes
are still working.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead as you
would when driving your vehicle without a trailer. This
can help you avoid situations that require heavy braking
and sudden turns.
4-34

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up ahead when
you’re towing a trailer. And, because you’re a good deal
longer, you’ll need to go much farther beyond the
passed vehicle before you can return to your lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand.
Then, to move the trailer
to the left, just move that hand
to the left. To move the trailer to the right, move your
hand to the right. Always back up slowly and, if
possible, have someone guide
you.
Making firns
I NOTICE:
Making very sharp turns while trailering could
cause the trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider
turns than normal.
Do this so your trailer won’t
strike soft shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees or other
objects. Avoid jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well
in advance.
lhrn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has to have extra
wiring and a heavy-duty turn signal flasher (included in
the optional trailering package).
The green arrows
on your instrument panel will flash
whenever
you signal a turn or lane change. Properly
hooked up, the trailer lamps will also flash, telling other
drivers you’re about to turn, change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green arrows on your
instrument panel will flash for turns even
if the bulbs on
the trailer are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers
behind
you are seeing your signal when they are not. It’s
important to check occasionally
to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working.
4-35

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 kdh) 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. Then turn your wheels into the curb
if facing downhill or into traffic if 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. Re-apply the regular brakes. Then apply your
parking brake and then shift
to PARK (P).
5. Release the regular brakes.
4-36

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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
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.
Main ~ mr ~ ce When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transmission fluid (don’t
overfill), engine oil, axle lubricant, belt, cooling system
and brake adjustment. Each
of these is covered in this
manual, and the Index will help you find them quickly.
If you’re trailering, it’s a good idea
to review these
sections before
you start your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
Trailer Wiring Harness
The eight-wire harness, if you have one, is stored under
your vehicle along the rear frame crossmember. It is
wrapped and bound with a plastic strap. The harness has
a 30-amp battery feed and no connector, and
you should
have a qualified electrical service person wire your
harness for
you. Attach the harness to the trailer, then
tape or strap
it to your vehicle’s frame rail. Be sure you
leave it loose enough so the wiring doesn’t bend or
break, but not
so loose that it drags on the ground.
Store the harness in its original place. Wrap the harness
together and tie it neatly
so it won’t be damaged.
The five-wire harness, if you have one, is stored inside
the vehicle at
the passenger side rear corner, behind the
jack. This should be wired by a qualified electrical
service person.
It 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.
Store the harness in its original place. Wrap the harness
together and tie it neatly
so it won’t be damaged.
4-37

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 12. Remove the cables in reverse order to prevent
electrical shorting. Take care that they don’t touch
each other or any other metal.
I
- +
B
A. Engine Block, Frame, Heavy Metal Engine Part
B
. Good Battery
C. Dead Battery
Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have your 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 your Index.
If your vehicle has been changed since it was
factory-new, by adding things 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:
0 That your vehicle has rear wheel drive.
0 , The make, model and year of your vehicle.
0 Whether you can move the shift lever for
0 If there was an accident, what was damaged.
the transmission.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I A CAUTION:
I I To help avoid injury to you or others:
0 Never let passengers ride in a vehicle that is
Never tow faster than safe or posted speeds.
0 Never tow with damaged parts not
0 Never get under your vehicle after it has
Always use separate safety chains on each
being
towed.
fully secured.
been lifted by the tow truck.
side when towing
a 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 NEUTRAL
(N) and the parking brake should
be released.
A CAUTION:
I
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.
5-7

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Front Towing
A towing dolly must be used under the drive wheels
when towing from the
front.
Tow Limits -- 35 mph (56 km/h), 50 miles (80 km)
NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or the
front bumper system will be damaged. Use
wheel-lift or car-carrier equipment. Additional
ramping may be required for car-carrier
equipment. Use safety chains and wheel straps.
Towing a vehicle over rough surfaces could
damage
a vehicle or wheel-lift equipment.
To help avoid damage, install
a towing dolly
a,nd raise the vehicle until adequate clearance
is obtained between the ground and/or
wheel-lift equipment.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Rear Towing
NOTICE:
Do not tow the vehicle from the rear with
loads approaching rated
GVW as the weight
transfer will cause the front suspension to
become overloaded.
NOTICE:
Do not tow with the sling-type equipment or the
rear bumper will be damaged. Use wheel-lift
or
car-carrier equipment. Additional ramping may
be required for car-carrier equipment. Use safety
chains and wheel straps.
Towing a vehicle over rough surfaces could
damage
a vehicle. To help avoid damage, install a
towing dolly and raise the vehicle until adequate
clearance is obtained between the ground and/or
wheel-lift equipment.
5-9

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 8. Then replace the pressure cap. At any time during
this procedure
if coolant begins to flow out of the
filler neck, reinstall the pressure cap. Be sure the
arrows
on the pressure cap line up like this.
Engine Fan Noise
Your vehicle has a clutched engine cooling fan. When the
clutch is engaged,
the fan spins faster to provide more air
to cool the engine. In most every day driving conditions,
the fan
is spinning slower and clutch is not fully engaged.
This improves fuel economy and reduces fan noise.
Under heavy vehicle loading, trailer towing and/or high
outside temperatures, the fan speed increases
as the clutch
more
fully engages. 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 when additional cooling is not required and
the clutch partially disengages.
You may also hear this Fan noise when you start
the engine. It will go away as the fan clutch
partially disengages.
5-19

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine NOTICE:
Never remove or restore a tire frondto a stowage
position under the vehicle while the vehicle
is
supported by a jack. Always tighten the tire
fully against the underside of the vehicle when restowing
A flat rear tire reduces clearance to remove the spare
tire. If there is less than
12 inches (30.48 cm) between
the ground and the rear bumper or any trailer hitch, jack
up the vehicle
until the flat tire is off the ground.
(See “Removing
the Flat Tire” and “Installing the
Spare Tire,’’ Steps
4 through 8, in this section.)
Unless your vehicle has a flat rear tire, do not remove
or
restore a tire from/to a stowage position under the
vehicle while the vehicle is supported by a jack. Always
tighten the tire
fully against the underside of the vehicle
when restowing.
If you have a vehicle which was completed from a cab
and chassis, refer to the information from the body
suppliedinstaller.
The spare tire
is a full size tire, like the other tires on
your vehicle.
For cargo vans, the jack
is secured
in the rear
Remove the retaining wing bolt and lift
it off the
mounting bracket. Set the jack and jacking equipment
near the
flat tire.
5-22