CHEVROLET EXPRESS 1996 1.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be inspected every 6,000 to 8,000 miles
(10 000 to 13 000 km) for any signs of unusual wear. If
unusual wear is present, rotate your tires as soon as
possible and check wheel alignment. Also check for
damaged tires or wheels. See “When It’s Time for New
Tires” and “Wheel Replacement” later in this section for
more information. If your vehicle has dual rear wheels,
also see “Dual Tire Operation’’ later in this section.
The purpose of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear for all tires on the vehicle: The first
rotation is the most important. See “Scheduled
Maintenance Services” in the Index for scheduled
rotation intervals.
I FRT FRT
If your vehicle has single rear wheels, always use one of
the correct rotation patterns shown here when rotating
your tires.
II
If your vehicle has dual rear wheels, always use one of
the correct rotation patterns shown here when rotating
your tires.
When you install dual wheels, be sure the vent holes in
the inner and outer wheels on each side are lined
up.
After the tires have been rotated, adjust the front and
rear inflation pressures as shown on the
Certificationmire label. Make certain that all wheel nuts
are properly tightened. See “Wheel Nut Torque’’ in
the Index.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A CAUTION: I
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the parts to which
it is fastened, can make wheel nuts become loose
after a time. The wheel could come
off and cause
an accident. When you change a wheel, remove
any rust or dirt from places where the wheel
attaches to the vehicle. In an emergency, you can
use
a cloth or a paper towel to do this; but be
sure to use
a scraper or wire brush later, if you
need to, to get all the rust or dirt
off. (See
“Changing
a Flat Tire” in the Index.) When
It’s Time
for New Tires
One way to tell when it’s
time for new tires is to
check the treadwear
indicators, which will
appear when your tires have
only
1/16 inch (1.6 mm) or
less of tread remaining.
Some commercial truck
tires may not have
treadwear indicators.
You need a new tire if any of the following statements
are true:
You can see the indicators at three or more places
around the tire.
You can see cord or fabric showing through the
tire’s rubber.
The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut or snagged deep
enough to show cord or fabric.
0 The tire has a bump, bulge or split.
The tire has a puncture, cut or other damage that
can’t be repaired well because of the size or location
of the damage.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Dual Tire Operation Buying New Tires
To
find out what kind and size of tires you need, look at
the Certificatioflire label.
When
the vehicle is new, or whenever a wheel, wheel
bolt or wheel nut is replaced, check the wheel nut torque
after
100, 1,000 and 6,000 miles (160, 1 600 and
10 000 km) of driving. For proper torque, see “Wheel
,Nut Torque” in the Index.
The outer tire on a dual wheel setup generally wears
faster than the inner tire. Your tires will wear more
evenly and last longer if you rotate the tires periodically.
If you’re going to be doing a lot of driving on
high-crown roads, you can reduce tire wear by adding
5 psi (35 kPa) to the tire pressure in the outer tires. Be
sure to return to the recommended pressures when no
longer driving under those conditions. See “Changing a
Flat Tire” in the Index for more information. The tires installed on your
vehicle when it was new had
a Tire Performance Criteria Specification (TPC Spec)
number on each tire’s sidewall. When you get new tires,
get ones with that same TPC Spec number. That way
your vehicle will continue to have tires that are designed
to give proper endurance, handling, speed rating,
traction, ride and other things during normal service on
your vehicle. If your tires have an all-season tread
design, the TPC number will be followed by an
“MS”
(for mud and snow).
11 you ever replace your tires with those not having a
TPC Spec number, make sure they are the same size,
load range, speed rating and construction type (bias,
bias-belted or radial) as your original tires.
If you operate your vehicle with a tire that is
badly underinflated, the tire can overheat. An
overheated tire can lose air suddenly or catch
fire.
You or others could be injured. Be sure all
tires (including the spare) are properly inflated.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I ' A CAUTION:
Mixing tires could cause you to lose control while
driving. If you mix tires of different sizes or types
(radial and bias-belted tires), the vehicle may not
handle properly, and you could have
a crash.
Using tires
of different sizes may also cause
damage to your vehicle. Be sure
to use the same
size and type tires on
all wheels.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance. (This
applies
only to vehicles sold in the United States.) The
grades are molded on the sidewalls
of most passenger
car tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading system does
not apply
to deep tread, winter-type snow tires,
space-saver or temporary use spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm),
or
to some limited-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors passenger
cars and light trucks may vary with respect
to these
grades,
they must also conform to Federal safety
requirements and additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) standards.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Treadwear Temperature -- A, B, C
The treadwear grade
is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified government test course. For
example, a tire graded
150 would wear one and a half
(1 1/2) times as well on the government course as a tire
graded
100. The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions
of their use, however, and
may depart significantly from the norm due
to variations
in driving habits, service practices and differences
in
road characteristics and climate.
Traction -- A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are A, B, and
C, and they represent the tire’s ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under controlled conditions
on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt and concrete.
A tire marked C may have poor traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to this tire is based
on braking (straightahead) traction tests and ,does not
include cornering (turning) traction. The temperature grades are
A (the
highest), B, and C,
representing the tire’s resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability
to dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions on
a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause the
material
of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead to sudden tire failure.
The grade
C corresponds to a level of performance
which all passenger car tires must meet under
the
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109.
Grades B and A represent higher levels of performance
on the laboratory test wheel than the minimum required
by law.
Warning: The temperature grade for this tire
is
established for a tire that is properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation, or
excessive loading, either separately or
in combination,
can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
The wheels on your vehicle were aligned and balanced
carefully at the factory
to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
In most cases,
you will not need to have your wheels
aligned again. However, if you notice unusual tire wear
or your vehicle pulling one way or the other, the
alignment may need
to be reset. If you notice your
vehicle vibrating when driving on
a smooth road, your
wheels may need to be rebalanced. Each
new wheel should have the same load-carrying
capacity, diameter, width, offset and be mounted the
same way as the one it replaces.
If you need to replace any of your wheels, wheel bolts
or wheel nuts, replace them only with new GM original
equipment parts. This way, you will be sure to have
the
right wheel, wheel bolts and wheel nuts for your vehicle.
Wheel Replacement
Replace any wheel that is bent, cracked, or badly rusted
or corroded.
If wheel nuts keep coming loose, the wheel,
wheel bolts and wheel nuts should be replaced. If the
wheel leaks air, replace it (except some aluminum
wheels, which can sometimes be repaired). See your
GM dealer if any of these conditions exist.
Your dealer will know the kind
of wheel you need.
I A CAUTION: - -
Using the wrong replacement wheels, wheel bolts
or wheel nuts
on your vehicle can be dangerous.
~ It could affect the braking and. handling of your
vehicle, make your tires lose air and make you
lose control.
You could have a collision in which
you or others could be injured. Always use the
correct wheel, wheel bolts and wheel nuts
for replacement.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine NOTICE:
The wrong wheel can also cause problems with
bearing life, brake cooling, speedometer or
odometer calibration, headlamp aim, bumper
height, vehicle ground clearance and tire or tire
chain clearance to the body and chassis.
Whenever a wheel, wheel bolt or wheel nut is replaced
on a dual wheel setup, check the wheel
nut torque after
100, 1,000 and 6,000 miles (160, 1 600 and 10 000 km)
of driving. For proper torque, see “Wheel Nut Torque”
in the Index.
See “Changing a Flat Tire”
in the Index for
more information.
Used Replacement Wheels
Putting a used wheel on your vehicle
is
dangerous. You can’t know how it’s been used or
how many miles it’s been driven. It could fail
suddenly and cause an accident.
If you have to
replace
a wheel, use a new GM original
equipment wheel.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Tire Chains
NOTICE:
~~
Use tire chains only where legal and only when you
must. Use chains that are the proper size for your
tires. Install them on the tires of the rear axle.
Tighten them as tightly as possible with the ends
securely fastened. Drive slowly and
follow the chain
manufacturer’s instructions.
If you can hear the
chains contacting your vehicle, stop and retighten
them.
If the contact continues, slow down until it
stops. Driving
too fast or spinning the wheels with
chains on will damage your vehicle.
Appearance Care
Remember, cleaning products can be hazardous. Some
are toxic. Others can burst into flame if
you strike a
match or get them
on a hot part of the vehicle. Some are
dangerous if you breathe their fumes in
a closed space.
When you use anything from a container
to clean your
vehicle, be sure
to follow the manufacturer’s warnings
and instructions. And always open your doors or
windows when you’re cleaning the inside.
Never use these to clean your vehicle:
0 Gasoline
0 Benzene
0 Naphtha
Carbon Tetrachloride
0 Acetone
0 Paint Thinner
0 Turpentine
0 Lacquer Thinner
0 Nail Polish Remover
They can
all be hazardous -- some more than
others
-- and they can all damage your vehicle, too.
Don’t use any of these unless this manual says
you can.
In many uses, these will damage your vehicle:
0 Alcohol
0 Laundry Soap
0 Bleach
0 Reducing Agents
6-50

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle
Use a vacuum cleaner often to get rid of dust and loose
dirt. Wipe vinyl or leather with a clean, damp cloth.
Your
GM dealer has two GM cleaners, a solvent-type
spot lifter and a foam-type powdered cleaner. They will
clean normal spots and stains very well.
Do not use
them on vinyl or leather.
Here are some cleaning tips:
Always read the instructions on the cleaner label.
0 Clean up stains as soon as you can -- before they set.
0 Use a clean cloth or sponge, and change to a clean area
often. A soft brush may be used if stains
are stubborn.
0 Use solvent-type cleaners in a well-ventilated area
only. If you use them, don’t saturate the stained area.
0 If a ring forms after spot cleaning, clean the entire
area immediately
or it will set.
Using Foam-Type Cleaner on Fabric
1. Vacuum and brush the area to remove any
loose dirt.
2. Always clean a whole trim panel or section.
Mask surrounding trim along stitch or welt lines.
3. Mix Multi-Purpose Powdered Cleaner following
the directions on
the container label.
4. Use suds only and apply with a clean sponge.
5. Don’t saturate the material.
6. Don’t rub it roughly.
7. As soon as you’ve cleaned the section, use a
sponge to remove the suds.
8. Rinse the section with a clean, wet sponge.
9. Wipe off what’s left with a slightly damp paper
towel or cloth.
10. Then dry it immediately with a blow dryer.
11. Wipe with a clean cloth.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Using Solvent-’Qpe Cleaner on Fabric
First, see if you have to use solvent-type cleaner at all.
Some spots and stains will clean off better with just
water and mild soap.
If
you need to use a solvent:
Gently scrape excess soil from the trim material with
a clean, dull knife or scraper. Use very little cleaner,
light pressure and clean cloths (preferably
cheesecloth). Cleaning should start at the outside of
the stain, “feathering” toward the center. Keep
changing to a clean section
of the cloth.
When you clean a stain from fabric, immediately
dry the area with a blow dryer
to help prevent a
cleaning ring.
Fabric Protection
Your GM has upholstery and carpet that has been treated
with Scotchgard” Fabric Protector, a
3M product. It
protects fabrics by repelling oil and water, which are the
carriers
of most stains. Even with this protection, you
still need to clean your upholstery and carpet often to
keep
it looking new.
Further information on cleaning is available by calling
1-800-433-3296
(in Minnesota, 1-800-642-6 167).
Special Cleaning Problems
Greasy or Oily Stains
Stains caused by grease, oil, butter, margarine, shoe
polish, coffee with cream, chewing gum, cosmetic
creams, vegetable oils, wax crayon, tar and asphalt can
be removed as follows:
1. Carefully scrape off excess stain.
2. Follow
the solvent-type instructions described earlier.
3. Shoe polish, wax crayon, tar and asphalt will stain if
left
on a vehicle’s seat fabric. They should be removed
as soon as possible. Be careful, because the cleaner will dissolve them and may cause them
to spread.
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