brake fluid CHEVROLET EXPRESS 1996 1.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Windshield Washer
At the top of the lever, there’s a paddle with the word
PUSH on it. To spray washer fluid on the windshield,
push the paddle.
Washer fluid will spray
as long as you push the paddle.
When
you let go of the paddle, the wipers will continue
to wipe for approximately two more wipe cycles and
then either stop or return to the preset speed.
Driving without washer fluid can be dangerous. A
bad mud splash can block your vision.
You could hit
another vehicle
or go off the road. Check your washer
fluid level often.
I A CAUTION:
I
Cruise Control (Option)
With cruise control, you can maintain a speed of about
25 mph (40 kmk) or more without keeping your foot
on
the accelerator. This can really help on long trips.
Cruise control does not work at speeds below about
25 mph (40 krnk).
When you apply your brakes, the cruise control
shuts off.
In freezing weather, don’t use your washer until
the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can form ice on the windshield, blocking
your vision.
A CAUTION:
I
Cruise control can be dangerous where you
can’t drive safely at a steady speed. So,
don’t use your cruise control on winding
roads or in heavy traffic.
slippery roads. On such roads, fast changes
in tire traction can cause needless wheel
spinning, and you could lose control. Don’t
use cruise control on slippery roads.
Cruise control can be dangerous on
2-32

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0 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.
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.
A CAUTION:
If you don’t shift down, your brakes could get so
hot that they wouldn’t work well. You would then
have poor braking or even none going down
a hill.
You could crash. Shift down to let your engine
assist your brakes on
a steep downhill slope.
rA CAUTIO :
Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with the
ignition
off is dangerous. Your brakes will have to
do all the work
of slowing down. They could get so
hot that they wouldn’t work well. You would then
have poor braking or even none going
down a hill.
You could crash. Always have your engine running
and your vehicle in gear when you go downhill.
0
0
0
0
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.
4-22

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 If your vehicle has more than one battery, use the
battery that is under the hood
of the vehicle -- this
will reduce the electrical resistance.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicles aren’t touching
each other.
If they are, it could cause a ground
connection you don’t want. You wouldn’t be able to
start your vehicle, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
Set the parking brake firmly
on each vehicle. Put an
automatic transmission in
PARK (P) or a manual
transmission
in NEUTRAL (N).
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Turn off all
lamps that aren’t needed, and radios. This will avoid
sparks and help save both batteries, and could save
your radio!
NOTICE:
If you leave your radio on, it could be badly
damaged. The repairs would not be covered by
your warranty.
4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries. Find
the positive
(+) and negative (-) terminals on
each battery.
A CAUTION:
Using a match near a battery can cause battery
gas to explode. People have been hurt doing this,
and some have been blinded. Use a flashlight if
you need more light.
Be sure the battery (or batteries) has enough
water. You don’t need to add water to the Delco
Freedom@ battery (or batteries) installed in
every new
GM vehicle. But if a battery has filler
caps, be sure the right amount of fluid is there.
If
it is low, add water to take care of that first. If
you don’t, explosive gas could be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn you.
Don’t get it on you.
If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or on your skin, flush the place with
water and get medical help immediately.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When you lift the hood, you’ll see these items:
A. Battery
B. Coolant Recovery Tank
C. Engine Oil Dipstick
D. Engine Oil Fill
E. Transmission Dipstick
6-8
F. Air Cleaner
G. Power Steering Reservoir
H. Brake Master Cylinder
I. Windshield Washer Fluid

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If your vehicle has a 7.4L engine and air conditioning,
your vehicle will have
a auxiliary engine fan in addition
to the belt driven fan.
A CAUTION:
If your vehicle has air conditioning, the auxiliary
engine fan under the hood can start up and
injure you even when the engine is not running.
Keep hands, clothing and tools
away from any
underhood electric fan.
Things that burn can get on hot engine parts and
start
a fire. These include liquids like gasoline,
oil, coolant, brake fluid, windshield washer and
other fluids, and plastic or rubber.
You or others
could be burned. Be careful not to drop or spill
things that will burn onto a hot engine.
Before closing the hood, be sure all the filler caps are
on properly.
Then lift the hood to relieve pressure
on the hood prop.
Remove the hood prop from the slot in the hood and
return the prop
to its retainer. Then just let the hood
down and close
it firmly.
Noise Control System
The following information relates to compliance with
Federal noise emission standards for vehicles with a
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of more than
10,000
lbs. (4 536 kg). The Maintenance Schedule
booklet provides information on maintaining the noise
control system
to minimize degradation of the noise
emission control system during the life of your vehicle.
The noise control system warranty is given
in your
Warranty booklet.
These standards apply
only to vehicles sold in the
United States.
6-9

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the
transmission fluid level if you have been driving:
0 When outside temperatures are above 90°F (32°C).
At high speed for quite a while.
0 In heavy traffic -- especially in hot weather.
0 While pulling a trailer.
To get the right reading, the fluid should be at normal
operating temperature, which is
180°F to 200°F
(82°C to 93°C).
Checking Transmission Fluid Hot
Get the vehicle warmed up by driving about 15 miles
(24 km) when outside temperatures are above 50°F
(10°C). If it's colder than 50°F (lO"C), drive the
vehicle in
DRIVE (D) until the engine temperature
gage moves and then remains steady for
10 minutes.
Then follow the hot check procedures.
Checking Transmission Fluid Cold
A cold check is made after the vehicle has been sitting
for eight hours or more with the engine
off and is
used only as
a reference. Let the engine run at idle for
five minutes if outside temperatures are
50°F (10°C) or
more. If it's colder than
50°F ( 10°C), you may have to
idle the engine longer. Should the fluid level be low
during a cold check, you
must perform a hot check
before adding fluid. This will give you
a more accurate
reading of the fluid level.
Checking the Fluid Hot or Cold
Park your vehicle on a level place. Keep the
engine running.
With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever
0 With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift
in PARK (P).
lever through each gear range, pausing for about
three seconds
in each range. Then, position the shift
lever in
PARK (P).
Let the engine run at idle for three minutes or more.
- 6-17

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Thermostat
Engine coolant temperature is controlled by a thermostat
in the engine cooling system. The thermostat stops the
flow
of coolant through the radiator until the coolant
reaches a preset temperature.
When you replace your thermostat, an
AC@ thermostat
is recommended.
Power Steering Fluid
When to Check Power Steering Fluid
It is not necessary to regularly check power steering
fluid unless you suspect there is
a leak in the system or
you hear an unusual noise.
A fluid loss in this system
could indicate
a problem. Have the system inspected
and repaired.
How To Check Power Steering Fluid
When the engine compartment is cool, unscrew the cap
and ,wipe
the dipstick with a clean rag. Replace the cap
and completely tighten it. Then remove the cap again
and look at the fluid level
on the dipstick.
The level should be at the
FULL COLD mark. If
necessary, add only enough fluid to bring the
level up to
the mark.
To prevent brake fluid contamination, never check or fill
the power steering reservoir with the master cylinder
cover off.
What to Use
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind of fluid
to use. See “Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants’’ in the Index. Always use the proper fluid.
Failure
to use the proper fluid can cause leaks and
damage hoses and seals.
6-24

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Brakes
Brake Fluid
I
Your brake master cylinder reservoir is here. It is filled
with
DOT-3 brake fluid.
There are only two reasons
why the brake fluid level in the
reservoir might
go down. The first is that the brake fluid
goes down to an acceptable level during norrnal brake
lining wear. When new linings are put
in, the fluid level goes back
up. The other reason is that fluid is leaking out
of the brake system. If it is, you should have your brake
system fixed, since
a leak means that sooner or later your
brakes won’t work well, or won’t work at all.
So, it isn’t a good idea to “top off’ your brake fluid.
Adding brake fluid won’t correct
a leak. If you add fluid
when your linings are worn, then you’ll
have too much
fluid when you get new brake linings. You should add
(or remove) brake fluid,
as necessary, only when work is
done on
the brake hydraulic system.
-- I
If you have too much brake fluid, it can spill on the
engine. The fluid
will burn if the engine is hot
enough. You or others could be burned, and your vehicle could
be damaged. Add brake fluid only
when work
is done on the brake hydraulic system.
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine when to
check your brake fluid. See “Periodic Maintenance
Inspections”
in the Index.
6-26

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Checking Brake Fluid
You can check the brake fluid without taking off the cap.
Just look at the windows
on the brake fluid reservoir.
The fluid levels should be above
MIN. If they aren’t,
have your brake system checked
to see if there is a leak.
After work
is done on the brake hydraulic system,
make sure the levels are above
MIN and below the top
of each window.
What to Add
When you do need brake fluid, use only DOT-3 brake
fluid
-- such as Delco Supreme 11 @ (GM Part
No. 1052535). Use new brake fluid from a sealed
container only, and always clean
the brake fluid
reservoir cap before removing it.
1 A CAUTION:
With the wrong kind of fluid in your brake
system, your brakes may not work well, or they
may not even work at all. This could cause a
crash. Always use the proper brake fluid.
6-27