fuel CHEVROLET EXPRESS 1996 1.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle.
For example,
these symbols
are used
on an
original battery:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
ACID COULD BATTERY
CAUSE
BURNS
SPARK
OR ,\I/,
COULD FLAME
EXPLODE BATTERY
These symbols
are important
for
you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle
is
driven:
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
FASTEN SEAT
BELTS
These symbols have to do with
your lights:
SIGNALS e e
TURN
RUNNING
-0
DAYTIME
LAMPS -*
FOG LAMPS # 0
These symbols
are on some of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
DEFROSTER
VENTILATING FAN
These symbols
are used on
warning and
indicator lights:
COOLANT -
TEMP -
CHARGING BATTERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE
(0)
COOLANT a
ENGINE OIL e,
PRESSURE
ANTI-LOCK
(@)
BRAKES
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
t
LIGHTER -
HORN )tr
SPEAKER
b
FUEL m
V

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Engine Coolant Heater (Option)
-
In very cold weather, 0°F (- 1 SOC) or colder, the engine
coolant heater can help.
You’ll get easier starting and
better fuel economy during engine warm-up. Usually,
the coolant heater should be plugged
in a minimum of
four hours prior to starting your vehicle.
To use the coolant heater:
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 1 10-volt AC outlet.
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause an electrical shock. Also, the wrong
kind
of extension cord could overheat and cause
a fire. You could be seriously injured.
Plug the
cord into
a properly grounded three-prong
110-volt
AC outlet. If the cord won’t reach, use a
heavy-duty three-prong extension cord rated for
at least
15 amps.
4. After you’ve used the coolant heater, be sure to store
the cord as it was before to keep it away from moving
engine parts.
If you don’t, it could be damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends on the outside temperature, the
kind
of oil you have, and some other things. Instead of
trying to list everything here, we
ask that you contact a
GM dealer in the area where you’ll be parking your
vehicle. The dealer can give
you the best advice for that
particular area.
2-16

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine DRIVE (D): This position is for normal driving. If you
need more power for passing, and you’re:
Going less than about 35 mph (56 km/h), push your
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (56 kdh) or more, push the
accelerator all the way down.
You’ll
shift down to the next gear and have more power.
You should use DRIVE (D) (or, as
you need to, a lower
gear) when towing a trailer. Operating your vehicle
in
DRIVE (D) when towing a trailer will minimize heat
build-up and extend
the life of your transmission.
THIRD (3): This position is also used for normal
driving, however,
it offers more power and lower fuel
economy than DRIVE
(D). You should use THIRD (3)
when carrying a heavy load or driving on steep hills.
SECOND (2): This position gives you more power
but lower fuel economy.
You can use SECOND (2)
on hills. It can help control your speed as you go
down steep mountain roads, but then you would also
want to use your brakes off and on. If you manually
select SECOND
(2), the transmission will drive in
second gear. You may use this feature for reducing
torque
to the rear wheels when you are trying to start
your vehicle from a stop
on slippery road surfaces.
FIRST (1): This position gives you even more power
(but lower fuel economy) than SECOND
(2). You can
use it
on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If
the selector lever is put in FIRST (l), the transmission
won’t shift into first gear until the vehicle is going
slowly enough.
NOTICE: -- --
If your rear wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might happen if you are stuck in
very deep sand or mud or are up against a solid
object. You could damage your transmission.
Also, if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold
your vehicle there with only the accelerator
pedal. This could overheat and damage the
transmission. Use your brakes
or shift into
PARK (P) to hold your vehicle in position on
a hill.
2-19

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Instrument Cluster
Your instrument cluster is designed to let you know at a glance how your vehicle is running. You’ll know
how fast you’re going, how much fuel you’re using, and many other things you’ll need
to know to drive safely
and economically.
A AA

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Service
Engine Soon Light) (Gasoline Engine)
Your vehicle is equipped
with a computer which
monitors operation of the
fuel, ignition and emission
control systems.
SERVICE
ENGINE SOON
This system is called OBD I1 (On-Board
Diagnostics-Second Generation) and is intended
to
assure that emissions are at acceptable levels for the
life
of the vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner
environment. The SERVICE ENGINE SOON light
comes
on to indicate that there is a problem and service
is required. Malfunctions often will be indicated by
the
system before any problem is apparent, which may
prevent more serious damage
to your vehicle. This
system is also designed to assist your service technician
in correctly diagnosing any malfunction.
I NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle with this light
on, after
a while, your emission controls may not
work as well, your fuel economy may not be
as
good and your engine may not run as smoothly.
This could lead to costly repairs that may not be
covered by your warranty.
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition
is on and the engine is not
running.
If the light doesn’t come on, have it repaired.
This light
will also come on during a malfunction in one
of two ways:
Light Flashing -- A misfire condition has been
detected. A misfire increases vehicle emissions and
may damage
the emission control system on your
vehicle. Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis
and service
is required.
0 Light On Steady -- An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis and
service may be required.
2-50

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If the Light Is Flashing Are you low on fuel?
The following may prevent more serious damage
to
your vehicle:
0 Reduce vehicle speed.
0 Avoid hard accelerations.
0 Avoid steep uphill grades.
If towing a trailer, reduce the amount of cargo being
hauled as soon as
it is possible.
If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see
--IT
the Light Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to flash, when
it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Put your vehicle in PARK (P). Turn the
key off, wait at least
10 seconds and restart the engine.
If the light remains on steady, see “If the Light
Is On
Steady” following. If the light is still flashing follow the
previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your dealer or
qualified service center for service.
If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering
the following:
Did
you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If
so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when
the electrical system
dries
out. A few driving trips should turn the light off. As
your engine starts
to run out of fuel, your engine may
not run
as efficiently as designed since small amounts of
air are sucked
into the fuel line causing a misfire. The
system can detect this. Adding fuel should correct this
condition. Make sure to install the fuel cap properly.
It
will take a few driving trips to turn the light off.
Have you recently changed brands
of fuel?
If
so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel (see
“Fuel”
in the Index). Poor fuel quality will cause your
engine not to run as efficiently as designed. You may
notice
this as stalling after start-up, stalling when you put
the vehicle into gear, misfiring, hesitation on acceleration
or stumbling
on acceleration. (These conditions may go
away once the engine is warmed up.) This will be
detected by the system and cause the light
to turn on.
If you experience this condition, change the fuel brand
you use. It will require at least one full tank of the
proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
have your dealer or qualified service center check the
vehicle. Your dealer has the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to
fix any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.
2-51

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Check Gages Light
The CHECK GAGES light
will come
on briefly when
you are starting the engine.
CHECK
GAGES
Fuel Gage
UNLEADED
FUEL ONLY
The fuel gage, when the
ignition is on, tells you
about how much fuel you
have left
in your tank.
If the light comes on and stays on while you are driving,
check your coolant temperature
and engine oil pressure
gages to see
if they are in the warning zones. The
gage will first indicate EMPTY
(E) before you
are out of fuel, and you should get more fuel as soon
as possible.
2-53

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Listed are four situations you may experience with your
fuel gage:
At the gas station, the fuel pump shuts off before the
gage reads FULL
(F).
It takes a little more or less fuel to fill up than the
fuel gage indicated. For example, the gage may have
indicated the tank was half
full, but it actually took a
little more or less than half the tank’s capacity to
fill
the tank.
0 The gage moves a little when you turn a corner or
speed up.
The gage doesn’t go back to EMPTY (E) when you
turn off the ignition.
None
of these indicate a problem with the fuel gage.
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
This gage shows the
If the gage pointer moves
into
the red area your
engine
coolant temperature.
260 engine is too hot!
TEMP J-- vw
It means that your engine coolant has overheated. If you
have been operating your vehicle under normal
operating conditions, you should pull off the road, stop
your vehicle, and turn off
the engine as soon as possible.
In “Problems on the Road,” this manual shows what to
do. See “Engine Overheating” in
the Index.
3 LA

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Mode Knob
The right knob on the control panel changes the
heatedair conditioning setting.
MAX A/C: With A/C on, move the right knob to
MAX A/C for maximum cooling. This setting puts the
system in the recirculation mode and helps to maximize
your air conditioner’s performance and your vehicle’s
fuel economy. This setting also cools the air the fastest.
After the vehicle’s interior reaches
a comfortable
temperature, move
the knob clockwise to place the air
conditioning system
in the A/C mode.
A/C: Use for normal cooling on hot days. This setting
cools outside air and directs it through the instrument
panel outlets.
+e
@ VENT: This setting, with the arrow pointing at
the figure’s head, directs air through the instrument
panel
vents.
+e
‘N VENTMEAT Use this setting, with the arrows
pointing at
the figure’s feet and head, to divide
airflow between the heater floor vents and instrument
panel vents.
+# HEAT This setting, with the arrow pointing at the
figure’s feet, directs air through the heater floor vents.
This setting is useful for cold weather.
U
?# HEATDEFROST Use this setting, with the
arrow pointing at the figure’s feet and the defroster
symbol near the figure’s head,
to divide airflow between
the heater
floor vents and windshield.
0
WO
DEFROST This setting with the defrost symbol
directs
air through the windshield defroster vents.
This setting is
useful when you have fog or ice on
the windshield.
3-4

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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
dealers 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:
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
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?
Lamps: 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?
4-20