CHEVROLET EXPRESS 1997 1.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
This part describes the warning lights and gages that
may be
on your vehicle. The pictures will help you
locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that something is wrong before it becomes serious enough to cause an
expensive repair or replacement. Paying attention
to
your warning lights and gages could also save you or
others from injury.
Warning lights come
on when there may be or is a
problem with one
of your vehicle’s functions. As you
will see in the details on the next few pages, some
warning lights come
on briefly when you start the
engine just
to let you know they’re working. If you are
familiar with this section,
you should not be alarmed
when this happens.
Gages can indicate when there may be
or is a problem
with
one of your vehicle’s functions. Often gages and
warning lights work together to let
you know when
there’s a problem with your vehicle. When
one
of the warning lights comes on and stays on
when you are driving, or when one of the gages shows
there may be a problem, check the section that tells you
what to do about it. Please follow this manual’s advice.
Waiting
to do repairs can be costly -- and even
dangerous.
So please get to know your warning lights
and gages. They’re a big help.
Safety Belt Reminder Light
When the key is turned to RUN or START, a tone will
come on for about eight seconds
to remind people to
fasten their safety belts, unless the driver’s safety belt
is
already buckled.
The safety belt light will
also come
on and stay on‘
for about
20 seconds,
then it will flash for about
55 seconds. If the driver’s
belt is already buckled,
neither
the tone nor the
light will come on.
2-50

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Air Bag Readiness Light
There is an air bag readiness light on the instrument
panel, which shows
AIR BAG. The system checks the
air bag’s electrical system for malfunctions. The light
tells you
if there is an electrical problem. The system
check includes the air bag sensor,
the air bag modules,
the wiring and the crash sensing and diagnostic module.
For more information on the air bag system, see “Air
Bag” in the Index.
AIR
BAG
This light will come on
when
you start your engine,
and it will
flash for a few
seconds. Then
the light
should go out. This means
the system is ready.
If the air bag readiness light stays on after
you start the
engine or comes on when you are driving, your air bag
system may not work properly. Have your vehicle
serviced right away. The air
bag readiness light should flash for a few
seconds when you turn the ignition key to
RUN. If the
light doesn’t come on then, have it fixed
so it will be
ready to warn
you if there is a problem.
Charging System Light
This light should come on
briefly when
you turn on the
ignition, before starting the
engine, as a check to show
you it is working.
After the engine starts,
the light should go out. If it stays
on or comes on while you are driving, you may have a
problem with your charging system. It could indicate a
problem with
the alternator drive belt, or some other
charging system problem. Have
it checked right away.
Driving while this light
is on could drain your battery.
If
you must drive a short distance with this light on, it
helps to turn off all your accessories, such as the radio
and air conditioner.
2-51

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Brake System Warning Light
Your vehicle’s hydraulic brake system is divided into
two parts. If one part isn’t working, the other part can
still work and stop
you. For good braking, though, you
need both parts working well.
If the warning light comes
on, there could be a brake
problem. Have your brake system inspected right away.
BRAKE
United States
This light should come on
briefly when you turn the
ignition key to
RUN. If it
doesn’t come on then,
have it fixed
so it will be
ready to warn you
if
there’s a problem.
Canada
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.)

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A CAUTIOd:
2
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake system warning light is on. Driving
with the brake system warning light
on can lead
to an accident.
If the light is still on after you’ve
pulled off the road and stopped carefully, have
the vehicle towed for service.
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will also come
on when you set your parking brake. The
light 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
ANTI -
LOCK
United States
Canada
With the anti-lock brake system, this light
will
come on when you start
your engine and may stay
on for several
seconds.
That’s normal.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If the light stays on, or comes on when you’re driving,
your vehicle needs service. If the regular brake system
warning light isn’t on, you still have brakes, but you
don’t have anti-lock brakes. If the regular brake system
warning light is also on, you don’t have anti-lock brakes
and there’s a problem with your regular brakes. See
“Brake System Warning Light” earlier
in this section.
The anti-lock brake system warning light should come
on briefly when you turn the ignition key to RUN. If the
light doesn’t come on then, have it fixed
so it will be
ready to warn
you if there is a problem.
Daytime Running Lamps Indicator Light
You may have this light on
the instrument panel. It will
light whenever
the DRL are
on.
It is also a reminder to
turn on your headlamps when driving at night. For
more details about DRL, see
“Headlamps and Vehicle
Lighting” in this section.
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.
(In Canada, OBD IT is replaced by
Enhanced Diagnostics.) 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. This may
prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle. This
system is
also designed to assist your service technician
in correctly diagnosing any malfunction.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If the Light Is Flashing
1 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
l 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.
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. The following
may prevent more serious damage
to
your vehicle:
0 Reducing vehicle speed.
Avoiding hard accelerations.
0 Avoiding steep uphill grades.
0 If you are 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 “If
the Light
Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
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.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
Are you low on fuel?
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 one or more of these conditions,
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.
2-56

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Oil Pressure Gage
The oil pressure gage
shows the engine oil
pressure in psi (pounds
per square inch) when the engine is running. Canadian
vehicles indicate pressure in
kPa (kilopascals).
Oil pressure may vary with engine speed, outside
temperature and oil viscosity, but readings above the
low pressure zone indicate the normal operating range.
A reading in the low pressure zone may be caused by a
dangerously low oil level
or other problem causing low
oil pressure. Check your oil as soon as possible.
Don't keep driving if the oil pressure is low. If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches fire. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil
as soon as possible and have your
vehicle serviced.
I NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and is not covered by
your warranty.
2-57

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.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Listed are four situations you may experience with your
fuel gage:
0
0
0
0
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.
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 engine
gage pointer moves into
the red area your engine is
coolant
temperature.
If the
’% 260
too hot!
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.