brakes CHEVROLET EXPRESS 1997 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
BURNS
SPARK
OR ,\I/,
COULD FLAME
EXPLODE BATTERY
These symbols are important
for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle is
driven:
UNLOCK Pa
FASTEN
SEAT
BELTS
These symbols
have to do with
your lamps:
SIGNALS e
TURN
RUNNING
* 0
DAYTIME . a
LAMPS .
FOG LAMPS # 0
These symbols
are on some
of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
WIPER
WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER
VENTILATING FAN
These symbols
are used on
warning and
indicator lights:
COOLANT -
TEMP -
CHARGING BATTERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE
(a)
COOLANT a
ENGINE OIL e,
PRESSURE
ANTI-LOCK
(@)
BRAKES
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
P
LIGHTER -
HORN )tr
SPEAKER
b
FUEL m

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your vehicle has a brake-transmission shift interlock.
With the ignition
in the RUN position, you must fully
apply your regular brakes before
you can shift from
PARK (P).
If you cannot shift out
of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever and push the shift lever all the way into
PARK (P) as
you continue pressing the brake pedal.
Then move the shift lever into the gear you want.
If you
still cannot shift the shift lever
out of PARK (P), see
“Shifting Out of PARK (P)” later in this section.
REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.
NOTICE:
Shifting into REVERSE (R) while your vehicle is
moving forward could damage your transmission.
Shift to REVERSE
(R) only after your vehicle
is stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice or sand without damaging your transmission, see
“Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice
or Snow” in the Index.
NEUTRAL (N): In this position, your engine
doesn’t connect with the wheels.
To restart when you’re
already moving, use NEUTRAL
(N) only. Also, use
NEUTRAL (N) when your vehicle is being towed.
L
Shifting out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N)
while your engine is “racing” (running at high
speed) is dangerous. Unless your foot is firmly
on the brake pedal, your vehicle could move
very rapidly.
You could lose control and hit
people
or objects. Don’t shift out of PARK (P) or
NEUTRAL
(N) while your engine is racing.
NOTICE:
Damage to your transmission caused by shifting
out of PARK
(P) or NEUTRAL (N) with the
engine racing isn’t covered
by your warranty.

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 kmh) or more, push the
You’ll shift down to the next gear and have more power.
accelerator all
the way down.
You should
use DRIVE (D) (or, as you need to, a lower
gear) when towing a trailer to 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 (2). 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.
2-22

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If the ignition is on when the parking brake is released,
the brake system warning light will go off.
NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can
cause your rear brakes
to overheat. You may
have to replace them, and you could also damage
other parts of your vehicle. Always check to be
sure your parking brake is fully released before
you drive.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any hill,
see “Towing a Trailer’’
in the Index. That section shows
what
to do first to keep the trailer from moving.
Shifting Into PARK (P)
I
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
If you have left the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others could be
injured.
To be sure your vehicle won’t move, even
when you’re on fairly level ground, use the steps
that follow. If you’re pulling
a trailer, see
“Towing a Trailer” in
the Index.
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.
2-24

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Shifting Out of PARK (P)
Your vehicle has a brake-transmission shift interlock
system. You have to fully apply your regular brakes
before you can shift from PARK
(P) when the ignition
is in RUN.
See “Automatic Transmission” in the Index.
If you cannot shift out of PARK
(P), ease pressure on
the shift lever and push the shift lever all the way up
into PARK (P) as
you maintain brake application.
Then, move the shift lever into the gear
you want.
If you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can’t
shift out
of PARK (P), try this:
1. Turn the key to OFF.
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
3. Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the vehicle and then shift to the drive gear
you want.
5. Have the brake-transmission shift interlock system
fixed as soon as
you can.
Parking Over Things That Burn
a CAUTIO, i: I
.
Things that can burn could touch hot exhaust
parts under your vehicle and ignite. Don’t park
over papers, leaves, dry grass or other things that
can burn.
2-27

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Cruise Control (Option)
With cruise control, you can maintain a speed of about
25 mph (40 km/h) 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
(40km/h).
When you apply your brakes,
the cruise control
shuts
off.
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.
Cruise control can be dangerous on
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.
Setting Cruise Control
I
I a CA JTION:
If you leave your cruise control switch on
when you’re not using cruise, you might hit a
button and go into cruise when you don’t want
to.
You could be startled and even lose control.
Keep the cruise control switch
OFF until you
want to use it.
1. Move the cruise control switch to ON.
2. Get up to the speed you want.
3. Press in the SET button
at the end
of the lever
and release
it.
4. Take your foot off the
accelerator pedal.

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 Control of a Vehicle Braking
You have three systems that make your vehicle go where
you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering and
the accelerator. All three systems have to do their work
at the places where the tires meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you’re driving on snow or ice, it’s
easy
to ask more of those control systems than the tires
and road can provide. That means you can lose control
of your vehicle. Ekaking
action involves
perception time and
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That’s
perception time. Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That’s
reaction time.
Average reaction time is about 314 of a second. But
that’s only an average. It might be less with one driver
and as long as two
or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination
and eyesight all play a part.
So do alcohol, drugs and
frustration. But even in
3/4 of a second, a vehicle
moving at
60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m).
That could be a lot
of distance in an emergency, so
keeping enough space between your vehicle and others
is important.
And,
of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road (whether it’s pavement or
gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; the condition of your brakes; the weight
of the
vehicle and
the amount of brake force applied.
4-6

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts -- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
-- rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is a
mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool between
hard stops. Your brakes will wear
out much faster if you
do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace with the
traffic and allow realistic following distances, you
will
eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking. That means
better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you’re driving, brake
normally but don’t pump your brakes. If you do, the
pedal may get harder
to push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But
you will use it when you brake. Once the power assist is
used up, it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder to push.
Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
When
you start your engine and begin to drive away,
your anti-lock brake system will check itself. You may
hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while this test
is going on. This is normal.
ANTI -
LOCK
If there’s a problem with the
anti-lock brake system, this
warning light will stay
on.
See “Anti-Lock Brake
System Warning Light” in
the Index.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Here’s how anti-lock works. Let’s say the road is wet.
You’re driving safely. Suddenly an animal jumps out
in
front of you.
You slam
on the brakes. Here’s what happens with ABS.
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If one
of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer will
separately work the brakes at each front wheel and at the
rear wheels. The anti-lock system
can change the brake pressure faster
than any driver
could. The computer is programmed to
make the most of available tire and road conditions.
You can steer around the obstacle while braking hard.
As you brake, your c6mputer keeps receiving updates on
wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly.
4-8