CHEVROLET EXPRESS 1998 1.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Engine Cool-nt Heater (If Equipped) To Use the Engine Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine. I
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
The cord for the engine coolant heater is located
on
the driver’s side of the engine compartment and is
attached
to the hose for the power steering reservoir.
In very cold weather,
0°F (- I 8OC) 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.
I
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 1 IO-volt AC outlet.
1 A
CAUTION:
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and 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
your dealer in the area where you’ll be parking your
vehicle. The dealer can give
you the best advice for that
particular area.
Automatic Transmission Operation
There are several different positions for your shift lever.
Your vehicle is equipped with an automatic
transmission, and it features an electronic shift position
indicator within the instrument cluster. This display
must be powered anytime the shift lever is capable of
being moved out of the
PARK (P) position. This means
that
if your key is in the OFF position, but not locked,
there will be a small current drain
on your battery which
could discharge your battery over a period
of time. If
you have a need to leave your key in the ignition in the
OFF position for an extended period for any reason, it is
recommended that
you disconnect the battery cable from
the battery
to prevent discharging your battery.
/DI 3 121 1 vehicle can’t move easily.
PARK (P): This locks your rear wheels. It’s the best
position to
use when you start your engine because your
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine It is 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.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to.
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, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to
PARK (P).
See “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in the Index. If
you’re pulling a trailer, see “Towing a Trailer” in
the Index.
Ensure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P) before
starting the 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. 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I A CAUTION:
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.
DRIVE (D):
This position is for normal driving. If you
need more power for passing, and you’re:
Going less than about 35 mph (55 km/h), push your
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (55 kmh) or more, push the
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
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( 1 ), the transmission
won’t shift into first gear until the vehicle is going
slowly enough.
accelerator
all the way down.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the regular brake pedal
down with your right foot. Push down the parking brake
pedal with your left foot.
If the ignition is on, the brake system warning light will
come
on.
To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down. Pull the handle, located just above the
parking brake pedal, marked
BRAKE RELEASE to
release
the parking brake.
If the ignition is on when the parking brake
is released,
the brake system warning light will
go off.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
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.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) like this: r
0 Pull the lever toward you.
0 Move the lever up as far as it will go.
3. Move the ignition key to LOCK.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
leave
your vehicle with the ignition key in your
hand, your vehicle is
in PARK (P).

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Engine Running
I A CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with the
engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever
is not fully in PARK (P)
with the parking brake firmly set. And, if you
leave the vehicle with the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch fire.
You or others could
be injured. Don’t leave your vehicle with the
engine running unless you have to.
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transmission into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put
too much force on the parking pawl in
the transmission. You may find it difficult to pull the
shift lever out of PARK
(P). This is called “torque lock.”
To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then
shift into
PARK (P) properly before you leave the
driver’s seat.
To find out how, see “Shifting Into
PARK (P)” in the Index.
When you are ready
to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK (P) before you release the parking brake.
If torque
lock does occur, you may need to have another
vehicle push yours
a little uphill to take some of the
pressure from the parking pawl in the transmission,
so
you can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Shifting Out of PARK (P) If you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can’t
shift out of PARK (P), try this:
Your vehicle has a brake-transmission shift interlock
system. You have to fully apply your regular brakes
1.
before you can shift from PARK (P) when the ignition is 2,
in RUN. See “Automatic Transmission” in the Index. 3.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever and push the shift lever all the way up 4.
into PARK (P) as you maintain brake application. Then,
move the shift lever into the gear you want.
5.
Turn the key to OFF.
Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
Start the vehicle and then shift to the drive gear
you want.
Have the brake-transmission shift interlock system
fixed as soon as
you can.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Parking er Things That Bu--I
1
Engine Exhaust
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.
Engine exhaust can kill. It contains the gas
carbon monoxide
(CO), which you can’t see or
smell. It
can cause unconsciousness and death.
You might have exhaust coming
in if:
Your exhaust system sounds strange
Your vehicle gets rusty underneath.
Your vehicle was damaged in a collision.
Your vehicle was damaged when driving over
high points on the road or over road debris.
Repairs weren’t done correctly.
Your vehicle or exhaust system had been
If you ever suspect exhaust is coming into
your vehicle:
Drive it only with all the windows down to
Have your vehicle fixed immediately.
or
different.
modified improperly.
blow out any
CO; and
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