CHEVROLET EXPRESS 1998 1.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Citv Driving One of the biggest problems with city streets is the
amount of traffic on them. You’ll want
to watch out for
what the other drivers are doing and pay attention to
traffic signals.
Here are ways to increase your safety in city driving:
0 Know the best way to get to where you are going. Get
a city map and plan your
trip into an unknown part of
the city just as you would for a cross-country hip.
0 Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most
large cities. You’ll save time and energy. (See the
next part, “Freeway Driving.”)
0 Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic light is
there because the corner is busy enough to need it. When a light
turns green, and just before you start to
move, check both ways for vehicles that have not
cleared the intersection
or may be running the red light.
4-18

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Freeway Driving
Mile for mile, freeways (also called thruways, parkways,
expressways, turnpikes or superhighways) are the safest
of all roads. But they have their own special rules.
The most important advice on freeway driving is: Keep
up with traffic and keep to
the right. Drive at the same
speed most
of the other drivers are driving. Too-fast or
too-slow driving breaks
a smooth traffic flow. Treat the
left lane on a freeway as a passing lane. At
the entrance, there is usually a ramp that leads to the
freeway. If you have
a clear view of the freeway as you
drive along the entrance ramp,
you should begin to
check traffic. Try to determine where you expect to
blend with the flow. Try to merge into the gap at close to
the prevailing speed. Switch on your turn signal, check
your mirrors and glance over your shoulder
as often as
necessary. Try to blend smoothly with the traffic flow.
Once
you are on the freeway, adjust your speed to the
posted limit or to the prevailing rate if it’s slower. Stay
in the right lane unless you want to
pass.
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then use
your turn signal.
Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your
shoulder to make sure there isn’t another vehicle in your
“blind” spot.
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.
4-19

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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
dealerships 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
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

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as “highway hypnosis”?
Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel? Call it
highway hypnosis, lack
of awareness, or whatever.
There is something about
an easy stretch of road with the
same scenery, along with the hum
of the tires on the road,
the drone of the engine, and the rush of the wind against
the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Don’t let it happen
to you! If it does, your vehicle can leave the road in
less
than a second, and you could crash and be injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be
aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:
0
0
0
Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and
to the sides. Check your mirrors and your
instruments frequently.
If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest, service
or parking area and take a nap, get some exercise, or
both. For safety, treat drowsiness on the highway as
an emergency.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving in flat or rolling terrain.
4-21

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you’re
planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable.
1 .) 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.
0 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.
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. 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
1 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.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your vehicle in good shape for winter. Include
an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a supply
of windshield washer fluid, a rag, some winter outer
clothing,
a small shovel, a flashlight, a red cloth and
reflective warning triangles. And,
if you will be driving
under severe conditions, include a small bag
of sand, a
piece of old carpet or a couple of burlap bags
to help
provide traction. Be sure you properly secure these
items in your vehicle.
Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your tires meet the
road probably have good traction.
However, if there
is snow or ice between your tires and
the road,
you can have a very slippery situation. You’ll
have a
lot less traction or “grip” and will need to be
very careful.
0 You may want to put winter emergency supplies in
your vehicle.
4-23

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine What’s the worst time for this? “Wet ice.” Very cold
snow or ice can be slick and hard to drive on. But wet
ice can be even more trouble because it
may offer the
least traction of all. You can get wet ice when it’s about
freezing
(32°F; OOC) and freezing rain begins to fall.
Try to avoid driving on wet ice until salt
and sand crews
can get there. Whatever
the condition
-- smooth ice, packed, blowing
or loose snow -- drive with caution.
Accelerate gently. Try not to break the fragile traction.
If
you accelerate too fast, the drive wheels will spin and
polish the surface under the tires even more.
Your anti-lock brakes improve your vehicle’s stability
when you make a hard stop on a slippery road. Even
though you
have an anti-lock braking system, you’ll
want to begin stopping sooner
than you would on dry
pavement. See “Anti-Lock” in the Index.
Allow greater following distance on any
slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be fine
until you
hit a spot that’s covered with ice. On an
otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in
shaded areas where the
sun can’t reach: around
clumps of trees, behind buildings or under bridges.
Sometimes the surface
of a curve or an overpass may
remain
icy when the surrounding roads are clear. If
you see a patch of ice ahead of you, brake before you
are on it. Try not to brake while you’re actually on
the ice, and avoid sudden steering maneuvers.
4-24

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If You’re Caught in a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a
serious situation. You should probably stay with your
vehicle unless you know for sure that you are near help
and you can hike through the snow. Here are some
things to do to summon help and keep yourself and your
passengers safe:
Turn on your hazard flashers.
0 Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you’ve been stopped by the snow.
0 Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you.
If you have no blankets or extra clothing, make body
insulators from newspapers, burlap bags, rags, floor
mats
-- anything you can wrap around yourself or
tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
You can
run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
4-25

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine ’ A CAUTION:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle.
This can cause deadly
CO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get inside.
CO could overcome you and kill
you. You can’t see
it or smell it, so you might not
know it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle, especially any
that is blocking your exhaust pipe. And check
around again from time to time to be sure snow
doesn’t collect there.
Open
a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that’s away from the wind. This will help
keep
CO out.
Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When
you run the engine, make it go a little faster
than just idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly. This
uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the
battery (or batteries) charged. You will need a
well-charged battery (or batteries)
to restart the vehicle,
and possibly for signaling later on with your headlamps.
Let the heater run for a while.
If you have a diesel engine,
you may have to run it at a
higher speed to get enough heat. Then, shut the engine
off and close the window almost all the way to preserve
the heat. Start the engine again and repeat this only
when
you feel really uncomfortable from the cold. But
do it as little
as possible. Preserve the fuel as long as you
can. To help keep warm, you can get out of the vehicle
and
do some fairly vigorous exercises every half hour or
so until help comes.
4-26

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Loading Your Vehicle
COLD TIRE PRESSURE
The Certificationrnire label is found on the rear edge of
the driver's door. The label shows the size
of your
original tires and the inflation pressures needed to obtain
the gross weight capacity of your vehicle. This is called
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating). The GVWR
includes the weight of the vehicle, all occupants, fuel
and cargo. The
Certificatioflire label also tells you the maximum
weights for the front and rear axles, called
Gross Axle
Weight Rating (GAWR).
To find out the actual loads on
your front and rear axles, you need to go to a weigh
station and weigh your vehicle. Your dealer can help
you with
this. Be sure to spread out your load equally on
both sides of the centerline.
Never exceed the GVWR for your vehicle, or the
GAWR
for either the front or rear axle.
And, if you do have a heavy load, you should spread
it out.
I
I
A QUI 0 :
Do not load your vehicle any heavier than the
GVWR, or either the maximum front or rear
GAWR. If you do, parts on your vehicle can break,
or
it can change the way your vehicle handles.
These could cause you to lose control.
Also,
overloading can shorten the life of your vehicle.
4-27