radio controls CHEVROLET EXPRESS 1999 Owners Manual

2-43 Center High-Mounted Stoplamp
Your vehicle's center high-mounted stoplamp is located
above the rear doors at the center of the vehicle.
If items are loaded on the roof of the vehicle, as in a
luggage carrier, care should be taken not to block or
damage the center high
-mounted stoplamp unit.
Interior Lamps
Instrument Panel Brightness Control
This feature controls the brightness of the instrument
panel lights.
The thumbwheel for this feature is located to the right
of the exterior lamps control.
Turn the thumbwheel up to brighten the lights. When the
thumbwheel is moved to the first position, the radio
display and transmission selection display will go to full
intensity. The instrument panel cluster will be dimly lit.
Moving the thumbwheel up to the next position will
activate the interior dome lamps

3-
3-1
Section 3 Comfort Controls and Audio Systems
In this section, you'll find out how to operate the comfort control and audio systems offered with your vehicle.
Be sure to read about the particular systems supplied with your vehicle.
3
-2 Comfort Controls
3
-7 Air Conditioning
3
-7 Heating
3
-7 Defrosting
3
-8 Rear Window Defogger (If Equipped)
3
-9 Ventilation System
3
-10 Audio Systems
3
-10 Setting the Clock for Systems without Radio
Data System
3
-11 Setting the Clock for Systems with Radio
Data System
3
-11 AM-FM Stereo
3
-14 AM-FM Stereo with Cassette Tape Player
(If Equipped)
3
-20 AM-FM Stereo with Compact Disc Player
(If Equipped)3
-24 AM-FM Stereo with Cassette Tape and
Compact Disc Player with Radio Data System
(RDS) and Automatic Tone Control
(If Equipped)
3
-35 AM-FM Stereo with 6-Disc Compact Disc
Player with Programmable Equalization and
Radio Data System (RDS) (If Equipped)
3
-46 Theft-Deterrent Feature RDS Radios
(If Equipped)
3
-46 Theft-Deterrent Feature Non-RDS Radios
(If Equipped)
3
-47 Understanding Radio Reception
3
-47 Tips About Your Audio System
3
-48 Care of Your Cassette Tape Player
3
-50 Care of Your Compact Discs
3
-50 Care of Your Compact Disc Player
3
-50 Fixed Mast Antenna
3
-50 Chime Level Adjustment (RDS Radios Only)

3-10 Ventilation Tips

Keep the hood and front air inlet free of ice, snow, or
any other obstruction (such as leaves). The heater
and defroster will work far better, reducing the
chance of fogging the inside of your windows.

When you enter a vehicle in cold weather, turn the
fan to HI for a few moments before driving off. This
helps clear the intake ducts of snow and moisture,
and reduces the chance of fogging the inside of
your windows.

Keep the air path under the front seats clear of
objects. This helps air to circulate throughout
your vehicle.
Your vehicle has air vents in the center and on the sides
of your instrument panel.
You can move the vents from side to side or up and
down to direct the flow of air, or close the vents
altogether. When you close a vent, it will increase the
flow of air coming out of any vents that are open.
Audio Systems
Your audio system has been designed to operate easily
and give years of listening pleasure. You will get the
most enjoyment out of it if you acquaint yourself with it
first. Find out what your audio system can do and how
to operate all of its controls to be sure you're getting the
most out of the advanced engineering that went into it.
Setting the Clock for Systems without Radio
Data System
Press and hold the HR or MIN arrow for two seconds.
Then press the HR (down) arrow until the correct hour
appears. Press and hold the MIN (up) arrow until the
correct minute appears. The clock may be set with the
ignition on or off.

3-14
To adjust balance or fade to the middle position, select
BAL or FAD. Then press and hold AUDIO for more
than two seconds until you hear a beep. L and a zero or
F and a zero will appear on the display. To adjust both
tone controls and both speaker controls to the middle
position, end out of audio mode by pressing the AUDIO
button until the display goes blank. Then press and hold
AUDIO for more than two seconds until you hear a
beep. CEN will appear on the display.
Radio Messages
CAL (Calibrated): Your audio system has been
calibrated for your vehicle from the factory. If CAL
appears on the display it means that your radio has not
been configured properly for your vehicle and must be
returned to the dealership for service.
LOC (Locked): This message is displayed when the
Theftlock

system has locked up. Your vehicle must
be returned to the dealership for service.
AM FM Stereo with Cassette Tape Player
(If Equipped)
Playing the Radio
PWR (Power): Press this knob to turn the system on
and off.
VOL (Volume): Turn this knob clockwise to increase
volume. Turn it counterclockwise to decrease volume.
RCL (Recall): Pressing this knob will display the
station being played or it will display the clock. Clock
display is available with the ignition turned off.

3-17
To adjust balance or fade to the middle position, select
BAL or FAD. Then press and hold AUDIO for more
than two seconds until you hear a beep. L and a zero or
F and a zero will appear on the display. To adjust both
tone controls and both speaker controls to the middle
position, end out of audio mode by pressing the AUDIO
button until the display goes blank. Then press and hold
AUDIO for more than two seconds until you hear a
beep. CEN will appear on the display.
Radio Messages
CAL (Calibration): Your audio system has been
calibrated for your vehicle from the factory. If CAL
appears on the display it means that your radio has not
been configured properly for your vehicle and must be
returned to the dealership for service.
LOC (Locked): This message is displayed when the
Theftlock

system has locked up. Your vehicle must be
returned to the dealership for service.Playing a Cassette Tape
Your tape player is built to work best with tapes that are
up to 30 to 45 minutes long on each side. Tapes longer
than that are so thin they may not work well in this
player. The longer side with the tape visible should face
to the right. If the ignition is on, but the radio is off, the
tape can be inserted and will begin playing. If you hear
nothing but a garbled sound, the tape may not be in
squarely. Press the eject button to remove the tape and
start over.
While the tape is playing, use the VOL, AUDIO and
SEEK controls just as you do for the radio. The radio
will display UP if the top side of the tape is playing.
DN (Down) will appear if the bottom side is playing.
If you want to insert a tape when the ignition is off,
first press the eject button or the RCL knob.
If an error appears on the display, see ªCassette Tape
Messagesº later in this section.

3-18
1 PREV (Previous): Press this pushbutton to go to the
previous selection on the tape if the selection has been
playing for less than 3 seconds. If this pushbutton is
pressed and the current selection has been playing for
more than 13 seconds, it will go to the beginning of the
current selection. If this pushbutton is pressed and the
current selection has been playing from 3 to 13 seconds,
it will go to the beginning of the previous selection or
the beginning of the current selection, depending on the
position on the tape. A negative number will appear on
the display while the cassette player is in previous mode
indicating the number of selections of the tape that the
radio will search back. Pressing this pushbutton multiple
times in the previous mode will increase the number
of selections. Pressing the NEXT pushbutton will
cancel the selections. Your tape must have at least
three seconds of silence between each selection for
previous to work. The sound will mute while seeking.
2 NEXT: Press this pushbutton to go to the next
selection on the tape. A positive number will appear on
the display while the cassette player is in next mode
indicating the number of selections of the tape that the
radio will search forward. Pressing this pushbutton
multiple times in the next mode will increase the
number of selections. Pressing the PREV pushbuttonwill cancel the selections. Your tape must have at least
three seconds of silence between each selection for next
to work. The sound will mute while seeking.
3 REV (Reverse): Press this pushbutton to reverse the
tape rapidly. FR will appear on the display. Press it again
to return to playing the tape. The radio will play the last
selected station while the tape reverses. You may select
stations during reverse operation by using the TUNE
or SEEK controls or by using the scan or preset
scan features.
4 FWD (Forward): Press this pushbutton to advance
quickly to another part of the tape. FF will appear on the
display. Press this pushbutton again to return to playing
the tape. The radio will play the last selected station
while the tape advances. You may select stations during
forward operation by using the TUNE or SEEK controls
or by using the scan or preset scan features.
SEEK SEEK : The right arrow is the same as the
NEXT pushbutton, and the left arrow is the same as the
PREV pushbutton. If the arrows are held or pressed
more than once, the player will continue moving
forward or backward through the tape.
5 SIDE: Press this pushbutton to play the other side of
the tape.

3-21
Setting Preset Stations
The six numbered pushbuttons let you return to
your favorite stations. You can set up to 18 stations
(six AM, six FM1 and six FM2) by performing the
following steps:
1. Turn the radio on.
2. Press AM FM to select the band.
3. Tune in the desired station.
4. Press and hold one of the six numbered pushbuttons
until you hear a beep. Whenever you press that
numbered pushbutton, the station you set will return.
5. Repeat the steps for each pushbutton.
Setting the Tone (Bass/Treble)
AUDIO: To adjust the bass, press and release AUDIO
until BAS appears on the display. Then press and hold
the up arrow to increase bass. B and a positive number
will appear on the display. Press and hold the down
arrow to decrease bass. B and a negative number will
appear on the display. B and a zero will appear on the
display when the bass level is adjusted to the middle
position. Release the up or down arrow when you find
the bass level you want or when the maximum or
minimum level is reached.To adjust the treble, press and release AUDIO until TRE
appears on the display. Then press and hold the up arrow
to increase treble. T and a positive number will appear
on the display. Press and hold the down arrow to
decrease treble. T and a negative number will appear on
the display. T and a zero will appear on the display when
the treble level is adjusted to the middle position.
Release the up or down arrow when you find the treble
level you want or when the maximum or minimum level
is reached. If a station is weak or noisy, you may want to
decrease the treble.
To adjust bass or treble to the middle position, select
BAS or TRE. Then press and hold AUDIO for more
than two seconds until you hear a beep. B and a zero or
T and a zero will appear on the display. To adjust both
tone controls and both speaker controls to the middle
position, end out of audio mode by pressing the AUDIO
button until the display goes blank. Then press and hold
AUDIO for more than two seconds until you hear a
beep. CEN will appear on the display.

3-22
Adjusting the Speakers (Balance/Fade)
AUDIO: To adjust the balance between the right and
left speakers, press and release AUDIO until BAL
appears on the display. Then press and hold the up arrow
to move the sound to the right speakers or the down
arrow to move the sound to the left speakers. R and a
number will appear on the display when the sound is
balanced toward the right speakers. L and a number
will appear on the display when the sound is balanced
toward the left speakers. L and a zero will appear on
the display when the sound is balanced between the
speakers. Release the up or down arrow when you find
the speaker balance you want or when the maximum or
minimum level is reached.
To adjust the fade between the front and rear speakers,
press and release AUDIO until FAD appears on the
display. Then press and hold the up arrow to move the
sound to the front speakers or the down arrow to move
the sound to the rear speakers. F and a number will
appear on the display when the sound is balanced
toward the front speakers. R and a number will appear
on the display when the sound is balanced toward the
rear speakers. F and a zero will appear on the display
when the sound is balanced between the speakers.
Release the up or down arrow when you find the speaker
balance you want or when the maximum or minimum
level is reached.To adjust balance or fade to the middle position, select
BAL or FAD. Then press and hold AUDIO for more
than two seconds until you hear a beep. L and a zero or
F and a zero will appear on the display. To adjust both
tone controls and both speaker controls to the middle
position, end out of audio mode by pressing the AUDIO
button until the display goes blank. Then press and hold
AUDIO for more than two seconds until you hear a
beep. CEN will appear on the display.
Radio Messages
CAL (Calibrated): Your audio system has been
calibrated for your vehicle from the factory. If CAL
appears on the display it means that your radio has not
been configured properly for your vehicle and must be
returned to the dealership for service.
LOC (Locked): This message is displayed when the
Theftlock

system has locked up. Your vehicle must be
returned to the dealership for service.
Playing a Compact Disc
Insert a disc partway into the slot, label side up. The player
will pull it in. The disc should begin playing. The display
will show CD. If you want to insert a compact disc with
the ignition off, first press RCL or the eject button.
If an error appears on the display, see ªCompact Disc
Messagesº later in this section.

3-26
Setting Preset Stations
The six numbered pushbuttons let you return to
your favorite stations. You can set up to 18 stations
(six AM, six FM1 and six FM2) by performing the
following steps:
1. Turn the radio on.
2. Press AM FM to select the band.
3. Tune in the desired station.
4. Press AUTO TONE to choose the bass and treble
equalization that best suits the type of station you
are listening to.
5. Press and hold one of the six numbered pushbuttons.
The radio will produce one beep. Whenever you
press that numbered pushbutton, the station you set
will return and the bass and treble equalization that
you selected will also be automatically selected for
that pushbutton.
6. Repeat the steps for each pushbutton.Setting the Tone (Bass/Treble)
AUDIO: Press and release the AUDIO knob until
BASS or TREB appears on the display. Turn the knob
clockwise or counterclockwise to increase or decrease.
The display will show the bass or treble level. If a
station is weak or noisy, you may want to decrease
the treble.
To adjust the bass and treble to the middle position, push
and hold the AUDIO knob. The radio will produce one
beep and adjust the display level to the middle position.
To adjust all tone and speaker controls to the middle
position, push and hold the AUDIO knob when no tone
or speaker control is displayed. The radio will produce
one beep and display ALL with the level display in the
middle position.
AUTO TONE: This feature allows you to choose
bass and treble equalization settings designed for
country/western, jazz, talk, pop, rock and
classical stations.
Each time you press the AUTO TONE button, this
feature will switch to one of these program types.

3-27
To return the bass and treble to the manual mode,
press and release the AUDIO knob.
If your vehicle has the Bose radio, your audio system
allows you to choose from four different equalization
settings: talk, driver, normal and spatial. These settings
can be used while listening to the radio or the CD player.
Press the AUTO TONE button to select your choice.
TALK: This setting makes spoken words sound very
clear. When listening to non
-musical material such as
news, talk shows, sports broadcasts and books on tape.
DRIVER: This setting gives the driver the best
sound quality.
NORMAL: This setting enhances the stereo effects.
SPATIAL: This setting makes the listening space
seem larger.
The radio saves separate AUTO TONE settings for each
preset and source.Adjusting the Speakers (Balance/Fade)
AUDIO: To adjust the balance to the right and left
speakers, push and release the AUDIO knob until BAL
appears on the display. Turn the knob clockwise to move
the sound to the right speakers and counterclockwise to
move the sound to the left speakers.
To adjust the fade to the front and rear speakers, push
and release the AUDIO knob until FADE appears on the
display. Turn the knob clockwise to move the sound to
the front speakers and counterclockwise to move the
sound to the rear speakers.
To adjust the balance and fade to the middle position,
push the AUDIO knob then push it again and hold it
until the radio produces one beep. The balance and fade
will be adjusted to the middle position and the display
will show the speaker balance.
To adjust all tone and speaker controls to the middle
position, push and hold the AUDIO knob when no tone
or speaker control is displayed. The radio will produce
one beep and display ALL with the level display in the
middle position.