ignition CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1994 User Guide

If Your Diesel Engine Won’t Start
If you’ve run out of fuel, look at “Running Out of Fuel” (see “Diesel Fuel
Requirements and Fuel System” in the Index).
If you’re not out of fuel, and your engine won’t start, do this:
Turn your ignition key to RUN. Make sure that the “GLOW PLUGS” light
is out. Then turn the ignition key to
START.
If the light doesn’t go off, wait a few seconds, then try starting your engine
again. And, see your dealer as soon as you can for a starting system check.
If the light comes on and then goes off and you know your batteries are
charged, but your engine still won’t start, your vehicle needs service.
If the light does not come
on when the engine is cold, your vehicle needs
service.
If your batteries don’t have enough charge to start your engine, see
“Battery” in the Index.
Be sure you have the right oil for your engine, and that you’ve changed the
oil at the proper times. If you use the wrong oil, your engine may be harder
to start.
If the engine starts, runs a short time, then stops, your vehicle needs service.
Engine Coolant Heater (Engine Block Heater)
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I NOTICE:
If you skip more than one gear when you downshift, or if you
race the engine when you downshift, you can damage the engine,\

clutch
or transmission.
Locking Rear Axle
If you have this feature, your rear axle can give you additional traction on
snow, mud, ice, sand or gravel. It works like a standard axle most of the
time, but when one
of the rear wheels has no traction and the other does, the
locking feature will allow the wheel with traction to move the vehicle.
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.
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To release the parking brake:
Hold the regular brake
pedal down. Pull the
lever, located just
above the parking
brake pedal, marked
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.
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.
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.
Torque Lock
The parking brake should be set first whenever you leave the driver’s seat.
If you are parked on a hill and the transmission is placed in “P’ (Park)
before the parking brake is set, the weight
of the vehicle may put too much
force on the parking pawl in the transmission. It may be difficult to pull the
selector lever out
of “P” (Park). This is called “torque lock.” To prevent this,
the parking brake should be set
BEFORE moving the gear selector to “P”
(Park).
When preparing to move a vehicle parked on a hill, the selector lever should
be moved out
of “P” (Park) BEFORE releasing the parking brake. Even
when on level surfaces, its a good idea to set the parking brake first before
shifting the transmission from
“P” (Park).
If torque lock does occur, you may have to have another vehicle nudge your
vehicle uphill a
little to take some of the pressure off the transmission while
you pull the selector lever
out of “P’ (Park).
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Shifting Into “P” (Park)
(Automatic Transmission Models Only)
Steering Column Shift Lever
1. Hold the brake
pedal down with
your right
foot
and set the
parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever into “P” (Park) position like this:
0 Pull the lever toward you.
0 Move the lever up as far as it will go.
3. If you have four-wheel drive, be sure the transfer case is in a drive gear
- not in “N’ (Neutral)
4. Move the ignition key to LOCK.
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5. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can walk away from your
vehicle with the ignition key in
your hand, your vehicle is in “P”
(Park).
If
you have to leave your vehicle with the engine running, be sure your
vehicle
is in “P’ (Park) and your parking brake is firmly set before you
leave it. If
you have four-wheel drive with a manual transfer case shift
lever, be sure that
the transfer case is in a drive gear - not in “N” (Neutral).
After
you’ve moved the shift lever into the “P” (Park) position, hold the
regular brake pedal down. Then, see if
you can move the shift lever away
from “P” (Park) without first pulling it toward you. If
you can, it means that
the shift lever wasn’t fully locked into
“I?” (Park).
Torque Lock (Automatic Transmission)
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your transmission into “P”
(Park) 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 “P” (Park). This is called “torque lock.’’ To prevent torque lock,
set the parking brake and then shift into
“P’ (Park) properly before you
leave the driver’s seat. To find out how, see “Shifting Into ‘P’ (Park)” in the
Index.
When
you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of “P” (Park)
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 transmission, so
you can pull the shift lever out of “F”’ (Park).
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Windows
To open your manual
windows, turn the
hand crank
on each
door to raise or lower
your side door
windows.
If you have the
optional power
windows, the controls
are on each
of the side
doors.
The driver’s door has a switch for the passenger windows
as well. Your
power windows will work when the ignition has been turned to ACC or
RUN.
Push the rear of the switch with the power window symbol on it to lower the
window.
Push the front
of the switch with the power window symbol on it to raise the
window.
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Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your Cruise Control will work on hills depends upon your speed,
load, and the steepness of the hills. When going up steep hills, you may
have to step on the accelerator pedal to maintain your speed. When going
downhill, you may have to brake or shift to a lower gear to keep your speed
down. Of course, applying the brake takes you out
of Cruise Control. Many
drivers find this to be too much trouble and don't use Cruise Control on
steep hills.
To Get Out of Cruise Control
There are two ways to turn off the Cruise Control:
0 Step lightly on
the brake pedal or
push the clutch
pedal, if you have
a manual
transmission
OR;
0 move the Cruise switch to
OFF.
To Erase 5peed Memory
When you turn off the Cruise Control or the ignition, your Cruise Control
set speed memory
is erased.
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Headlights-On Reminder
A buzzer will sound when your headlights are turned on and your ignition is
in
OFF, LOCK or ACC. If you need to use your headlights when the
ignition switch is in
OFF, LOCK or ACC, the buzzer can be turned off by
turning the interior light switch dial all the way off.
Daytime Running Lights (DRL) Indicator Light
(Canada
Only)
If your vehicle was
first sold, when new,
~ in Canada, you will
have this light on the instrument panel.
It goes on whenever
the Daytime Running
Lights are
on.
Daytime Running Lights (Canada Only)
The Canadian Federal Government has decided that “Daytime Running \
Lights” (DRL) are a useful feature, in that DRL can make your vehicle more
visible
to pedestrians and other drivers during daylight hours. DRL are
required
on new vehicles sold in Canada.
The high beam headlights will come
on at reduced brightness in daylight
when:
The ignition is on
The headlight switch is off, and
The parking brake is released.
When
you turn on your headlights, the DRL will switch off and the exterior
lights will come on. When
you turn off the headlights, the exterior lights
will go out and
the high beams will change to the reduced brightness of
DRL again. The DRL indicator light on the instrument panel will go on
whenever the DRL are
on. This light means that only the DRL are on. When
you turn on your exterior lights, this light will go out.
Of course, you may still turn on the headlights any time you need to.
To idle your vehicle with the DRL off, set the parking brake. The DRL will
stay
off until you release the parking brake.
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Tachometer
4
If you have a
tachometer,
it displays
the engine speed in
revolutions per minute
(rpm).
I NOTICE:
Do not operate the engine with the tachometer in the red area,
your engine
or other parts could be damaged.
Damage to your engine
or vehicle caused by operating the
engine in the red area isn't covered by your vehicle warranty.\

Warning Lights andl Indicators
This section 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
go 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 turn the ignition key
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 the manual's advice.
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Service Throttle Soon Light
The orange Service
Throttle Soon light,
if
you have one, is
located near the
middle left edge
of the
instrument cluster
On diesel engines, a computer monitors the operation of the electronic
accelerator. This light should come
on when the ignition is on but the engine
is not running, as a check to show you its working. If it does not come on at
all, have it fixed right away.
If the light stays on after the engine starts or
comes on while you are driving, the computer is indicating that you have a
problem. You should take your vehicle in for service soon.
Glow Plugs Light
The orange Glow
Plugs light, if you
have
one, is located
near the upper right
corner
of the
instrument cluster.
If you have a diesel engine, it has a special starting system. An instrument
panel Glow Plugs light tells you when
the engine is ready to be started. For
more details, see “Starting Your Diesel Engine” in the Index.
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