check engine light CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1996 Owners Manual

NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work with the electronics in your
vehicle.
If you add electrical parts or accessories, you could
change the way the fuel injection system operates. Before addin\
g electrical equipment, check with your dealer.
If you don’t, your
engine might not perform properly.
If you ever have to have your vehicle towed, see the part of this
manual that tells how to do it without damaging your vehicle.
See “Towing Your Vehicle” in the Index.
Driving Through Deep Standing Water
NOTICE:
If you drive too quickly through deep puddles or standing water,
water can come in through your engine’s air intake and badl\
y
damage your engine. Never drive through water that is slightly \
lower than the underbody of your vehicle. If you can’t avoid
deep puddles
or standing water, drive through them very slowly.
Driving In Snow (Diesel Engines)
When driving in a heavy snowstorm or in swirling snow with a diesel
engine, snow can get into the air intake system.
If you keep driving in these
conditions the air cleaner may get plugged, causing black smoke and loss
of
power. In an emergency, if the air cleaner gets plugged with snow, you can
remove the air cleaner. Then, drive to
a place of safety as soon as possible
and put
the air cleaner back on.
Starting Your Diesel Engine
Your diesel engine starts differently than a gasoline engine.
1. Move your shift lever to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N). Your engine
won’t start
in any other position - that’s a safety feature. To restart
when you’re already moving, use NEUTRAL
(N) only.
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How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged in? The answer
depends
on the weather, the kind of oil you have, and some other things.
Follow this chart.
Viscosity/
Oil Grade
SAE
low-30
SAE
15W40
32°F to 0°F
(OOC to -18OC)
Not
Required
Not
Required
0°F to -10°F
(-18” c to
-23 O C)
Two
Hours*
Two
Hours*
Below -10°F
Below
-23 O C
Eight Hours*
or Overnight
Eight Hours*
or Overnight
*The times listed are minimum times.
It will not harm either the coolant
heater or
the vehicle to leave the coolant heater plugged in longer than the
times stated.
See “Diesel Fuel Requirements and
Fuel System” in the Index for
information
on what fuel to use in cold weather.
lf 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 IMMEDIATELY
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.
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Tachometer
Your tachometer
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 and Indicators
This part 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 come 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 start the engine 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 this manual’s advice.
Waiting
to do repairs can be costly - and even dangerous. So please get to
know your warning lights and gages. They‘re a big help.
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Water in Fuel Light
WATER
IN
FUEL
This red light will come on to warn you if there is water in the diesel fuel
system. For more information
on how this light works, see “Diesel Fuel
Requirements and Fuel System” in the Index.
Service Throttle Soon Light
SERVICE
THROTTLE
SOON
On diesel engines, a computer monitors the operation of the electronic
accelerator.
As a check to show you it’s working, this orange light comes on
for a few seconds after the ignition is turned on. Normally, it will not come
back on unless the ignition has been off for 30 seconds or more. If the light
does not come on at
all, and the ignition has been off for 30 seconds or
more, have the light fixed right away.
If the light stays on after the engine
starts, or comes on while
you are driving, the computer is indicating that
your vehicle
has a problem. You should take your vehicle in for service
soon.
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Glow Plugs Light
GLOW
PLUGS
If you have a diesel engine, it has a special starting system. An orange
instrument panel Glow Plugs light shows that the system is functioning
properly and tells you when the engine is ready to be started. For more
details, see “Starting Your Diesel Engine”
in the Index.
Low Coolant Warning Light
If you have a diesel engine, you have a low coolant light. As a check to
show you it’s working, this orange light comes on for a few seconds after
the ignition
is turned on. If this light comes on anytime the engine is
running,
your system is low on coolant and the engine may overheat. See
“Engine
Coolant” in the Index and have your vehicle serviced as soon as
you can.
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Charging System Warning Light
The red Charging System Warning light should come on briefly when you
turn on the ignition, before starting the engine, as a check to show you it is
working. After the engine starts, the light should go out. If it stays on or
conles on while you are driving, you may have a problem with your
charging system.
It could indicate a problem with the alternator drive belt,
or some other charging system problem. Have
it checked right away.
Driving while this light is on could drain your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with this light on, it helps to turn off all
your accessories, such
as the radio and air conditioner.
Malfunction indicator (Service Engine Soon) Lamp
A computer monitors the operation of your fuel, ignition and emission
control systems.
This orange light should come on when the ignition is on
but the engine is
not running, as a check to show you it’s working. If it does
not come on at all, have
it fixed right away. If it stays on, 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.
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NOTICE:
If’ you keep driving your vehicle with this light on, after a whi\
le
the emission controls won’t work as well, your
fuel economy
won’t be as
good, and your engine may not run as smoothly.
This could lead to costly repairs not covered by your warranty\
.
Check Gages Light
This orange light will come on briefly when you are starting the engine. If
the light comes on and stays on while you are driving, it could indicate a
problem
with your vehicle. It could be a problem with your oil pressure,
coolant temperature, or some other problem. Check your various gages to
see
if they are in the warning zones. If they are, have your vehicle serviced
right away.
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) Indicator Light
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To help avoid hearing loss or damage:
1. Adjust the volume control to the lowest setting.
2. Increase volume slowly until you hear comfortably and clearly.
NOTICE:
Before you add any sound equipment to your vehicle - like a
tape player, CB radio, mobile telephone or two-way radio - be
sure you can add what you want.
If you can, it’s very important
to do it properly. Added sound equipment may interfere with the
operation of your vehicle’s engine, Delco@ radio or other
systems, and even damage them. And, your vehicle’s systems
may interfere with the operation of sound equipment that has
been added improperly.
So, before adding sound equipment, check with your dealer and
be sure to check Federal rules covering mobile radio and
telephone units.
Care of Your Cassette Player and Tapes
A tape player that is not cleaned regularly is subject to reduced sound
quality, ruining the cassette, or damaging the mechanism. Tape cassettes that
are not properly stored
in their plastic cases away from contaminants, direct
sunlight, and extreme heat may not operate properly and could cause
premature failure
of the tape player.
Your tape player should be cleaned with every
50 hours of use to provide
optimum performance. Your radio may display “Cln” (Clean)
to indicate
that you have used your tape player for 50 hours without re-setting the tape
clean timer. If you notice a reduction
in sound quality, regardless of when
the tape player was last cleaned, try playing a different cassette to see if the
tape or tape player is at fault.
If the second cassette results in no
improvement
in sound quality, try cleaning the tape player.
Proper tape player cleaning should be done with
a scrubbing action,
non-abrasive cleaning cassette. This is a wet-type cleaning system that uses
a cleaning cassette with pads which scrub
the tape head as the hubs of the
cleaner cassette turn. To properly clean your tape player, follow instructions
with the cleaning cassette. If
you use this type of cleaner, the radio may
display an error and eject the cartridge. This
is normal and is the result of an
added feature
in the tape player that detects broken tapes. If an error occurs,
you will need to insert the cleaning cassette at least 3 times to thoroughly
clean the tape player.
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Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re pulling a trailer. See
the Maintenance Schedule for more on this. Things that are especially
important
in trailer operation are automatic transmission fluid (don’t
overfill), engine oil, axle lubricant, belt, cooling system, an\
d brake
adjustment. Each
of these is covered in this manual, and the Index will help
you find them quickly. If you’re trailering, it’s a good idea to review these
sections before you start your trip.
Check periodically to see
that all hitch nuts and bolts are tight.
Trailer Lighting Systems Wiring
See “Trailer Wiring Harness” in the Index.
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Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Turn off all lights that aren’t
needed, and radios. This will avoid sparks and help save both batteries.
And it could
save your radio!
I NOTICE:
If you leave your radio on, it could be badly damaged. The
repairs wouldn’t be covered by your warranty.
Open the hoods and locate the batteries. Find the positive (+) and
negative
(-) terminals on each battery.
Check that the jumper cables don’t have loose or missing insulation. If
they do, you could get a shock. The vehicles could be damaged, too.
Before
you connect the cables, here are some basic things you should
know. Positive
(+) will go to positive (+) and negative (-) will go to
negative (-) or a metal engine part. Don’t connect (+) to (-) or you’ll
get a short that would damage the battery and maybe other parts, too.
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