1994 CHEVROLET ASTRO PASSENGER steering wheel

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine An emergency like this requires close attention and a quick decision. If you
are holding the steering wheel at the recommended
9 and 3 o’clock
positions, you can turn it a full
180 degrees very quickly without removing
either hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and just as quickly
straighten the wheel once you have avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency situations are always possible is a good reason
to practice defensive driving at all times and wear safety belts properly.
Off-Road Recovery
You may find sometime that your right wheels have dropped off the edge of
a road onto the shoulder while you’re driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the pavement, recovery
should be fairly easy. Ease
off the accelerator and then, if there is nothing in
the way, steer
so that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement. You
can turn the steering wheel up to
1/4 turn until the right front tire contacts the
pavement edge. Then
turn your steering wheel to go straight down the
roadway.
I 1. Edge of Road
Surface
2. Slow Down
3. Left Approx. Quarter
Turn
4. Recover
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine right lane. (Remember that your right outside mirror is convex\
. The vehicle you just passed may seem to be farther away from you than
it
really is.)
Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on two-lane roads.
Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.
Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly. Even though the
brake lights are not flashing, it may be slowing down or starting to turn.
If you’re being passed, make it easy for the following driver to get
ahead of you. Perhaps you can ease a little to the right.
Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what happens when the three
control systems (brakes, steering and acceleration) don’t have enough
friction where the tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep
trying to steer and const tly seek an
escape route or area of less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle. Defensive drivers avoid
most skids by taking reasonable care suited to existing conditions, and by
not “overdriving” those conditions. But skids are always possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your Vehicle’s three control systems.
In the braking skid your wheels aren’t rolling. In the steering or cornering
skid, too much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and lose
cornering force. And in the acceleration skid too much throttle causes the
driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best handled by easing your
foot off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the accelerator pedal and
quickly steer the
way you want the vehicle to go. If you start steering
quickly enough, your vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction
is reduced when water, snow, ice, gravel, or other
material is on the road. For safety, you’ll
want to slow down and adjust your
driving to these conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and vehicle control more
limited.
4-11

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; 0°C) 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 ability to 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.
4-21

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead as you would when
driving your vehicle without a trailer. This can help you avoid situations that
require heavy braking and sudden turns.
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up ahead when you’re towing a trailer.
And, because you’re a good deal longer, you’ll need to go much farther
beyond the passed vehicle before you can return to your lane. \
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand. Then, to move the
trailer to the left, just move that hand to the left.
To move the trailer to the
right, move your hand to the right. Always back up slowly and, if possible,
have someone guide you.
Making Turns
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider turns than normal. Do this
so your trailer won’t strike soft shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees, or other
objects. Avoid jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well
in advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has to have a different turn signal
flasher and extra wiring. The green arrows on your instrument panel will
flash whenever you signal a turn or lane change. Properly hooked up, the
trailer lights will also flash, telling other drivers you’re about to turn,
change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green arrows on your instrument panel will flash
for turns even
if the bulbs on the trailer are burned out. Thus, you may think
drivers behind you are seeing your signal when they are not. It’s important
to check occasionally to be sure the trailer bulbs are still working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start down a long or
steep downgrade. If you don’t shift down, you might have to use your
brakes
so much that they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce your speed to around
45 mph
(70 km/h) to reduce the possibility of engine and transmission overheating.
4-28

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have a GM dealer or a professional towing service tow your vehicle.
They can provide the right equipment and know how
to tow it without
damage.
If your vehicle has been changed or modified since it was factory-new by
adding aftermarket items like fog lamps, aero skirting, or special tires and
wheels, these things can be damaged during towing.
Before you do anything, turn on the hazard warning flashers.
When you call, tell the towing service:
That, if your vehicle has all-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive \
with fog
lamps, it cannot be towed from the front with sling-type equipment.
That your vehicle has rear-wheel drive, or that it has the
The make, model, and year of your vehicle.
all-wheel-drive
option.
0 Whether you can still move the shift lever.
0 If there was an accident, what was damaged.
When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition key off. The steering
wheel should be clamped in a straight-ahead position, with a clamping
device designed for towing service.
Do not use the vehicle’s steering
column lock for this. The transmission should be in “N” (Neutral) and the
parking brake released.
If your vehicle has the all-wheel drive option, it can only be towed with all
four wheels off the ground.
A dolly must be used under the un-raised
wheels when towing or the vehicle must be transported
on a flat bed carrier.
5-7

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 8. Then replace the
pressure cap. At
any time during
this procedure
if
coolant begins to
flow out of the
filler neck,
reinstall the
pressure cap. Be
sure the arrows on
the pressure cap
line up like this.
Engine Fan Noise
This vehicle has a clutched engine cooling fan. When the clutch is engaged,
the fan spins faster to provide more
air to cool the engine. In most every day
driving conditions the clutch is not engaged. This improves fuel economy
and reduces fan noise. Under heavy vehicle loading, trailer towing and/or
high outside temperatures, the fan speed increases when the clutch engages.
So you may hear an increase in fan noise. This is normal and should not be
mistaken as the transmission slipping or making extra shifts. It is merely the
cooling system functioning properly. The fan will slow down when
additional cooling is not required and the clutch disengages.
You may also hear this fan noise when you start the engine. It will go away
as the
fan clutch disengages.
If a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out” while you’re driving, especially if you
maintain your tires properly.
If air goes out of a tire, it’s much more likely to
leak out slowly. But if you should ever have a “blowout,” here are a
few tips
about what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that pulls the vehicle
toward that side. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal and grip the
steering wheel firmly. Steer to maintain lane position, then gently brake to a
stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a skid and may
require the same correction you’d use
in a skid. In any rear blowout, remove
your foot from the accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control
by
steering the way you want the vehicle to go. It may be very bumpy and
noisy, but you can still steer. Gently brake to a stop, well off the road if
possible.
If a tire goes flat,
the next section shows how to use your jacking equipment
to change a flat tire safely.
5-18

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow
What you don’t want to do when your vehicle is stuck is to spin your
wheels. The method known as “rocking” can help you get out when you’re
stuck, but you must use caution.
.. .. .. ., ..., . ....
1 NOTICE: I
Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of your vehicle as well as
the tires. If
you spin the wheels too fast while shifting your
transmission back and forth, you can destroy your transmission.
I
Rocking your vehicle to get it out:
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will clear the area around
your front wheels. Then shift back and forth between
“R’ (Reverse) and a
forward gear, spinning the wheels as little as possible. Release the
accelerator pedal while you shift, and press lightly on the accelerator pedal
when the transmission is in gear. If that doesn’t get you out after a few tries,
you may need to be towed out. If you do need to be towed out, see “Towing
Your Vehicle’’ in the Index.
5-33

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Service & Appearance Care
...
Section
Here you will find information about the care of your vehicle . This part
begins with service and fuel information. and then it shows how to check
important fluid and lubricant levels
. There is also technical information
about your vehicle. and a section devoted to its appearance care
.
Service ................................................... 6-2
Fuel
..................................................... 6-3
Checking Things Under the Hood
.............................. 6-7
Hood Release
........................................... 6-7
Engineoil
.............................................. 6-9
Enginecover
.......................................... 6-15
Air Cleaner
............................................ 6-19
Automatic Transmission Fluid ............................. 6-20
RearAxle
............................................. 6-24
All-WheelDrive
........................................ 6-24
Transfercase
.......................................... 6-24
FrontAxle
............................................. 6-25
Engine Coolant
....................................... 6-26
Windshield Washer Fluid
................................. 6-31
Brake Master Cylinder
................................... 6-32
Replacing Brake System Parts
.................... ........ 6-35
Battery
.................................................. 6-35
Vehiclestorage
......................................... 6-35
FluidLeakCheck
.......................................... 6-36
Bulb Replacement
......................................... 6-36
Other Maintenance Items
.................................... 6-41
Tires
.................................................... 6-47
Appearancecare
.......................................... 6-54
Vehicle Identification Number
................................ 6-63
Service Parts Identification Label
..................... .... 6-65
Capacities and Specification Charts
................ . . 6-68
Fuses and Circuit Breakers ........... 6-72
Power Steering Fluid .................................. 6-30
Loading Your Vehicle
.... .............................. 6-44
6-1