1994 CHEVROLET ASTRO PASSENGER tires

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. Be sure your engine
coolant
mix is correct.
You may want to put winter emergency supplies in your vehicle.
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 a couple
of 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.
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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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Total Weight on Your Vehicle’s Tires
Be sure your vehicle’s tires are inflated to the limit for cold tires. You’ll find
these numbers on the Certification label at the rear edge of the driver’s door
or see “Tire Loading”
in the Index. Then be sure you don’t go over the
GVW limit for your vehicle.
Hitches
It’s important to have the correct hitch equipment. Crosswinds, large trucks
going by, and rough roads are a few reasons
why you’ll need the right hitch.
Here are some rules to follow:
0
e
If you’ll be pulling a trailer that, when loaded, will weigh more than
2,000 pounds (900 kg), be sure to use a properly mounted,
weight-distributing hitch and sway control
of the proper size. This
equipment is very important for proper vehicle loading and good
handling
when you’re driving.
Will you have to make any holes in the body of your vehicle when you
install a trailer hitch? If you do, then be sure to seal the holes later
when you remove the hitch. If you don’t seal them, deadly carbon
monoxide (CO) from your exhaust can get into your vehicle (see
“Carbon Monoxide” in the Index). Dirt and water can, too.
Safety Chains
You should always attach chains between your vehicle and your trailer,
Cross the safety chains under the tongue of the trailer
so that the tongue will
not drop to the road if it becomes separated from the hitch. Instructions
about safety chains may be provided by the hitch manufacturer or by the
trailer manufacturer. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendation for
attaching safety chains. Always leave just enough slack
so you can turn with
your rig. And, never allow safety chains to drag on
the ground.
Trailer Brakes
If your trailer weighs more than 1,000 pounds (450 kg) loaded, then it needs
its own brakes
- and they must be adequate. Be sure to read and follow the
instructions for the trailer brakes
so you’ll be able to install, adjust and
maintain them properly.
Your trailer brake system can tap into your vehicles’s hydraulic brake
system, except:
0 Don’t tap into your vehicle’s brake system if the trailer’s brake system
will use more than
0.02 cubic inch (0.3~~) of fluid from your vehicle’s
master cylinder.
If it does, both braking systems won’t work well. You
could even lose your brakes.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0 Will the trailer parts take 3,000 psi (20 650 kPa) of pressure? If not, the
trailer brake system must not be used with your vehicle.
If everything checks out this far, then make the brake fluid tap at the
port
on the master cylinder that sends fluid to the rear brakes. But don’t
use copper tubing for this.
If you do, it will bend and finally break off.
Use steel brake tubing.
Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of experience. Before setting out
for the open road, you’ll want to get to know your rig. Acquaint yourself
with the feel
of handling and braking with the added weight of the trailer.
And always keep in mind that the vehicle you are driving is now a good
deal longer and not nearly
so responsive as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch and platform, safety chains,
electrical connector, lights, tires and mirror adjustment. If the trailer has
electric brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving and then apply t\
he
trailer brake controller by hand to be sure the brakes are working. This lets
you check your electrical connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be sure that the load is secure, and
that the lights and any trailer brakes are still working.
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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.
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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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Compact Spare Tire
Although the compact spare was fully inflated when your vehicle was new,
it can lose air after a time. Check the inflation pressure regularly. It should
be
60 psi (420 Wa). After installing the compact spare on your vehicle, you
should stop as soon as possible and make sure your spare tire is correctly
inflated. The compact spare is made to perform well at posted speed limits
for distances up to
3,000 miles (5 000 km). The compact spare is made to go
up to 3,000 miles (5 000 km), so you can finish your trip and have your
full-size tire repaired or replaced where you want. Of course, it’s best to
replace your spare with a full-size tire
as soon as you can. Your spare will
last longer and be in good shape
in case you need it again.
I NOTICE:
Don’t take your compact spare through an automatic car wash
with guide rails. The compact spare can get caught on the rails.
That can damage the tire and wheel, and maybe other parts
of
your vehicle.
Don’t use your compact spare on some other vehicle. And don’t mix your compact spare or wheel with other wheels or tires. They
won’t fit. Keep your spare and its wheel together.
NOTICE:
Tire chains won’t fit your compact spare. Using them will
damage your vehicle and destroy the chains too. Don’t use tire
chains on your compact spare.
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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.
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