1994 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN ignition

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. Automatic Transmission:
Move your shift lever to “P’ (Park) or “N” (Neutral). Your engine
won’t start in any other position
- that’s a safety feature. To restart
when you’re already moving, use
“N” (Neutral) only.
NOTICE:
Don’t try to shift to 4‘P’’ (Park) if your vehicle is moving. If you
do, you could damage the transmission. Shift to
“P” (Park) only
when your vehicle is stopped.
2. Manual Transmission:
Move your shift lever to neutral and hold the clutch pedal to the floor
while starting
the engine. Your vehicle won’t start if the clutch pedal is
not all the way down - that’s a safety feature.
Turn your ignition
key to RUN. Don’t turn it to START.
With the ignition in RUN, the “GLOW PLUGS” light will come on. If
the engine is already warm, this light may
not come on. That’s normal.
During starting, your “GLOW
PLUGS” light may go on and off a few
times. This
is normal. This means that part of your engine is being
warmed up for better starting. When the light goes off, your engine is
ready to start.
Do not start the engine with this light on.
NOTICE:
If the “GLOW PLUGS” light stays on, it means that your
vehicle could have one
of several problems, so you should have it
serviced right away.
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3. If this light does not come on, or the instant the light goes off, turn your
ignition key to
START. When the engine starts, let go of the key.
NOTICE:
Holding your key in “Start” for longer than 15 seconds at a time
will cause your battery to be drained much sooner. And the
excessive heat can damage your starter motor.
4. If the engine does not start after 15 seconds of cranking, turn the
ignition key to
OFF. Wait one minute for the starter to cool, then try
the same steps again.
If you’re trying to start your engine after you’ve run out of fuel, follow the
steps
in “Running Out of Fuel” (see “Diesel Fuel Requirements and Fuel
System”
in the Index).
When your engine
is cold, let it run for a few minutes before you move your
vehicle. This lets oil pressure build up. Your engine
will sound louder when
it’s cold.
NOTICE:
If you’re not in an idling vehicle and the engine overheats, you
wouldn’t be there to see the coolant temperature gage. This
could damage your vehicle. Don’t let your engine run when
you’re not in your vehicle.
Cold Weather Starting (Diesel Engine)
The following tips will help you get good starting in cold weather.
Use
SAE low-30 oil when the outside temperature drops below freezing.
When the outside temperature drops below 0°F
(-I S’C), use your engine
coolant heater.
If
you park your vehicle in a garage, you shouldn’t need to use the coolant
heater
until the garage temperature goes below 0°F (-1 Sac), no matter how
cold
it is outside.
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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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