1995 CHEVROLET ASTRO CARGO VAN warning

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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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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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
When towing at high altitude
on steep uphill grades, consider the following:
Engine coolant will boil at
a lower temperature than at normal altitudes. If
you turn your engine off immediately after towing at high altitude on steep
uphill grades, your vehicle may show signs similar to engine overheating.
To avoid this, let the engine run while parked (preferably on level ground)
with the automatic transmission
in PARK (P) for a few minutes before
turning the engine off. If you do get the overheat warning, see “Engine
Overheating”
in the Index.
Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle, with a trailer attached, on a hill. If
something goes wrong, your rig could start to move. People can be injured,
and both your vehicle and the trailer can be damaged.
But if
you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into PARK (P) yet. Turn your
wheels into the curb when facing downhill and away from the curb
when facing uphill.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the regular brakes until the
chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes, Then apply your parking brake, and shift to
5. Release the regular brakes.
PARK (P).
When You Are Ready to Leave After Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down while you:
Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
0 Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Problems on the Road
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the road.
Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning flashers let you warn others. They also let police know
you have a problem. Your front and rear turn signal lamps will flash on and
off.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine But they won’t flash if you’re braking. Press the button
in to
make your front and
rear turn signal lights
flash
on and off. Your
hazard warning
flashers work no
matter what position
your key
is in, and
even
if the key isn’t
in.
To turn off the
flashers, pull out on
the collar.
When the hazard warning flashers are on, your turn signals
won’t work.
Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can set one up at the side of the road
about
300 feet (100 m) behind your vehicle.
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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:
0 Whether your vehicle has rear-wheel drive or the all-wheel-drive
option. If your vehicle has fog lamps, it cannot be towed from the front
with sling-type equipment.
The make, model, and year of your vehicle.
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 NEUTRAL (N) and the
parking brake released.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
If you get the overheat warning but see or hear no steam, the problem may
not be too serious. Sometimes the engine can get a little too hot when you:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer.
See “Driving on Grades”
in the Index.
If
you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam, try this for a minute
or
so:
1. If you have an air conditioner, turn it off.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan speed and open the
3. If you’re in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N); otherwise, shift to the
highest gear while driving
- AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (a) or
DRIVE
(D).
window as necessary.
If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can drive. Just to be safe,
drive slower
for about ten minutes. If the warning doesn’t come back on,
you can drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your vehicle right away.
If there’s still no sign
of steam, push the accelerator until the engine speed is
about twice
as fast as normal idle speed. Bring the engine speed back to
normal idle speed after two or three minutes. Now see
if the warning stops.
But then, if you still have the warning, turn @‘the engine and get everyone
out of the vehicle until it cools down.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service help right away.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine How to Add Coolant to the Coolant Recovery Tank
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but the coolant level isn’t at ADD , add
a
50/50 mixture of clean water (preferably distilled) and a proper antifreeze
at the coolant recovery tank. (See “Engine Coolant” in the Index
for more
information about the proper coolant mix.)
NOTICE:
In cold weather, water can freeze and crack the engine, radiat\
or,
heater core and other parts. Use the recommended coolant.
I I
When the coolant in the coolant recovery tank is at ADD , start your
vehicle.
If
the overheat warning continues, there’s one more thing you can try. You
can add the proper coolant
mix directly to the radiator, but be sure the
cooling system is
cool before you do it.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 part shows how to use your jacking equipment
to
change a flat tire safely.
Changing a Flat Tire
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage by driving slowly to a
level place.
Turn on your hazard warning flashers.
A. Flat Tire
B. Blocked Tire
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