1996 CHEVROLET ASTRO lock

Automatic Transmission Operation
There are several different positions for your shift lever.
PARK (P): This locks your rear wheels. It’s the best
position to use when you start your engine because your
vehicle can’t move easily.
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I
It is dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the
shift lever
is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
CAUTION: (Continued)
I I
I CAUTION: (Continued)
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine
is
running unless you have to. If you have left the
.engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be sure your
vehicle won’t move, even when you’re on fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to
PARK (P).
See “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in the Index. If
you’re pulling a trailer, see “Towing a Trailer”
in the Index.
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v
Ensure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P).range
before starting the engine. Your vehicle has a
brake-transmission shift interlock. You have to fully
apply your regular brakes before you can shift from
PARK
(P) when the ignition key is in the RUN position.
If you cannot shift out of PARK
(P), ease pressure on’
the shift lever
-- push the shift lever all the way into
PARK (P) as you maintain brake application. Then
move the shift lever into the gear you wish. See
’‘Shifting Out of PARK
(P)” in this section.
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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.
All-Wheel Drive (Option)
If your vehicle has
all-wheel drive, your
engine’s driving power
is
sent to all four wheels for
extra traction.
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.
This is like four-wheel drive, but there is
no separate
lever or switch
to engage or disengage the front axle.
It
is fully automatic, and adjusts itself as needed for
road conditions.
To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down. Pull the brake release lever located
on the
lower left side of the steering column.
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2. Move the shift lever into the PARK (P) position like this:
0 Pull the lever toward you.
Move the lever up as far as it will go.
3. Turn the ignition key to LOCK.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
remove the key from your ignition, your vehicle is in
PARK (P).
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Leaving Your Vehicle With the
E.noiqe Rmnnjnq
r
can be ( lgerous to we your vt cle wi
the engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever
is not fully in PARK (P)
with the parking brake firmly set. And, if you
leave the vehicle with the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch fire. You or others could
be injured. Don’t leave your vehicle with the
engine running unless you have
to.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and your
parking brake is firmly set before you leave it. After
you’ve moved the shift lever into the PARK (P)
position, hold the regular brake pedal down. Then, see
if you can move
the shift lever away from PARK (P)
without first pulling it toward
you. If you can, it means
that the shift lever wasn’t fully locked into PARK (P).
Torque Lock I
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transmission
into PARK (P) 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 PARK (P). This is called “torque lock.”
To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then
shift into PARK (P) properly before you leave the
driver’s seat.
To find out how, see “Shifting Into
PARK (P)” in the Index.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out
of
PARK (P) 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 PARK (P).
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Shifting Out of PARK (P)
Your vehicle has a brake-transmission shift interlock.
You have to fully apply your regular brake before you
can shift from PARK (P) when the ignition is in the
RUN position. See “Automatic Transmission” in
the Index.
If
you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever
-- push the shift lever all the way into
PARK
(P) as you maintain brake application. Then
move the shift lever into the gear
you want.
If
you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can’t
shift out
of PARK (P), try this:
I. Turn the key to OFF.
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
3. Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the vehicle and then shift to the drive gear
you want.
5. Have the vehicle fixed as soon as you can.
Parking nvPr Thiq Th: A R rn
CAUTION:
Things that can burn could touch hot exhaust
parts under your vehicle and ignite. Don’t park
over papers, leaves, dry grass or other things that
can
burn.
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Horn
To sound the horn, press the horn symbols on the
steering wheel.
Tilt Wheel (Option)
Turn' SignaVMultifunction Lever
A tilt steering wheel allows you to adjust the steering
wheel before you drive.
You can also raise it to the highest level to give your
legs more room when you exit and enter the vehicle.
I ' The lever on the driver's side of the steering column
includes your:
0 Turn and Lane Change Signals
0 Headlamp High/Low Beam Changer
0 Windshield Wipers
0 Windshield Washer
To tilt t& wheel, hold the steering wheel and pull the ' 0 Cruise Control (Option)
j lever. Move the steering wheel to a comfortable level,
I then release the lever to lock the wheel in place. I
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Windshield Winers
You control the windshield
wipers by turning the band
with the wiper symbol
on it.
For a single wiping cycle,
turn the band to MIST. Hold
it there until the wipers
start, then let go. The wipers
will stop after one wipe.
If -5
Windshield Washer
you want more wipes,-hold
the band on MIST longer.
You can set the wiper speed for a long or short delay
between wipes. This can be very useful in light rain or
snow. Turn the band to choose the delay time. The
closer to
LOW, the shorter the delay.
For steady wiping at low speed, turn the band away
from you
to the LOW position. For high-speed wiping,
turn the band further, to HIGH. To stop the wipers,
move the band to the OFF position.
Be sure to clear ice and snow from the wiper blades
before using them.
If they're frozen to the windshield,
carefully loosen or thaw them.
If your blades do become
worn
or damaged, get new blades or blade inserts. At
the top of the multifunction lever, there's a paaale
marked with the windshield washer symbol and
PUSH. To
spray washer fluid on the windshield, press the paddle.
The wipers will clear the window and then either stop
or
return to your preset speed.
A CAUTION:
In freezing weather, don't use your washer until
the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can form ice on the windshield, blocking
your vision.
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Headlamps On Reminder
A reminder tone will sound when your headlamps or
parking lamps
are turned on and your ignition is in the
OFF, LOCK or ACCESSORY position. To turn the tone
off, turn the switch
to the OFF position.
Daytime Running Lamps (If Equipped)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others
to see the front of your vehicle during the day.
DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful in the
short periods after dawn and before sunset.
The DRL system will make your headlamps come
on at
a reduced brightness when:
the ignition is on,
the headlamp switch is off and
the parking brake is released.
When the DRL are on,
only your headlamps will be on.
The taillamps, sidemarker and other lamps won’t be on.
Your instrument panel won’t be
lit up either. When
it begins
to get dark, your DRL indicator light is a
reminder
to turn your headlamp switch on. The other
lamps that come on with your headlamps will also
come
on.
When you turn the headlamp switch off, the regular
lamps will go off, and your headlamps will change to
the reduced brightness of DRL.
To idle your vehicle with the DRL off, set the parking
brake. The DRL will stay off until you release the
parking brake.
As with any vehicle, you should turn
on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
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