1996 CHEVROLET ASTRO engine oil

Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle.
For example,
these symbols
are used on an
original battery:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
ACID COULD BATTERY
CAUSE
BURNS
SPARK
OR ,111,
COULD FLAME
EXPLODE BATTERY
These symbols are important
for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle
is
driven:
DOOR LOCK
FASTEN SEAT
BELTS
These symbols have
to do with
your lights:
SIGNALS e
TURN
WARNING
A
HAZARD
FLASHER
FOG LAMPS
$0
These symbols are on
some of
your controls:
WIPER w
WINDSHIELD
DEFROSTER
VENTILATING FAN
(
-b
-J
These symbols are used on
warning and
indicator lights:
COOLANT -
TEMP -
CHARGING I-1
BATTERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE
(0)
COOLANT a
ENGINE OIL w,
PRESSURE
ANTI-LOCK
(@)
BRAKES
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
I
LIGHTER n
HORN )a(
SPEAKER
b
FUEL p3
V

To use the coolant heater:
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-volt AC outlet.
I
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause an electrical shock. Also, the wrong
kind of extension cord could overheat and cause
a fire. You could be seriously injured. Plug the
cord into
a properly grounded three-prong
110-volt AC outlet. If the cord won’t reach, use
a
heavy-duty three-prong extension cord rated for
at least 15 amps.
4. After you’ve used the coolant heater, be sure to store
the cord
as it was before to keep it away from moving
engine parts.
If you don’t, it could be damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends on the outside temperature, the
kind
of oil you have, and some other things. Instead of
trying
to list everything here, we ask that you contact
your
GM dealer in the area where you’ll be parking your
vehicle. The dealer can give
you the best advice for that
particular area.
2-17

Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If
so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel (see
“Fuel” in the Index).
Poor fuel quality will cause your
engine
not to run as efficiently as designed. You may
notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling when you
put the vehicle into gear, misfiring, hesitation
on
acceleration or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditions may go away once the engine is warmed up.)
This will be detected by the system and cause the light
to turn
on.
If you experience this condition, change the fuel brand
you use. It will require at least
one full tank of the
proper
fuel to turn the light off.
If none
of the above steps have made the light turn off,
have your dealer or qualified service center check the
vehicle. Your dealer has
the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools
to fix any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.
Oil Pressure Gage
The oil pressure gage shows
the engine oil pressure in
psi (pounds per square inch)
when the engine
is running.
Canadian vehicles indicate pressure in kPa (kilopascals).
Oil pressure may vary
with engine speed, outside
temperature and oil viscosity, but readings above the
low pressure zone indicate the normal operating range.
A reading in the low pressure zone may be caused by a
dangerously low oil level or other problems causing
low
oil pressure.
2-60

I A CAUTION:
Don’t keep driving if the oil pressure is low. If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches fire.
You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon as possible and have
your vehicle serviced.
1 NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and is not covered by
your warranty.
Check Oil Light
CHECK
OIL
This light should come
on briefly while
you are
starting your engine. If the
light doesn’t come
on, have
it repaired.
If the light comes on while starting and stays on, your
engine oil level should be checked.
Prior
to checking your oil level, be sure your vehicle is
on a level surface and has been shut off for several
minutes to allow the oil
to drain back into the oil pan.
Check your oil level and bring it up to the proper level.
See “Engine Oil” in
the Index.
The
oil level monitoring system only checks the oil
during the brief period between turning the key
on and
when the engine starts. It does
not check the oil level
while the vehicle is running.
Parking
on steep grades may cause the light to come on
even when the oil level is correct. If this happens, park
the vehicle
on a level surface and check the oil level.
2-61

Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to move
slightly slower at night.
When you want
to leave the freeway, move to the proper
lane well
in advance. If you miss your exit, do not,
under any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive on to
the next exit.
The
exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit speed is usually posted.
Reduce your speed according to
your speedometer, not
to your sense of motion. After driving for any distance
at higher speeds, you may tend
to think you are going
slower than
you actually are.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you’re ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must start when you’re
not fresh -- such as after a day’s
work
-- don’t plan to make too many miles that first part
of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes
you
can easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it’s ready to go. If it needs
service, have it done before starting
out. Of course,
you’ll find experienced and able service experts
in GM
dealers all across North America. They’ll be ready and
willing
to help if you need it.
Here are some things you can check before a trip:
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Windshield WcrslTer Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked
all levels?
Lamps: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
Tires: They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip. Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are the tires all inflated to the
recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip a short
time to avoid
a major storm system?
Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps?
4-19

Making Turns
NOTICE:
Making very sharp turns while trailering could
cause the trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. Your vehicle could
be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
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.
Tbrn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has to have extra
wiring and a heavy-duty turn signal flasher (included
in
the optional trailering package).
The green arrows on your instrument panel will flash
whenever you signal a turn or lane change. Properly
hooked up, the trailer lamps 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.
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.
4-35

Parking on Hills
Youereally 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 PARK
(P).
5. Release the regular brakes.
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.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transmission fluid (don’t
overfill), engine
oil, axle lubricant, belt, cooling system
and brake adjustment. Each
of these is covered in this
manual, and
the Index will help you find them quickly.
If you’re trailering, it’s a good idea
to review these
sections before you start your trip.
Check periodically
to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
4-36

When you decide it’s safe to lift the hood, here’s what
you’ll see: If the coolant inside the coolant recovery tank is boiling,
don’t do anything else
until it cools down.
A. Coolant Recovery Tank
B. Radiator Pressure Cap
C. Engine Fan The
coolant level should be at
the ADD mark. If it
isn’t, you may have a leak in the radiator hoses, heater
hoses, radiator, water pump or somewhere else
in the
cooling system.
5-15