1996 CHEVROLET ASTRO fuel

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

2. If it doesn’t start right away, hold your key in
START. If it doesn’t start in 10 seconds, push the
accelerator pedal
all the way down for five more
seconds, or until it starts.
3. If your engine still won’t start (or starts but then
stops), wait
15 seconds and start over.
When the engine starts, let go
of the key and the
accelerator pedal.
I NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle.
If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the
way
the engine operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your dealer. If you don’t,
your engine might not perform properly.
If you ever have to have your vehicle towed, see
the part of this manual that tells how to do it
without damaging your vehicle. See “Towing
Your Vehicle” in the Index.
Fuel Regulator
You have a fuel regulator that shuts the fuel off when the
engine reaches
5,600 rpm.
Engine Coolant Heater (Option)
In very cold weather,
0°F (- 18°C) or colder,
the engine coolant heater
can help.
You’ll get easier starting and better fuel economy during
engine warm-up. Usually, the coolant heater should be
plugged
in a minimum of four hours prior to starting
your vehicle.
3 IL

DRIVE (D): This position is for normal driving. If you
need more power for passing, and you’re:
Going less than about 35 mph (56 km/h), push your
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (56 km/h) or more, push the
accelerator pedal all the way down. You’ll shift
down to
the next gear and have more power.
DRIVE
(D) should be used for normal trailer towing.
THIRD
(3): This position is also used for normal
driving, however it offers more power and lower
fuel
economy than DRIVE (D). You should use THIRD (3)
when carrying a heavy load or driving on steep hills.
SECOND
(2): This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy.
You can use SECOND (2) on hills.
It can help control your speed
as you go down steep
mountain roads, but
then you would also want to use
your brakes off and on.
If you manually select SECOND
(2)’ the transmission
will drive
in second gear. You may use this feature
for reducing torque to
the rear wheels when you are
trying to start your vehicle from a stop on slippery
road surfaces. FIRST
(1): This
position gives you even more power
(but lower
fuel economy) than SECOND (2). You can .
use it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If the
selector lever is put
in FIRST (1)’ the transmission
won’t shift
into first gear until the vehicle is going
slowly enough.
NOTICE:
If your rear wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might happen if you were stuck in
very deep sand or mud or were up against
a solid
object. You could damage your transmission or
transfer case or both.
Also, if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold
your vehicle there with only the accelerator
pedal. This could overheat and damage the
transmission. Use your brakes or shift into
PARK
(P) to hold your vehicle in position on
a hill.
2-20

Instrument Panel Cluster
I
Your instrument panel cluster is designed to let you know at a glance how your vehicle is running. You’ll know
how fast you’re going, about how much fuel remains, and many other things you’ll need to
know to drive safely
and economically.
2-52

Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Service Engine Soon Light)
SERVICE
ENGINE
SOON
Your vehicle is equipped
with a computer which
monitors operation of the
fuel, ignition and emission
control systems.
This system
is called OBD I1 (On-Board
Diagnostics-Second Generation) and is intended to
assure that emissions are at acceptable levels for the
life of the vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner
environment. (In Canada,
OBD I1 is replaced by
Enhanced Diagnostics.) The SERVICE ENGINE SOON
light comes on to indicate that there is a problem and
service is required. Malfunctions often will be indicated
by the system before any problem is apparent, which
may prevent more serious damage to your vehicle. This
system is also designed to assist your service technician
in correctly diagnosing any malfunction.
NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle with this light
on, after a while, your emission controls may not
work as well, your fuel economy may not be as
good and your engine may not run as smoothly.
This could lead to costly repairs that may not be
covered by your warranty.
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is
on and the engine is not
running. If the light doesn’t come on, have it repaired.
This light will also come
on during a malfunction in one
of two ways:
Light Flashing -- A misfire condition has been
detected.
A misfire increases vehicle emissions and
may damage the emission control system
on your
vehicle. Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis
and service is required.
0 Light On Steady -- An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis and
service may be required.
2-58

If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did
you just put fuel into your vehicle?
If
so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. The diagnostic system can determine if the fuel
cap has been left off or improperly installed. This will
allow fuel
to evaporate into the atmosphere. A few
driving trips should turn the light off.
0 Reduce vehicle speed.
0 Avoid h - -- -1 accelerations.
0 Avoid steep uphill grades.
0 If towing a trailer, reduce the amount of cargo being
hauled as soon as it is possible.
If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see “If
the Light Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues
to flash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Put your vehicle in PARK (P). Turn the
key off, wait at least
10 seconds and restart the engine.
If the light remains
on steady, see “If the Light Is On
Steady” following. If the light is still flashing follow the
previous steps, and drive
the vehicle to your dealer or
qualified service center for service. Did you
just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If
so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.
Are
you low on fuel?
As your engine starts to run
out of fuel, your engine may
not run as efficiently as designed since small amounts
of
air are sucked into the fuel line causing a misfire. The
system can detect this. Adding fuel should correct this
condition. Make sure to install the
fuel cap properly. It
will take a few driving trips to turn the light off.
2-59

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

Check Gages Light Fuel Gage
This light will come on
CHECK
GAGES
If the light comes on and stays on while you are driving,
check your various gages to see if they are in the
warning zones. The
fuel gage tells you
how much fuel
you have
remaining when the
ignition is
on.
When the gage fust indicates EMPTY (E), you still have a
little
fuel left, but you should get more fuel as soon as possible.
Here are things some owners ask about. None of these
indicate a problem with your fuel gage:
0 At the gas station, the gas pump shuts off before the
0 The fuel tank will take either a little more or a little
gage reads
FULL (F).
less
fuel to fill up than the gage shows.
0 The gage moves a little when you turn a corner or
0 The gage doesn't go back to EMPTY (E) when you
speed up.
turn off the ignition.
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