1996 CHEVROLET ASTRO trailer

Parking at Night
Park in a lighted spot, close all windows and lock your
vehicle. Remember to keep your valuables
out of sight.
Put them
in a storage area, or take them with you.
Parking Lots
If you park in a lot where someone will be watching
your vehicle,
it’s best to lock it up and take your keys.
But what if you have to leave your ignition key? What if
you have to leave something valuable in your vehicle?
0 Put your valuables in a storage area, like your
glove box.
0 Remember to lock the storage compartment/glove
0 Lock all the doors except the driver’s.
box and take that key
with you.
New Vehicle “Break-In”
NOTICE:
Your
modern vehicle doesn’t need an elaborate
“break-in.” But it will perform better in the long
run if you follow these guidelines:
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Keep your speed at 55 mph (88 kmk) or
less for the first
500 miles (804 km).
Don’t drive at
any one speed -- fast or
slow
-- for the first 500 miles (804 km).
Don’t make full-throttle starts.
Avoid making hard stops for the first
200 miles (322 km) or so. During this time
your new brake linings aren’t yet broken
in. Hard stops with new linings can mean
premature wear and earlier replacement.
Follow this breaking-in guideline every
time you get new brake linings.
Don’t tow
a trailer during break-in. See
“Towing
a Trailer’’ in the Index for
more information.
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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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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)
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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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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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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.
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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.
Shifting Into PARK (P)
CAUTION:
It can be 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.
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, use the steps
that follow.
If you’re pulling a trailer, see
“Towing
a Trailer” in the Index.
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.
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CAUTION:
It can be 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.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to.
If you’ve 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).
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle won’t
move. See “Shifting Into
PARK (P)” in the Index.
If you’re pulling a trailer, see “Towing
a Trailer” in
the Index.
Windows
Manual Windows
To open your manual windows, turn the hand crank on
each door to raise or lower your side door windows.
Power Windows
If you have the optional power windows, the controls
are
on each of the front side doors. The driver’s door has
a switch for the front passenger window
as well. Your
power windows will not move unless the ignition has
been turned to the
RUN position.
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Turn and Lane Change Signals
The turn signal has two upward (for right) and two
downward (for left) positions. These positions allow you
to signal a turn or a lane change.
To signal
a turn, move the lever all the way up or down.
When the
turn is finished, the lever will return automatically.
A
An arrow on the instrument
panel will flash in
the
direction of the turn or
lane change.
To signal a lane change, just raise or lower the lever
until the arrow starts to flash. Hold it there until
you
complete your lane change. The lever will return by
itself when you release
it.
As you signal a turn or a lane change, if the arrows don’t
flash
but just stay on, a signal bulb may be burned out
and other drivers won’t see your turn signal.
If a bulb is burned out, replace it to help avoid an
accident. If the arrows don’t go on at all when you
signal a turn, check the fuse (see “Fuses and Circuit
Breakers” in the Index) and for burned-out bulbs.
If you have a trailer towing option with added wiring for
the trailer lamps,
a different turn signal flasher is used.
With this flasher installed, the signal indicator will flash
even if a turn signal bulb is burned out. Check the front
and rear turn signal lamps regularly to make sure they
are working.
Headlamp High/Low Beam Changer
To change the headlamps from low beam to high or high
to low, pull the multifunction lever all the way toward
you. Then release it.
When the high beams are
on, this indicator light on
the instrument panel also
will be on.
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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

Loading Your Vehicle
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_I r7 , 1 u-- SEE OWNER'S MANUAL FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 1 U
The CertificatiodTire label is found on the rear edge
of the driver's door. The label shows the size of your
original tires and
the inflation pressures needed to obtain
the gross weight capacity
of your vehicle.
This
is called the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating). The GVWR includes
the weight of the vehicle,
all occupants,
fuel, cargo and tongue weight, if pulling
a trailer. The Certificationmire
label also tells you the maximum
weights for the front and rear axles, called the Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). To find out the actual
loads
on your front and rear axles, you need to go to a
weigh station and weigh your vehicle. Your dealer can
help
you with this. Be sure to spread out your load
equally
on both sides of the centerline.
Never exceed
the GVWR for your vehicle, or GAWR
for either
the front or rear axle.
And, if you do have a heavy load,
you should spread
it out.
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A CAUTION: I
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Do not load your vehicle any Ldvier than
the
GVWR, or either the maximum front or
rear
GAWR. If you do, parts on your vehicle
can break, or it can change the way your
vehicle handles. These could cause you to lose
control.
Also, overloading can shorten the life
of your vehicle.
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