1996 CHEVROLET EXPRESS check engine

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Air Bag Readiness Light
There is an air bag readiness light on the instrument
panel, which shows AIR BAG. The system checks the
air bag’s electrical system for malfunctions. The light
tells
you if there is an electrical problem. The system
check includes the air bag sensor, the air bag modules,
the wiring and the crash sensing and diagnostic module.
For more information
on the air bag system, see “Air
Bag” in
the Index.
AIR
BAG
You will see this light flash
for a few seconds when you
turn your ignition to
RUN
or START. Then the light
should go
out. This means
the system is ready.
If the air bag readiness light doesn’t come on when you
start your vehicle, or stays on, or comes on when you
are driving, your air bag system may not work properly.
Have your vehicle serviced right away.
Charging System Light
This light should come on
briefly when you turn on the
ignition, before starting the
engine, as a check to show
you
it is working.
After the engine starts, the light should go out. If it stays
on or comes on while you are driving, you may have a
problem with your charging system. It could indicate a
problem with the alternator drive belt, or some other
charging system problem. Have it checked right away.
Driving while this light is on could drain your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with this light
on, it
helps
to turn off all your accessories, such as the radio
and air conditioner.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Service
Engine Soon Light) (Gasoline Engine)
Your vehicle is equipped
with a computer which
monitors operation of the
fuel, ignition and emission
control systems.
SERVICE
ENGINE SOON
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. 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.
I 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If the Light Is Flashing Are you low on fuel?
The following may prevent more serious damage
to
your vehicle:
0 Reduce vehicle speed.
0 Avoid hard accelerations.
0 Avoid steep uphill grades.
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
--IT
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.
If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering
the following:
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. 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.
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.
2-51

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Oil Pressure Gage
The oil pressure gage
pressure
in psi (pounds
shows
the engine oil
per square inch) when the
engine is running. Canadian
vehicles indicate pressure
in kPa (kilopascals).
OIL 93
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 problem causing low
oil pressure. Check your oil as soon as possible.
A C -1TION:
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.
NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and is not covered by
your warranty.
2-52

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Check Gages Light
The CHECK GAGES light
will come
on briefly when
you are starting the engine.
CHECK
GAGES
Fuel Gage
UNLEADED
FUEL ONLY
The fuel gage, when the
ignition is on, tells you
about how much fuel you
have left
in your tank.
If the light comes on and stays on while you are driving,
check your coolant temperature
and engine oil pressure
gages to see
if they are in the warning zones. The
gage will first indicate EMPTY
(E) before you
are out of fuel, and you should get more fuel as soon
as possible.
2-53

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Tips About Your Audio System
Hearing damage from loud noise is almost undetectable
until it is too late. Your hearing can adapt to higher
volumes
of sound. Sound that seems normal can be loud
and harmful
to your hearing. Take precautions by
adjusting the volume control on your radio to a safe
sound level before your hearing adapts to
it.
To help avoid hearing loss or damage:
Adjust the volume control to the lowest setting.
Increase volume slowly until you hear comfortably
and clearly.
NOTICE:
Before you add any sound equipment to your
vehicle
-- like a tape player, CB radio, mobile
telephone or two-way radio
-- be sure you can add
what you
want. If you can, it’s very important to
do it properly. Added sound equipment may
interfere with the operation of your vehicle’s
engine, Delco radio or other systems, and even
damage them. Your vehicle’s systems may interfere
with the operation
of sound equipment that has
been added improperly.
So, before adding sound equipment, check with
your dealer and be sure to check Federal rules
covering mobile radio and telephone units.
3-27

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Power Antenna Mast Care
Your power antenna will look its best and work well if it’s
cleaned from
time to time. To clean the antenna mast:
1. Turn on the ignition and radio to raise the antenna.
2. Dampen a clean cloth with mineral spirits or
equivalent solvent.
3. Wipe the cloth over the mast sec
any dirt.
4. Wipe dry with a clean cloth. rtions,
removing
5. Make the antenna go up and down by turning the
radio or ignition off and
on.
6. Repeat if necessary.
I NOTICE:
Don’t lubricate the power antenna. Lubrication
could damage it.
NOTICE:
Before entering an automatic car wash, turn off
your radio to make the power antenna go down.
This will prevent the mast from possibly getting
damaged.
If the antenna does not go down when
you turn the radio
off, it may be damaged or
need to be cleaned. In either case, lower the
antenna by hand by carefully pressing the
antenna down.
If the mast portion of your antenna is damaged, you can
easily replace
it. See your dealer for a replacement kit
and follow the instructions in the kit,
Adjustable Mast Antenna
The mast should be fully retracted before entering
any automated wash facility
to minimize the risk of
antenna damage.
If the mast should ever become slightly bent, you can
straighten
it out by hand. If the mast is badly bent, as it
might be by vandals, you should replace
it.
Check every once in a while to be sure the antenna is
still tightened to the body side panel.
3-29

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts -- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
-- rather than keeping pace with traffic. This
is
a mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool
between hard stops. Your brakes
will wear out much
faster if
you do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace
with the traffic and allow realistic following distances,
you will eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking. That
means better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you’re driving, brake
normally but don’t pump
your brakes. If you do, the
pedal may get harder to push down.
If your engine
stops,
you will still have some power brake assist. But
you will use it when you brake. Once the power assist is
used up, it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder to push.
Anti-Lock Brakes
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent
a braking skid.
When you start your engine and begin to drive away,
your anti-lock brake system will check itself.
You may
hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while this test
is going on. This is normal.
If there’s
a problem. with
the anti-lock brake system,
this warning light will stay
on. See “Anti-Lock Brake
ANTI -
LOCK
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