1996 CHEVROLET EXPRESS light

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Instrument Panel
A. Lamp Controls
B. Air Vents
C, Instrument Cluster
D. Comfort Control System
E. Audio System
E Auxiliary Power Outlet
G. Cupholder
H. Ashtray
I. Cigarette Lighter
J. Convenience Tray
K. Horn/Air Bag
L. Turn SignalAhltifunction Lever
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
This part describes the warning lights and gages that
may be on your vehicle. The pictures will help
you
locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that something
is
wrong before it becomes serious enough to cause an
expensive repair or replacement. Paying attention to
your warning lights and gages could also save
you or
others from injury.
Warning lights come on when there may be or is a
problem with one
of your vehicle’s functions. As you
will see in the details on the next few pages, some
warning lights come on briefly when
you start the
engine just to let
you know they’re working. If you are
familiar with this section,
you should not be alarmed
when this happens.
Gages can indicate when there may be or is a problem
with one
of your vehicle’s functions. Often gages and
warning lights work together
to let you know when
there’s a problem with your vehicle.
When one of the warning lights comes
on and stays on
when
you are driving, or when one of the gages shows
there may
be a problem, check the section that tells you
what to do about it. Please follow this manual’s advice. Waiting
to do
repairs can be costly -- and even dangerous.
So please get to know your warning lights and gages.
They’re a big help.
Safety Belt Reminder Light
When the key is turned to RUN or START, a tone will
come on for about eight seconds
to remind people to
fasten their safety belts, unless the driver’s safety belt is
already buckled.
The safety belt light will
also come on and stay
on
for about 20 seconds, then
it will flash for about
55 seconds. If the driver’s
belt is already buckled,
neither the tone nor the
light will come
on.

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 Brake System Warning Light
Your vehicle’s hydraulic brake system is divided into
two parts.
If one part isn’t working, the other part can
still work and stop
you. For good braking, though, you
need both parts working well.
If the warning light comes on, there could be a brake
problem. Have your brake system inspected right away.
BRAKE
United States
Canada
This light should come on briefly when you turn the
ignition key
to RUN. If it doesn’t come on then,
have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn you if there’s
a problem. If
the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the
road and stop carefully. You may notice that the pedal
is
harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer to the floor.
It may take longer
to stop. If the light is still on, have the
vehicle towed for service. (See “Towing Your Vehicle”
in the Index.)
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake system warning light is on. Driving
with the brake system warning light on can lead
to an accident. If the light is still on after you’ve
pulled off the road and stopped carefully, have
the vehicle towed for service.
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will also coke on when you set your parking brake. The
light will stay on if your parking brake doesn’t release
fully. If it stays on after your parking brake is fully
released,
it means you have a brake problem.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
ANTI -
LOCK
United States
Canada
With the anti-lock brake system, this light will come on
when you start your engine and may stay
on for several
seconds. That’s normal.
If the light stays on, or comes on when you’re driving,
your vehicle needs service.
If the regular brake system
warning light isn’t
on, y0~1’still have brakes, but YOLI
don’t have anti-lock brakes. If the regular brake system
warning light
is also on, you don’t have anti-lock brakes
and there’s a problem
with your regular brakes. See
“Brake System Warning Light” earlier
in this part. The
anti-lock brake system warning light should come
on briefly when
you turn the ignition key to RUN. If the
light doesn’t come on then, have
it fixed so it will be
ready to warn you
if there is a problem.
Daytime Running Lamps Indicator Light
You may have this light on
the instrument panel. It will
light whenever the DRL are
on.
It is also a reminder to
turn on your headlamps
when driving at night. For
more details about
DRL, see
“Headlamps and Vehicle
Lighting”
in this section.
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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.
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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.
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