1996 CHEVROLET EXPRESS ESP

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Here Are Questions Many People Ask
About Safety Belts -- and the Answers
Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if I’m wearing a safety belt?
A: You could be -- whether you’re wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can unbuckle
a safety belt,
even
if you’re upside down. And your chance of
being conscious during and after an accident,
so
you can unbuckle and get out, is ~?zuch greater if
you are belted.
&= If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to
wear
safety belts?
A: Air bags are in many vehicles today and will
be in most
of them in the future. But they are
supplemental systems only;
so they work ~:ith
safety belts -- not instead of them. Every air bag
system ever offered for sale has required the use of
safety belts. Even if you’re
in a vehicle that has air
bags, you still have to buckle up to get the most
protection. That’s true
not only in frontal collisions,
but especially in side and other collisions.
@ If I’m a good driver, and I never drive far from
A: You may be an excellent driver, but if you’re in an
home, why should I wear safety belts?
accident -- even one that isn’t your fault -- you and
your passengers can be hurt. Being a good driver
doesn’t protect you from things beyond your
control, such
as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within
25 miles (40 km) of
home. And the greatest number of serious injuries
and deaths occur at speeds
of less than 40 mph
(65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
1-12

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Door Locks
A CAUTION:
Unlocked doors can be dangerous.
Passengers
-- especially children -- can easily
open the doors and fall out. When
a door is
locked, the inside handle won’t open it.
Outsiders can easily enter through an unlocke
door when you slow down or stop your vehicle
This
may not be so obvious: You increase the
chance of being thrown out of the vehicle in
a
crash if the doors aren’t locked. Wear safety b
properly, lock your doors, and you will be far
better off whenever you drive your vehicle.
To lock the door from the
inside, slide the lever
on
your door down.
To unlock the door, slide
the lever up.
d !.
Power Door Locks (Option)
There are several ways to lock and unlock your vehicle.
From the outside, use your key. Press the bottom
side
of the
power door lock switch
to
lock the doors at once.
When
a door is locked, the inside door handle will not work.
2-3

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Theft Parking at Night
Vehicle theft is big business, especially in some
cities. Although your vehicle has a number of
theft-deterrent features, we know that nothing we
put
on it can make it impossible to steal. However,
there are ways
you can help.
Key in the Ignition
If you leave your vehicle with the keys inside, it’s an
easy target for
joy riders or professional thieves -- so
don’t do it.
When you park your vehicle and open the driver’s
door, you’ll hear a tone reminding you
to remove your
key from the ignition and take it with you. Always do
this. Your steering wheel will be locked, and so will
your ignition and transmission. And remember
to lock
the doors. 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?
Put your valuables in a storage area, like your
Lock all the doors except the driver’s.
glove
box.
2-12

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Rotate the switch knob clockwise again to the master
lighting symbol
to turn on all the lamps listed as well as
the headlamps.
Rotate the switch counterclockwise to
OFF to turn off
your lamps.
Rotate the thumb wheel next
to the switch knob up to
adjust instrument panel lights. Rotate the thumb wheel up
to the first notch to return the radio display and gearshift
indicator display
to full intensity when the headlamps or
parking lamps are
on.
Rotate the thumb wheel up to the second notch to
activate the interior dome lamps.
You can switch your headlamps from high to low beam
by pulling
on the turn signalhigh beam lever.
A circuit breaker protects your headlamps. If you have
an electrical overload, your headlamps will flicker on
and off. Have your headlamp wiring checked right away
if this happens.
Headlamps On Reminder
A buzzer will sound when your headlamps are turned on
and your ignition is in OFF, LOCK or ACCESSORY.
If
you need to use your headlamps when the ignition
switch is in
OFF, LOCK or ACCESSORY, the buzzer
can be turned off by turning the thumb wheel next to the
parking lampheadlamp switch all the way down.
Daytime Running Lamps (If Equipped)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others
to see the front of your vehicle during the day.
DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful in the
short periods after dawn and before sunset.
The DRL system will make your headlamps come
on at
a reduced brightness when:
0 The ignition is on,
The headlamp switch is off and
0 The parking brake is released.
If your vehicle was first sold, when new, in Canada,
your headlamps will come
on at reduced brightness.
2-36

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If the code entered is incorrect, SEC will appear on the
display. The radio will remain secured
until the correct
code is entered.
When battery power is disconnected from a secured
radio, the radio won’t
turn on and LOC will appear on
the display.
To unlock a secured radio, see “Unlocking the
Theft-Deterrent Feature After
a Power Loss” earlier in
this section.
Understanding Radio Reception
FM Stereo
FM stereo will give you the best sound. But FM signals
will reach only about 10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km). Tall
buildings or hills can interfere with FM signals, causing
the sound to come and
go.
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM,
especially at night. The longer range, however, can
cause stations to interfere
with each other. AM can pick
up noise from things like storms and power lines. Try
reducing the treble
to reduce this noise if you ever get it.
3-26

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The body takes about an hour to rid itself of the alcohol
in one drink.
No amount of coffee or number of cold
showers will speed that up. “I’ll be careful” isn’t the
right answer. What
if there’s an emergency, a need to
take sudden action, as
when a child darts into the street?
A person with even a moderate BAC might not be able
to react quickly enough
to avoid the collision.
There’s something else about drinking and driving that
many people don’t know. Medical research shows
that
alcohol in a person’s system can make crash injuries
worse, especially injuries
to the brain, spinal cord or
heart. This means that
when anyone who has been
drinking
-- driver or passenger -- is in a crash, that
person’s chance of being killed or permanently disabled
is higher than
if the person had not been drinking.
Drinking and then driving is very dangerous.
Your reflexes, perceptions, attentiveness and
judgment can be affected
by even a small amount
of alcohol. You can have a serious
-- or even
fatal
-- collision if you drive after drinking.
Please don’t drink and drive
or ride with a driver
who has been drinking. Ride home in
a cab; or if
you’re with
a group, designate a driver who will
not drink.
4-4

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Passing
The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a
two-lane highway waits for just the right moment,
accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead, then goes
back into the right lane again.
A simple maneuver?
Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle on a two-lane
highway
is a potentially dangerous move, since the
passing vehicle occupies the same lane
as oncoming
traffic for several seconds.
A miscalculation, an error in
judgment, or a brief surrender to frustration or anger can
suddenly put the passing driver face to fxe with the
worst
of all traffic accidents -- the head-on collision.
So here are some tips for passing:
“Drive ahead.” Look down the road, to the sides and
to crossroads for situations that might affect your
passing patterns. If
you have any doubt whatsoever
about making
a successful pass, wait for a better
time.
Watch for traftic signs, pavement markings and lines.
If you can see a sign up ahead that might indicate a
turn or an intersection, delay your pass. A broken
center line usually indicates it’s all right
to pass
(providing the road ahead is clear). Never cross
a solid
line on your side of the lane or a double solid line,
even if the road seems empty of approaching traffic.
Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to
pass while you’re awaiting an opportunity. For one
thing, following too closely reduces your area
of
vision, especially if you’re following a larger
vehicle.
Also, you won’t have adequate space if
the vehicle ahead suddenly slows or stops. Keep
back a reasonable distance.
When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up,
start to accelerate but stay
in the right lane and don’t
get too close. Time your move
so you will be
increasing speed as the time comes
to move into the
other lane.
If the way is clear to pass, you will have
a “running start” that more than makes up for the
distance you would lose by dropping back. And if
something happens to cause you
to cancel your pass,
you need
only slow down and drop back again and
wait for another opportunity.
If other cars are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait
your turn.
But take care that someone isn’t trying to
pass you as you
pull out to pass the slow vehicle.
Remember
to glance over your shoulder and check
the blind spot.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder and
start your left lane change signal before moving
out
of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough
ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front
in your
inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal
and move back into the right lane. (Remember that
your right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle you
just passed may seem to be farther away from you
than it really
is.)
0 Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time
on two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.
Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake
lamps are not flashing, it
may be slowing down or starting to turn.
If you’re being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you
can ease a little
to the right.
Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what
happens when
the three control systems (brakes, steering
and‘acceleration) don’t have enough friction where the
tires meet
the road to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying to
steer and constantly seek an escape route or area
of less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking
reasonable care suited
to existing conditions, and
by not ‘‘overdriving” those conditions. But skids are
always possible.
The three types
of skids correspond to your vehicle’s
three control systems.
In the braking skid, your wheels
aren’t rolling. In the steering or cornering skid,
too
much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force. And
in the acceleration skid, too
much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid and an acceleration
skid are best
handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal.
A 13