1996 CHEVROLET TAHOE Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Ignition Positions
Use your key to start your vehicle. The key lets you turn
the ignition switch to five different positions.
c
A E
--
LA
ACCESSORY (A): This position lets you use things
like the radio and the windshield wipers when the
engine is
off. Push in the key and turn it toward you.
Your steering wheel will remain locked,
just as it was
before you inserted the key.
LOCK (B): This position locks your ignition, steering
wheel and transmission. It’s a theft-deterrent feature.
You will only
be able to remove your key when the
ignition is turned to
LOCK.
OFF (C): This position lets you turn off the engine but
still turn the steering wheel. It doesn’t lock the steering
wheel like
LOCK. Use OFF if you must have your
vehicle in motion while the engine is off (for example, if
your vehicle is being pushed).
RUN (D): This is the position for driving.
.START (E): This position starts your engine.
I
NOTICE:
If your key seems stuck in LOCK and you can’t
turn it, be sure it is all the
way in. If it is, then
turn the steering wheel left and right while you
turn the key hard. But turn the key only with
your hand. Using
a tool to force it could break
the key or the ignition switch.
If none of this
works, then your vehicle needs service.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Starting Your Gasoline Engine
If you have a diesel engine, see “Starting Your Diesel
Engine”
in the Diesel Engine Supplement. ’. -4
Move your shift lever to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N):
Your engine won’t
start in any other position -- that’s a
safety feature.
To restart when you’re already moving,
use NEUTRAL
(N) only.
NOTICE:
Don’t try to shift to PARK (P) if your vehicle is
moving.
If you do, you could damage the
transmission. Shift to
PARK (P) only when your
vehicle
is stopped.
1. Without pushing the accelerator pedal, turn your ignition key to START. When the engine starts, let
go of the key. The idle speed will go down as your
engine gets warm.
NOTICE:
Holding your key in START for longer than
15 seconds at a time’will cause your battery to
be drained much sooner. And the excessive heat
can damage your starter motor.
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.
,. 1 . 2-11

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 3. If your enginestill 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.
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.
Engine Coolant Heater (Option)
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In very cold weather,
0°F (-lS°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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine To use the coolant heater:
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-volt AC outlet.
4 CAUTION:
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause an electrical shock. Also, the wrong
kind
of extension cord could overheat and cause
a fire. You could be seriously injured. Plug the
cord into
a properly grounded three-prong
110-volt
AC outlet. If the cord won’t reach, use ,a
heavy-duty three-prong extension cord rated
for
at least 15 amps.
4. After you’ve used the coolant heater, be sure to
store the cord as it was before to keep it away
from moving engine parts.
If you don’t, it could .@
be damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depknds
on the outside temperature, the
kind
of oil you have, and some other things. Instead of
trying to list everything here, we ask that you contact
your
GM dealer in the area where you’ll be parking your
vehicle. The dealer can give you the best advice for that
particular area.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Automatic Transmission Operation
There are several different positions for your shift lever.
Your vehicle now features an electronic shift position
indicator within the instrument cluster. This display
must be powered anytime the shift lever is capable of
being moved out
of the PARK (P) position. This means
that if your key is in the
OFF position, rather than the
LOCK position, there will be a small current drain on
your battery which could discharge your battery over a
period
of time. If you have a need to leave your key in
the ignition in the
OFF position for an extended period
for any reason, it
is recommended that you disconnect
the battery cable from the battery to prevent discharging
your battery.
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.
A CAUTION:
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.
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).
CAUTION: (Continued)
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If you have four-wheel drive, your vehicle
will be free to roll
-- even if your shift lever
is in
PARK (P) -- if your transfer case is in
NEUTRAL (N). So, be sure the transfer case is in
a drive gear, two-wheel high (2H) or four-wheel
high
(4H) or four-wheel low (4L) -- not in
NEUTRAL (N). See “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in
the Index.
If you’re pulling a trailer, see “Towing
a Trailer” in the Index.
REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.
NOTICE:
Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle is
moving forward could damage your transmission.
Shift to
REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle
is stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice or sand without damaging your transmission, see
“Stuck:
In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow” in the Index.
NEUTRAL (N): In this position, your engine doesn’t
connect with the wheels.
To restart when you’re
already moving, use NEUTRAL
(N) only. Also, use
NEUTRAL (N) when your vehicle is being towed.
,- CAUTION:
A
Shifting out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) while
your engine is “racing” (running at high speed) is
dangerous. Unless your foot’is firmly on the
brake pedal, your vehicle could move very
rapidly. You could lose control and hit people or
objects. Don’t shift out of
PARK (P) or
NEUTRAL (N) while your engine is racing.
NOTICE:
Damage to your transmission caused by shifting
out of
PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) with the
engine racing isn’t covered by your warranty.
2-15
k

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (@): This position is
for normal dri,ving. If you need more power for passing,
and you’re:
Going less than about 35 mph (56 M), push your
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
accelerator all the way down.
You’ll shift down to the next gear and have more power.
Going about 35 mph (56 M) or more, push the
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(@) can be used when
towing a trailer. You may want
to shift the transmission
to THIRD (3) or, if necessary, a lower gear selection if
the transmission shifts too often when carrying a heavy
load, driving on steep hills or for off-road driving.
THIRD (3): This position is also used for normal
driving, however, it offers more power and lower fuel
economy than AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(@).
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) while the vehicle is
moving forward, the transmission won’t shift into first
gear until the vehicle is going slowly enough.
NOTICE:
I,
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.
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.
2-16

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Locking Rear Axle (Option)
If you have this feature, your rear axle can give you
additional traction on snow, mud, ice, sand or gravel. It
works like a standard axle most of the time, but when
one of the rear wheels has no traction and the other does,
the locking feature will allow the wheel with traction to
move the vehicle.
Four-wheel Drive
If your vehicle has four-wheel drive, you can send your
engine’s driving power
to all four wheels for extra
traction.
To get the most satisfaction out of four-wheel
drive, you must be familiar with its operation. Read the
part that follows before using four-wheel drive. You
should use 2-WHEEL HIGH (2H) for most normal
driving conditions.
NOTICE:
Driving in the 4-WHEEL HIGH (4H) or
$-WHEEL LOW (4L) positions for a long time
on dry or wet pavement could shorten the life
of
your vehicle’s drivetrain.
Front Axle Locking Feature
The front axle locks and unlocks automatically when you
shift the transfer case. Some delay for the axle to lock or
unlock is normal. If the outside temperature is very hot, or
the vehicle has been used under hard driving conditions, there may be a slight delay for the axle
to unlock.
Manual Transfer Case
The transfer case shift lever is on the floor to the right of
the driver. Use this lever to shift into and out of
four-wheel drive.
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