1996 CHEVROLET TAHOE Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can set one up at .
the side of the road about 300 feet (100 m) behind
your vehicle.
Jump Starting
If your battery ,(or batteries) has run down, you may
want
to use another vehicle and some jumper cables to
start your vehicle. But please use the following steps to
do it safqly.
A CAUTION:
Batteries can hurt you! They can be dangerous
because:
0 They contain acid that can burn you.
They contain gas that can explode or ignite.
0 They contain enough electricity to
If you don’t follow these steps exactly, some or all
of these things can hurt you.
burn
you.
NOTICE:
Ignoring these steps could result in costly damage
to your vehicle that wouldn’t be covered by your
vehicle warranty.
Trying to start your vehicle by pushing or pulling
it could damage your vehicle. With an automatic
transmission,
it won’t start that way.
1. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicle’s aren’t touching
each other. If they are, it could cause a ground
connection you don’t want. You wouldn’t be able to
start your vehicle, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
To avoid the possibility
of the vehicles rolling, set
the parking brake firmly on both vehicles involved in
the jump start procedure. Put an automatic
transmission in
PARK (P). If you have a
four-wheel-drive vehicle, be sure the transfer case
is not in NEUTRAL (N).
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 2. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Turn off all
lamps that aren’t needed, and radios. This will avoid
sparks and help save both batteries. And it could
save your radio!
NOTICE: I
If you leave your radio on, it could be badly
damaged. The repairs wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
3. Open the hoods and locate the batteries’. Find
the positive
(+) and negative (-) terminals on
each battery.
A CAUTION:
If your vehicle has air conditioning, the auxiliary
electric fan under the hood can start up even
when the engine is not running and can injure
you. Keep hands, clothing and tools away from
any underhood electric fan.
~
A CAUTION:
-
Using a match near a battery can cause battery
gas to explode. People have been hurt doing this,
and some have been blinded. Use a flashlight if
you need more light.
Be sure the batteries have enough water. You
don’t need to add water to the Delco Freedom@
battery (or batteries) installed in every new
GM
vehicle. But if a battery has filler caps, be sure
the right amount of fluid is there.
If it is low, add
water to take care of that first.
If you don’t,
explosive
gas could be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn
you.
Don’t get it on you. If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or on your skin, flush the place with
water and get medical help immediately.
5-3

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 4. Check that the jumper cables don’t have loose or
missing insulation.
If they do, you could get a shock.
The vehicles could be damaged, too.
Before you connect
the cables, here are some basic
things you should know. Positive (+) will go to
positive
(+) and negative (-) will go to negative (-)
or a metal engine part. Don’t connect positive (+) to
negative
(-) or you’ll get a short that would damage
the battery and maybe other parts, too.
I A CAUTION:
Fans or other moving engine parts can injure you
badly. Keep your hands away from moving parts
once the engines are running.
5. Connect the red positive (+) cable to the positive (+)
terminal of the vehicle with the dead battery. Use a
remote positive
(+) terminal if the vehicle has one.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 6. Don’t let the other end
touch metal. Connect
it
to the positive (+)
terminal of the good
battery. Use a remote
positive
(+) terminal if
the vehicle has one.
7. Now connect the
black negative
(-) cable
to the good battery’s
negative
(-) cable.
Don’t let the other end
touch anything until
the next step. The other
end of the negative
(-)
cable doesn’t go to the
dead battery.
It goes to a heavy unpainted metal part of the vehicle
with the dead battery.
8. Attach the cable at least 18 inches (45 cm) away
from the dead battery, but not near engine parts that
move. The electrical connection is just as good
there, but the chance
of sparks getting back to the
battery is much less.
9. Now start the vehicle with the good battery and run
the engine for a while.
10. Try to start the vehicle with the dead battery.
If it won’t start after a few tries, it probably
needs service.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 11. Remove the cables in reverse order to prevent
electrical shorting. Take care that they don’t touch
each other or any other metal.
-
-
A. Heavy Metal Engine Part
B. Good Battery
C. Dead Battery
5-6
Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have your GM dealer or a professional towing
service tow your vehicle. See “Roadside Assistance” in
the Index. They can provide the right equipment and
know how to tow it without damage.
If your vehicle has
been changed since it was
factory-new, by adding such things as fog lamps, aero
skirting, or special tires and wheels, these things could
be damaged during towing.
Before
you do anything, turn on the hazard
warning flashers.
When-you call, tell the towing service:
0 That your vehicle has rear-wheel drive, or that it has
The make, model and year of your vehicle.
Whether you can move the shift lever for the
the four-wheel-drive option.
transmission and transfer case,
if you have one.
0 If there was an accident, what was damaged.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When the towing service arrives, let the tow operator
know that this manual contains these towing
instructions. The operator may want to
see them.
I
A CAUTIO! :
To help avoid injury to you or others:
0 Never let passengers ride in a vehicle that is
Never tow faster than safe or posted speeds.
Never tow with damaged parts not
0 Never get under your vehicle after it has
0 Always use separate safety chains on each
being towed.
fully secured.
been lifted
by the tow truck.
side when towing
a vehicle.
- I
A vehicle can fall from a car’carrier if it isn’t
adequately secured. This can cause
a collision,
serious personal injury and vehicle damage. The
vehicle should be tightly secured with chains or
steel cables before it is transported.
Don’t use substitutes (ropes, leather straps,
canvas webbing, etc.) that can be cut
by sharp
edges underneath the towed vehicle.
When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition key
in the off position. The steering wheel should be
clamped in a straight-ahead position, with
a clamping
device designed for towing service.
Do not use the
vehicle’s steering column lock for this. The transmission
and transfer case, if
you have one, should be in
NEUTRAL (N) and the parking brake released.
Don’t have your vehicle towed on the drive wheels
unless you must. If the vehicle must be towed
on the
drive wheels, be sure to follow the speed and distance
restrictions later in this section or your transmission will
be damaged. If these limitations must be exceeded, then
the drive wheels have
to be supported on a dolly.
5-7

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Towing .From the Front
Tow Limits -- 35 mph (56 km/h), 50 miles (80 km)
If these limits must be exceeded, then the rear wheels
have to be supported on a dolly.
rowing From the Rear
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Engine Overheating (Gasoline Engine)
You will find a coolant temperature gage on your
vehicle’s instrument panel. If your vehicle
has a diesel
engine, see “Engine Overheating” in the Diesel
Engine Supplement.
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
A CAUTION:
3
Steam from an overheated engine can burn you
badly, even if you just open the hood. Stay
away
from the engine if you see or hear steam coming
from it. Just turn it off and get everyone away
from the vehicle until it cools down. Wait until
there
is no sign of steam or coolant before
opening the hood.
If you keep driving when your engine is
overheated, the liquids in it can catch fire. You or
others could be badly burned. Stop your engine if
it overheats, and get out of the vehicle until the
engine is cool.
I NOTICE:
If your engine catches fire because you keep
driving with no coolant, your vehicle can be
badly damaged. The costly repairs would not be
covered by your warranty.
I 5-9