1996 GMC SAVANA check engine light

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
ao repam can be costly -- and even aangerous.
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.
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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
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
Irl
~ This light should come on
1 briefly when you turn on the
ignition, before starting the
1 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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Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Service Engine Soon Light) (Gasoline Engine)
Your vehicle is equipped
with a computer which
monitors operation of the
-
SERVICE
ENGINE SOON
fuel, ignition and emission
control systems.
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.
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:
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0
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.
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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If the Light Is Flashing Are you low on fuel‘?
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
Reduce vehicle speed.
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 “If
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 c0rrecte.d 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
s~nall 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
“FLE~”
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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Check Gages Light
The CHECK GAGES light
will come on briefly when
you are starting
the engine.
CHECK
GAGES
Fuel Gage
*
\\'
E
FUEL ONLY
UNLEADED
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 dri\iing,
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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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.
ANTI -
LOCK
If there’s a problem with
the anti-lock brake system,
this warning light will stay
on. See ”Anti-Lock Brake
System Warning Light’’
in
the Index.
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Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain
you allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to
move slightly slower at night.
When you want to leave
the freeway, move to the
proper lane well
in advance. If YOLI miss your exit, do
not, under any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive
on
to the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit speed is usually posted. Reduce your speed according
to your speedometer, not
to your sense of motion. After driving for any distance
at higher speeds,
you may tend to think you are going
slower than you actually are.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you’re ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must start when you’re not fresh
-- such as after a day’s
work
-- don’t plan to make too many miles that first part
of
the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes you
can easily drive
in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it’s ready to go. If it needs
service, have it done before starting
out. Of course,
you’ll find experienced and able service experts
in GM
dealers
all across North America. They’ll be ready and
willing to help
if you need it.
Here are some things you can check before a trip:
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0
0
0
0
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Windshield Wclsher Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper- Blcrdes: Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other FlLtids: Have you checked
all levels?
Lnlnps: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
Tires: They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip.
Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are
the tires all inflated to the
recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather outlook
along your route‘? Should you delay your trip a short
time
to avoid a major storm system?
Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps‘?
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Hearing Impaired. Customer Assistance .............. 8-3
Heating ........................................ 3-7
High-Beam Headlamps
.......................... 2-30
Highway Hypnosis
.............................. 4-2 1
Hill and Mountain Roads ......................... 4-21
Hitches. Trailer
................................. 4-32
Hood
Checking Things Under
......................... 6-6
Prop
........................................ 6-7
Release
...................................... 6-6
Hydroplaning
.................................. 4- 17
Horn
......................................... 2-28
Ignition Switch
................................ 2- I3
Inflation. Tire
.................................. 6-42
Inside Day/Night Rearview Mirror
................. 2-39
Brakesystem
................................ 7-48
Exhaust Systems ............................. 7-47
Radiator and Heater
Hose ...................... 7-47
RearAxle
................................... 7-48
Steering
.................................... 7-47
Suspension
.................................. 7-47
Throttle Linkage
.............................. 7-47
Brightness Control
............................ 2-36
Cleaning
.................................... 6-51
Cluster ..................................... 2-44
FuseBlock
.................................. 6-62
Interior Lamps
................................. 2-38
Inspections
.................................... 7-47
.................................... J ack.Tire
5-22
Jump Starting ................................... 5-2
Key Lock Cylinders Service ..................... 7-44
Keyless Entry System
............................ 2-5
Keys .......................................... 2-1
Labels
Certification ................................. 4-26
CeriificatiodTire
............................. 4-26
Service Parts Identification
..................... 6-60
Tire-Loading
. Information ...................... 4-26
Vehicle Identification Number
................... 6-60
Lamps ........................................ 2-35
Dome ...................................... 2-37
Interior
..................................... 2-37
On Reminder
................................ 2-36 .
On Warning ................................. 2-36
Panel
....................................... 2-35
Underhood
.................................. 2-38
Leaving
Your Vehicle with the Engine Running ....... 2-23
Lighter
....................................... 2-42
Lights
............................................
Air Bag Readiness ....................... 1-23.2-47
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning
............ 2.49, 4.6
Brake System Warning ......................... 2-48
Daytime Running Lamps Indicator
............... 2-49
Interior
..................................... 2-37
Safety Belt Reminder
...................... 1.8. 2.46
Service Engine
Soon .......................... 2-50
Loading Your Vehicle ........................... 4-26
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