1997 CHEVROLET ASTRO Owners Manual

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
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.)
A CAUTION:
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 come
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
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.
Engine Co ~ ant Temperature Gage
If the gage pointer moves
to the red area, your engine
is
too hot!
If the light stays on, or comes on when you’re driving,
your vehicle needs service. If the regular brake system
warning lightisn’t on,
you still have brakes, but you
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 section.
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. It
means that your engine coolant has overheated.
If you
have been operating your vehicle under normal driving
conditions, you should pull
off the road, stop your
vehicle and turn
off the engine as soon as possible.
In “Problems on
the Road,” this manual shows you what
to
do. See “Engine Overheating” in the Index.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Service Engine Soon Light)
Your vehicle is equipped
with a computer which
monitors operation of the
fuel, ignition and emission 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. (In Canada, OBD
I1 is replaced by
Enhanced Diagnostics.) 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. This 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:
0
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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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
0 Reducing vehicle speed.
If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering
the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
0 Avoiding hard accelerations.
0 Avoiding steep uphill grades.
If you are 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. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
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
so, reinstall the fuel
cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. The diagnostic system can determine if the fuel
cap has been left off
or improperly installed. A loose or
missing fuel cap will allow fuel
to evaporate into the
atmosphere. A few driving trips with
the cap properly
installed should turn the light
off.
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.
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If you experience one or more of these conditions,
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.
Oil Pressure Gage
The oil pressure gage shows
the engine oil pressure in
psi (pounds per square inch)
when the engine is running.
Canadian vehicles indicate pressure in kPa (kilopascals).
Oil pressure may vary with engine speed, outside
temperature and oil viscosity, but readings above the
low pressure zone indicate the normal operating range.
A reading in the low pressure zone may be caused by a
dangerously low oil level or other problems causing low
oil pressure.
I
Don’t keep driving if the oil pressure is low. If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches fire.
You or others could be burned.
Check your oil
as soon as possible and have your
vehicle serviced.
1
NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and is not covered by
your warranty.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Daytime Running Lamps Indicator L' -'-
I
:::O e..
You will have this light
on the instrument panel.
It goes on whenever the
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) are on.
--k -- * Gages Light
This light will come on
briefly when you are
starting the engine.
CHECK
GAGES
When it begins to get dark, the DRL indicator light is
a reminder to turn on your headlamps.
If the light comes on and stays on while you are driving,
check your
various gages to see if they are in the
warning zones.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Fuel Gage
The fuel gage tells you
how much fuel you have
remaining when the ignition is
on.
When the gage first indicates EMPTY (E), you still
have a little fuel left, but
you should get more fuel as
soon
as possible. Here
are things some owners ask about. None
of these
indicate
a problem with your fuel gage:
0 At the gas station, the gas pump shuts off before the
gage reads
FULL (F).
The fuel tank will take either a little more or a little
less
fuel to fill up than the gage shows.
speed up.
0 The gage moves a little when you turn a corner or
0 The gage doesn’t go back to EMPTY (E) when you
turn off the ignition.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine b% NOTES
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