1997 CHEVROLET EXPRESS wheel

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Theft
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.
Parking at Night
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 glove box.
0 Lock all the doors except the driver’s.
0 Then take the door key with you.
2-15
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine New Vehicle “Break-In”
NOTICE:
Your modern vehicle doesn’t need an elaborate
“break-in.” But it will perform better in the long
run if you follow these guidelines:
Keep your speed at 55 mph (88 kmh) or
less for the first
500 miles (805 km).
Don’t drive at any one speed -- fast or
slow
-- for the first 500 miles (805 km).
Don’t make full-throttle starts.
200 miles (322 km) or so. During this time
your new brake linings aren’t yet broken
in. Hard stops with new linings can mean
premature wear and earlier replacement.
Follow this breaking-in guideline every
time you get new brake linings.
See “Towing
a Trailer” in the Index for
more information.
Avoid making hard stops for the first
Don’t tow a trailer during break-in.
Ignition Switch
Your key lets you turn the ignition switch to
five different positions.
C
ACCESSORY (A): ACCESSORY lets you use things
like the radio, power windows and the windshield wipers
when the engine is
off. To get into ACCESSORY, push in
the key and turn
it toward you. Your steering wheel will
remain locked, just
as it was before you inserted the key.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 starts your engine.
NOTICE:
If your key seems stuck in LOCK and you can’t
turn
it, be sure you are using the correct key;
if
so, is it 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.
Starting Your Gasoline Engine
If you have a diesel engine, see “Starting Your Diesel
Engine”
in the Diesel Engine Supplement.
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.
I NOTICE:
r
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.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Automatic Transmission Operation
There are several different positions for your shift lever.
If your vehicle is equipped with an automatic
transmission, it 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, but not locked,
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 batter.y.
PARK Cp): This locks your rear wheels. It’s the best
position
to use when you start your engine because your
vehicle can’t move easily.
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).
See “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in the Index. If
you’re pulling
a trailer, see “Towing a Trailer” in
the Index.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your vehicle has a brake-transmission shift interlock.
With the ignition
in the RUN position, you must fully
apply your regular brakes before
you can shift from
PARK (P).
If you cannot shift out
of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever and push the shift lever all the way into
PARK (P) as
you continue pressing the brake pedal.
Then move the shift lever into the gear you want.
If you
still cannot shift the shift lever
out of PARK (P), see
“Shifting Out of PARK (P)” later in this section.
REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.
NOTICE:
Shifting into 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.
L
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.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine DRIVE (D): This position is for normal driving. If you
need more power for passing, and you’re:
Going less than about 35 mph (56 km/h), push your
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (56 kmh) or more, push the
You’ll shift down to the next gear and have more power.
accelerator all
the way down.
You should
use DRIVE (D) (or, as you need to, a lower
gear) when towing a trailer to minimize heat build-up
and extend the life
of your transmission.
THIRD (3): This position is also used for normal
driving, however, it offers more power and lower fuel
economy than DRIVE
(D). You should use THIRD (3)
when carrying a heavy load or driving on steep hills.
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 (2). 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( l), the transmission
won’t shift into first gear until the vehicle is going
slowly enough.
NOTICE:
If your rear wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might happen if you are stuck in
very deep sand or mud or are
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.
2-22

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Locking Rear Axle
If you have this feature, your locking 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.
Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the regular brake pedal
down with your right foot. Push down
the parking brake
pedal with your left
foot.
If the ignition is on, the brake system warning light will
come on.
To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down. Pull the handle, located
just above the
parking brake pedal, marked BRAKE RELEASE to
release the parking brake.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Horn
Press one of the horn buttons at each side of the steering
wheel
to sound the horn.
If your vehicle is equipped with an air bag, press
anywhere
on the module to sound the horn.
If your vehicle is not equipped with an air bag, press
on the cap in the center
of the steering wheel to
sound the horn.
Tilt Wheel (Option)
A tilt steering wheel allows you to adjust the steering
wheel before
you drive. You can also raise it to the
highest level
to give your legs more room when you
enter and exit the vehicle. To tilt the wheel, hold the steering wheel and pull the
lever. Move the steering wheel
to a comfortable level,
then release the lever
to lock the wheel in place.