1997 CHEVROLET EXPRESS Towing

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Section 5 Problems on the Road
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that can
5-2
5-3
5-3
5-8
5- 12 Hazard
Warning Flashers
Other Warning Devices
Jump Starting
Towing Your Vehicle
Engine Overheating (Gasoline Engine) occur
on the road.
5- 14 Cooling System
5-22 Engine Fan Noise
5-22
If a Tire Goes Flat
5-23 Changing a Flat Tire
5-37 If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A. Engine Block, Frame, Unpainted Metal Engine Part
B. Good Battery or
Body Surface
C. Dead Battery
Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have your GM dealer or a professional towing
service tow your vehicle. They can provide the right
equipment and know-how to tow it without damage.
See “Roadside Assistance’’ in your Index.
If your vehicle has been changed since it was
factory-new, by adding things like 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:
That your vehicle has rear wheel drive.
0 The make, model and year of your vehicle.
Whether you can move the shift lever for
the transmission.
If there was an accident, what was damaged.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I I
’ A CAUTIO--:
- - -
To help avoid injury to you or others:
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Never let passengers ride in a vehicle that is
being towed.
Never tow faster than safe or posted speeds.
Never tow with damaged parts not
fully secured. Never get under your vehicle after it has
been lifted by the tow truck.
Always use separate safety chains on each
side when towing a vehicle.
When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition
key
off. The steering wheel should be clamped in a
straight-ahead position, with a clamping device
I designed for towing service. Do not use the vehicle’s
steering column lock for this. The transmission should
be
in NEUTRAL (N) and the parking brake should
be released.
A
,!1 CAUTION:
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.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Front Towing
A towing dolly must be used under the drive wheels
when towing
from the front.
Tow Limits - 35 mph (56knz/h), 50 miles (80 km)
NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or the
front bumper system will be damaged. Use wheel
lift or car-carrier equipment. Additional ramping
may be required for car-carrier equipment.
Use safety chains and wheel straps.
Towing
a vehicle over rough surfaces could
damage
a vehicle or wheel-lift equipment.
To help avoid damage, install a towing dolly
and raise the vehicle until adequate clearance
is obtained between the ground and/or
wheel-lift equipment.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Rear Towing
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NOTICE:
Do not tow the vehicle from the rear with loads
approaching the rated
GVW as the weight
transfer will cause the front suspension
to
become overloaded.
NOTICE:
Do not tow with the sling-type equipment or the
rear bumper will be damaged. Use wheel lift or
car-carrier equipment. Additional ramping may
be required for car-carrier equipment. Use safety
chains and wheel straps.
Towing
a vehicle over rough surfaces could
damage a vehicle.
To help avoid damage, install a
towing dolly and raise the vehicle until adequate
clearance is obtained between the ground and/or
wheel-lift equipment.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Engine Fan Noise
Your vehicle has a clutched engine cooling fan. When the
clutch is engaged, the fan spins faster to provide more air
to cool the engine. In most everyday driving conditions,
the fan is spinning slower and the clutch is not fully
engaged. This improves fuel economy and reduces fan
noise. Under heavy vehicle loading, trailer towing and/or
high outside temperatures, the fan speed increases as the
clutch more fully engages.
So you may hear an increase
in fan noise. This is normal and should
not be mistaken
as the transmission slipping or making extra shifts. It
is
merely the cooling system functioning properly. The fan
will slow down when additional cooling is not required
and
the clutch partially disengages.
You may also hear this fan noise when you start the engine.
It will go away as the fan clutch partially disengages.
If a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out” while you’re driving,
especially
if you maintain your tires properly. If air goes
out of a tire, it’s much more likely to leak
out slowly.
But
if you should ever have a “blowout,” here are a
few tips about what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot
off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel firmly.
Steer to maintain lane position, and then gently brake to
a stop well
out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like
a skid and may require
the same correction you’d use
in
a skid. In any rear blowout, remove your foot from
the accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the way you want the vehicle
to go. It may be
very bumpy and noisy, but
you can still steer. Gently
brake
to a stop -- well off the road if possible.
If
a tire goes flat, the next part shows how to use your
jacking equipment to change
a flat tire safely.
5-22

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
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Your spare tire is stored underneath the rear of your
vehicle.
You will use the ratchet and extension to lower
the spare tire.
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NOTICE:
Never remove or restore a tire frondto a stowage
position under the vehicle while the vehicle is
supported by a jack. Always tighten the tire
fully against the underside
of the vehicle
when restowing.
A flat rear tire reduces clearance to remove the spare
tire.
If there is less than 12 inches (30.48 cm) between
the ground and the rear bumper or any trailer hitch,
jack up the vehicle until the flat tire is
off the ground.
(See“Removing the Flat Tire” and “Installing the
Spare Tire,” Steps
4 through 8, in this section.)
Unless your vehicle has a flat rear tire, do not remove
or restore a tire fromho a stowage position under the
vehicle while the vehicle is supported by a jack. Always
tighten the tire
fully against the underside of the vehicle
when restowing.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine NOTICE:
Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of your
vehicle as
well as the tires. If you spin the wheels
too fast while shifting
your transmission back
and forth, you can destroy your transmission.
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle,
see “Tire Chains” in the Index.
Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your front wheels. Then shift back
and forth between REVERSE (R) and a forward gear,
spinning
the wheels as little as possible. Release the
accelerator pedal while you shift, and press lightly
on
the accelerator pedal when the transmission is in gear.
If that doesn’t get you out after a few tries,
you may
need to be towed out. If you do need
to be towed out,
see “Towing Your Vehicle” in the Index.