1997 CHEVROLET EXPRESS Index

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Listed are four situations you may experience with your
fuel gage:
0
0
0
0
At the gas station, the fuel pump shuts off before the
gage reads
FULL (F).
It takes a little more or less fuel to fill up than the
fuel gage indicated. For example, the gage may have
indicated the tank was half full, but it actually took a
little more or less than half the tank’s capacity to
fill
the tank.
The gage moves a little when you turn
a corner or
speed up.
The gage doesn’t
go back to EMPTY (E) when you
turn off the ignition.
None
of these indicate a problem with the fuel gage.
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
This gage shows the engine
gage pointer moves into
the red area your engine is
coolant
temperature.
If the
’% 260
too hot!
It means that your engine coolant has overheated. If
you have been operating your vehicle under normal
operating 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 what to
do. See “Engine Overheating” in the Index.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Air Conditioning Heating
Before using your
vehicle’s air conditioning, open the
windows to clear the vehicle of hot air. This reduces the
time it takes for your vehicle
to cool down. Then keep
your windows closed for the air conditioner to work at
its best.
You can use MAX
A/C with the temperature knob in the
blue area, when it’s really hot outside and you need to
cool the inside air quickly. MAX A/C lets in only a little
air from the outside.
If you first use MAX
A/C, you can then use A/C with
the temperature knob in the blue area, as
soon as the
vehicle has cooled down,
so outside air will be going
through your vehicle.
If your vehicle has rear air conditioning, setting it on
LO may enhance front A/C performance by allowing
trapped refrigerant in rear lines to circulate.
When the air conditioning, DEFROST or BLEND is on,
you may notice a slight increase or decrease in engine
speed, due to compressor operation. This is normal
because the system is designed to cycle the compressor
on and off to keep the desired temperature. On
cold days, use HEATER with the temperature knob
in the red area. Outside air will be brought in through
the floor outlets. The heater works best if you keep your
windows closed while using it.
If you use the optional engine coolant heater before
starting your engine, your heating system will produce
warmer air faster to heat the passenger compartment in
cold weather. See “Engine Coolant Heater” in the Index.
Ventilation Tips
Keep the hood and front air inlet free of ice, snow,
or any other obstruction (such as leaves). The heater
and defroster will work far better, reducing the
chance of fogging the inside of your windows.
When you enter a vehicle in cold weather, turn the
blower fan to HI for a few moments before driving
off. This helps clear the intake ducts of snow and
moisture, and reduces the chance of fogging the
inside of yow windows.
3-7

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine RECALL: Press this knob to switch tape sides.
E JECE Press this button to remove the tape or stop
the tape and play the radio. If
you leave a cassette
tape
in the player while listening to the radio, it may
become warm.
CLN: If this message appears on the display, the
cassette tape player needs to be cleaned. It will still play
tapes, but you should clean it as soon as possible
to
prevent damage to the tapes and player. See “Care of
Your Cassette Tape Player” in the Index. After you
clean the player, press and hold EJECT for five seconds
to reset the CLN indicator. The radio will display --- to
show the indicator was reset.
AM-FM Stereo with Cassette Tape and
Automatic Tone Control
(If Equipped)
Playing the Radio
PWR-VOL:
Press this knob to turn the system on and
off. To increase volume, turn the knob clockwise. Turn
it counterclockwise to decrease volume. The knob
is
capable of being rotated continuously.
3-13

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine REV (4): Press this button to rapidly reverse the tape to
the beginning of the cassette or until you press
REV
again. The radio will play the last selected station while
reversing the tape. The tape direction arrow will blink
during the reverse operation.
00 (5): Press this button to reduce cassette tape noise.
The double-D symbol will appear on the display while
the player is in this mode.
Dolby Noise Reduction is manufactured under a license
from Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation. Dolby
and the double-D symbol are trademarks
of Dolby
Laboratories Licensing Corporation.
FWD (6): Press this button to rapidly forward the tape
to
the end of the cassette or until you press FWD again.
The radio will play the last selected station while
forwarding the tape. The tape direction arrow will
blink during the forward operation.
AM-FM: Press this button to switch from a tape to
the radio.
TAPE AUX: Press this button to return to the tape
player when playing
the radio. The lighted arrow will
appear and show the direction of play when a tape is in
the active mode.
EJECT Press this button to remove the tape. The
radio will now play. EJECT can be used with either the ignition
or radio off.
To load a cassette tape with the
ignition or radio
off, press EJECT before loading the
cassette. If you leave a cassette tape in the player while
listening to the radio, it may become warm.
CLN: If this message appears on the display, the
cassette tape player needs to be cleaned. It will still play
tapes, but you should clean it as soon as possible to
prevent damage to the tapes and player. See “Care of
Your Cassette Tape Player” in
the Index. After you clean
the player, press and hold EJECT for five seconds to
reset the CLN indicator. The radio will display
--- to
show the indicator was reset.
CD Adapter Kits
It is possible to use a CD adapter kit with your cassette
tape player after activating the bypass feature on your
tape player.
To activate
the bypass feature, the ignition must be on.
Turn your radio off. Press TAPE
AUX and hold for
three seconds. After three seconds, the tape symbol
in
the display will flash for two seconds indicating the
feature is active. Insert the adapter cassette again. It
will power up the radio and begin playing.
This override routine will remain active
until EJECT
is pressed.
3-17

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Please start with a very important safety device in your
vehicle: Buckle up. (See “Safety Belts” in
the Index.)
Defensive driving really means “be ready for anything.”
On city streets, rural roads or freeways, it means
“always expect
the unexpected.”
Assume that pedestrians or other drivers are going to be
careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what they might
do. Be ready for their mistakes.
Rear-end collisions are about
the most preventable
of accidents. Yet they are common. Allow enough
following distance. It’s the best defensive driving
maneuver, in both city and rural driving. You never
know when the vehicle in front
of you is going to brake
or turn suddenly.
Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about driving is:
Drive defensively.
4-2

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 (ABS)
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.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up
under your tires that they can actually ride on the water.
This can happen if the road
is wet enough and you’re
going fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning,
it has little or
no contact with the road.
Hydroplaning doesn’t happen often. But it can if your
tires do not have much tread or
if the pressure in one or
more
is low. It can happen if a lot of water is standing on
the road.
If you can see reflections from trees, telephone
poles or other vehicles, and raindrops “dimple” the
water’s surface, there could be hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There
just isn’t a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning. The
best advice is
to slow down when it is raining.
Driving Through Deep Standing Water
I NOTICE:
If you drive too quickly through deep puddles
or standing water, water can come in through
your engine’s air intake and badly damage your
’ engine. Never drive through water that is slightly
lower than the underbody
of your vehicle. If you
can’t avoid deep puddles or standing water, drive
through them very slowly.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
0 Turn on your low-beam headlamps -- not just
your parking lamps
-- to help make you more visible
to others.
Besides slowing down, allow some extra following
distance. And be especially careful when you pass
another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear room
ahead, and be prepared
to have your view restricted
by road spray.
0 Have good tires with proper tread depth. (See
“Tires”
in the Index.)
4-18

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Whatever the condition -- smooth ice, packed, blowing
or loose snow
-- drive with caution.
Accelerate gently. Try not
to break the fragile traction.
If you accelerate too fast, the drive wheels will spin and
polish the surface under
the tires even more.
Your anti-lock brakes improve your vehicle’s stability
when you make
a hard stop on a slippery road. Even
though you have an anti-lock braking system, you’ll
want
to begin stopping sooner than you would on dry
pavement. See “Anti-Lock” in the Index.
Allow greater following distance on any slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be fine
until you hit a spot that’s covered with ice. On an
otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in
shaded areas where the sun can’t reach: around
clumps of trees, behind buildings or under bridges.
Sometimes the surface of
a curve or an overpass may
remain icy when the surrounding roads are clear.
If
you see a patch of ice ahead of you, brake before you
are on it. Try not to brake while you’re actually on
the ice, and avoid sudden steering maneuvers.
If You’re Caught in a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a
serious situation. You should probably stay with your
vehicle unless you know for sure that
you are near help
and you can hike through the snow. Here are some
things
to do to summon help and keep yourself and your
passengers safe:
0 Turn on your hazard flashers.