1997 CHEVROLET S10 Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Engine Overheating
YQU will find a coolant temperature gage on your
vehicle’s instrument paneI.
ESteam Is Coming FroniYour Engine
Steam from an overheatdengine can burn y.ou
badly, even if you just open the ho.od. Stay away
from the engine if you see or hear steam toming
from it. Just turn it off and get everyone away
from the vehicle until it cools down. Wait until
there is no sign of-steam or coolant before you
open the hood.
If you keep driving when your engine:is
overheated, the liquids in it can catch.fire. You
.or
others could be badly burned. Stop your engine if
it overheats,, and getmt of the vehicle until. the
engine
is cool.
NOTICE:
I
If your -engine catches fire. because you keep
driving with no co.olant, your vehicle can b.e
badly damaged. The costly repairs would..not. be
c~overed by your warranty.
5-12

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine IfNo Steam Is Coming -. From Your Engine
If y0.u get the overheat warning but s.ce or hear RO
steam, the problem may not be too serious. Sometimes
the engine
can get a 1i.ttle too hot when yau:
.O Climb a long hill OLI: a hot day.
0 S.top after high-speed driving.
0 Idle for long periods in traffic.
e- Tow a trailer. See “Dfiving on Grades” in .the Index.
If you get .the overheat warning with no sign of s-team;
try this for a minute or so:-
1. If you have an air conditioner, turn it off.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest.$gm
speed
and open the window as necessary.
3. 1% you’re in a. traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving -- AUTOMATlC OVERDRIVE (@) or
DRIVE (D) far automatic transmissions.
If you n.0 longer have the overheat warniiqg,. you
can drive. Just to besafe, driv.e slower for .about
10 minu.tes. If the
warning does;n’.t come back. ofl,
you can drive normdly..
If the warning c.aritinues-, pull OV&, stop, and p-~k y.Our-
vehicle right hway.
If there’s still no sign of steam, push the accelerator Uhtil
the
engine speed is about twice as fast-as normal idie
speed. Bring the. engine speed back to- normal idle sped
after two QP three minutes. Now:s.ye if the warning, stops.
But
&en-, if you still have the .warnhg-, twn qfl--fhc
engine and get Gveryona .out af rhe whicle until it
coois Eo wn.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When you decide it’s m€e to lift the, hood, here’s what
you’ll see: I
P-
CAUTION:
If your vehicle. has air conditioning, the auxiliary
electric
fan under the hood can start up .even
when the. engine is not running. and can injure
you. Keep hands, clothing and tools
away from
any underhood .electric
fan.
If the coolant inside the coolant recovery tank is boiling,
don’t do anything else u,ntil it cools down.
A, Ccrolant R-ecovery Tank
B. .Radiator Prmsure Cap
C . Engine .Fan
5-14

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine L
The coolant level should be at the ADD mark.
If it isn’t, you may have, a-le-& in the mdiator hoses,
heater hoses, radiator, water pump 01 ?mewbere else in
the cdoling. system.
1
heater and radiator noses, and other engine
parts, can be. very hat. Don’t touch them. If you
do,, you can be burned.
Don’t
run the engine if there is a leak. If you run
the engine, it could lose all coolant. That could
cause ,an engine fire,
and you could be burned.
Get any leak fixed before you drive the vehicle.
I NOTICE:
-.
Engine damage from running your ,engine
without coolant isn’t
covered by your warranty.
If there seems to be no leak, start the fine again, :See
if the fan speed increases when idle sped is -doubled by
pushing the -accelerator pedal down. If it doesn’t, your
vehicle needs service. Turn off-the engine.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine How to, Add Csolsrnt to the Coolant
Recovery Tank
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but the coolmt level
isn’t at ADD, add a :SO/SO mixture. of clean wnrer
(prefer&bly .distilled) :and DEX-CC)OL@ (siljcate-frm)
antifreeze at the coolant recovery tank. (See “Engine
Coolant” in the Index for more information.)
r-
Adding only plain water to your cooling system
can be da-ngerous. Plain water, or some other
liquid like alcohol,
can boil before the proper
coolant mix win. Your vehicle’s coolant warning.
system
-is set.for the.pr0pe.r coolant mix. With
plain water
or the wrong-mix, your engine conld
,get too hQt but y.ou wouldn’t get the overheat
warning.
Your engine could catch fire and you or
others could be burned. Use a 50/50 mix of clean
water ana DEX=COOL@ coolant.
NOTICE:
In cold weather, water can freeze and crack.the
engine, radiator, heater
core and ather parts.
Use the recommended coolant and the proper
coolant mix.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine r
You can be burned if you spill coolant on hot
engine parts. Coolant
contains ethylene glycol
and it will burn if the engine parts are hot
enough. Don’t spill coolant on -a hot engine.
When the coolant in the coolant recovery tank is at
ADD, start your vehicle.
If the overheat warning continues, there’s one more
thing you can try. You can add the. proper coolant .mix
directly to the radi,ator, but be sure the cooling system is
cool before you do it.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Steam and scalding Bquids from a hot cooling
system can
blow out and burn you badly. They
are .under pressure, and
if you turn the radiator
pressure cap
-- even a little -- they can come out
at highspeed. Never turn the.cap when the
cooling
system, including: the radiator pressure
cap, is hot. Wait for the cooling systemrand
radiator pressure cap to cool
if you ever have to
turn. the pressure cap.
5-18

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Wow .to Add Coolant to the Radiator
2. Then keep turning the pressur'e cap, but. now push
down
as you turn it. Remove the pressure cap.
1. You can remove the pressure cap when the cooling
system, inchding the pressure cap and upper radiator
hose, is no longer hot. Turn the-pressure cap slowly
counterclockwise until'it first stops. (Don't press
down while turning the pressure cap.)
If you hear a hiss, wait for that to stop. A hiss means
there is still some
pressure left.