1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN warning

Section 5 Problems On The Road
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the road.
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5-3
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5-8
5-11 Hazard
Warning Flashers
Other Warning Devices
Jump Starting
Towing Your Vehicle
Engine Overheating (Gasoline Engines) Cooling System
-- Gasoline Engines
Engine Fan Noise
If a Tire Goes Flat
Changing
a Flat Tire
If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or
Snow
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Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning flashers let you warn others. They
also let police know you have a problem. Your front and
rear turn signal lamps will flash on and off. Press the
button at the top
of the steering column all
the way down to make your
front and rear turn signal
lamps flash on and off.
Your hazard warning flashers work no matter what
position your key is in, and even if the key isn't in.
To turn off the flashers, push the button until the first
click and release.
When the hazard warning flashers are on, your turn
signals won't work.
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Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can set one up at
the side of the road about
300 feet (100 m) behind
your vehicle.
Jump Starting
If your battery (or batteries) has run down, you may
want to
use another vehicle and some jumper cables to
start your vehicle. But please use the following steps to
do it safely.
Batteries can hurt you. They can be
dangerous because:
0 They contain acid that can burn you.
0 They contain gas that can explode or ignite.
0 They contain enough electricity to burn you.
If you don’t follow these steps exactly, some or all
of these things can hurt you.
NOTICE:
Ignoring these steps could result in costly damage
to your vehicle that wouldn’t be covered
by your
vehicle warranty.
Trying to start your vehicle by pushing
or pulling
it could damage your vehicle. With an automatic
transmission, it won’t start that
way.
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with a negative ground system.
2. Get the vehicles close enough
so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicle’s aren’t touching
each other. If they are, it could cause a ground
connection you don’t want. You wouldn’t be able to
start your vehicle, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
To avoid the possibility of the vehicles rolling, set the
parking brake
fiiy on both vehicles involved in the
jump
start procedure. Put an automatic transmission
in
PARK (P). If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle,
be sure the transfer case is not
in NEUTRAL (N).
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Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have your GM dealer or a professional towing
service tow your vehicle. See “Roadside Assistance” in
the Index. They can provide the right equipment and
know-how to tow it without damage.
If
your vehicle has been changed since it was
factory-new, by adding such things as
fog lamps, aero
skirting,
or special tires and wheels, these things could
be damaged during towing.
Before you
do anythmg, turn on the hazard warning flashers.
When you call, tell the towing service:
That your vehicle has rear-wheel drive, or that it has
The make, model and year of your vehicle.
Whether you can move the shift lever for the
If there was an accident, what was damaged.
the
four-wheel-drive option.
transmission and transfer case,
if you have one. When
the towing service arrives, let the tow operator
know that this manual contains these towing
instructions. The operator may want to see them.
To help avoid injury to you or others:
0 Never let passengers ride in a vehicle that is
0 Never tow faster than safe or posted speeds.
being
towed.
~ 0 Never tow with damaged parts not
’ 0 Never get under your vehicle after it has
~ been lifted by the tow truck.
fully
secured.
0 Always use separate safety chains on each
side when towing a vehicle.
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If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
If you get the overheat warning but see or hear no
steam, the problem may not be too serious. Sometimes
the engine can get a little too hot when you:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high-speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
0 Tow a trailer. See “Driving on Grades” in the Index.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
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 fan
speed and open the window as necessary.
3. If you’re in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving
-- AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (a)
for automatic transmissions. If you
no longer have
the overheat warning, you can
drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about
10 minutes.
If the warning doesn’t come back on, you can
drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your
vehicle right away.
If there’s still no sign
of steam, push the accelerator until
the engine speed is about twice as fast as normal idle
speed. Bring the engine speed back to normal idle speed
after two or three minutes. Now see if the warning stops,
But then, if you still have the warning,
turn oflthe
engine
and get everyone out of the vehicle until it
cools down.
YOU may decide not
to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
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How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery Tank
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but the coolant level
isn’t at or above the COLD
mark, add a 50/50 mixture of
clean water (preferably distilled) and DEX-COOL@
(silicate-free) antifreeze at the coolant recovery tank. (See
“Engine Coolant” in the Index for more information.)
-
A CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water, or some other
liquid like alcohol, can boil before the proper
coolant mix will. Your vehicle’s coolant warning
system is set for the proper coolant mix.
CAUTION: (Continued) CAUTION:
(Conwed)
With plain water
or the wrong mix, your engine
could get too hot but you 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 and DEX-COOL@ coolant.
I NOTICE:
In cold weather, water can freeze and crack the
engine, radiator, heater core and other parts.
Use the recommended coolant and the proper
coolant mix.
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I A CAUTION:
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 or
above the
COLD mark, 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 radiator, but be sure the cooling system is
cool before you do it.
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Changing a Flat Tire
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly to a level place.
Turn on your hazard
warning flashers.
Changing a tire can cause an injury. The vehicle
can slip
off the jack and roll over you or other
people. You and they could be badly injured.
Find
a level place to change your tire. To help
prevent the vehicle from moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put the shift lever in PARK (P).
3. If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle,
be sure the transfer case is in a drive
gear
-- not in NEUTRAL (N).
4. firn off the engine.
To be even more certain the vehicle won't move,
you can put blocks at the front and rear of the
tire farthest away from the one being changed.
That would be the tire on the other side of the
vehicle, at the opposite end.
The following steps will tell you how to use the jack and
change
a tire.
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