1998 CHEVROLET ASTRO light

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine You can only drive for a short time with the readings in
either warning
zone. If you must drive, turn off all
unnecessary accessories.
Readings in either warning zone indicate a possible
problem in the electrical system. Have the vehicle
serviced as soon as possible.
Brake System Warning Light
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will come
on when you set your parking brake. The light
will stay on if your parking brake doesn’t release
fully.
If it stays on after your parking brake is fully released, it
means
you have a brake problem.
Your vehicle’s hydraulic brake system is divided into
two parts. If one part isn’t working, the other part can
still work and stop
you. For good braking, though, you
need both parts working well.
If the warning light comes on, there could be a brake
problem. Have
your brake system inspected right away.
BRAKE
This light should come on
briefly when
you turn the
ignition key to
RUN. If it
doesn’t come
on then, have
it fixed so it will be ready to
warn
you if there’s
a problem.
If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the
road and stop carefully. You may notice that the pedal is
harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer
to the floor.
It may take longer to stop. If the light is still on, have the
vehicle towed for service. (See “Towing Your Vehicle”
in the Index.)
A CAUi iON:
-
Your brake system may not be working prop( y
if the brake system warning light is on. Driving
with the brake system warning light on can lead
to an accident. If the light
is still on after you’ve
pulled off the road and stopped carefully, have
the vehicle towed for service.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
ANTI -
LOCK
With the anti-lock brake
system, this light will come
on when
you start your
engine and may stay
on for
several seconds.
That’s normal.
If the light stays on, or comes on when you’re driving,
your vehicle needs service.
If the regular brake system
warning light isn’t on,
you still have brakes, but you
don’t have anti-lock brakes.
If the regular brake system
warning light is also on, you don’t have anti-lock brakes
and there’s a problem with your regular brakes. See
“Brake System Warning Light’’ earlier in this section.
The anti-lock brake system warning light should come
on briefly when you turn the ignition key to RUN. If the
light doesn’t come on then, have
it fixed so it will be
ready to warn
you if there is a problem.
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
If the gage pointer moves to
the red area, your engine
is
too hot!
It means that your engine coolant has overheated. If you
have been operating your vehicle under normal driving
conditions,
you should pull off the road, stop your
vehicle and turn off the engine as soon as possible.
The “Problems on the Road” section of this manual
shows
you what to do. See “Engine Overheating” in
the Index.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Service Engine Soon Light)
1
Your vehicle is equipped
with a computer which
monitors operation
of the
fuel, ignition and emission SERVICE
ENGINE
SOON
control systems.
This system is called OBD
I1 (On-Board
Diagnostics-Second Generation) and is intended to
assure that emissions are at acceptable levels for the life
of the vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner
environment. The SERVICE ENGINE
SOON light
comes on to indicate that there is a problem and service
is required. Malfunctions often will be indicated by the
system before any problem is apparent. This may
prevent more serious damage
to your vehicle. This
system
is also designed to assist your service technician
in correctly diagnosing any malfunction.
0
0
NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle with this light
on, after a while, your emission controls may not
work
as well, your fuel economy may not be as
good and your engine may not run as smoothly.
This could lead to costly repairs that may not be
covered by your warranty.
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is
on and the engine is not
running.
If the light doesn’t come on, have it repaired.
This light will also come
on during a malfunction in one
of two ways:
Light Flashing -- A misfire condition has been
detected.
A misfire increases vehicle emissions and
may damage the emission control system
on your
vehicle. Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis
and service may be required.
Light On Steady -- An emission control system
malfunction has been detected
on your vehicle.
Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis and
service may be required.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
0 Reducing vehicle speed.
0 Avoiding hard accelerations.
Avoiding steep uphill grades.
0 If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible.
If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see “If
the Light Is
On Steady” following.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do
so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart the
engine. If the light remains
on steady, see “If the Light
Is On Steady” following. If the light is still flashing,
follow
the previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your
dealer or qualified service center for service.
If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did
you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If
so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. The diagnostic system can determine if the fuel
cap has been left off or improperly installed. A loose or
missing
fuel cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the
atmosphere. A few driving trips with the cap properly
installed should turn the light
off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out.
A few driving trips should turn the light off.
Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel (see
“Fuel” in the Index). Poor fuel quality will cause your
engine not to run as efficiently as designed. You may
notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling when you
put the vehicle into gear, misfiring, hesitation
on
acceleration or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditions may go away once the engine is warmed up.)
This will be detected by the system and cause the light
to turn on.
If
you experience one or more of these conditions,
change
the fuel brand you use. It will require at least one
full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of
the above steps have made the light turn off,
have your dealer or qualified service center check the
vehicle. Your dealer has the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to fix any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.
Oil Pressure Gage
The oil pressure gage shows
the engine oil pressure in
psi (pounds per square inch)
when the engine
is running.
Canadian vehicles indicate pressure
in kPa (kilopascals).
Oil pressure may vary with engine speed, outside
temperature and
oil viscosity, but readings above the
low pressure zone indicate
the normal operating range.
A reading in the low pressure zone may be caused by a
dangerously low oil level or other problems causing
low
oil pressure.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A CAUTION:
Don’t keep driving if the oil pressure is low. If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches fire. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon as possible and have your
vehicle serviced.
NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and is not covered by
your warranty.
Security Light
This light will come on
briefly when you turn the
The light will stay on until the engine starts.
If the light
flashes, the Passlock” System has entered a tamper
mode.
If the vehicle fails to start, see “Passlock” in
the Index.
If the light comes on continuously while driving and
stays on, there may be a problem with the Passlock
System. Your vehicle will not be protected by Passlock,
and you should see your
GM dealer.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Daytime Running Lamps Indicator Light
You will have this light on
:::o
the instrument panel: It goes
on whenever the Daytime
Running Lamps (DRL)
are
on. 0.0
When it begins to get dark, the DRL indicator light is a
reminder to turn on your headlamps.
Check Gages Light
CHECK
GAGES
This light will come on
briefly when you are
starting the engine.
If the light comes on and stays
on while you are driving,
check your various gages
to see if they are in the
warning zones.
Fuel Gage
The fuel gage tells you
approximately how much
fuel you have remaining
FUEL ONLY
when the ignition is on.
When the gage first indicates EMPTY (E), you still have
a little fuel left, but you should get more fuel as soon
as possible.
Here are things some owners ask about. None
of these
indicate a problem with your fuel gage:
0 At the gas station, the gas pump shuts off before the
gage reads
FULL (F).
0 The fuel tank will take either a little more or a little
less fuel to fill up than the gage shows.
0 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If your vehicle has rear air conditioning, setting it on
LOW may enhance the front
A/C performance by
allowing trapped refrigerant in
the rear lines to circulate.
The rear air conditioning system will
only send cooled
air if the front system is
on. It can still be used to
circulate air,
even if the front system is off.
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.
Heating
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.
Defrosting
Use DEFROST to remove fog or ice from the
windshield quickly in extremely cold conditions. The
temperature knob should be in the red area and the fan
control toward high. The air conditioning compressor
may operate
in this setting to dehumidify the air.
The BLEND setting is useful for cold weather with
a
large number of passengers or very humid conditions to
help keep the windshield clear.
Ventilation System
For mild outside temperatures when little heating or
cooling is needed, use VENT
to direct outside air
through your vehicle. Air will flow through the
instrument panel vents.
Your vehicle’s flow-through ventilation system supplies
outside air to the inside of your vehicle when it is
moving. With the side windows closed, air will flow into
the front air inlet grilles at the base of the windshield,
through the vehicle and
out the rear air exhaust valve.
Outside air will also
enter the vehicle when the heater or
the air conditioning fan is running.
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