1998 CHEVROLET ASTRO lock

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Ignition Positions
Use your ignition key to start your vehicle. The
ignition key lets you turn the ignition switch to
five different positions.
C
I
A i E
ACCESSORY (A): This position lets you use things
like
the radio and the windshield wipers when the
engine is off. To get into ACCESSORY, push in the key
and turn it toward you. Your steering wheel will remain
locked, just
as it was before you inserted the key.
NOTICE:
Don’t operate accessories in the ACCESSORY
position for long periods of time. Prolonged
operation of accessories in the ACCESSORY position could drain your battery and prevent
you from starting your vehicle.
LOCK (B): This position locks your ignition, steering
wheel and transmission shift lever in PARK
(P). It’s a
theft-deterrent feature. You will only be able to remove
your key when the ignition is turned
to LOCK.
OFF (C): This position lets you turn off the engine but
still turn the steering wheel. Use
OFF if you must have
your vehicle
in motion while the engine is off (for
example,
if your vehicle is being towed).
RUN (D): This is the position for driving.
START (E): This starts your engine.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine NOTICE:
If your key seems stuck in LOCK and you can’t
turn it, be sure you are using the correct key;
if
so, is it all the way in? If it is, then turn the
steering wheel left and right while you turn the
key hard. But turn the key only with your hand.
Using
a tool to force it could break the key or the
ignition switch.
If none of this works, then your
vehicle needs service.
Starting Your Engine
Move your shift lever to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N).
Your engine won’t start in any other position -- that’s a
safety feature.
To restart when you’re already moving,
use NEUTRAL (N) only.
NOTICE:
Don’t try to shift to PARK (P) if your vehicle is
moving.
If you do, you could damage the
transmission. Shift to PARK
(P) only when your
vehicle is stopped.
1. Without pushing the accelerator pedal, turn your
ignition key
to START. When the engine starts, let
go of the key. The idle speed will go
down as your
engine gets warm.
NOTICE:
Holding your key in START for longer than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to be
drained much sooner. And the excessive heat can
damage your starter motor.
2. If it doesn’t start right away, hold your key in
START. If it doesn’t start in 10 seconds, push the
accelerator pedal all the way down for five more
seconds, unless
it starts sooner.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A CAUTION:
Plugging the cord iL-_ 1 an ungrounded outlet
could cause an electrical shock.
Also, the wrong
kind
of extension cord could overheat and cause
a fire. You could
be seriously injured. Plug the
cord into a properly grounded three-prong
110-volt
AC outlet. If the cord won’t reach, use a
heavy-duty three-prong extension cord rated
for
at least 15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and
store the cord as it was before to keep it away from
moving engine parts.
If you don’t, it could
be damaged. How long should
you keep the coolant heater
plugged
in? The answer depends on
the outside temperature, the
kind of oil you have, and some other things. Instead of
trying to list everything here, we ask that you contact
your dealer in the area where
you’ll be parking your
vehicle. The dealer can give
you the best advice for that
particular area.
Automatic Transmission Operation
There are several different positions for your shift lever.
II II
PARK (P): This locks your rear wheels. It’s the best
position to use when you start your engine because your
vehicle can’t move easily.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A CAUhON:
It is dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the
shift lever
is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to.
If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be sure your
vehicle won’t move, even when you’re on fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to
PARK (P).
See “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in the Index. If
you’re pulling a trailer, see “Towing a Trailer” in
the Index.
Ensure the shift lever
is fully in PARK (P) before starting
the engine. Your vehicle has a brake-transmission shift
interlock. You have to fully apply your regular brakes
before you can shift from
PARK (P) when the ignition key is in the
RUN position. If you cannot shift out of
PARK (P), ease pressure on the shift lever
-- push the
shift lever all the way into
PARK (P) as you maintain
brake application. Then move the shift lever into the gear you wish. See “Shifting Out of PARK
(P)” in this section.
REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.
NOTICE:
Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle
is moving forward could damage your
transmission. Shift to
REVERSE (R) only
after your vehicle is stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice or sand without damaging your transmission, see
“Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow” in the Index.
NEUTRAL (N): In this position, your engine doesn’t
connect with the wheels.
To restart when you’re
already moving, use NEUTRAL
(N) only. Also, use
NEUTRAL
(N) when your vehicle is being towed. ’
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) like this:
0 Pull the lever toward you.
Move the lever up as far as it will go.
3. Turn the ignition key to LOCK.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
remove the key from your ignition, your vehicle is in
PARK (P).
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Engine Running
-
A CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with the
engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever is not fully in PARK
(P)
with the parking brake firmly set. And, if you
leave the vehicle with the engine running, it could overheat and even catch fire. You or others could
be injured. Don’t leave your vehicle with the
engine running unless you have to.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running,
be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and your
parking brake is firmly set before you leave
it. After
you’ve moved the shift lever to PARK (P), hold
the
regular brake pedal down. Then, see if you can move the
shift lever away from PARK
(P) without first pulling it
toward you.
If you can, it means that the shift lever
wasn’t fully locked into PARK
(P).
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transmission into PARK
(P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put
too much force on the parking pawl in
the transmission. You may find it difficult to pull
the
shift lever out of PARK (P). This is called “torque lock.”
To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then
shift
into PARK (P) properly before you leave the
driver’s seat.
To find out how, see “Shifting Into
PARK (P)”
in the Index.
When
you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK
(P) before you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another
vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of
the
pressure from the parking pawl in the transmission, so
you can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Shifting Out of PARK (P)
Your vehicle has a brake-transmission shift interlock.
You have
to fully apply your regular brake before you
can shift from PARK (P) when the ignition is in the
RUN position. See "Automatic Transmission" in
the Index.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever
-- push the shift lever all the way into
PARK
(P) as you maintain brake application. Then
move the shift lever into the gear you want.
If you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can't
shift out of PARK
(P), try this:
1. Turn the key to OFF.
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
3. Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the vehicle and then shift to the drive gear
you want.
5. Have the vehicle fixed as soon as you can.
Parking Over Things That Burn
I A CAUTION:
Y
Things that can burn could touch hot exhaust
parts under your vehicle and ignite. Don't park
over papers, leaves, dry grass or other things that
can burn.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to. If you’ve left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be sure your
vehicle won’t move, even when you’re on
fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to
PARK (P).
Locking Rear Axle (Option)
If you have this feature, your locking rear axle can give
you additional traction on snow, mud, ice, sand or
gravel. It works like a standard axle most of the time,
but when one
of the rear wheels has no traction and the
other does, this feature will allow the wheel with
traction to move
the vehicle.
All-Wheel Drive (Option)
If your vehicle has
all-wheel drive, your
engine’s driving power
is sent to all four wheels
for extra traction.
Follow
the proper steps to be sure your vehicle won’t
move. See “Shifting Into
PARK (P)” in the Index.
If you’re pulling a trailer, see “Towing a Trailer’’ in
the Index.
This is like four-wheel drive, but there
is no separate
lever or switch
to engage or disengage the front axle.
It is fully automatic, and adjusts itself as needed for
road conditions.
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