1998 CHEVROLET EXPRESS cooling

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Section 5 Problems on the Road
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the road.
5-2
5-2
5-3
5-8
5-1 1
Hazard Warning Flashers
Other Warning Devices
Jump Starting
Towing Your Vehicle
Engine Overheating (Gasoline Engine) 5- 14
5-21
5-2 1
5-22
5-36
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
5-1

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Cooling System (Gasoline Engines)
When you decide it’s safe to lift the hood, here’s what
you’ll see:
The coolant level should be at or above the
FULL
COLD mark.
A. Radiator Pressure Cap
B. Coolant Recovery Tank
C. Engine
Fan(s)
If the coolant inside the coolant recovery tank is boiling,
don’t do anything else
until it cools down.
5-14

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If it isn’t, you may have a leak in the radiator hoses,
heater hoses, radiator, water pump or somewhere else in
the cooling system. Heater and radiator
hoses, and other engine
parts, can be very hot. 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.
NOTICE:
I
Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn’t covered by your warranty.
I I
If there seems to be no leak, start the engine again.
See if the engine cooling fan speed increases when
idle speed is doubled by pushing the accelerator pedal
down.
If it doesn’t, your vehicle needs service. Turn off
the engine.
5-15

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery Tank
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but the coolant level
isn’t at the FULL COLD mark, add a 50/50 mixture of
clean water (preferably distilled) and DEX-COOL@
engine coolant at the coolant recovery tank. (See
“Engine Coolant’’
in the Index for more information.)
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 mixture will. Your vehicle’s coolant
warning system is set for the proper coolant
mixture. With plain water or the wrong mixture,
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 mixture 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 mixture.
I
.. .
5-16

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I CAUTION: I
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 the
FULL COLD mark, start your vehicle.
If the overheat warning continues, there’s one more
thing you can try. You can add the proper coolant
mixture directly
to the radiator, but be sure the cooling
system is cool before you do it,
Steam and scalding liquids from a hot cooling
system can blow out and burn
you badly. They
are under pressure, and
if you turn the radiator
CAUTION: (Continued pressure cap
-- even
a lit 0- ey can come out
at high speed. Never turn the cap when the
cooling system, including the radiator pressure
cap, is hot. Wait for the cooling system and
radiator pressure cap to cool
if you ever have to
turn the pressure cap.
5-17

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine How to Add Coolant to the Radiator
1. You can remove the radiator pressure cap when the
cooling system, including the radiator 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.
2. Then keep turning the pressure cap, but now push
down as you turn it. Remove the pressure cap.
5-18

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I .....
6. Start the engine and let it run until you can feel the
upper radiator hose getting hot. Watch out
for the
engine cooling fan.
7. By this time, the coolant level inside the radiator
filler neck may
be lower. If the level is lower, add
more
of the proper DEX-COOL@ coolant mixture
through the filler neck until the level reaches the
base of the filler neck.
8. Then replace the pressure cap. At any time during
this procedure
if coolant begins to flow out of the
filler neck, reinstall the pressure cap. Be sure the
arrows on the pressure cap line up like this.
5-20

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Engine Fan Noise If a Tire Goes Flat
Your vehicle has a clutched engine cooling fan. When the
clutch is engaged, the
fan spins faster to provide more air
to cool the engine. In most everyday driving conditions,
the fan is spinning slower and the clutch is not fully
engaged. This improves fuel economy and reduces fan
noise. Under heavy vehicle loading, trailer towing and/or
high outside temperatures, the fan speed increases as the
clutch more fully engages.
So you may hear an increase in
fan
noise. This is normal and should not be mistaken as
the transmission slipping or making extra shifts. It is
merely the cooling system functioning properly. The fan will slow down when additional cooling is not required and the clutch partially disengages.
You may also hear this fan noise when you start
the engine. It will go away as the fan clutch
partially disengages. It’s unusual
for
a tire to “blow out” while you’re driving,
especially if you maintain your tires properly. If air goes
out of a tire, it’s much more likely to leak out slowly.
But if
you should ever have a “blowout,” here are a few
tips about what to expect and what
to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel firmly.
Steer to maintain lane position, and then gently brake
to
a stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a
skid and may require the same correction you’d
use in a
skid. In any rear blowout, remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the way you want the vehicle to go.
It may be
very bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently
brake
to a stop -- well off the road if possible.
If
a tire goes flat, the next part shows how to use your
jacking equipment
to change a flat tire safely.