1998 CHEVROLET EXPRESS ECU

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your vehicle in good shape for winter. Include
an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a supply
of windshield washer fluid, a rag, some winter outer
clothing,
a small shovel, a flashlight, a red cloth and
reflective warning triangles. And,
if you will be driving
under severe conditions, include a small bag
of sand, a
piece of old carpet or a couple of burlap bags
to help
provide traction. Be sure you properly secure these
items in your vehicle.
Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your tires meet the
road probably have good traction.
However, if there
is snow or ice between your tires and
the road,
you can have a very slippery situation. You’ll
have a
lot less traction or “grip” and will need to be
very careful.
0 You may want to put winter emergency supplies in
your vehicle.
4-23

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Things you put inside your vehicle can strike
and injure people in a sudden stop or turn, or
in a crash.
0 Put things in the cargo area of your vehicle.
0 Never stack heavier things, like suitcases,
Try
to spread the weight evenly.
inside the vehicle
so that some of them are
above the tops of the seats.
0 Don’t leave an unsecured child restraint in
your vehicle.
0 When you carry something inside the
vehicle, secure
it whenever you can.
Towing a Trailer
,- CAUTION:
If you don’t use the correct equipment and drive
properly, you can lose control when you pull
a
trailer. For example, if the trailer is too heavy,
the brakes may not work well
-- or even at all.
You and your passengers could be seriously
injured. Pull
a trailer only if you have followed
all the steps in this section. Ask your dealer for
advice and information about towing
a trailer
with your vehicle.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of experience.
Before setting
out for the open road, you’ll want to get
to know your rig. Acquaint yourself with the feel of
handling and braking with the added weight
of the
trailer. And always keep in mind that the vehicle
you are
driving is now a good deal longer and
not nearly as
responsive as your vehicle is by itself.
Before
you start, check the trailer hitch and platform
(and attachments), safety chains, electrical connector,
lamps, tires and mirror adjustment.
If the trailer has
electric brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving and
then apply the trailer brake controller by hand to be sure
the brakes are working. This lets
you check your
electrical connection
at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be sure that the
load is secure, and that the lamps and any trailer brakes
are still working.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead as you
would when driving your vehicle without a trailer. This
can help you avoid situations that require heavy braking
and sudden turns.
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up ahead when
you’re towing a trailer. And, because you’re a good deal
longer, you’ll need
to go much farther beyond the
passed vehicle before you can return
to your lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand.
Then, to move
the trailer to the left, just move that hand
to the left. To move the trailer to the right, move your
hand to the right. Always back up slowly and, if
possible, have someone guide you.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Trailer Wiring Harness
The light-duty trailer wiring harness is a six-wire
harness assembly. The optional heavy-duty trailer
wiring package is an eight-wire harness assembly. The
harness is stored under the vehicle, along the driver’s
side rear corner of the frame rail. The heavy-duty trailer
wiring harness has a 30-amp feed wire. Both harnesses
come without connectors and should be wired by a
qualified electrical technician. The technician can use
the following color code chart when connecting the
wiring harness to your trailer.
Dark Blue: Use for electric trailer brakes (eight-wire
harness only)
Orange: Trailer accessory (eight-wire harness only)
0 Light Green: Back-up lamps
0 Brown: Parking lamps
Yellow: Left stoplamp and turn signal
0 Dark Green: Right stoplamp and turn signal
0 White (heavy gage): Ground wire
White (light gage): Center high-mounted stoplamp
Securely attach the harness to the trailer, then tape or
strap
it to your vehicle’s frame rail. Be sure you leave it
loose enough
so the wiring doesn’t bend or break, but
not
so loose that it drags on the ground. Store the
harness in its original place. Wrap the harness together
and tie it neatly
so it won’t be damaged.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A CAUTWN:
To help avoid injury to you or others:
Never let passengers ride in a vehicle that is
Never tow faster than safe or posted speeds.
Never tow with damaged parts not
Never get under your vehicle after it has
Always use separate safety chains on each
being
towed.
fully secured. been lifted by the tow truck.
side when towing
a vehicle.
When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition
key
off. The steering wheel should be clamped in a
straight ahead position, with a clamping device designed
for towing service.
Do not use the vehicle’s steering
column lock for this. The transmission should be
in
NEUTRAL (N) and the parking brake should
be released.
I
A vehicle can fall from a car carrier if it isn’t
adequately secured. This can cause
a collision,
serious personal injury and vehicle damage. The
vehicle should be tightly secured with chains or
steel cables before
it is transported.
Don’t use substitutes (ropes, leather straps,
canvas webbing, etc.) that can be cut by sharp
edges underneath the towed vehicle.
5-9

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
::.. ..,. .. .
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Your spare tire is stored underneath the rear of your
vehicle. You will use the ratchet and extension to lower
the spare tire.
A flat rear tire reduces clearance to remove the spare
tire. If there is less than 12 inches (30.48 cm) between
the ground and the rear bumper or any trailer hitch, jack
up the vehicle until the flat tire is
off the ground. (See
“Removing the Flat Tire” and “Installing the Spare
Tire,” Steps
4 through 8, in this section.) Unless your vehicle has
a flat rear tire, do not remove
or restore a tire frodto a storage position under the
vehicle while the vehicle is supported by a jack. Always
tighten the tire fully against the underside
of the vehicle
when restoring.
If you have a vehicle which was completed from a cab
and chassis, refer to the information from the body
supplierhnstaller.
The spare
tire is a full size tire, like the other tires on
your vehicle.
For cargo vans, and all
passenger vans except those
with the 15-passenger
seating arrangement, the
jack is secured in the rear
passenger side corner
of
the vehicle.
Remove the retaining wing
bolt and lift it off the
mounting bracket. Set the jack and jacking equipment
near the flat tire.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine For vans with the 15-passenger seating arrangement,
the jack is secured on the rear passenger side floor of
the vehicle.
Remove the retaining wing bolt and lift it out of the
mounting bracket. Set the jack and jacking equipment
near the flat tire. The ratchet has
a DOWN side and an UP side.
Attach the ratchet, with the
DOWN side facing you, to
the extension. The extension has
a socket end and a flat
chisel end.
Put
the flat end of the extension on an angle through the
hole in the rear door frame, above the bumper. Be sure
the flat end connects into the hoist shaft.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 4. Attach the ratchet, with the UP side facing you, to
the extension. 5. Put the flat end of the extension on an angle through
the hole in the rear door frame, above the bumper.
Turn the ratchet to the right until the
tire is against
the underside
of the vehicle.
You will hear two “clicks” when the tire
is up all the
way. Try to move the tire with your hands to make
sure it is securely in place.
Return the jacking equipment to the proper location.
Secure the items and replace the jack cover.
5-35