1998 CHEVROLET EXPRESS check engine

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 Making Turns
NOTICE:
Making very sharp turns while trailering could
cause the trailer to come in contact with the vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider turns than normal.
Do this so your trailer won’t strike soft shoulders,
curbs, road signs, trees or other objects. Avoid jerky or
sudden maneuvers. Signal well in advance.
lhrn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has to have extra
wiring and a heavy-duty turn signal flasher (included in
the optional trailering package).
The arrows on your instrument panel will flash
whenever you signal a turn or lane change. Properly
hooked up, the trailer lamps will also flash, telling other
drivers you’re about to turn, change lanes or stop. When
towing
a trailer, the arrows on your instrument
panel will flash for turns even if the bulbs
on the trailer
are burned out. Thus,
you may think drivers behind
you are seeing your signal when they are not. It’s
important to check occasionally
to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start
down a long or steep downgrade. If you don’t shift
down, you might have
to use your brakes so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce your
speed
to around 45 mph (70 kdh) to reduce the
possibility of engine and transmission overheating.
When towing at high altitude
on steep uphill grades,
consider the following: Engine coolant will boil at a lower
temperature than
at normal altitudes. If you turn your
engine
off immediately after towing at high altitude on
steep uphill grades, your vehicle may show signs similar
to
engine overheating. To avoid this, let the engine run while
parked (preferably
on level ground) with the automatic
transmission in PARK
(P) for a few minutes before tumine
the engine off. If you do get the overheat warning, see
“Engine Overheating”
in the Index.
4-35

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle, with a trailer
attached, on a hill. If something goes wrong, your
rig
could start to move. People can be injured, and both
your vehicle and the trailer can be damaged.
But
if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s
how to do it:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
PARK (P) yet. Then turn your wheels into the curb if
facing downhill or into traffic if facing uphill.
Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes
until the chocks absorb the load.
Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your parking
brake and then shift to PARK
(P).
Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking
on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
0 Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transmission fluid (don’t
overfill), engine oil, axle lubricant, belt, cooling system
and brake adjustment. Each of these is covered in this
manual, and
the Index will help you find them quickly.
If you’re trailering, it’s a good idea to review these
sections before you start your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch
nuts and bolts
are tight.
4-36

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may want to use
another vehicle and some jumper cables to start your
vehicle. But please follow the steps below to do it safely.
A CAUTION:
Batteries can hurt you. They can be dangerous
because:
They contain acid that can burn you.
They contain gas that can explode or ignite.
They confain 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 warranty.
Rying to start your vehicle
by pushing or pulling
it won’t work, and it could damage your vehicle.
Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with a negative ground system.
NOTICE:
If the other system isn’t a 12-volt system with a
negative ground, both vehicles can be damaged.
5-3

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A CAUTION:
Using a match near a battery can cause battery
gas to explode. People have been hurt doing this,
and some have been blinded. Use a flashlight
if
you need more light.
Be sure the batteries have enough water.
You
don’t need to add water to the ACDelco
Freedom@ battery (or batteries) installed in every new
GM vehicle. But if a battery has filler
caps, be sure the right amount of fluid
is there. If
it is low, add water to take care of that first. If
you don’t, explosive gas could be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn you.
Don’t get it on you.
If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or on your skin, flush the place with
water and get medical help immediately.
5. Check that the jumper cables don’t have loose or
missing insulation. If they do, you could get a shock.
The vehicles could be damaged, too.
Before you connect the cables, here
are some basic
things you should
know. Positive (+) will go to
positive
(+) and negative (-) will go to an unpainted
metal engine part or a body metal surface. Don’t
connect positive
(+) to negative (-) or you will get a
short that would damage the battery and maybe other
parts, too. And don’t connect the negative
(-) to
negative
(-).
Fans or ot-- -r n-- ving engine parts can in, ..re you
badly. Keep your hands away from moving parts
once the engine
is running.
5-5

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Here you will find information about the care of your vehicle. This section begins with service and fuel information,
and then it shows how to check important fluid and lubricant levels. There is also technical information about your
vehicle, and a part devoted to its appearance care.
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Service
Fuel (Gasoline Engine)
Fuels in Foreign Countries (Gasoline Engines)
Filling Your Tank (Gasoline Engine)
Filling a Portable Fuel Container
Checking Things Under the
Hood
Noise Control System
Engine Oil (Gasoline Engine)
Air Cleaner (Gasoline Engines)
Automatic Transmission Fluid
Rear Axle
Engine Coolant
Radiator Pressure Cap
Thermostat
Power Steering Fluid
Windshield Washer Fluid
Brakes Battery 6-32
6-32
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6-67
6- 69 Bulb Replacement
Halogen Bulbs
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
Tires Appearance Care
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle
Cleaning the Outside
of Your Vehicle
Cleaning Aluminum Wheels (If Equipped)
Cleaning Tires
Sheet Metal Damage
Finish Damage Appearance Care Materials Chart
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
Electrical System
Replacement Bulbs Capacities and Specifications
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine You can be injured and your vehicle could be
damaged if you try to do service work on a
vehicle without knowing enough about it.
0
0 Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, the proper replacement parts
and tools before you attempt any vehicle
maintenance task.
Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts and
other fasteners. “English” and “metric”
fasteners can be easily confused.
If you use
the wrong fasteners, parts can later break
or fall off. You could be hurt.
L
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle
Things you might add to the outside of your vehicle can
affect the airflow around it. This may cause wind noise
and affect windshield washer performance. Check with
your dealer before adding equipment
to the outside of
your vehicle.
Fuel (Gasoline Engine)
If your vehicle has a diesel engine, see “Diesel Fuel
Requirements and Fuel System” in the Diesel Engine
Supplement. For vehicles with gasoline engines,
please read this.
Use regular unleaded gasoline rated at
87 octane or
higher. At a minimum, it should meet specifications
ASTM D4814 in the United States and CGSB
3.5-M93
in Canada. Improved gasoline specifications have
been developed by the American Automobile
Manufacturers Association (AAMA) for better
vehicle performance and engine protection. Gasolines
meeting
the AAMA specification could provide
improved driveability and emission control system
protection compared
to other gasolines.
Be sure the posted octane is
at least 87. If the octane is
less
than 87, you may get a heavy knocking noise when
you drive. If it’s bad enough, it can damage your engine.
If you’re using fuel rated at
87 octane or higher and you
hear heavy knocking, your engine needs service. But
don’t worry if
you hear a little pinging noise when
you’re accelerating
or driving up a hill. That’s normal,
and
you don’t have to buy a higher octane fuel to get rid
of pinging. It’s
the heavy, constant knock that means
you have a problem.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If your vehicle is certified to meet California Emission
1 Standards (inhcated on the underhood emission control
label), it is designed to operate on fuels that meet
California specifications.
If such fuels are not available
in states adopting California emissions standards, your
vehicle
will operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting
federal specifications, but emission control system
performance may be affected. The malfunction indicator
lamp on your instrument panel may
turn on andor your
vehicle may fail a smog-check test. If this occurs,
return
to your authorized GM dealer for diagnosis to determine
the cause of failure. In the event it is. determined that the
1 cause of the condition is the type of fuels used, repairs
, may not be covered by your warranty.
Some gasolines that are not reformulated for low
emissions contain an octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT);
ask your service station operator whether
or not his fuel
contains MMT. General Motors does not recommend the
use of such gasolines.
If fuels containing MMT are used,
~ spark plug life may be reduced and your emission
control system performance may be affected. The
malfunction indicator lamp on your instrument panel
may
turn on. If this occurs, return to your authorized
GM dealer for service.
~
i
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines in the United States
are now required to contain additives that will help
prevent deposits from forming in your engine and fuel
system, allowing your emission control system to
function properly. Therefore, you should not have to add
anything to the fuel. In addition, gasolines containing
oxygenates, such as ethers and ethanol, and
reformulated gasolines may be available in your area to
help clean the air. General Motors recommends that you
use these gasolines if they comply with the
specifications described earlier.
NOTICE:
Your vehicle was not designed for fuel that
contains methanol. Don’t .use it. It can corrode
metal parts in your fuel system and also damage
plastic and rubber parts. That damage wouldn’t
be covered under your warranty.
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