1998 CHEVROLET EXPRESS brakes

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle.
For example,
these symbols
are used on an
original battery:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
ACID COULD
x
BATTERY
CAUSE
BURNS
AVOID
SPARKS
OR
FLAMES
SPARK
OR ,111,
COULD FLAME
EXPLODE BATTERY
These symbols are important
for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle is
driven
:
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
FASTEN SEAT
BELTS
These symbols
have
to do with
your lamps:
SIGNALS e
TURN
WARNING
A
HAZARD
FLASHER
FOG LAMPS
$0
These symbols
are on some
of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
WIPER
WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
VENTILATING FAN
These symbols are used on
warning and
indicator lights:
COOLANT -
TEMP -
CHARGING BATTERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE
(a)
COOLANT a
ENGINE OIL
PRESSURE
Wh
ANTI-LOCK (@)
BRAKES
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE -%-
I
LIGHTER
HORN
b
SPEAKER
b
FUEL p3
V

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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. With the ignition in the RUN position, you must fully apply your regular
brakes before you can shift from PARK (P).
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever and push the shift lever all the way into
PARK (P) as you continue pressing the brake pedal.
Then move the shift lever into the gear you want. See
“Shifting Out
of PARK (P)” later in this section.
REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.
NOTICE:
Shifting into 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.
2-22

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I A CAUTION:
Shifting out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) while
your engine is “racing” (running at high speed) is dangerous. Unless your foot is firmly on the
brake pedal, your vehicle could move very
rapidly. You could lose control and hit people or
objects. Don’t shift out of PARK
(P) or
NEUTRAL
(N) while your engine is racing.
NOTICE:
Damage to your transmission caused by shifting
out
of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) with the
engine racing isn’t covered by your warranty.
DRIVE (D):
This position is for normal driving. If you
need more power for passing, and you’re:
Going less than about 35 mph (55 km/h), push your
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (55 kmh) or more, push the
You’ll shift down to the next gear and have
more power.
You should use DRIVE (D) (or, as you need to, a lower
gear) when towing a trailer
to minimize heat build-up
and extend the life
of your transmission.
THIRD (3): This position is also used for normal
driving, however, it offers more power and lower fuel
economy than DRIVE
(D). You should use THIRD (3)
when carrying a heavy load or driving on steep hills.
SECOND (2): This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy. You can use SECOND (2) on hills.
It can help control your speed as
you go down steep
mountain roads, but then you would also want to
use
your brakes off and on. If you manually select
SECOND
(2), the transmission will drive in
SECOND
(2). You may use this feature for reducing
torque
to the rear wheels when you are trying to start
your vehicle from a stop
on slippery road surfaces.
FIRST (1): This position gives you even more power
(but lower fuel economy) than SECOND
(2). You can
use it
on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If
the selector lever
is put in FIRST( 1 ), the transmission
won’t shift into first gear until the vehicle is going
slowly enough.
accelerator
all the way down.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine NOTICE:
If your rear wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might happen if you are stuck in very
deep sand or mud or are up against a solid
object. You could damage your transmission.
Also, if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold
your vehicle there with only the accelerator
pedal. This could overheat and damage the
transmission. Use your brakes or shift into
PARK (P) to hold your vehicle in position on
a hill.
Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the regular brake pedal
down with your right foot. Push down the parking brake
pedal with your left foot.
If the ignition is on, the brake system warning light will
come
on.
To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down. Pull the handle, located just above the
parking brake pedal, marked
BRAKE RELEASE to
release
the parking brake.
If the ignition is on when the parking brake
is released,
the brake system warning light will
go off.
2-24

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause your
rear brakes to overheat.
You may have to replace
them, and you could also damage other parts of
your vehicle. Always check to be
sure your parking
brake is fully released before you drive.
If
you are towing a trailer and are parking on any hill,
see “Towing a Trailer” in the Index. That section shows
what to do first to keep the trailer from moving.
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.
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, use the steps that
follow.
If you’re pulling a trailer, see “Towing a
Trailer” in the Index.
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Shifting Out of PARK (P) If you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can’t
shift out of PARK (P), try this:
Your vehicle has a brake-transmission shift interlock
system. You have to fully apply your regular brakes
1.
before you can shift from PARK (P) when the ignition is 2,
in RUN. See “Automatic Transmission” in the Index. 3.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever and push the shift lever all the way up 4.
into PARK (P) as you maintain brake application. Then,
move the shift lever into the gear you want.
5.
Turn the key to OFF.
Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
Start the vehicle and then shift to the drive gear
you want.
Have the brake-transmission shift interlock system
fixed as soon as
you can.
2-28

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Windshield Washer Cruise Control (Option)
With cruise control, you can maintain a speed of about
25 mph (40 km/h) or more without keeping your foot
on the accelerator. This can really help on long trips.
Cruise control does not work at speeds below about
25 mph (40km/h).
At the top of the lever, there’s a paddle with the word
PUSH on it. To spray washer fluid on the windshield,
push the paddle.
-1
/:1 CAUTION:
In freezing weather, don’t use your washer until
the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can form ice on the windshield, blocking
your vision.
Washer fluid will spray as long as you push the paddle.
When you let go of the paddle, the wipers will continue
to wipe for approximately two more wipe cycles and
then either stop or return to the preset speed. When you apply your
brakes, the cruise control
shuts
off.
A CAUTILN:
Cruise control can be dangerous where you
can’t drive safely at a steady speed.
So,
don’t use your cruise control on winding
roads or in heavy traf‘fic.
slippery roads. On such roads, fast changes
in tire traction can cause needless wheel
spinning, and you could lose control. Don’t
use cruise control on slippery roads.
Cruise control can be dangerous on
2-37

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
ANTI -
LOCK
United States Canada
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 (I ~ - -:
This gage shows the engine
coolant temperature. If the
gage pointer moves into
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
operating 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 what to do. See “Engine Overheating”
in the Index.
2-57