1998 CHEVROLET PRIZM service

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The exit speed is usually posted.
Reduce your speed according to your speedometer, not to your sense of motion. After driving for any distance
at higher speeds, you may tend to think you are going
slower than you actually are.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you’re ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must start when you’re not fresh
-- such as after a day’s
work
-- don’t plan to make too many miles that first part
of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes you
can easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it’s ready to go. If it needs
service, have it done before starting out. Of course,
you’ll find experienced and able service experts in
Chevrolet dealerships all across North America.
They’ll be ready and willing to help if you need it.
Here are some things you can check before a trip:
Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked
all levels?
Lamps: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
Tires: They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip.
Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are the tires all inflated to
the recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip a
short time to avoid
a major storm system?
Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps?
Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as “highway
hypnosis”? Or is it just plain falling asleep at the
wheel? Call
it highway hypnosis, lack of awareness,
or whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch of road with
the same scenery,
along with the hum of the tires on
the road, the drone of the engine, and the rush of the
wind against the vehicle that can make you sleepy.
Don’t let it happen to you!
If it does, your vehicle can
leave the road in
less than a second, and you could
crash and be injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be
aware that it can happen.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Then here are some tips:
0 Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and to
the sides. Check your rearview mirrors and your
instruments frequently.
If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest, service
or parking area and take a nap, get some exercise, or
both. For safety, treat drowsiness on the highway as
an emergency.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving in
flat or rolling terrain.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a
Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
0 Start your engine;
0 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 transaxle fluid (don’t overfill),
engine oil, drive 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.
Engine Cooling When Trailer Towing
Your cooling system may temporarily overheat during
severe operating conditions. See “Engine Overheating”
in the Index.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 9. The other end of the negative (-) cable doesn’t go
to the dead battery. It goes to a heavy unpainted
metal part on the engine of the vehicle with the
dead battery. Attach the cable at least
18 inches
(45 cm) away from the dead battery, but not near
engine parts that move. The electrical connection is
just as good there, but the chance of sparks getting
back to the battery is much less.
10. Now start the vehicle with the good battery and run
the engine for a while.
11. Try to start the vehicle with the dead battery.
If it won’t start after a few tries, it probably
needs service.
12. Remove the cables in reverse order to prevent
electrical shorting. Take care that they don’t
touch each other or any other metal.
A. Heavy Metal Engine Part
B. Good Battery
C. Dead Battery
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have a Chevrolet dealer or a professional towing
service tow your vehicle. See “Roadside Assistance”
in the Index.
If your vehicle has been changed or modified since it
was factory-new by adding aftermarket items like fog
lamps, aero skirting, or special tires and wheels, these
instructions and illustrations may not be correct.
Before you do anything, turn on the hazard
warning flashers.
When you call, tell the towing service:
That your vehicle cannot be towed from the front
That your vehicle has front-wheel drive.
The make, model and year of your vehicle.
Whether you can still move the shift lever.
or
rear with sling-type equipment.
If there was an accident, what was damaged.
When the towing service arrives, let the tow operator
know that this manual contains detailed towing
instructions and illustrations. The operator may
want to see the
I
I
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 fully secured.
Never get under your vehicle after it has
been lifted by the tow truck.
Always secure the vehicle on each side with
separate safety chains when towing it.
Never use J-hooks. Use T-hooks instead.
being towed.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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. Always use
T-hooks inserted in the T-hook slots, Never use
J-hooks. They
will damage drivetrain and
suspension components.
When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition
key turned to
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
transaxle should be in
NEUTRAL (N) and the
parking brake released.
Don’t have your vehicle towed with the front wheels in
contact with the ground if it has
an automatic transaxle.
If
a vehicle with an automatic transaxle must be towed
from the rear with wheel-lift equipment, the front
wheels must be supported on a dolly.
If your vehicle has a manual transaxle, don’t have it
towed on the front wheels unless you must. If a vehicle
with a manual transaxle must be towed on the front
wheels, it is recommended that the front wheels be
supported on a dolly. If you have a manual transaxle
and dollies won’t be used, turn the ignition key to
ACC
and put the transaxle in NEUTRAL (N).
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
If you get the overheat warning but see or hear no
steam, the problem may not be too serious. Sometimes
the engine can get a little too hot when you:
0 Climb a long hill on a hot day.
0 Stop after high-speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for a minute or so:
1. If you have an air conditioner, turn it off.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window as necessary.
3. If you’re in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving
-- DRIVE (D) for automatic transaxles. If you no
longer have the overheat warning, you
can drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about
10 minutes. If the warning doesn’t come back on,
you can drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your
vehicle right away.
If there’s still no sign of steam, you can idle the
engine for two or three minutes while you’re parked, to
see if the warning stops. But then, if you still have the
warning,
turn off the engine and get everyone out of
the vehicle until it cools down.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A CAUTION:
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:
Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn’t covered by your warranty.
If there seems to be no leak, with the engine on, check to
see if the electric engine cooling fans
are running. If the
engine is overheating, both
fans should be running. If
they aren’t, your vehicle needs service.
How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery Tank
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but the coolant
level isn’t at
FULL, add a 50/50 mixture of clean water
(preferably distilled) and a proper coolant at the coolant
recovery tank. (See “Engine Coolant” in the Index for
more information about the proper coolant mixture.)
/! CAUTION:
I
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 a
proper coolant.
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