1998 CHEVROLET VENTURE Owners Manual

Instrument Panel Cluster
Your cluster includes indicator warning lights and gages that are ex\
plained on the following pages.
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Speedometer and Tamper
Resistant
(1 .’ I meter
Your speedometer lets you see your speed in both miles
per hour (mph) and kilometers per hour
(km/h). Your
odometer shows how far your vehicle has been driven,
in either miles (used in the United States) or kilometers
(used in Canada).
Trip Odometer
n
Your vehicle has a tamper-resistant odometer. If you see
silver lines between the numbers, you’ll know that
someone has probably tried to turn it back,
so the
numbers may not be true.
You may wonder what happens if your vehicle needs a
new odometer installed.
If the new one can be set to the The trip odometer can tell you how far your vehicle has
If it can’t, then it’s set at zero and a label must be put on
the driver’s door to show the old mileage reading when right of the temperature gage.
the new odometer was installed.
mileage total
of the
old odometer, then that will be done. been driven Since YOU last Set it to Zero. TO Set it to Zero,
push the reset button which is located above and to the
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Warning Lights, Gages
and Indicators
This part describes the warning lights and gages that
may be on your vehicle. The pictures will help you
locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that something is
wrong before it becomes serious enough to cause an
expensive repair or replacement. Paying attention to
your warning lights and gages could also save you or
others from injury.
Warning lights come on when there may be or is a
problem with one of your vehicle’s functions.
As you
will see in the details on the next few pages, some
warning lights come on briefly when you start
the
engine just to let you know they’re working. If you are
familiar with this section, you should not be alarmed
when
this happens.
Gages can indicate when there may be or
is a problem
with one
of your vehicle’s functions. Often gages and
warning lights work together
to let you know when
there’s a problem with your vehicle. When
one
of the warning lights comes on and stays on
when you are driving, or when one of the gages shows
there may be a problem, check the section that tells you
what to do about
it. Please follow this manual’s advice.
Waiting to do repairs can be costly
-- and even
dangerous.
So please get to know your warning lights
and gages. They’re a big help.
Safety Belt Reminder Light
When the key is turned to RUN or START, a chime will
come
on for about eight seconds to remind people to
fasten their safety belts.
The safety belt light will
also come on and stay on
for about
70 seconds. If the
driver’s belt is already
buckled, neither the chime
nor the light will come on.
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Air Bag Readiness Light
There is an air bag readiness light on the instrument
panel, which shows
a deployed air bag. The system
checks the air bag’s electrical system for malfunctions.
The light tells you if there is an electrical problem.
The system check includes the air bag sensors, the air
bag module, the wiring and the diagnostic module. For
more information on
the air bag system, see “Air Bag”
in the Index.
This light will come on
when you start your engine,
and
it will flash for a few
seconds. Then the light
should go out. This means
the system is ready.
If the air bag readiness light stays on after you start the
engine or comes on when you are driving, your air bag
system may not work properly. Have your vehicle
serviced right away.
The air bag readiness light should flash for
a few
seconds 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.
Charging System Indicator Light
1+1
The charging system light
will come on when you turn
on the ignition as a check to
show you it is working. It
will remain on as long as
the engine is not running.
It should go out once the engine is running. If
it stays
on, or comes on while you are driving, you may have a
problem with the charging system. It could indicate that
you have problems with a generator
drive belt, or
another electrical problem. Have
it checked right away.
Driving while this light
is on could drain your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with the light
on, be
certain to turn off all your accessories, such as the radio
and air conditioner.
Brake System Warning Light
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will come on when you set your parking brake. The light
will stay on if your parking brake doesn’t release fully.
If it stays on after your parking brake is fully released, it
means you have a brake problem.
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Your vehicle’s hydraulic brake system is divided into
two
parts. If one part isn’t working, the other part can
still work and stop you. For good braking, though, you
need both
parts working well.
If
the warning light comes on, there could be a brake
problem. Have your brake system inspected right away.
If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the
road and stop carefully. You may notice that the pedal is
harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer to the floor.
It may take longer to stop. If the light is still on, or if the
anti-lock brake system warning light is flashing, have
the vehicle towed for service. (See “Anti-Lock Brake
System Warning Light” and “Towing Your Vehicle” in
the Index.)
BRAKE A CAUTION:
United States Canadian
This light should come on briefly when you turn
the ignition key to
RUN. If it doesn’t come on then,
have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn you if there’s
a problem.
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake system warning light is on. Driving
with the brake system warning light on can lead
to an accident.
If the light is still on or if the
anti-lock brake system warning light
is flashing
after you’ve pulled
off the road and stopped
carefully, have the vehicle towed for service.
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Ani- ?ck Brake System Warning Light
With the anti-lock brake
system, this light will
come on when you start
your engine and it will
stay on for three seconds.
That’s normal.
If the light flashes when you’re driving, you don’t have
anti-lock brakes and there could be a problem with your
regular brakes. Pull
off the road and stop carefully. You
may notice that the pedal is harder to push. Or, the pedal
may
go closer to the floor. It may take longer to stop.
Have the vehicle towed for service. (See “Towing Your
Vehicle” in the Index.)
A CAUTION:
Your regular brake system may not be working
properly if the anti-lock brake system warning
light is flashing. Driving with the anti-lock
brake system warning light flashing can lead
to an accident. After you’ve pulled off the road
and stopped carefully, have the vehicle towed
for service.
If the anti-lock brake system warning light stays on
longer than normal after you’ve started your engine, turn
the ignition off. Or, if the light comes on and stays on
when you’re driving, stop as soon as possible and turn
the ignition
off. Then start the engine again to reset the
system. If the light still stays on, or comes on again
while you’re driving, your vehicle needs service. If the
light is on but not flashing and the regular brake system
warning light isn’t on,
you still have brakes, but you
don’t have anti-lock brakes.
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.
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Traction Control System Warning
Light (Option)
This warning light should
come on briefly as you
start
the engine. If the warning
light doesn’t come on then,
have
it fixed so it will be
ready to warn you if there’s a problem.
If it stays on, or comes on when you’re driving, there
may be a problem with your traction control system and
your vehicle may need service. When this warning light
is on, the system will not limit wheel spin. Adjust your
driving accordingly. The
traction control system warning light may come on
for the following reasons:
If there’s a brake system problem that is specifically
related to traction control, the traction control system will turn
off and the warning light will come on. If
your brakes begin
to overheat, the traction control
system will
turn off and the warning light will come
on until your brakes cool down.
0 If the traction control system is affected by an
engine-related problem, the system will
turn off and
the warning light will come
on.
If the traction control system warning light comes on
and stays on for an extended period
of time when the
system
is turned on, your vehicle needs service.
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Low Traction Light (Option)
LOW
TRACTION
If your vehicle has the
traction control system,
there will be a LOW
TRACTION light on
the instrument panel.
When your anti-lock system
is adjusting brake pressure
to help avoid
a braking skid, or when your traction
control system is limiting wheel spin, the LOW
TRACTION light will come on. Slippery road
conditions may exist if this light comes
on, so adjust
your driving accordingly. The light will come on and
stay on for four seconds when your anti-lock system
adjusts brake pressure for less than four seconds or
when your traction control system limits wheel spin
for less than four seconds. Otherwise, the light will
go
out as soon as the anti-lock system stops adjusting
brake pressure or the traction control system stops
limiting wheel spin.
The
LOW TRACTION light also comes on briefly,
as a bulb check, when the engine is started. If the light
doesn’t come on then, have it fixed
so it will be there to
tell you when the system is active.
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage

C
%
125
%
United States
I
Canadian
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 driving
conditions, you should pull off the road, stop your vehicle and turn
off the engine as soon as possible.
In “Problems on the Road,” this manual shows you what
to do. See “Engine Overheating” in the Index.
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