1998 CHEVROLET VENTURE Owners Manual

Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have a GM dealer or a professional towing
service tow your vehicle. They can provide the right
equipment and know how to tow it without damage. 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
things can be damaged during towing.
Before you do anything, turn on the hazard
warning flashers.
When you call, tell
the towing service:
0 That your vehicle has front-wheel drive.
That your vehicle cannot be towed from the front or
0 The make, model and year of your vehicle.
Wether you can still move the shift lever.
0 If there was an accident, what was damaged.
rear with sling-type
equipment.
To
0
0
e
0
0
0
help avoid
injury to you or others:
Never let passengers ride in a vehicle that is
being towed.
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 use separate safety chains on each
side when towing a vehicle.
Never use J-hooks. Use T-hooks instead.
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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.
~~
NOTICE:
If you are using car-carrier equipment, you must
pull the Electronic Level Control (ELC) fuse, in
the instrument panel fuse block, before securing
the vehicle.
Damage to the shocks or leveling system may
occur if the Electronic Level Control (ELC) fuse
is not disabled.
When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition key
in
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. For front towing, the
transaxle should be in
PARK (P) and the parking brake
released. For rear towing, the transaxle should be in
NEUTRAL (N) and the parking brake engaged.
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I NOTICE:
Your vehicle has front-wheel drive; do not have it
towed with the front wheels in contact with the
ground or vehicle damage may occur.
A dolly
must be used under the front wheels when towing
from the rear or the vehicle must be transported
on a flat bed carrier.
I NOTICE:
Do not have your vehicle towed with the front
wheels in contact with the ground. This will
damage the transaxle.
If the vehicle must be towed on the front wheels,
it cannot be towed more than a total of 500 miles
(800 km) for the lifetime of the vehicle.
Front Towing
Tow Limits -- 55 mph (90 km/h), 500 miles (800 km)
Attach T-hook chains in the
front of the wheels into the
slots
of the front shipping
brackets
on the frame (both
sides). Insert the hook from
the inward side of the slot,
not the outward side.
I NOTICE:
When attaching T-hooks to the shipping slots
in the frame rail, attach them to the inside
of the frame to avoid damage to the frame or
front fascia.
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NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or the
front bumper system will be damaged. Use
wheel-lift or car-carrier equipment. Additional
ramping may be required for car-carrier
equipment. Use safety chains and wheel straps.
Towing
a vehicle over rough surfaces could
damage
a vehicle. Damage can occur from
vehicle to ground or vehicle to wheel-lift
equipment.
To help avoid damage, install a
towing dolly and raise the vehicle until adequate
clearance
is obtained between the ground and/or
wheel-lift equipment.
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Rear Towing
A towing dolly must be used under the front wheels
when towing
from the reay:
NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or the rear
bumper system will be damaged. Use wheel-lift
or car-carrier equipment. Additional ramping
may be required for car-carrier equipment. Use
safety chains and wheel straps.
Towing
a vehicle over rough surfaces could
damage a vehicle. Damage can occur from
vehicle to ground
or vehicle to wheel-lift
equipment.
To help avoid damage, install a
towing dolly and raise the vehicle until adequate
clearance is obtained between the ground and/or
wheel-lift equipment.
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Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature gage on your
vehicle’s instrument panel.
See “Engine Coolant
Temperature Gage” in the Index.
You also have a low
coolant level light on your instrument panel. See “Low
Coolant Light’’ in the Index.
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating
Mode
Should an overheated engine condition exist, an
overheat protection mode which alternates firing groups
of three cylinders helps prevent engine damage. In this
mode, you will notice a significant loss in power and
engine performance. The low coolant light may come
on
and the temperature gage will indicate an overheat
condition exists. This emergency operating mode allows
your vehicle to be driven to a safe place in an
emergency. Towing
a trailer in the overheat protection
mode should be avoided.
NOTICE:
I
After driving in the overheated engine protection
operating mode, to avoid engine damage, allow
the engine to cool before attempting any repair.
The engine oil will be severely degraded. Repair
the cause of coolant loss and change the
oil. See
“Engine Oil, When
to Change” in the Index.
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If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
Steam from an overheated engine can burn you
badly, even if you just open the hood. Stay away
from the engine if you see
or hear steam coming
from it. Just turn it
off and get everyone away
from the vehicle until it cools down. Wait until
there is no sign
of steam or coolant before you
open the hood.
If you keep driving when your engine is
overheated, the liquids in it can catch fire. You or
others could be badly burned. Stop your engine if
it overheats, and get out
of the vehicle until the
engine
is cool.
I NOTICE:
If your engine catches fire because you keep
driving with no coolarmt, your vehicle can be
badly damaged. The costly repairs would not be
covered by your warranty. See “Overheated
Engine Protection Operating Mode” in the Index.
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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.
0 Idle for long periods in traffic.
0 Tow a trailer.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for a minute or
so:
1. Turn off your air conditioner.
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
-- AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D)
or THIRD
(3).
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 ofthe engine and get everyone out of the
vehicle
until it cools down. Also, see “Overheated
Engine Protection Operating Mode” listed previously in
this section.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
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