2000 CHEVROLET ASTRO CARGO VAN brake

2-23
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 km/h) or more, push
the accelerator pedal all the way down. You'll shift
down to the next gear and have more power.
DRIVE (D) should be used for normal towing.
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 gear. 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
slow enough.
NOTICE:
If your rear wheels can't rotate, don't try to drive.
This might happen if you were stuck in very deep
sand or mud or were up against a solid object.
You could damage your transmission or transfer
case or both.
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.

2-24 Tow/Haul Mode Selector Switch
Your vehicle is equipped with a tow/haul selector
switch. The selector switch is located on the end of the
column shift lever. You can use this feature to assist
when towing or hauling a heavy load.
To select the tow/haul mode, press in the switch. The
TOW/HAUL light on the instrument panel cluster will
come on. To go back to normal operation, press the
switch again. The indicator light on the instrument panel
will go out. See ªTow/Haul Modeº in the Index for
more information.
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 brake release lever located on the
lower left side of the steering column.

2-25
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.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on a hill, see
ªTowing a Trailerº in the Index. That section shows
what to do first to keep the trailer from moving.
Shifting Into PARK (P)
CAUTION:
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 ªTowing a
Trailerº in the Index.

2-26
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) like this:

Pull the lever toward you.

Move the lever up as far as it will go.
3. Turn the ignition key to LOCK.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
remove the key from your ignition, your vehicle is in
PARK (P).

2-27 Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Engine Running
CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with
the engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P)
with the parking brake firmly set. And, if you
leave the vehicle with the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch fire. You or others could
be injured. Don't leave your vehicle with the
engine running unless you have to.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and your
parking brake is firmly set before you leave it. After
you've moved the shift lever to PARK (P), hold the
regular brake pedal down. Then, see if you can move the
shift lever away from PARK (P) without first pulling it
toward you. If you can, it means that the shift lever
wasn't fully locked into PARK (P).
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don't shift your
transmission into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl in
the transmission. You may find it difficult to pull the
shift lever out of PARK (P). This is called ªtorque lock.º
To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then
shift into PARK (P) properly before you leave the
driver's seat. To find out how, see ªShifting Into
PARK (P)º in the Index.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out
of PARK (P) before you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have
another vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of
the pressure from the parking pawl in the transmission,
so you can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).

2-28
Shifting Out of PARK (P)
Your vehicle has an automatic transmission shift lock
control system. You have to fully apply your regular
brake before you can shift from PARK (P) when the
ignition is in RUN. See ªAutomatic Transmissionº
in the Index.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever
-- push the shift lever all the way into
PARK (P) as you maintain brake application. Then
move the shift lever into the gear you want.
If you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can't
shift out of PARK (P), try this:
1. Turn the key to OFF.
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
3. Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the vehicle and then shift to the drive gear
you want.
5. Have the system fixed as soon as you can.
Parking Over Things That Burn
CAUTION:
Things that can burn could touch hot exhaust
parts under your vehicle and ignite. Don't park
over papers, leaves, dry grass or other things that
can burn.

2-30
CAUTION:
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.
Don't leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to. If you've 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).
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle won't
move. See ªShifting Into PARK (P)º in the Index.
If you're pulling a trailer, see ªTowing a Trailerº in
the Index.
Locking Rear Axle
If your vehicle has this feature, your locking rear axle
can give you additional traction on snow, mud, ice, sand
or gravel. It works like a standard axle most of the time,
but when one of the rear wheels has no traction and the
other does, this feature will allow the wheel with
traction to move the vehicle.
All-Wheel Drive (Option)
If your vehicle has
all
-wheel drive, your
engine's driving power is
sent to all four wheels for
extra traction when needed.
This is like four
-wheel drive, but there is no separate
lever or switch to engage or disengage the front axle.
It is fully automatic, and adjusts itself as needed for
road conditions.

2-37
The rear window washer uses the same fluid bottle as
the front windshield washer. If the fluid level is low in
the washer bottle, you may not be able to wash your rear
window. If you can wash your windshield, but not your
rear window, check the fluid level.
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 (40 km/h).
When you apply your brakes, the cruise control shuts off.
CAUTION:

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 traffic.

Cruise control can be dangerous on
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.
Setting Cruise Control
CAUTION:
If you leave your cruise control switch on when
you're not using cruise, you might hit a button
and go into cruise when you don't want to. You
could be startled and even lose control. Keep the
cruise control switch off until you want to use
cruise control.
1. Move the cruise control switch to ON.
2. Get up to the speed you want.
3. Press in the SET button
at the end of the lever
and release it.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal.