2002 CHEVROLET VENTURE Owners Manual

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NOTICE:
Modifications made to the engine, transaxle,
exhaust, intake or fuel system of your vehicle or
the replacement of the original tires with other
than those of the same Tire Performance Criteria
(TPC) can affect your vehicle's emission controls
and may cause the SERVICE ENGINE SOON or
CHECK ENGINE light to come on.
Modifications to these systems could lead to
costly repairs not covered by your warranty. This
may also result in a failure to pass a required
Emission Inspection/Maintenance test.
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is not
running. If the light doesn't come on, have it repaired.
This light will also come on during a malfunction in one
of two ways:

Light Flashing
-- A misfire condition has been
detected. A misfire increases vehicle emissions and
may damage the emission control system on your
vehicle. Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis
and service may be required.
Light On Steady
-- An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis and
service may be required.
If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:

Reducing vehicle speed.

Avoiding hard accelerations.

Avoiding steep uphill grades.

If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible.
If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see ªIf
the Light Is On Steadyº following.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart the
engine. If the light remains on steady, see ªIf the Light
Is On Steadyº following. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your
dealer or qualified service center for service.

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If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. See ªFilling Your Tankº in the Index. The
diagnostic system can determine if the fuel cap has been
left off or improperly installed. A loose or missing fuel
cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere. A
few driving trips with the cap properly installed should
turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.
Are you low on fuel?
As your engine starts to run out of fuel, your engine may
not run as efficiently as designed since small amounts of
air are sucked into the fuel line causing a misfire. The
system can detect this. Adding fuel should correct this
condition. Make sure to install the fuel cap properly. See
ªFilling Your Tankº in the Index. It will take a few
driving trips to turn the light off.Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel. See
ªFuelº in the Index. Poor fuel quality will cause your
engine not to run as efficiently as designed. You may
notice this as stalling after start
-up, stalling when you
put the vehicle into gear, misfiring, hesitation on
acceleration or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditions may go away once the engine is warmed up.)
This will be detected by the system and cause the light
to turn on.
If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use. It will require at least
one full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
have your dealer or qualified service center check the
vehicle. Your dealer has the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to fix any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.

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Emissions Inspection and Maintenance Programs
Some state/provincial and local governments have
or may begin programs to inspect the emission
control equipment on your vehicle. Failure to pass
this inspection could prevent you from getting a
vehicle registration.
Here are some things you need to know in order to help
your vehicle pass an inspection:
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the
SERVICE ENGINE SOON or CHECK ENGINE light is
on or not working properly.
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the OBD
(on
-board diagnostic) system determines that critical
emission control systems have not been completely
diagnosed by the system. The vehicle would be
considered not ready for inspection. This can happen if
you have recently replaced your battery or if your
battery has run down. The diagnostic system is designed
to evaluate critical emission control systems during
normal driving. This may take several days of routine
driving. If you have done this and your vehicle still does
not pass the inspection for lack of OBD system
readiness, see your dealer or qualified service center to
prepare the vehicle for inspection.
Fuel Gage
United States Canada
When the indicator nears empty, you still have a little
fuel left, but you should get more soon.
If your fuel is low, the warning message in the message
center will come on. See ªLow Fuel Warning Messageº
later in this section.
Your fuel gage tells you about how much fuel you have
left when the ignition is on.

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Here are four things that some owners ask about. All
these things are normal and do not indicate that anything
is wrong with the fuel gage.

At the gas station, the gas pump shuts off before the
gage reads full.

It takes a little more (or less) fuel to fill up than the
gage reads. For example, the gage reads half full, but
it took more (or less) than half of the tank's capacity
to fill it.

The gage pointer may move while cornering, braking
or speeding up.

The gage may not indicate empty when the ignition
is turned off.
Message Center
The message center is located in the instrument
panel cluster. It gives you important safety and
maintenance facts.
Charging System Indicator Message
The charging system
battery symbol will come
on in the message center
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 indicator appears in the message
center could drain your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with the message on,
be certain to turn off all your accessories, such as the
radio and air conditioner.

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Service Traction System Warning
Message (Option)
United States Canada
If your vehicle has the traction control system and this
message is displayed when you're driving, there may be
a problem with your traction control system. Your
vehicle may need service.
When this message is displayed, the traction
control system will not limit wheel spin. Adjust your
driving accordingly.The message may appear 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 message will come on.

If your brakes begin to overheat, the traction control
system will turn off and the warning message will
come on until your brakes cool down.

If the traction control system is affected by an
engine
-related problem, the system will turn off and
the warning message will come on.
If the traction control system warning message comes on
and stays on for an extended period of time when the
system is turned on, your vehicle needs service.

2-114 Traction Active Message (Option)
United States Canada
If your vehicle has the traction control system, the
TRACTION ACTIVE message will appear when the
traction control system is limiting wheel spin. You may
feel or hear the system working, but this is normal.
Slippery road conditions may exist if this message
appears, so adjust your driving accordingly. The
message will stay on for a few seconds after the traction
control system stops limiting wheel spin.
Engine Coolant Temperature
Warning Message
United States Canada
This message will come on when your engine gets
too hot.
If this message comes on, 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.
See ªEngine Overheatingº in the Index.

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Low Oil Pressure Message
United States Canada
Your vehicle is equipped with a low oil pressure
warning warning message.
Your oil pressure message lets you know when you may
have a problem with your engine oil pressure.
When the engine is running and this message appears
on, the engine oil level may be too low. There may also
be another problem causing low oil pressure.
CAUTION:
Don't keep driving if the oil pressure is low. If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches fire. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon as possible and have your
vehicle serviced.
NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and is not covered by
your warranty.

2-116 Low Engine Oil Level Message
United States Canada
If this message comes on, it means your engine is low
on oil.
You need to check the oil level right away. Have your
vehicle serviced immediately.
Change Engine Oil Message
United States Canada
If the change engine oil message comes on and stays on
after you have started the engine, have the oil changed.
For additional information, see ªEngine Oil, When to
Changeº in the Index. After changing the engine oil the
system must be reset. See ªHow to Reset the Change
Engine Oil Messageº in the Index.