2004 CHEVROLET EXPRESS CARGO VAN battery

You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
{CAUTION:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your
vehicle. This can cause deadly CO (carbon
monoxide) gas to get inside. CO could
overcome you and kill you. You can not see it
or smell it, so you might not know it is in your
vehicle. Clear away snow from around the
base of your vehicle, especially any that is
blocking your exhaust pipe. And check around
again from time to time to be sure snow does
not collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that is away from the wind. This will
help keep CO out.
Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little
faster than just idle. That is, push the accelerator
slightly. This uses less fuel for the heat that you get and
it keeps the battery (or batteries) charged. You will
need a well-charged battery (or batteries) to restart the
vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on with your
headlamps. Let the heater run for a while.
4-30

Trailer Wiring Harness
The optional heavy-duty trailer wiring package includes
a seven-wire harness assembly at the rear of the
vehicle and a four-wire harness assembly under the left
hand side of the instrument panel. The seven-wire
harness assembly is taped together and located in a
frame pocket at the driver side rear left corner of
the frame. The seven-wire harness includes a 30-amp
feed wire. Both harnesses come without connectors and
should be wired by a qualied electrical technician.
The technician can use the following color code chart
when connecting the wiring harness to your trailer
and trailer brake controller.Seven-Wire HarnessLight Green: Back-up lamps
Brown: Parking lamps
Yellow: Left stoplamp and turn signal
Dark Green: Right stoplamp and turn signal
Dark Blue: Use for electric trailer brakes
Orange: Trailer accessory
White (heavy gage): Ground wire
Four-Wire Harness (Trailer Brake Controller)
Black: Ground
Red/White Stripe: Fused Battery
Dark Blue: Trailer Brake Feed
Light Blue: Fused Stop/CHMSL
4-51

Service............................................................5-3
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-4
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle..............................................5-4
Fuel................................................................5-5
Gasoline Octane............................................5-5
Gasoline Specications....................................5-5
California Fuel...............................................5-6
Additives.......................................................5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-7
Filling Your Tank............................................5-8
Filling a Portable Fuel Container.......................5-9
Checking Things Under
the Hood....................................................5-10
Hood Release..............................................5-10
Engine Compartment Overview.......................5-12
Engine Oil...................................................5-13
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-18
Automatic Transmission Fluid.........................5-19
Engine Coolant.............................................5-22
Radiator Pressure Cap..................................5-25
Engine Overheating.......................................5-26
Cooling System............................................5-28Engine Fan Noise.........................................5-36
Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-36
Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-38
Brakes........................................................5-39
Battery........................................................5-42
Jump Starting...............................................5-43
All-Wheel Drive..............................................5-48
Rear Axle.......................................................5-49
Front Axle......................................................5-50
Noise Control System.....................................5-51
Tampering with Noise Control System
Prohibited.................................................5-51
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-52
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-52
Headlamps..................................................5-52
Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker and
Parking Lamps..........................................5-54
Taillamps.....................................................5-54
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-56
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-56
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

A. Battery. SeeBattery on page 5-42.
B. Radiator Pressure Cap. SeeRadiator Pressure Cap
on page 5-25.
C. Coolant Recovery Tank. SeeCooling System on
page 5-28.
D. Transmission Fluid Dipstick. SeeAutomatic
Transmission Fluid on page 5-19.
E. Engine Oil Fill. SeeEngine Oil on page 5-13.
F. Engine Oil Dipstick. SeeEngine Oil on page 5-13.
G. Air Filter Restriction Indicator. SeeEngine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 5-18.
H. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. SeeEngine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 5-18.
I. Power Steering Reservoir. SeePower Steering Fluid
on page 5-36.
J. Brake Master Cylinder. SeeBrakes on page 5-39.
K. Windshield Washer Fluid. SeeWindshield Washer
Fluid on page 5-38.Engine Oil
Checking Engine Oil
It is a good idea to check your engine oil every time you
get fuel. In order to get an accurate reading, the oil
must be warm and the vehicle must be on level ground.
The engine oil dipstick handle is a yellow loop. See
Engine Compartment Overview on page 5-12for
the location of the engine oil dipstick.
Turn off the engine and give the oil several minutes to
drain back into the oil pan. If you don’t, the oil
dipstick might not show the actual level.
Pull out the dipstick and clean it with a paper towel or
cloth, then push it back in all the way. Remove it again,
keeping the tip down, and check the level.
5-13

Battery
Your new vehicle comes with a maintenance free
ACDelco®battery. When it is time for a new battery, get
one that has the replacement number shown on the
original battery’s label. We recommend an ACDelco
®
battery. SeeEngine Compartment Overview on
page 5-12for battery location.
Warning:Battery posts, terminals and related
accessories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California to cause
cancer and reproductive harm. Wash hands after
handling.
Vehicle Storage
If you are not going to drive your vehicle for 25 days or
more, remove the black, negative (−) cable from
the battery. This will help keep your battery from
running down.
{CAUTION:
Batteries have acid that can burn you and gas
that can explode. You can be badly hurt if you
are not careful. SeeJump Starting on
page 5-43for tips on working around a battery
without getting hurt.
Contact your dealer to learn how to prepare your
vehicle for longer storage periods.
Also, for your audio system, seeTheft-Deterrent
Feature (Non-RDS Radios) on page 3-72or
Theft-Deterrent Feature (RDS Radios) on page 3-72.
5-42

Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may want to use
another vehicle and some jumper cables to start your
vehicle. Be sure to follow the steps below to do it safely.
{CAUTION:
Batteries can hurt you. They can be dangerous
because:
They contain acid that can burn you.
They contain gas that can explode
or ignite.
They contain enough electricity to
burn you.
If you do not follow these steps exactly, some
or all of these things can hurt you.
Notice:Ignoring these steps could result in costly
damage to your vehicle that would not be covered
by your warranty.
Trying to start your vehicle by pushing or pulling it
will not work, and it could damage your vehicle.1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with a negative ground system.
Notice:If the other vehicle’s system is not a 12-volt
system with a negative ground, both vehicles can
be damaged. Only use vehicles with 12-volt systems
with negative grounds to jump start your vehicle.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicles aren’t touching
each other. If they are, it could cause a ground
connection you don’t want. You wouldn’t be able to
start your vehicle, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
To avoid the possibility of the vehicles rolling, set
the parking brake rmly on both vehicles involved in
the jump start procedure. Put an automatic
transmission in PARK (P) or a manual transmission
in NEUTRAL before setting the parking brake.
Notice:If you leave your radio or other accessories
on during the jump starting procedure, they could
be damaged. The repairs would not be covered
by your warranty. Always turn off your radio and
other accessories when jump starting your vehicle.
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
unnecessary accessories plugged into the cigarette
lighter or in the accessory power outlet. Turn off
the radio and all lamps that aren’t needed. This will
avoid sparks and help save both batteries. And it
could save your radio!
5-43

4. Open the hoods and locate the positive (+) and
negative (−) terminal locations of the other vehicle.
Your vehicle has a remote positive (+) jump
starting terminal and a remote negative (−) jump
starting terminal. You should always use these
remote terminals instead of the terminals on the
battery.
The remote positive (+) terminal is located behind a
red plastic cover near the engine accessory drive
bracket on the driver’s side below the alternator.
To uncover the remote positive (+) terminal,
open the red plastic cover.
The remote negative (−) terminal is located on the
engine drive bracket on all V8 engines and it is
marked “GND.”
On V6 engines the remote negative (−) terminal is
located on a tab attached to the engine accessory
drive bracket where it is marked “GND.”
{CAUTION:
Using a match near a battery can cause battery
gas to explode. People have been hurt doing
this, and some have been blinded. Use a
ashlight if you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water. You do
not need to add water to the ACDelco
®battery
installed in your new vehicle. But if a battery
has ller caps, be sure the right amount of
uid is there. If it is low, add water to take care
of that rst. If you do not, explosive gas could
be present.
Battery uid contains acid that can burn you.
Do not get it on you. If you accidentally get it
in your eyes or on your skin, ush the place
with water and get medical help immediately.
5-44

{CAUTION:
Fans or other moving engine parts can injure
you badly. Keep your hands away from moving
parts once the engine is running.
5. Check that the jumper cables don’t have loose or
missing insulation. If they do, you could get a
shock. The vehicles could be damaged, too.
Before you connect the cables, here are some
basic things you should know. Positive (+) will go to
positive (+) or to a remote positive (+) terminal if
the vehicle has one. Negative (−) will go to a heavy,
unpainted metal engine part or to a remote
negative (−) terminal if the vehicle has one.
Don’t connect positive (+) to negative (−) or you will
get a short that would damage the battery and
maybe other parts, too. And don’t connect
the negative (−) cable to the negative (−) terminal
on the dead battery because this can cause sparks.6. Connect the red positive (+) cable to the positive (+)
terminal of the dead battery. Use a remote
positive (+) terminal if the vehicle has one.
5-45