2004 CHEVROLET EXPRESS CARGO VAN maintenance schedule

Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-3
Rear Seats
............................................... 1-6
Safety Belts
.............................................1-10
Child Restraints
.......................................1-34
Air Bag System
.......................................1-70
Restraint System Check
............................1-81
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-2
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-7
Windows
.................................................2-16
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-19
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-20
Mirrors
....................................................2-32
OnStar
®System
......................................2-35
Storage Areas
.........................................2-36
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-19
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
........3-24
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-42
Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-32Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under
the Hood
.............................................5-10
All-Wheel Drive
........................................5-48
Rear Axle
...............................................5-49
Front Axle
...............................................5-50
Noise Control System
...............................5-51
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-52
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-56
Tires
......................................................5-58
Appearance Care
.....................................5-92
Vehicle Identication
...............................5-100
Electrical System
....................................5-101
Capacities and Specications
...................5-106
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance and Information.............. 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information
........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
...........................7-11
Index................................................................ 1
2004 Chevrolet Express Owner ManualM

A reading in the low pressure zone may be caused by a
dangerously low oil level or other problem causing
low oil pressure. Check your oil as soon as possible.
{CAUTION:
Do not keep driving if the oil pressure is low.
If you do, your engine can become so hot that
it catches re. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon as possible and have
your vehicle serviced.
Notice:Lack of proper engine oil maintenance may
damage the engine. The repairs would not be
covered by your warranty. Always follow the
maintenance schedule in this manual for changing
engine oil.
Change Engine Oil Light
This light is displayed
when the engine oil needs
to be changed.
If your vehicle has a V8 engine and this light is ashing,
it indicates that the oil level is low.
When this light is on steady, it indicates the oil needs to
be changed soon.
Once the engine oil has been changed, the change
engine oil light must be reset. Until it is reset, the light
will be displayed when the engine is on. For more
information on resetting the system, seeEngine Oil on
page 5-13.
3-38

Parking on Hills
{CAUTION:
You really should not park your vehicle, with a
trailer attached, on a hill. If something goes
wrong, your rig could start to move. People
can be injured, and both your vehicle and the
trailer can be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s
how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
PARK (P) yet. Then turn your wheels into the curb if
facing downhill or into traffic if facing uphill.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer
wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your
parking brake and then shift to PARK (P).
5. Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
start your engine,
shift into a gear, and
release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the
chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transmission uid (don’t overll),
engine oil, axle lubricant, belt, cooling system and
brake system. Each of these is covered in this manual,
and the Index will help you nd them quickly. If
you’re trailering, it’s a good idea to review these sections
before you start your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
4-50

2. Lift the lter out of the engine air cleaner/lter
housing. Care should be taken to dislodge as
little dirt as possible.
3. Clean the engine air cleaner/lter housing.
4. Install the new engine air cleaner/lter into the
engine air cleaner/lter housing. Make sure that
it ts properly into the housing.
5. Reinstall the cover and fasten the retaining clips.
{CAUTION:
Operating the engine with the air cleaner/lter
off can cause you or others to be burned. The
air cleaner not only cleans the air, it helps to
stop ame if the engine backres. If it is not
there and the engine backres, you could be
burned. Do not drive with it off, and be careful
working on the engine with the air cleaner/
lter off.
Notice:If the air cleaner/lter is off, a backre can
cause a damaging engine re. And, dirt can
easily get into your engine, which will damage it.
Always have the air cleaner/lter in place when you
are driving.
Automatic Transmission Fluid
When to Check and Change
A good time to check your automatic transmission uid
level is when the engine oil is changed.
Change both the uid and lter every 50,000 miles
(83,000 km) if the vehicle’s GVWR is over 8,600 or if
the vehicle is mainly driven under one or more of these
conditions:
In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
regularly reaches 90°F (32°C) or higher.
In hilly or mountainous terrain.
When doing frequent trailer towing.
Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery
service.
If your vehicle’s GVWR is not over 8,600 and you do
not use your vehicle under any of these conditions,
change the uid and lter every 100,000 miles
(166 000 km).
SeeScheduled Maintenance on page 6-4.
5-19

How to Add Fluid
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind of transmission uid to use. SeeRecommended
Fluids and Lubricants on page 6-12.
Using a funnel, add uid down the transmission dipstick
tube only after checking the transmission uid while it
is hot. (A cold check is used only as a reference.) If the
uid level is low, add only enough of the proper uid
to bring the level up to the HOT area for a hot check.
It doesn’t take much uid, generally less than one pint
(0.5 L).Don’t overll.
Notice:We recommend you use only uid labeled
DEXRON
®-III, because uid with that label is
made especially for your automatic transmission.
Damage caused by uid other than DEXRON
®-III is
not covered by your new vehicle warranty.
After adding uid, recheck the uid level as
described under “How to Check.”
When the correct uid level is obtained, push the
dipstick back in all the way; then ip the handle
down to lock the dipstick in place.
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in your vehicle is lled with
DEX-COOL®engine coolant. This coolant is designed
to remain in your vehicle for 5 years or 150,000 miles
(240 000 km), whichever occurs rst, if you add
only DEX-COOL
®extended life coolant.
The following explains your cooling system and how to
add coolant when it is low. If you have a problem
with engine overheating, seeEngine Overheating on
page 5-26.
A 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL
®coolant will:
Give freezing protection down to−34°F (−37°C).
Give boiling protection up to 265°F (129°C).
Protect against rust and corrosion.
Help keep the proper engine temperature.
Let the warning lights and gages work as they
should.
Notice:Using coolant other than DEX-COOL
®may
cause premature engine, heater core or radiator
corrosion. In addition, the engine coolant may
require changing sooner, at 30,000 miles (50 000 km)
or 24 months, whichever occurs rst. Any repairs
would not be covered by your warranty. Always use
DEX-COOL
®(silicate-free) coolant in your vehicle.
5-22

Brakes
Brake Fluid
Your brake master cylinder reservoir is lled with DOT-3
brake uid. SeeEngine Compartment Overview on
page 5-12for the location of the reservoir.
There are only two reasons why the brake uid level in
the reservoir might go down. The rst is that the
brake uid goes down to an acceptable level during
normal brake lining wear. When new linings are put in,
the uid level goes back up. The other reason is
that uid is leaking out of the brake system. If it is, youshould have your brake system xed, since a leak
means that sooner or later your brakes will not work
well, or will not work at all.
So, it is not a good idea to “top off” your brake uid.
Adding brake uid will not correct a leak. If you add uid
when your linings are worn, then you will have too
much uid when you get new brake linings. You should
add (or remove) brake uid, as necessary, only when
work is done on the brake hydraulic system.
{CAUTION:
If you have too much brake uid, it can spill on
the engine. The uid will burn if the engine is
hot enough. You or others could be burned,
and your vehicle could be damaged. Add brake
uid only when work is done on the brake
hydraulic system. See “Checking Brake Fluid”
in this section.
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine when
to check your brake uid. SeeScheduled Maintenance
on page 6-4.
5-39

All-Wheel Drive
Lubricant checks in this section also apply to these
vehicles. However, there are two additional systems that
need lubrication.
Transfer Case
When to Check Lubricant
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine how
often to check the lubricant. SeeScheduled
Maintenance on page 6-4.
How to Check Lubricant
To get an accurate reading, the vehicle should be on a
level surface.
If the level is below the bottom of the ller plug hole,
you’ll need to add some lubricant. Add enough lubricant
to raise the level to the bottom of the ller plug hole.
Use care not to overtighten the plug.
What to Use
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind of lubricant to use. SeeRecommended Fluids
and Lubricants on page 6-12.
5-48

Rear Axle
When to Check Lubricant
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine how
often to check the lubricant. SeeScheduled
Maintenance on page 6-4.
How to Check Lubricant
To get an accurate reading, the vehicle should be on a
level surface.If you have the 1500 Series, the proper level is from
5/8 inch (15 mm) to 1 5/8 inch (40 mm) below the bottom
of the ller plug hole. The proper level for the 2500
and 3500 Series is from 0 to 1/4 (6 mm) below
the bottom of the ller plug hole. Add only enough uid
to reach the proper level.
What to Use
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind of lubricant to use. SeeRecommended Fluids
and Lubricants on page 6-12.
5-49