2004 CHEVROLET EXPRESS warning

How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery Tank
If you have not found a problem yet, but the coolant
level is not at the COLD FILL mark, add a 50/50 mixture
ofclean, drinkable waterand DEX-COOL
®engine
coolant at the coolant recovery tank. SeeEngine
Coolant on page 5-22for more information.
{CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling
system can be dangerous. Plain water, or
some other liquid such as alcohol, can boil
before the proper coolant mixture will. Your
vehicle’s coolant warning system is set for the
proper coolant mixture. With plain water or the
wrong mixture, your engine could get too hot
but you would not get the overheat warning.
Your engine could catch re and you or others
could be burned. Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
®coolant.Notice:
When using concentrated washer uid,
follow the manufacturer’s instructions for
adding water.
Do not mix water with ready-to-use washer uid.
Water can cause the solution to freeze and
damage your washer uid tank and other parts
of the washer system. Also, water does not
clean as well as washer uid.
Fill your washer uid tank only three-quarters
full when it is very cold. This allows for
expansion if freezing occurs, which could
damage the tank if it is completely full.
Do not use engine coolant (antifreeze) in your
windshield washer. It can damage your washer
system and paint.
Notice:In cold weather, water can freeze and crack
the engine, radiator, heater core and other parts.
Use the recommended coolant and the proper
coolant mixture.
5-28

{CAUTION:
You can be burned if you spill coolant on hot
engine parts. Coolant contains ethylene glycol
and it will burn if the engine parts are hot
enough. Do not spill coolant on a hot engine.
When the coolant in the coolant recovery tank is at the
COLD FILL mark, start your vehicle.
If the overheat warning continues, there is one more
thing you can try. You can add the proper coolant
mixture directly to the radiator, but be sure the cooling
system is cool before you do it.
{CAUTION:
Steam and scalding liquids from a hot cooling
system can blow out and burn you badly. They
are under pressure, and if you turn the radiator
pressure cap — even a little — they can come
out at high speed. Never turn the cap when the
cooling system, including the radiator pressure
cap, is hot. Wait for the cooling system and
radiator pressure cap to cool if you ever have
to turn the pressure cap.
5-29

Brake Wear
Your vehicle has four-wheel disc brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that make
a high-pitched warning sound when the brake pads
are worn and new pads are needed. The sound
may come and go or be heard all the time your vehicle
is moving, except when you are pushing on the
brake pedal rmly.
{CAUTION:
The brake wear warning sound means that
soon your brakes will not work well. That
could lead to an accident. When you hear the
brake wear warning sound, have your vehicle
serviced.
Notice:Continuing to drive with worn-out brake
pads could result in costly brake repair.Some driving conditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are rst applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean something is wrong with
your brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are necessary to help
prevent brake pulsation. When tires are rotated, inspect
brake pads for wear and evenly tighten wheel nuts in
the proper sequence to GM torque specications.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not return to
normal height, or if there is a rapid increase in
pedal travel. This could be a sign of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you make a brake stop, your disc brakes
adjust for wear.
5-36

Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is complex. Its many
parts have to be of top quality and work well together if
the vehicle is to have really good braking. Your
vehicle was designed and tested with top-quality GM
brake parts. When you replace parts of your braking
system — for example, when your brake linings
wear down and you need new ones put in — be sure
you get new approved GM replacement parts. If you do
not, your brakes may no longer work properly. For
example, if someone puts in brake linings that are wrong
for your vehicle, the balance between your front and
rear brakes can change — for the worse. The braking
performance you have come to expect can change
in many other ways if someone puts in the wrong
replacement brake parts.
Battery
Your vehicle has a maintenance free 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
®replacement battery. See
Engine 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.
5-37

Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specied government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and
a half (1.5) times as well on the government course as
a tire graded 100. The relative performance of tires
depends upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart signicantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits, service practices and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction – AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A,
B, and C. Those grades represent the tire’s ability
to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specied government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance. Warning: The traction grade
assigned to this tire is based on straight-ahead braking
traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction characteristics.
Temperature – A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire’s resistance to the generation
of heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested
under controlled conditions on a specied indoorlaboratory test wheel. Sustained high temperature can
cause the material of the tire to degenerate and
reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can lead to
sudden tire failure. The grade C corresponds to a
level of performance which all passenger car tires must
meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades B and A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel than the
minimum required by law.
Warning: The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly inated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed, underination, or
excessive loading, either separately or in combination,
can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
The wheels on your vehicle were aligned and balanced
carefully at the factory to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
If you notice unusual tire wear or your vehicle pulling
one way or the other, the alignment may need to
be reset. If you notice your vehicle vibrating when
driving on a smooth road, your wheels may need to
be rebalanced.
5-64

Changing a Flat Tire
If a tire goes at, avoid further tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly to a level place. Turn on your
hazard warning ashers.
{CAUTION:
Changing a tire can be dangerous. The vehicle
can slip off the jack and roll over or fall on you
or other people. You and they could be badly
injured or even killed. Find a level place to
change your tire. To help prevent the vehicle
from moving:
1. Set the parking brake rmly.
2. Put the shift lever in PARK (P).
3. Turn off the engine and do not restart
while the vehicle is raised.
4. Do not allow passengers to remain in
the vehicle.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
To be even more certain the vehicle will not
move, you should put blocks at the front and
rear of the tire farthest away from the one
being changed. That would be the tire, on the
other side, at the opposite end of the vehicle.
When you have a at tire, use the following example as a
guide to assist you in the placement of wheel blocks.
The following information will tell you next how to use
the jack and change a tire.
5-68

6. Raise the tire fully against the underside of the
vehicle. Continue turning the ratchet until the tire
is secure and the cable is tight. The spare tire hoist
cannot be overtightened.
7. Make sure the tire is stored securely. Push, pull,
and then try to rotate or turn the tire. If the tire
moves, use the ratchet to tighten the cable.
You will hear two clicks when the tire is up all the way.
Return the jacking equipment to the proper location.
Secure the items and replace the jack cover.
Spare Tire
Your vehicle, when new, had a fully inated spare tire.
A spare tire may lose air over time, so check its
ination pressure regularly. SeeInation - Tire Pressure
on page 5-58andLoading Your Vehicle on page 4-29
for information regarding proper tire ination and loading
your vehicle. For instructions on how to remove,
install or store a spare tire, seeRemoving the Flat Tire
and Installing the Spare Tire on page 5-72and
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools on page 5-80.After installing the spare tire on your vehicle, you should
stop as soon as possible and make sure the spare is
correctly inated. Have the damaged or at road
tire repaired or replaced as soon as you can and
installed back onto your vehicle. This way, a spare tire
will be available in case you need it again.
Your vehicle may have a different size spare tire than
the road tires — those originally installed on your
vehicle. This spare tire was developed for use on your
vehicle, so it’s all right to drive on it.
If your vehicle has a spare tire that does not match your
vehicle’s original road tires and wheels in size and
type, do not include the spare in the tire rotation.Appearance Care
Cleaning products can be hazardous. Some are toxic.
Other cleaning products can burst into ames if a match
is struck near them or if they get on a hot part of the
vehicle. Some are dangerous if their fumes are inhaled
in an enclosed space. When anything from a container
is used to clean the vehicle, be sure to follow the
manufacturer’s warnings and instructions. Always open
the doors or windows of the vehicle when cleaning
the inside.
5-82

A
Accessory Power Outlets.................................3-16
Adding Equipment to Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle...............................1-70
Additives, Fuel................................................. 5-6
Add-On Electrical Equipment............................5-92
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine.................................5-17
Air Conditioning..............................................3-18
Airbag
Off Light.....................................................3-26
Readiness Light..........................................3-25
Airbag Sensing and Diagnostic Module (SDM)........ 7-9
Airbag System................................................1-59
Adding Equipment to Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle............................1-70
Airbag Off Switch........................................1-66
How Does an Airbag Restrain?......................1-65
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle..........1-69
What Makes an Airbag Inate?......................1-64
What Will You See After an Airbag Inates?........1-65
When Should an Airbag Inate?....................1-63
Where Are the Airbags?...............................1-62
All-Wheel Drive...............................................5-43
All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System.........................2-24
AM-FM Radio.................................................3-40
Antenna, Fixed Mast.......................................3-74
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)........................... 4-6
Anti-Lock Brake, System Warning Light..............3-30
Appearance Care............................................5-82Aluminum Wheels........................................5-88
Care of Safety Belts....................................5-85
Chemical Paint Spotting...............................5-89
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses....................5-86
Fabric/Carpet..............................................5-83
Finish Care.................................................5-86
Finish Damage............................................5-89
Glass Surfaces............................................5-85
Instrument Panel.........................................5-85
Interior Plastic Components...........................5-85
Sheet Metal Damage...................................5-89
Tires..........................................................5-88
Underbody Maintenance...............................5-89
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials................5-90
Vinyl..........................................................5-85
Washing Your Vehicle...................................5-86
Weatherstrips..............................................5-86
Windshield and Wiper Blades........................5-87
Ashtrays........................................................3-17
Audio System(s).............................................3-39
AM-FM Radio.............................................3-40
Care of Your Cassette Tape Player................3-72
Care of Your CD Player...............................3-74
Care of Your CDs........................................3-74
Chime Level Adjustment...............................3-74
Fixed Mast Antenna.....................................3-74
Radio with Cassette and CD.........................3-47
Radio with CD............................................3-43
Radio with Six-Disc CD................................3-60
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