2004 CHEVROLET S10 engine

{CAUTION:
Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with the
ignition off is dangerous. Your brakes will have
to do all the work of slowing down. They could
get so hot that they would not work well. You
would then have poor braking or even none
going down a hill. You could crash. Always
have your engine running and your vehicle in
gear when you go downhill.
•Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift down to
a lower gear. The lower gears help cool your engine
and transmission, and you can climb the hill better.
•Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads in hills or mountains. Do not swing wide or cut
across the center of the road. Drive at speeds that let
you stay in your own lane.
•As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There could
be something in your lane, like a stalled car or an
accident.
•You may see highway signs on mountains that warn
of special problems. Examples are long grades,
passing or no-passing zones, a falling rocks area or
winding roads. Be alert to these and take appropriate
action.
4-35

If You Are Caught in a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a
serious situation. You should probably stay with
your vehicle unless you know for sure that you are near
help and you can hike through the snow. Here are
some things to do to summon help and keep yourself
and your passengers safe:
•Turn on your hazard flashers.
•Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you have been stopped by the snow.
•Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you.
If you have no blankets or extra clothing, make
body insulators from newspapers, burlap bags, rags,
floor mats — anything you can wrap around
yourself or tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
4-38

{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 charged. You will need a
well-charged battery to restart the vehicle, and possibly
for signaling later on with your headlamps. Let the
heater run for a while.
Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine
again and repeat this only when you feel really
uncomfortable from the cold. But do it as little as
possible. Preserve the fuel as long as you can. To help
keep warm, you can get out of the vehicle and do
some fairly vigorous exercises every half hour or so until
help comes.
4-39

If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice
or Snow
In order to free your vehicle when it is stuck, you will
need to spin the wheels, but you do not want to
spin your wheels too fast. The method known as
“rocking” can help you get out when you are stuck, but
you must use caution.
{CAUTION:
If you let your tires spin at high speed, they
can explode, and you or others could be
injured. And, the transmission or other parts of
the vehicle can overheat. That could cause an
engine compartment re or other damage.
When you are stuck, spin the wheels as little
as possible. Do not spin the wheels above
35 mph (55 km/h) as shown on the
speedometer.Notice:Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of
your vehicle as well as the tires. If you spin the
wheels too fast while shifting your transmission
back and forth, you can destroy your transmission.
For information about using tire chains on your
vehicle, seeTire Chains on page 5-80.
Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your front wheels. If you have a
four-wheel-drive vehicle, shift into 4HI. Then shift
back and forth between REVERSE (R) and a forward
gear, spinning the wheels as little as possible. Release
the accelerator pedal while you shift, and press lightly
on the accelerator pedal when the transmission is
in gear. By slowly spinning your wheels in the forward
and reverse directions, you will cause a rocking
motion that may free your vehicle. If that does not get
you out after a few tries, you may need to be towed out.
Or, you can use your recovery hooks if your vehicle
has them. If you do need to be towed out, seeTowing
Your Vehicle on page 4-42.
4-40

If yours was built with trailering options, as many are,
it’s ready for heavier trailers. But trailering is different
than just driving your vehicle by itself. Trailering means
changes in handling, accelleration, braking, durability
and fuel economy. Successful, safe trailering takes
correct equipment, and it has to be used properly.
That’s the reason for this part. In it are many time-tested,
important trailering tips and safety rules. Many of
these are important for your safety and that of your
passengers. So please read this section carefully before
you pull a trailer.
If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer
If you do, here are some important points:
•There are many different laws, including speed limit
restrictions, having to do with trailering. Make sure
your rig will be legal, not only where you live
but also where you’ll be driving. A good source for
this information can be state or provincial police.
•Consider using a sway control. See “Hitches” later
in this section.
•Don’t tow a trailer at all during the first 500 miles
(800 km) your new vehicle is driven. Your engine,
axle or other parts could be damaged.
•Then, during the first 500 miles (800 km) that you
tow a trailer, don’t drive over 50 mph (80 km/h)
and don’t make starts at full throttle. This helps your
engine and other parts of your vehicle wear in at
the heavier loads.
•You may want to shift the transmission to THIRD (3)
or, if necessary, a lower gear selection if the
transmission shifts too often (e.g., under heavy
loads and/or hilly conditions). If you have a manual
transmission and you are towing a trailer, it’s
better not to use the highest gear.
Three important considerations have to do with weight:
•the weight of the trailer,
•the weight of the trailer tongue
•and the weight on your vehicle’s tires.
4-52

Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start
down a long or steep downgrade. If you don’t shift
down, you might have to use your brakes so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
You should use THIRD (3) when towing a trailer.
Operating your vehicle in THIRD (3) when towing a
trailer will minimize heat buildup and extend the life of
your transmission.
When towing at high altitude on steep uphill grades,
consider the following: Engine coolant will boil at a lower
temperature than at normal altitudes. If you turn your
engine off immediately after towing at high altitude
on steep uphill grades, your vehicle may show signs
similar to engine overheating. To avoid this, let the
engine run while parked (preferably on level ground)
with the automatic transmission in PARK (P) (or
the manual transmission out of gear and the parking
brake applied) for a few minutes before turning the
engine off. If you do get the overheat warning,
seeEngine Overheating on page 5-27.
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, or into gear for a manual
transmission. When parking uphill, turn your wheels
away from the curb. When parking downhill, turn
your wheels into the curb.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer
wheels.
4-59

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 into PARK (P), or
REVERSE (R) for a manual transmission.
5. If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle with an
automatic transfer case, be sure the transfer case is
in a drive gear–not in NEUTRAL.
6. 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. SeePart A: Scheduled Maintenance
Services on page 6-4for more on this. Things that are
especially important in trailer operation are automatic
transmission fluid (don’t overfill), engine oil, axle
lubricant, belt, cooling system and brake system. Each
of these is covered in this manual, and the Index
will help you find 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.
4-60

Service............................................................5-3
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-3
Adding Equipment to the Outside of Your
Vehicle......................................................5-4
Fuel................................................................5-4
Gasoline Octane............................................5-4
Gasoline Specifications....................................5-5
California Fuel...............................................5-5
Additives.......................................................5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-6
Filling Your Tank............................................5-7
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.........................5-20
Engine Coolant.............................................5-23Radiator Pressure Cap..................................5-26
Engine Overheating.......................................5-27
Cooling System............................................5-29
Engine Fan Noise.........................................5-36
Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-36
Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-38
Brakes........................................................5-39
Battery........................................................5-43
Jump Starting...............................................5-44
Rear Axle.......................................................5-49
Four-Wheel Drive............................................5-50
Front Axle......................................................5-51
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-52
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-52
Headlamps..................................................5-53
One-Piece Front Turn Signal Lamps................5-55
Two-Piece Front Turn Signal Lamps................5-56
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL).........5-57
Taillamps.....................................................5-58
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-58
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1