2006 CHEVROLET EXPRESS PASSANGER ignition

SECOND (2):This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy than THIRD (3). You can use
SECOND (2) on hills. It can help control your speed as
you go down steep mountain roads, but then you would
also want to use your brakes off and on. If you manually
select SECOND (2), the transmission will drive in
SECOND (2). You may use this feature for reducing
torque to the rear wheels when you are trying to start your
vehicle from a stop on slippery road surfaces.
FIRST (1):This position gives you even more power
but lower fuel economy than SECOND (2). You can
use it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud.
If the shift lever is put in FIRST (1), the transmission
will not shift into first gear until the vehicle is going
slowly enough.
Notice:Spinning the tires or holding the vehicle
in one place on a hill using only the accelerator
pedal may damage the transmission. If you
are stuck, do not spin the tires. When stopping on
a hill, use the brakes to hold the vehicle in place.Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the regular brake pedal
down with your right foot. Push down the parking
brake pedal with your left foot.
If the ignition is on, the brake system warning light will
come on.
To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down. Pull the handle, located just above
the parking brake pedal, marked BRAKE RELEASE
to release the parking brake.
If the ignition is on when the parking brake is released,
the brake system warning light will go off.
Notice:Driving with the parking brake on can
overheat the brake system and cause premature
wear or damage to brake system parts. Verify that
the parking brake is fully released and the brake
warning light is off before driving.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any hill,
seeTowing a Trailer on page 4-37. That section shows
what to do first to keep the trailer from moving.
2-24

Shifting Into Park (P)
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle
if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with
the parking brake rmly set. Your vehicle can
roll. If you have left the engine running, the
vehicle can move suddenly. You or others
could be injured. To be sure your vehicle will
not move, even when you are on fairly level
ground, use the steps that follow. If you are
pulling a trailer, seeTowing a Trailer on
page 4-37.
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake with your left foot.
2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) by pulling the
shift lever toward you and moving it up as far as it
will go.
3. Turn the ignition key to LOCK.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
leave your vehicle with the ignition key in your
hand, your vehicle is in PARK (P).
Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Engine Running
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with
the engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the parking brake rmly set.
And, if you leave the vehicle with the engine
running, it could overheat and even catch re.
You or others could be injured. Do not leave
your vehicle with the engine running.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and the
parking brake is firmly set before you leave it. After you
move the shift lever into PARK (P), hold the regular
brake pedal down. Then, see if you can move the shift
lever away from PARK (P) without first pulling it
toward you. If you can, it means that the shift lever
was not fully locked into PARK (P).
2-25

Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you do not shift your
vehicle into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the vehicle
may put too much force on the parking pawl in the
transmission. You may find it difficult to pull the shift
lever out of PARK (P). This is called torque lock.
To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then
shift into PARK (P) properly before you leave the
driver’s seat. To find out how, seeShifting Into Park (P)
on page 2-25.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK (P) before you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another
vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of the
pressure from the parking pawl in the transmission, so
you can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).
Shifting Out of Park (P)
Your vehicle has an automatic transmission shift lock
control system. You have to fully apply your regular
brakes before you can shift from PARK (P) when the
ignition is in RUN. SeeAutomatic Transmission
Operation on page 2-22.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever and push the shift lever all the way up into
PARK (P) as you maintain brake application. Then,
move the shift lever into the gear you want.
If you ever hold the brake pedal down but still cannot
shift out of PARK (P), try this:
1. Turn the key to LOCK.
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
3. Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the vehicle and then shift to the drive gear
you want.
5. Have the system fixed as soon as you can.
2-26

Hazard Warning Flashers
The hazard warning flashers warn others. They also let
police know you have a problem. Your front and rear
turn signal lamps will flash on and off.
The hazard warning
flasher button is located
on top of the steering
column.
The hazard warning flashers work no matter what
ignition position the key is in, and even if the key is
not in the ignition.
Press the button to make the front and rear turn signal
lamps flash on and off. Press the button again to turn
the flashers off.
When the hazard warning flashers are on, your turn
signals will not work.
Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can set them up at
the side of the road about 300 feet (100 m) behind
your vehicle.
Horn
Press the horn symbol in the middle of the steering
wheel to sound the horn.
Tilt Wheel
A tilt steering wheel allows you to adjust the steering
wheel before you drive. You can also raise it to the
highest level to give your legs more room when
you enter and exit the vehicle.
The lever is located on the lower left side of the
steering column.
3-6

Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on hills depends
upon your speed, load and the steepness of the hills.
When going up steep hills, you may want to step on the
accelerator pedal to maintain your speed. When going
downhill, you may have to brake or shift to a lower gear to
keep your speed down. Of course, applying the brake
takes you out of cruise control. Many drivers find this to
be too much trouble and don’t use cruise control on
steep hills.
Ending Cruise Control
There are three ways to turn off the cruise control:
•Step lightly on the brake pedal.
•Move the cruise control switch to off.
•If your vehicle has the StabiliTrak®feature, cruise
control will deactivate if road conditions cause
StabiliTrak
®to activate.
Erasing Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition,
your cruise control set speed memory is erased.
Exterior Lamps
The control on the
driver’s side of your
instrument panel operates
the exterior lamps.
The exterior lamp control has four positions:
Ø (Defeat):Turn the control to this position to turn off
the DRL. Vehicles first sold in Canada cannot turn
off the DRL.
i(Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)):Turning the
control to this position selects the DRL. When the
vehicle is shifted out of PARK (P), the DRL will turn on,
unless defeated. When the DRL are active, the DRL
indicator will illuminate.
3-13

;(Parking Lamps):Turn the control to this position
to turn on the parking lamps, together with the
following:
•Instrument Panel Lights
•Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) (Canada)
•Sidemarker Lamps
•Taillamps
•License Plate Lamps
If the DRL are active when the control is turned to this
position, the DRL will turn off.
For vehicles first sold in Canada, the DRL will remain
active along with the lamps mentioned above.
5(Headlamps):Turn the control to this position to
turn on the headlamps together with the parking lamps
and turn off the daytime running lamps.
You can switch your headlamps from high to low-beam
by pulling the turn signal/high-beam lever toward you.
A circuit breaker protects your headlamps. If you have
an electrical overload, your headlamps will flicker on
and off. Have your headlamp wiring checked right away
if this happens.
Headlamps on Reminder
A reminder chime will sound when your control is turned
to the headlamps or parking lamps position, your key
is out of the ignition, and your driver’s door is open.
To disable the chime, turn the control to the Daytime
Running Lamp (DRL) position and then back to the
parking lamps or headlamps position.
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front of your vehicle during the
day. DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful in the short
periods after dawn and before sunset. Fully functional
daytime running lamps are required on all vehicles
first sold in Canada.
The DRL system will come on when the following
conditions are met:
•the ignition is on,
•the exterior lamps control is in DRL mode and not
in the defeat position.
When the DRL are on, only your parking lamps will be
on. The other lamps will not be on. The instrument
panel will be lit.
3-14

Entry Lighting
Your vehicle is equipped with an illuminated entry
feature.
When a door is opened, the dome lamps will come on if
the dome override button is in the out position. If the
dome override button is pressed in, the lamps will not
come on. When the door is closed, the interior lamps will
remain on for a period of 15 seconds or until the vehicle
is started.
Exit Lighting
With exit lighting, the interior lamps will come on for a
period of 40 seconds when you remove the key from the
ignition. The lamps will not come on if the dome override
button is pressed in.
Reading Lamps
To turn on the reading lamps, press the button
located next to each lamp. To turn them off, press
the button again.
Battery Run-Down Protection
This feature shuts off the exterior and interior lamps if
they are left on after the ignition is turned off. All exterior
lamps will shut off after 10 minutes. Interior cargo
lamps will shut down after 20 minutes and all other
interior lamps after 10 minutes.
Accessory Power Outlet(s)
With accessory power outlets you can plug in auxiliary
electrical equipment such as a cellular telephone or
CB radio.
Your vehicle may have two accessory power outlets.
If your vehicle has a cigarette lighter/accessory power
outlet, it is located on the driver’s side of the front storage
compartment. The other accessory power outlet is
located on the passenger’s side of the front storage
compartment.
To use the outlet, lift the cover. When not using it,
always close the cover.
3-16

Rear Window Defogger
Some vehicles may have a rear window defogger.
the rear window defogger on or off. Be sure to clear as
much snow from the window as possible.
The rear window defogger uses a warming grid to
remove fog or frost from the rear window and will only
work when the ignition is RUN.
The rear window defogger will turn off several minutes
after the button is pressed. If turned on again, the
defogger will run for several more minutes before turning
off. The defogger can also be turned off by pressing
the button again or by turning off the engine.
Notice:Do not use a razor blade or sharp object
to clear the inside rear window. Do not adhere
anything to the defogger grid lines in the rear glass.
These actions may damage the rear defogger.
Repairs would not be covered by your warranty.
Outlet Adjustment
Use the outlets located near the center and on the
sides of the instrument panel to change the direction
of airflow.
Operation Tips
•Clear away any ice, snow or leaves from the air
inlets at the base of the windshield that may
block the flow of air into your vehicle.
•Use of non-GM approved hood deflectors may
adversely affect the performance of the system.
•Keep the path under the front seats clear of objects
to help circulate the air inside of your vehicle more
effectively.
3-20