2007 CHEVROLET EXPRESS CARGO VAN Owners Manual

When cleaning the cassette tape player with the
recommended non-abrasive cleaning cassette,
it is possible that the cassette might eject, because
the cut tape detection feature on the radio can
recognize it as a broken tape, in error. To prevent
the cleaning cassette from being ejected, use
the following steps:
1. Turn the ignition on.
2. Turn the radio off.
3. Press and hold the TAPE DISC button for
five seconds. READY displays and the
cassette symbol flashes for five seconds.
4. Insert the scrubbing action cleaning cassette.
5. Eject the cleaning cassette after the
manufacturer’s recommended cleaning time.
When the cleaning cassette has been ejected,
the cut tape detection feature activates again.
A non-scrubbing action, wet-type cleaner which
uses a cassette with a fabric belt to clean the tape
head can be used. This type of cleaning cassette
does not eject on its own. A non-scrubbing
action cleaner might not clean as thoroughly
as the scrubbing type cleaner. The use of a
non-scrubbing action, dry-type cleaning cassette
is not recommended.After the player is cleaned, press and hold the
eject button for five seconds to reset the CLEAN
indicator. The radio displays --- or CLEANED
to show the indicator was reset.
Cassettes are subject to wear and the sound
quality can degrade over time. Always make sure
the cassette tape is in good condition before
the tape player is serviced.
Care of Your CDs
Handle CDs carefully. Store them in their original
cases or other protective cases and away from
direct sunlight and dust. The CD player scans the
bottom surface of the disc. If the surface of a CD is
damaged, such as cracked, broken, or scratched,
the CD does not play properly or not at all. If the
surface of a CD is soiled, take a soft, lint free cloth
or dampen a clean, soft cloth in a mild, neutral
detergent solution mixed with water, and clean it.
Make sure the wiping process starts from the center
to the edge.
Do not touch the bottom side of a CD while handling
it; this could damage the surface. Pick up CDs by
grasping the outer edges or the edge of the hole
and the outer edge.
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Care of the CD Player
Do not use CD lens cleaners for CD players
because the lens of the CD optics can become
contaminated by lubricants.
Fixed Mast Antenna
The fixed mast antenna can withstand most car
washes without being damaged. If the mast should
ever become slightly bent, straighten it out by
hand. If the mast is badly bent, replace it.
Check occasionally to make sure the mast is
still tightened to the fender. If tightening is
required, tighten by hand, then with a wrench
one quarter turn.
Chime Level Adjustment
The radio is used to adjust the vehicle’s chime
level. To change the volume level of the chime,
press and hold pushbutton 6 with the ignition on
and the radio power off. The volume level will
change from the normal level to loud, and LOUD
will appear on the radio display. To change back to
the default or normal setting, press and hold
pushbutton 6 again. The volume level will change
from the loud level to normal, and NORMAL will
appear on the radio display. Each time the chime
volume is changed, three chimes will sound to
indicate the change. Removing the radio and not
replacing it with a factory radio or chime module will
disable vehicle chimes.
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Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle... 228
Defensive Driving...................................... 228
Drunken Driving........................................ 229
Control of a Vehicle.................................. 232
Braking...................................................... 232
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS).................. 233
Braking in Emergencies............................. 235
Locking Rear Axle..................................... 235
StabiliTrak
®System................................... 235
All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System.................. 238
Steering.................................................... 239
Off-Road Recovery.................................... 241
Passing..................................................... 241
Loss of Control.......................................... 243
Driving at Night......................................... 244
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads............ 246City Driving............................................... 249
Freeway Driving........................................ 250
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.................. 252
Highway Hypnosis..................................... 253
Hill and Mountain Roads........................... 254
Winter Driving........................................... 256
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud,
Ice, or Snow.......................................... 260
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out........... 260
Loading Your Vehicle................................ 261
Towing........................................................ 266
Towing Your Vehicle................................. 266
Recreational Vehicle Towing...................... 266
Towing a Trailer........................................ 269
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
227

Your Driving, the Road, and
Your Vehicle
Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about driving is:
Drive defensively.
Please start with a very important safety device in
your vehicle: Buckle up. SeeSafety Belts: They
Are for Everyone on page 17.
{CAUTION:
Defensive driving really means “Be ready
for anything.” On city streets, rural roads,
or expressways, it means “Always expect
the unexpected.” Assume that pedestrians
or other drivers are going to be careless
and make mistakes. Anticipate what they
might do and be ready. Rear-end collisions
are about the most preventable of
accidents. Yet they are common. Allow
enough following distance. Defensive
driving requires that a driver concentrate
on the driving task. Anything that distracts
from the driving task makes proper
defensive driving more difficult and can
even cause a collision, with resulting
injury. Ask a passenger to help do these
things, or pull off the road in a safe place to
do them. These simple defensive driving
techniques could save your life.
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Drunken Driving
Death and injury associated with drinking and
driving is a national tragedy. It is the number one
contributor to the highway death toll, claiming
thousands of victims every year.
Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs to
drive a vehicle:
•Judgment
•Muscular Coordination
•Vision
•Attentiveness
Police records show that almost half of all motor
vehicle-related deaths involve alcohol. In most
cases, these deaths are the result of someone who
was drinking and driving. In recent years, more
than 16,000 annual motor vehicle-related deaths
have been associated with the use of alcohol, with
more than 300,000 people injured.Many adults — by some estimates, nearly half
the adult population — choose never to drink
alcohol, so they never drive after drinking.
For persons under 21, it is against the law in
every U.S. state to drink alcohol. There are good
medical, psychological, and developmental
reasons for these laws.
The obvious way to eliminate the leading highway
safety problem is for people never to drink
alcohol and then drive. But what if people do?
How much is “too much” if someone plans
to drive? It is a lot less than many might think.
Although it depends on each person and situation,
here is some general information on the problem.
The Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of
someone who is drinking depends upon four things:
•The amount of alcohol consumed
•The drinker’s body weight
•The amount of food that is consumed before
and during drinking
•The length of time it has taken the drinker to
consume the alcohol
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According to the American Medical Association, a
180 lb (82 kg) person who drinks three 12 ounce
(355 ml) bottles of beer in an hour will end up with
a BAC of about 0.06 percent. The person would
reach the same BAC by drinking three 4 ounce
(120 ml) glasses of wine or three mixed drinks if
each had 1-1/2 ounces (45 ml) of liquors like
whiskey, gin, or vodka.It is the amount of alcohol that counts. For
example, if the same person drank three double
martinis (3 ounces or 90 ml of liquor each)
within an hour, the person’s BAC would be close
to 0.12 percent. A person who consumes food
just before or during drinking will have a somewhat
lower BAC level.
There is a gender difference, too. Women
generally have a lower relative percentage of body
water than men. Since alcohol is carried in body
water, this means that a woman generally will
reach a higher BAC level than a man of her same
body weight will when each has the same
number of drinks.
The law in most U.S. states, and throughout
Canada, sets the legal limit at 0.08 percent. In
some other countries, the limit is even lower. For
example, it is 0.05 percent in both France and
Germany. The BAC limit for all commercial drivers
in the United States is 0.04 percent.
The BAC will be over 0.10 percent after three to
six drinks (in one hour). Of course, as we have
seen, it depends on how much alcohol is in the
drinks, and how quickly the person drinks them.
230

But the ability to drive is affected well below a BAC
of 0.10 percent. Research shows that the driving
skills of many people are impaired at a BAC
approaching 0.05 percent, and that the effects are
worse at night. All drivers are impaired at BAC
levels above 0.05 percent. Statistics show that the
chance of being in a collision increases sharply for
drivers who have a BAC of 0.05 percent or above.
A driver with a BAC level of 0.06 percent has
doubled his or her chance of having a collision. At a
BAC level of 0.10 percent, the chance of this driver
having a collision is 12 times greater; at a level of
0.15 percent, the chance is 25 times greater!
The body takes about an hour to rid itself of the
alcohol in one drink. No amount of coffee or
number of cold showers will speed that up. “I will be
careful” is not the right answer. What if there is an
emergency, a need to take sudden action, as when
a child darts into the street? A person with even a
moderate BAC might not be able to react quickly
enough to avoid the collision.There is something else about drinking and driving
that many people do not know. Medical research
shows that alcohol in a person’s system can make
crash injuries worse, especially injuries to the brain,
spinal cord, or heart. This means that when anyone
who has been drinking — driver or passenger — is
in a crash, that person’s chance of being killed or
permanently disabled is higher than if the person
had not been drinking.
{CAUTION:
Drinking and then driving is very
dangerous. Your reexes, perceptions,
attentiveness, and judgment can be
affected by even a small amount of
alcohol. You can have a serious — or
even fatal — collision if you drive after
drinking. Please do not drink and drive or
ride with a driver who has been drinking.
Ride home in a cab; or if you are with a
group, designate a driver who will not
drink.
231

Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go
where you want it to go. They are the brakes, the
steering, and the accelerator. All three systems
have to do their work at the places where the tires
meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you are driving on snow or
ice, it is easy to ask more of those control systems
than the tires and road can provide. That means
you can lose control of your vehicle.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your
vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modications on page 290.
Braking
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 175.
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake
pedal. That is perception time. Then you have to
bring up your foot and do it. That is reaction time.
Average reaction time is about three-fourths of a
second. But that is only an average. It might
be less with one driver and as long as two or
three seconds or more with another. Age, physical
condition, alertness, coordination, and eyesight
all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs, and
frustration. But even in three-fourths of a second,
a vehicle moving at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels
66 feet (20 m). That could be a lot of distance in an
emergency, so keeping enough space between
your vehicle and others is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary
greatly with the surface of the road, whether it is
pavement or gravel; the condition of the road,
whether it is wet, dry, or icy; tire tread; the condition
of the brakes; the weight of the vehicle; and the
amount of brake force applied.
232