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Driving and Operating 129
Warning (Continued)
To reduce the chance of personal
injury and/or vehicle damage due
to engine overheating, never
leave the engine idling without an
alert driver present. If the engine
should overheat, as indicated by
the engine coolant temperature
gauge, immediate action is
required to correct the condition.
Continued operation of the
engine, even for a short time, may
result in a fire. Do not engage the
exhaust brake while the engine is
idling as this may cause engine
overheating.
The diesel particulate filter (DPF)
may automatically start
regeneration when the vehicle is
stopped and parked with the
engine running. To prevent a fire,
make sure there is no flammable
material near the muffler, DPF,
and exhaust pipe. Be careful not
to get burned by hot exhaust
gases.(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
You and others could be seriously
injured.
Do Not Forget to Release the
Parking Brake
Pulling away with the parking brake
still applied can damage the brake
system.
Before pulling away, make sure the
parking brake is not set by checking
that the parking brake indicator light
is not on.
Be Sure to Have the Engine
Running When the Vehicle is
Moving
{Warning
When the engine is not running,
the power steering system does
not work so the steering wheel is
hard to turn. Also, the brake
booster does not work so there is
little braking ability. If you coast (Continued)
Warning (Continued)
down a slope without the engine
running, you would not be able to
properly control the vehicle and
could have an accident.
Parking, or Leaving
Driver’s Seat
{Danger
It can be dangerous to get out of
your vehicle if the selector lever is
not fully in "P" (Park) or the
parking brake is not applied all
the way. Your vehicle can roll or
move suddenly.
To be sure your vehicle will not
move, even when you are parking
on level ground, follow the steps
below. (If you have to park on a
hill, also turn your front wheels so
the vehicle will roll away from
traffic.)
You and others could be seriously
injured or killed.
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Driving and Operating 135
Pay Attention to the Way the
Steering Wheel Turns and Feels
On snowy roads, water and snow
splashed up by the tires can freeze
and accumulate inside the fenders,
making the steering wheel hard to
turn. From time to time, get out of
the vehicle and remove any
accumulated snow.
Check the Brakes from Time
to Time
When the vehicle is driven or
parked on a snowy surface, ice can
form on the brakes, decreasing their
effectiveness. From time to time
while you are driving, press the
brake pedal lightly and check the
effectiveness of the brakes. Pay
attention to vehicles both ahead of
and behind you when checking the
brakes in this way.
Also, check the effectiveness of the
brakes as soon as possible when
starting to drive the vehicle after it
has been parked. If the brakes do
not work well, drive slowly and
gently press the brake pedal several
times until the brakes dry out and
start working normally.Parking in Cold Regions
When snow collects around the
wheels and the lights, try to remove
it before night falls.
Do not apply the parking brake in
extremely cold weather, such as in
temperatures or at below 0 °C
(32 °F). If you leave the parking
brake applied, the wires and brake
shoes could freeze up, making it
impossible for you to release the
parking brake. Be sure to park the
vehicle in gear.
Be sure to put chocks against the
tires.
Whenever possible, park in a
garage to help prevent parts from
freezing up and to help make the
engine easy to start.
{Warning
If you park in a place where there
is a lot of snowfall, snow
accumulating around the vehicle
could limit ventilation. Running
the engine with the vehicle in(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
these conditions could cause
exhaust gases to enter the cabin,
resulting in carbon monoxide
poisoning. Take preventive action
by, for example, clearing the snow
around the vehicle.
You and others could be seriously
injured.
Do not park under trees or under
the eaves of a building. Chunks of
ice could fall on the vehicle if you
park in such a place.
Cleaning the Vehicle after
Driving on Snowy Roads
. The vehicle speed sensors are
fitted on the wheels. When
removing snow, ice, and other
incrustation, take great care not
to damage the components.
. Do not use a sharp implement to
remove snow. Sharp edges
could damage rubber parts.
Refer to Antilock Brake System
(ABS) 0196.
Chevrolet Low Cab Forward Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-
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136 Driving and Operating
Remove snow that has stuck to the
inside of the fenders and to the
brake hoses. Otherwise, it may
damage components. After driving
on a salted road, wash the
underside of the vehicle as soon as
possible to prevent the salt from
causing rust. Spraying water under
high pressure is an effective way to
get the salt off.
After washing the vehicle, wipe the
door openings dry.
If the Vehicle Is Stuck
When Driving on Bad Roads
Freeing the Vehicle from Sand,
Mud, Snow, and Ice
If your vehicle gets stuck in sand,
mud, snow or ice, move the selector
lever from "Second" to "Reverse".
Apply a light pressure to the
accelerator pedal while the
transmission is in gear. Remove
your foot from the accelerator and
press the brake pedal while shifting.
Do not race the engine. For best
traction, avoid spinning the wheels.
When you cannot avoid drivingthrough deep mud, using tire chains
is an effective way to avoid getting
stuck.
Do not allow wheels to spin freely in
mud, sand, snow, ice or other poor
road conditions. This free spinning
will damage the rear axle. Even
vehicles equipped with LSD (Limited
Slip Differential) have traction
limitations. If your vehicle gets stuck
and it is difficult to extricate,
immediately stop driving and have
the vehicle towed. Spinning wheels
for an extended period of time may
cause abnormal noises or
malfunction to LSD.
Do not spin wheels faster than
32 km/h (20 MPH). Damage may
result from excessive wheel
spinning, including tire, transmission
and/or rear axle malfunction.
When driving in sand or mud, avoid
hard braking, sudden acceleration
and sharp turns of the steering
wheel. Such actions could get the
vehicle stuck and make it difficult to
extricate.
After driving through deep mud: any
mud stuck to the vehicle can harm
the steering, brakes and powertrain.
Wash the vehicle and remove all
mud and other incrustation.
The vehicle speed sensors are fitted
on the wheels. When removing mud
and other incrustation, take great
care not to damage the
components.
Do not use a sharp implement to
remove mud. Sharp edges could
damage rubber parts.
Refer to
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) 0196 andExterior Care
0 293.
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142 Driving and Operating
SymptomCauseCorrective Action Reference
Oil pressure is low Improper engine oil
viscosity
Change to an oil with
proper viscositySee
Engine Oil
0 223
Engine oil level too low Add engine oil See
Engine Oil
0 223
Engine inner
components are faulty
4-
Meter, indicator/warning
lights or switches faulty
4-
Not enough engine power Parking brake not fully
released
Make sure it is fully
released
-
Brake dragging
4-
Air cleaner clogged
4-
Fuel filter clogged
4-
Engine control system
faulty
4-
Common rail system
faulty
4-
Engine faulty
4-
DPF clogged
4-
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Driving and Operating 149
The starting circuit, engine alarm
circuits and accessory circuits are
all controlled by the engine control
switch.1 LOCK :Lock is in the position
fully counterclockwise. In this
position, the key can be inserted or
removed. To place the engine
control switch in the LOCK position,
press and hold the key in the ACC
position and then turn it to the
LOCK position. If you will leave the
vehicle, remove the key and turn the
steering wheel until it locks. The
steering wheel will be locked to help
prevent theft.
2 ACC : Accessory is in the first
position clockwise. In this position,
the audio and other accessories can
be used with the engine stopped.
3 ON : This ON position is in the
second position clockwise. The key
stays in this position while the
engine is running. Engine control,
warning circuits, gauge circuits, and
accessory circuits are energized.
The engine cylinder heaters or glow
plugs are also turned on when the
switch is in the ON position. The
wait-to-start light will come on and
stay on until the glow plugs are heated enough. When this light
goes off, turn the switch to the
START position.
4 START :
On all engines, start is in
the position furthest clockwise. The
engine is started in this position.
Turn the key against spring
pressure to energize the starter.
When key is released, spring
pressure returns it to the ON
position. Release the key as soon
as the engine has started.
If the key cannot be turned from the
LOCK position to the ON position,
lightly move the steering wheel
clockwise and counterclockwise
while trying to turn the key.
Starting and Stopping the
Vehicle
Check around the Vehicle before
Starting the Engine
Proper care and operation will not
only extend the service life of your
vehicle but also improve fuel
economy.
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150 Driving and Operating
Before pulling away, perform a
thorough safety check, making sure
there are no children or obstructions
around the vehicle. Take off the
chocks after confirming that the
parking brake is securely applied.
Sit behind the wheel, adjust the seat
position, and buckle up the seat
belt. The passengers are also
required to buckle up the seat belts.
Adjust the positions of the steering
wheel and mirrors. Lock the doors.
Turn the power of the dome light or
accessories OFF before starting the
engine. SeeSeat Position 038,
Seat Belts 043, Steering Wheel
Adjustment 065, and Mirrors033.
Keep the Floor Around the
Driver's Seat Clean and Tidy
{Warning
It is extremely dangerous to have
empty cans, empty bottles or
other items rolling around on the
floor because they could get
trapped under the brake pedal (Continued)
Warning (Continued)
and prevent brake application.
For proper pedal operation, it is
also essential to lay floor mats
properly. Incorrectly installed floor
mats would hinder free movement
of the pedals.
Do not use the dashboard pocket
or the top of the dashboard as a
place to put items that could roll,
which could interfere with your
driving. You and others could be
seriously injured.
Choose Your Footwear Suitable
for Driving
{Warning
Choose footwear that ensures
proper operation of pedals when
driving the vehicle. Use of
footwear unsuitable for driving
may cause an accident. Starting the Engine
Do not keep the engine control
switch in the START position for
more than about 10 seconds.
Operating the starter for too long
might cause starter and battery
failure or may result in overheating.
When the engine does not start,
wait for 20 to 30 seconds and then
turn the engine control switch again.
Before starting the engine sit in the
driver seat, check that the parking
brake is firmly engaged, the selector
lever is in the P or N (P is preferred)
position and the shift indicator also
shows P or N, and firmly press the
brake pedal to start the engine.
When stopped on a slope, start the
engine with the selector lever in the
P position. See
Ignition Positions
0 148.
1. Make sure that the selector lever is in the P or N position
and firmly press the brake
pedal.
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Driving and Operating 151
2. When the engine control switchis turned to the ON position,
the wait-to-start light comes on
and it goes out in about
1 second when the engine is
warm, to about 10 seconds
when the engine is cold.
3. After confirming that the wait-to-start light has gone out,
turn the engine control switch
to the START position to start
the engine. Release the engine
control switch as soon as the
engine starts.
4. Do not crank the engine for more than 10 seconds at a
time. If the engine does not
start, wait 20 to 30 seconds
with the engine control switch
in the LOCK or ACC position
before trying to start again. It is normal for the vacuum warning
buzzer to sound for a few seconds
after the engine has started.
After the engine has started, check
to be sure the selector lever is still
in the P position.
This engine has an automatic
warm-up system that increases
engine idle speed and applies the
exhaust brake. Allow sufficient time
to let the engine circulate lubricant
oil before driving. This usually
requires 30 seconds to 2 minutes
depending on ambient conditions.
See
Brake System Warning Light
(Parking Brake Light) 075.
The turbocharged engine should be
started in a way which ensures the
bearings supporting the rotating
parts of the turbocharger are
sufficiently lubricated. Do not race a
cold engine.
At low ambient temperatures, a cold
engine may emit more smoke than
usual.
Do not drive the truck until the
engine has had sufficient time to
circulate the lubricant oil. This usually requires 30 seconds to
2 minutes depending on ambient
conditions. This will help reduce
white start-up smoke.
Preheating :
Diesel engines are
compression ignited, which makes
them difficult to start when they are
cold because the compression
alone cannot create a temperature
high enough for fuel to ignite.
Preheating means warming the
compressed air inside the
combustion chambers to facilitate
engine starting. Be sure to start the
engine after the wait-to-start light
has gone out.
Start : Do not press the accelerator
pedal at the engine start. The
accelerator opening degree at the
engine start is electronically
controlled.
Warm-up : Do not race the engine
to speed warm-up.
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Driving and Operating 155
Engine Alarm and
Automatic Shutdown
If the system senses any of the
following conditions: high engine
temperature, low engine oil pressure
or low engine coolant, the
corresponding warning light and
engine alarm (shutdown) warning
light will come on. If the engine
alarm (shutdown) warning light
comes on, you will also hear a tone
alarm.
If your vehicle has the engine
shutdown feature, your engine will
shut down in 30 seconds.Pull safely off the road and shut off
the engine. Do not start it until the
cause of the problem is known, and
the problem is fixed. However, if the
engine shuts down when you are
still in traffic, you can restart the
engine and get another 30 seconds
of operation. Do this only if you
have to, since there is a problem
that can harm the engine if it is not
fixed. See
Engine Shutdown
Warning Light 080.
Idle Shutdown
Idle Stop is a dealer programmable
function which will automatically turn
off the engine, at idle, when specific
programmed conditions are met.
See your dealer for details. When
the Idle Stop light comes on, it alerts
you that programmed conditions
have been met and the engine is
about to shut down. This light stays
on after the engine has stopped.
This indicator light will come on
when the engine control switch is
turned to the ON position and then
should go out after approximately
3 seconds. If the idling stop function does not
initiate, a transmission related
problem may have occurred. Please
contact your dealer. (There is a
Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) that
inhibits the idling stop function when
the Service Transmission Warning
Light is not illuminated).
High Idle System
Use high idle mode to increase
engine idle speed to 1,200 r/min
when the vehicle is stationary.