Chevrolet VENTURE 1997 User manual

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0 The 1997 Chevrolet Venture Owner’s Manual
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44
Seats aad.Restraint Systems.
This section tells you how to use your seats and safety belts pro.perly. It also explains the “SW ~ysteirn.
Features and Controls
This section-explainshow to start and operate your Chevrolet.
Comfort Controls and Audio Systems
This $ecti.on tells you -how to -acljuit the veritiktionand com€Ort controls :and how to operate your audio systeni.
Your Driving and the Road
Here you’ll find helpful information.andtips about the road and how to drive under different conditions.
5 1.1 Problems on theRoad
This section tells what to do if you have a problem while driving, such as a flat tire or overheated engine, etc.
6-1 Service and Appearance Care
Here the manual tells you how to- keep your Chevrolet running properly ;and looking good.
74 Maintenance Schedule
8-1 CustomerAssistance .Information
This section tells you when to perfom vehicle mdtenance
f what .fluids and lubricants to use.
.
This section tells you how to contact Chevrolet for assist-anee -and how to get setvice.and owner puhlications..
.It ,also gives you information on:“Re.porting Safety Defects” on page -8- 10.

GENERAL MOTORS, GM, theGM Emblem,
CHEVROLET,
the CHEVROLET Emblem and the
name
VENTURE are re-gistered tradem-arksof
General Motors Corporation.
This.manua1 includes
the latest information at the time it
was printed.We reserve the right to make changes in the
product after that time without further notice. For
vehicles €irst
sold in Canada, substitute the name
“General Motors
of Canada Limited”for Chevrolet
Motor Division whenever
it appears in this manual.
Pleasekeep
this manual in your Chevrolet, so it will be
there
if you ever needit when you’re on the-road. If you
sell the vehicle, pleaseleavethis manual
in it so the new
owner can useit.
Litho in U. S .A.
Part No. 10293473 B FirstEcjition
WE SUPPQRT
VQLUhTARY TECHNEIAN
CERTIFICATION
THROUGH
Ngtional lnstifute‘for
AUTOMOTIVE
SERVICE
EXCELLENCE
We‘support voluntary
technician certification.
Far Canadian Owners Who Prefer a
French Language Manual:
Aux: propri&aires canadiens: Vous pouvez YOUS.
procurer un exernphire de de guide en f~anpis chez
votre. conc.essionaire ouiau.:
DGN Ma&e.ting Services Ltd.
1300 Banhill Rd.
M-issis’sauga,
Ontarici LST 1 C7

welcometo the largest
I
backed by a proud history of
The dynamic William C. “Billy”
Durant shiftedgearsfrom making
carriages to making cars,
forming half the team that gave
birth to Chevrolet.
That kind of reception from
automotive family in the performance and value.Since auto owners is unmatchedby
world
-- the familyof Chevrolet the first “Classic
Six” rolled off the any othercar manufacturerin
owners.
You have selecteda line
in 19 12, morethan 1 10 million the world.
vehicle designed,engineeredandChevroletcarsand
trucks have
The Chevrolet blend of
craftedbyteamwork, a vehicle worn theChevrolet marque. value and performancehas
Louis Chevrolet, theother half of the team,
at the wheel
of his experimental “Classic
Six, ” which enteredproduction in 1912.
Thatyear 2999 vehicles were produced.
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iv
In 1932 Chevrolet
introduced the
Synchro-Mesh
1 transmissionand
I The legacy of America'sfavorite sportscar ;
I
I began in 1953, when 319 hand-assembled I
offereda host of
accessories -- including
such nicetiesas a clock!
white Corvettes
launchedthe
I
first use of a
fiberglass body in
I
a production car: ;
I
I
I
------------I

I
I
The 1957 Chevystarted a romance with the American
public
-- and waspowered by anavailablefuel-injected V8.
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How to Use this Manual
Many people read their owner’s manual from beginning
to end when they first receive their new vehicle.
If you
do this,it will help you learn about the features and
controls for your vehicle. In this manual, you’ll find
that pictures and words work together to explain
things quickly.
Index
A good place to lookfor what you need is the Index in
the back
of the manual. It’s an alphabetical list of all
that’s in the manual, andthepage number where you’ll
find it.
Safety Warnings and Symbols
You will find a numberof safety cautionsin this book.
We use a box and the word
CAUTION to tell you
about things that could hurt you if you were to ignore
the warning.
These mean there is something that could hurt
you or other people.
In the caution area, we tell you what the hazardis. Then
we tell you what to do to help avoid or reduce the
hazard. Please read these cautions.If you don’t, you or
others could be hurt.
You
will also find a circle
with a slash through it in
this
book. This safety
symbol means “Don’t,”
“Don’t do this,” or “Don’t
let this happen.”

VehicleDamageWarnings Inthenoticearea,wetellyouaboutsnrnethingthat
can damage your vehicle. Many times, this damage
be costly. But the notice will tell you what todo
to help
avoid
the damage.
When you read other manuals, you might
see
CAUTION and NOTICE warnings in different colors
or in different words.
You’ll also see warning labels on your vehicle. They use
the same words, CAUTIONorNOTICE.
Also,
in this book you will find these notices:wouldnot be coveredbyyourwarranty,and itcould
NOTICE:
These mean thereis something that could
damage
your vehicle.

Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle.
For example,
these symbols
are used on
an
original battery:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT
EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
ACID COULD
BATTERY
CAUSE
BURNS
AVOID
SPARKS OR
FLAMES
SPARK
OR ,\I/,
COULD
FLAME
EXPLODE
BAllERY
These symbols
areimportant
for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle is
driven:
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
FASTEN
SEAT
BELTS
These symbols
have todo with
your lamps:
SIGNALS e
TURN
RUNNING
0
DAYTIME
LAMPS .
FOG LAMPS $0
These symbols
are on some
of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
WIPER
WINDSHIELD
DEFROSTER
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
VENTILATING
FAN
These symbols
are used on
warning and
indicator lights:
COOLANT -
TEMP -
CHARGING I-1
BAlTERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE
(0)
COOLANT a
ENGINEOIL e,
PRESSURE
ANTI-LOCK
(@)
BRAKES
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
LIGHTER
rl
HORN b
SPEAKER
b
FUEL B

0 Section 1
Seats and Restraint Systems
Here you’ll find information aboutthe seats in your Chevrolet and how to use your safety belts properly. You can also
learn about some things you should
nut do with air bags and safety belts.
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1-6
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Seatsand Controls
Manual Seats
Power Seats
Folding Driver’s Seatback
Reclining Front Seatbacks
Manual Lumbar Control
Head Restraints
Rear Seats
Second Row Safety Belt Stowage
Dump and Stow Feature
Solid Bench Seats
SplitBench Seats
Bucket Seats
Why Safety Belts Work
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1-45
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1-55
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1-63
1-75
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Questions
Many People Ask About
Safety Belts
How
to Wear Safety Belts Properly
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy
Questions and Answers About Air Bags
Rear SeatPassenger Safety Belts
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides
Important for Buckling Children in
Child Restraints
Using the Built-In Child Restraint
Child Restraint Top Straps
How to Use Child Restraints
How to Obtain a Safety Belt Extender
CheckingYour Restraint Systems
Replacing Parts After a Crash
1-1

Seats and Seat Controls
This section tells you about the seats -- how to adjust
them, take them out, put them back
in, and fold &
unfold them.
Driver’s 4-way Manual Seat
Use the lever on the front left side of the seat to adjust the
seat forward
or backward. Pull up the lever on the front of
the seat to unlock it. Slide the seat to where you want it.
To make sure the seat is locked into place, release the
lever
and try to move the seat with your body.
To raise the seat, pull up on the lever on the front right
side
of the seat. To lower the seat, push the lever down.
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I A CAUTION:
You can lose control of the vehicleif you try to
adjust a manual driver’s seatwhile the vehicle is
moving. The sudden movementcould startle and
confuse you, or make you push a pedalwhen you
don’t want to. Adjust the driver’s seatonly when
the vehicleis not moving.
1-2

Driver’s 6-Way Power Seat (Option)
Folding Driver’s Seatback
A
B
C
To adjust the driver’s six-way power seat:
Front Control (A): Raise the frontof the seatby
holding the switch up. Hold the switch downto lower
the front of the seat.
Center Control (B): Move the seat forward or backward
by holding the control to the front or back. Raise or lower
the seat by holding the control
up or down.
Rear Control (C): Raise the rear ofthe seat by holding
the switch
up. Hold the switch down to lower the rear of
the seat.
The seatback
on the driver’s
seat folds forward to put
items behind the seat. Lift
the lever andfold the
seatback forward.The
seatback will lockintoplace
when you pushit back to
the upright position.
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Manual FrontPassenger Seats
To use, pull up the lever
on the frontof the seat to
unlock
it. Slide the seat
to where you wantit.
To make sure the seat is locked into place, release the
lever and
try to move the seat with your body.
Reclining Front Seatbacks
All front seats recline.
To adjust the seatback,
rotate this
knob. It is easier
to recline the seat ifyou
lean forward, talung your
weight
off the seatback.
1-4

But don’t have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is moving.
I
Sittingina reclined position when your vehicle is
in motion can be dangerous. Evenif youbuckle
up, your safety belts can’t dotheirjob when
you’re reclined like this.
The shoulder belt can’t doitsjobbecause it
won’t be against yourbody. Instead, itwill bein
frontof you. In
a crash you could gointo it,
receiving neck or otherinjuries.
The lapbelt can’t do
its job either. In a crashthe
belt could goup over your abdomen. The belt
forces would be there, notatyour pelvic bones.
This could cause seriousinternalinjuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle
is in
motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit well
back
in the seat and wear your safety belt properly.
1-5

Manual Lumbar Control
Turn the knob on the
outboard sideof the
seat to adjust the lower
back support.
the levers and straps, in the correct order, you can easily
remove the seats from your vehicle.
When you replace the seats
in the vehicle, be sure to
follow the label
on the back of the seat for proper location.
Follow
this diagram when the text in this manual tells you
what sets of floor cups to use for each seat.
Head Restraints
Head restraints are fixed on some models and adjustable
on others. Slidean adjustable head restraint up or down
so that the top of the restraintis closest to the topof
your ears. This position reduces the chanceof a neck
injury in a crash.
Rear Seats
Seat Controls
The rear seats in your vehicle have levers and straps
used to adjust, remove and replace the seats.
By using
A
0
0
B
C
D
0
E
0
F
0
G
R
0
H
R
I
El
J
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Second Row Safety Belt Stowage
If your vehicle has seats in the third row, there is a
sleeveon the second row outside safety belt to storethe
safety belt while entering and exiting the third rowof
the vehicle.
If your vehicle has a bench seat inthe second row,
follow this procedure:
Pull the belt out and slidethe sleeve along the belt
until it reaches the patch of Velcro@ onthe roof.
Simply press the sleeve against the Velcro patch to
secureit in place.
Do not have the second row outside safety belt stored if
someone is sitting inthe second row outside position.
To release the second row outside safety belt,just pull
the sleeveaway from the Velcro patch and usethe safety
belt as usual. The sleeve should slide freely when not
in use.
There is also a clip on the safety belt used to secure
the
belt after it is disconnected from the mini-buckle. When
removing the second row bench seat, secure the loose end
of the safety belt in this clip. This will keep the safety
belt from dangling and possibly striking something.
Dump and Stow Feature
The rear seats in your vehicle can be folded forward.
Use this featurefor exiting and entering third rowseats.
Push adjustable head restraints fully down. Fold the
seatback flat
on the seat.If the seat adjusts, slide it all the
way back. Release the rear set of hooks from the floor
pins; hang on to the straps as the seat folds forward.
V
1-7

I SolidBenchSeat
If you have a solid bench seat, the seatback can be
folded down.The seat can also be folded forward or
removed to provide extra storage space.
Second Row Solid Bench Seats
Folding the Seatback
To fold down the seatback,
pull the nylon strap on the
back of the seat.
To raise the seatback, pull the nylon strap on the backof
the seat while raising the seatback until it locks upright.
Push and pull on the seatback to check thatit is locked.
Removing the Second Row Solid Bench Seat
With the seatback in the upright position, unhook the
side attachmentfor the safety belt.
This mini-buckle is
located on the right sideof the seat.
Push up the red center on
the buckle with a small
pointed object like a key
or pen.
1. Pull the nylon strap ontheback of the seat to fold
the seatback forward.
1-8

2. From behindthe bench seat, pull the nylon strapat
the baseof the seatto release the rear latchesfrom
the
floor pins.
3. Do not let go of the straps until the seatis folded all
the wayforward.
4. Unhook the front latches by rolling upthe gray
handle under the seat until the handle locks.
I I
5. Removethe seat by
rocking it slightly
towards the rear
of
the vehicle and then
pulling
it out. This
should be donein
one motion.

Replacing the Second Row Solid Bench Seat
Don’t put the bench seat in so it faces backward because
it won’t latch that way.
The solid benches have seat position labels, located on
the back
of the seat, showing where the seat mustgo.
Follow that diagram. Use the
A, C and E sets of floor
cups. See “Seat Controls”
in the beginning of this
section for more details.The seat must be placed
in the
proper locationfor the legs to attach correctly.
1. Place the front hooks of
the bench seat onto the
front
two floor pins. To
do this, the seat will
need to be angled
so that
the front hooks clear the
floor pins.
2. With the seat stillfolded forward, roll downthe gray
handle underneath the seatto lock thefrontlatches.
3. If the front legs arenot attached correctly, the rear
legs will not attach to the rear
set of floor pins.

4. Firmly push the rear hooksinto the rear floor pinsby
5. Try to raise the bench seatto check thatit is
pushing down on the rear of the seat.
locked down.
A seat that isn’t locked into place properly can
move around in a collision or sudden stop. People
in the vehicle could be injured. Be sure to lock
the seat into place properly when installing it.
6. Pull the nylonstrapon the back of the seat and raise
7. Push and pull on the seatback to check thatit is
the seatback untilit locks upright.
locked intoplace.
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