yellowblue The 1999 Chevrolet Venture Owner's Manual 1-1 2-1 3-1 4-1 5-1 6-1 7-1 8-1 Seats and Restraint Systems This section tells you how to use your seats and safety belts properly. It also explains the "SIR" system. Features and Controls This section explains how to start and operate your vehicle. Comfort Controls and Audio Systems This section tells you how to adjust the ventilation and comfort controls and how to operate your audio system. Your Driving and the Road Here you'll find helpful information and tips about the road and how to drive under different conditions. Problems on the Road This section tells you what to do if you have a problem while driving, such as a flat tire or overheated engine, etc. Service and Appearance Care Here the manual tells you how to keep your vehicle running properly and looking good. Maintenance Schedule This section tells you when to perform vehicle maintenance and what fluids and lubricants to use. Customer Assistance Information This section tells you how to contact Chevrolet for assistance and how to get service and owner publications. It also gives you information on "Reporting Safety Defects" on page 8-10. 9-1 Index Here's an alphabetical listing of almost every subject in this manual. You can use it to quickly find something you want to read. i yellowblue We support voluntary technician certification. GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, CHEVROLET, the CHEVROLET Emblem and the name VENTURE are registered trademarks of General Motors Corporation. This manual 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 first sold in Canada, substitute the name "General Motors of Canada Limited" for Chevrolet Motor Division whenever it appears in this manual. Please keep this manual in your vehicle, so it will be there if you ever need it when you're on the road. If you sell the vehicle, please leave this manual in it so the new owner can use it. For Canadian Owners Who Prefer a French Language Manual: Aux propriétaires canadiens: Vous pouvez vous procurer un exemplaire de ce guide en français chez votre concessionaire ou au: DGN Marketing Services Ltd. 1577 Meyerside Dr. Mississauga, Ontario L5T 1B9 Litho in U.S.A. Part No. 10418526 B First Edition ECopyright General Motors Corporation 1998 All Rights Reserved ii yellowblue The Heritage of Chevrolet The dynamic William C. "Billy" Durant shifted gears from making carriages to making cars, forming half the team that gave birth to Chevrolet. Welcome to the largest automotive family in the world -- the family of Chevrolet owners. You have selected a vehicle designed, engineered and crafted by teamwork, a vehicle backed by a proud history of performance and value. Since the first "Classic Six" rolled off the line in 1912, more than 110 million Chevrolet cars and trucks have worn the Chevrolet marque. That kind of reception from auto owners is unmatched by any other car manufacturer in the world. Louis Chevrolet, the other half of the team, at the wheel of his experimental "Classic Six," which entered production in 1912. That year 2999 vehicles were produced. iii yellowblue The Chevrolet blend of value and performance has become an American tradition -- whether bred for the racetrack like the legendary Corvette and Camaro, or created for the pleasure of the open road. Every decade, Chevrolet has reinforced its heritage of affordable performance with quality and value crafted into each vehicle. It's not surprising that for 80 years "Genuine Chevrolet" has been America's automobile. We're proud to continue that heritage in your Chevrolet, In 1932 Chevrolet introduced the Synchro-Mesh transmission and offered a host of accessories -- including such niceties as a clock! The legacy of America's favorite sportscar began in 1953, when 319 hand-assembled white Corvettes launched the first use of a fiberglass body in a production car. iv yellowblue The 1957 Chevy started a romance with the American public -- and was powered by an available fuel-injected V8. and we are pledged to make ownership of your Chevrolet an enjoyable and rewarding experience. 60's automotive excitement included Chevrolet landmarks like the Corvette Sting Ray, the sporty Camaro, and powerplants like the legendary 327 V8. Your new Chevrolet continues a tradition of quality and value. v yellowblue 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. CAUTION: These mean there is something that could hurt you or other people. In the caution area, we tell you what the hazard is. 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." Index A good place to look for what you need is the Index in back of the manual. It's an alphabetical list of what's in the manual, and the page number where you'll find it. Safety Warnings and Symbols You will find a number of safety cautions in 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. vi yellowblue Vehicle Damage Warnings Also, in this book you will find these notices: NOTICE: These mean there is something that could damage your vehicle. In the notice area, we tell you about something that can damage your vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be covered by your warranty, and it could be costly. But the notice will tell you what to do 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, CAUTION or NOTICE. vii yellowblue Vehicle Symbols These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle. For example, these symbols are used on an original battery: CAUTION POSSIBLE INJURY PROTECT EYES BY SHIELDING CAUSTIC BATTERY ACID COULD CAUSE BURNS AVOID SPARKS OR FLAMES SPARK OR FLAME COULD EXPLODE BATTERY These symbols are important for you and your passengers whenever your vehicle is driven: These symbols have to do with your lamps: MASTER LIGHTING SWITCH These symbols are on some of your controls: WINDSHIELD WIPER These symbols are used on warning and indicator lights: Here are some other symbols you may see: ENGINE COOLANT TEMP WINDSHIELD WASHER BATTERY CHARGING SYSTEM FUSE DOOR LOCK UNLOCK TURN SIGNALS LIGHTER PARKING LAMPS FASTEN SEAT BELTS WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER HORN BRAKE HAZARD WARNING FLASHER POWER WINDOW DAYTIME RUNNING LAMPS REAR WINDOW DEFOGGER COOLANT SPEAKER ENGINE OIL PRESSURE VENTILATING FAN FUEL AIR BAG FOG LAMPS ANTI-LOCK BRAKES viii yellowblue Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems Here you'll find information about the seats in your vehicle and how to use your safety belts properly. You can also learn about some things you should not do with air bags and safety belts. 1-2 1-6 1-22 1-27 1-28 1-28 1-36 1-37 1-37 1-46 1-46 Seats and Seat Controls Rear Seats Safety Belts: They're for Everyone Here Are Questions Many People Ask About Safety Belts -- and the Answers How to Wear Safety Belts Properly Driver Position Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy Right Front Passenger Position Air Bag Systems Safety Belt Pretensioners Rear Seat Passengers 1-50 1-52 1-54 1-56 1-59 1-70 1-87 1-90 1-90 1-91 Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children and Small Adults Center Passenger Position (Bench Seat) Center Passenger Position (Bucket Seat) Children Built-in Child Restraint (Option) Child Restraints Larger Children Safety Belt Extender Checking Your Restraint Systems Replacing Restraint System Parts After a Crash 1- 1-1 yellowblue Seats and Seat Controls This section tells you about the seats -- how to adjust them, take them out, put them back in and fold and unfold them. Driver's 4-Way Manual Seat 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. CAUTION: Use the lever on the front left side of the seat to adjust the seat forward or rearward. 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. You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to adjust a manual driver's seat while the vehicle is moving. The sudden movement could startle and confuse you, or make you push a pedal when you don't want to. Adjust the driver's seat only when the vehicle is not moving. 1-2 yellowblue Manual Front Passenger Seats To move the seat, pull up the lever on the front of the seat to unlock it. 6-Way Power Seat (Option) 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 adjust the six-way power seat: Front Control (A): Raise the front of the seat by holding the switch up. Hold the switch down to lower the front of the seat. Center Control (B): Move the seat forward or rearward by holding the control to the front or rear. Raise or lower the seat by holding the control up or down. Rear Control (C): Raise the rear of the seat by holding the switch up. Hold the switch down to lower the rear of the seat. 1-3 yellowblue Manual Lumbar Control The knob for the lumbar control is located on the side of the seat. Reclining Front Seatbacks All front seats recline. To adjust the seatback, turn this knob. It is easier to recline the seat if you lean forward, taking your weight off the seatback. Turn this knob to adjust the support for the lower back. 1-4 yellowblue CAUTION: Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle is in motion can be dangerous. Even if you buckle up, your safety belts can't do their job when you're reclined like this. The shoulder belt can't do its job because it won't be against your body. Instead, it will be in front of you. In a crash you could go into it, receiving neck or other injuries. The lap belt can't do its job either. In a crash the belt could go up over your abdomen. The belt forces would be there, not at your pelvic bones. This could cause serious internal injuries. 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. But don't have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is moving. 1-5 yellowblue Head Restraints Head restraints are fixed on some models and adjustable on others. Slide an adjustable head restraint up or down so that the top of the restraint is closest to the top of your ears. This position reduces the chance of a neck injury in a crash. Folding Seatbacks The seatbacks on the second row seats fold forward to put items behind the left and right seats. Lift the lever and fold the seatback forward. The seatback will lock into place when you push it back to the upright position. Floor Seat Pin Diagram When you replace the seats in the vehicle, be sure to follow the label on the back of the seat for proper location. Follow the diagram above when the text in this manual tells you what sets of floor cups to use for each seat. Rear Seats Seat Controls The rear seats in your vehicle have levers and straps used to adjust, remove and replace the seats. By using the levers and straps, in the correct order, you can easily remove the seats from your vehicle. 1-6 yellowblue Second Row Safety Belt Stowage If your vehicle has seats in the third row, there is a sleeve on the second row outside safety belt to store the safety belt while entering and exiting the third row of the vehicle. If your vehicle has a split bench seat in the second row, follow this procedure: Flip and Fold Feature The rear seats in your vehicle, except the captain's chairs, can be folded forward. Use this feature for exiting and entering third row seats. 1. Push the adjustable head restraints fully down. 2. Fold the seatback flat on the seat. If the seat adjusts, slide it all the way back. D Pull the belt out and slide the sleeve along the belt until it reaches the patch of VelcroR on the roof. secure it in place. D Simply press the sleeve against the Velcro patch to Do not have the second row outside safety belt stored if someone is sitting in the second row outside position. To release the second row outside safety belt, just pull the sleeve away from the Velcro patch and use the safety belt as usual. The sleeve should slide freely when not in use. There is also a clip on the safety belt used to ...