1996 GMC Savana Van Owner's Manual - Page 199

If No Steam Is Coming FromYour Engine If you get the overheat warning but see or hear no steam, theproblem may not be too serious. Sometimes the engine can get a little too hot when you: Climb a long hill on a hot day. Stop after high-speed driving. Idle for long periods in traffic. Tow a trailer. See "Driving on Grades'' in the Index. If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam, try this for a minute or so: 1. If you have an air conditioner, turn it off. If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about 10 minutes. If the warning doesn't come back on, you can drive normally. If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your vehicle right away. 2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan speed and open the window as necessary. If there's still no sign of steam, you can idle the engine for two or three minutes while you're parked, topush the accelerator until the engine speed is about twice as fast as normal idle speed. Bring the engine speed back to normal idle speed after two orthree minutes. Now see if the warning stops. But then, if you still have the warning, tLtrn off the engine a t z d get everyone out ofthe vehicle until it cools down. You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service help right away. 3. If you're in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N); otherwise, shiftto the highest gear while driving -- DRIVE (D). 5-11