CHEVROLET ASTRO 1997 2.G Owners Manual
Page 101 of 404
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Parking Over Things That Burn
Things that can burn could touch hot exhaust
parts under your vehicle and ignite. Don’t park
over papers, leaves, dry grass or other things that
can burn.
Engine Exhaust
Engine exhaust can kill. It contains the gas
carbon monoxide
(CO), which you can’t see or
smell. It can cause unconsciousness and death.
You might have exhaust coming in
if:
0 Your exhaust system sounds strange
0 Your vehicle gets rusty underneath.
0 Your vehicle was damaged in a collision.
Your vehicle was damaged when driving over
high points on the road
or over road debris.
0 Repairs weren’t done correctly.
0 Your vehicle or exhaust system had been
If you ever suspect exhaust is coming into
your vehicle:
0 Drive it only with all the windows down to
Have your vehicle fixed immediately.
or
different.
modified improperly. blow out any
CO; and
- --
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Page 102 of 404
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Running Your Engine While
You’re
Parked
It’s better not to park with the engine running. But if
ever have to, here are some things to know.
Idling the engine with the air system control
off could allow dangerous exhaust into your
vehicle (see the earlier Caution under “Engine
Exhaust”).
Also, idling in
a closed-in place can let deadly
carbon monoxide (CO) into your vehicle even if
the fan switch is at the highest setting. One place this can happen is
a garage. Exhaust -- with
CO -- can come in easily. NEVER park in a
garage with the engine running.
Another closed-in place can be
a blizzard.
(See “Blizzard” in the Index.) It can
be dangerous
to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to. If you%e left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be sure your
vehicle won’t move, even when you’re on fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to
PARK (P).
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle won’t
move. See “Shifting Into
PARK (P)” in the Index.
If you’re pulling a trailer, see “Towing a Trailer” in
the Index.
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Page 103 of 404
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Manual Windows
To open your manual windows, turn the hand crank on
each door to raise or lower your side door windows.
Power Windows (Option)
a switch for the front passenger window as well. Your
power windows will not move unless the ignition has
been turned to
RUN or ACCESSORY.
Express-Down Window
The driver's window switch also has an express-down
feature that allows you to lower it without holding the
window switch. Hold the driver's window switch down
for more than
1/2 second to activate the express-down
feature. Lightly tap the switch to open the window
slightly. The express-down feature can be interrupted
at any time by pressing the up arrow end of the switch.
If
you have the optional power windows, the controls
are on each of the front side doors. The driver's door has
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Page 104 of 404
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To open your swing-out
windows, pull up on
the latch and push the
window out.
To close the window, pull the latch toward you and
push it down. It can be dangerous to drive with the rear
swing-out
windows, rear hatch or rear doors
open because carbon monoxide (CO) gas can
come into your vehicle. You can’t see or smell
CO. It can cause unconsciousness and even death,
If you must drive with the rear swing-out
windows, rear hatch or rear doors open or if
electrical wiring
or other cable connections
must pass through the seal between the body and the rear swing-out windows, rear hatch
or
rear doors:
0
e
0
Make sure all windows are shut.
Turn the fan on your heating or cooling
system to its highest speed with the setting
on anything but MAX A/C. That will force
outside air into your vehicle. See “Comfort
Controls” in the Index.
If you have air outlets on or under the
instrument panel, open them
all the way.
See “Engine Exhaust” in the Index.
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Page 105 of 404
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To sound the horn, press the horn symbols on the
steering wheel.
Tilt Wheel (If Equipped)
A tilt steering wheel allows you to adjust the steering
wheel before you drive.
You can also raise it to the highest level to give your
legs more room when you exit and enter the vehicle.
Turn SignaVMultifunction Lever
The lever on the driver’s side of the steering column
includes your:
Turn and Lane Change Signals
0 Headlamp HighLow Beam Changer
0 Windshield Wipers
0 Windshield Washer
0 Cruise Control (Option) To tilt the wheel, hold the steering wheel and pull the
lever. Move the steering wheel
to a comfortable level,
then release the lever to lock the wheel in place.
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Page 106 of 404
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine mrn and Lane Change Signals
The turn signal has two upward (for right) and two
downward (for left) positions. These positions allow
you to signal a turn or a lane change.
To signal a turn, move the lever all the way up or
down. When the turn is finished, the lever will
return automatically.
An arrow on the instrument
panel will flash
in the
direction of the turn or
lane change.
To signal a lane change, just raise or lower the lever
until the arrow starts to flash. Hold it there until you
complete your lane change. The lever will return by
itself when
you release it.
As you signal a turn or a lane change, if the arrows
don’t flash but just stay on, a signal bulb may be
burned
out and other drivers won’t see your turn signal. If
a bulb is burned out, replace it to help avoid an
accident.
If the arrows don’t go on at all when you
signal a turn, check the fuse (see “Fuses and Circuit
Breakers”
in the Index) and for burned-out bulbs.
If
you have a trailer towing option with added wiring
for the trailer lamps, a different turn signal flasher is
used. With this flasher installed, the signal indicator
will flash even if a turn signal bulb is burned out. Check
the front and rear turn signal lamps regularly to make
sure
they are working.
Headlamp High/Low Beam Changer
To change the headlamps from low beam to high or high
to low, pull the multifunction lever all the way toward
you. Then release
it.
When the high beams are
on, this indicator light on
the instrument panel also
will be on.
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Page 107 of 404
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Windshielr' Wipers
You control the windshield
wipers by turning the band
with the wiper
symbol on it.
For a single-wiping cycle,
turn the band to MIST. Hold
it there until the wipers
start, then let
go. The wipers
will stop after one wipe. If
you want more wipes, hold
the band
on MIST longer.
You can set the wiper speed for
a long or short delay
between wipes. This can be very useful in light rain or
snow. Turn the band
to choose the delay time. The
closer to
LOW, the shorter the delay.
For steady wiping at low speed,
turn the band away from
you to LOW. For high-speed wiping, turn the band further,
to
HIGH. To stop the wipers, move the band to OFF.
Be sure to clear ice and snow from the wiper blades
before using them. If they're frozen
to the windshield,
carefully loosen
or thaw them. If your blades do become
worn
or damaged, get new blades or blade inserts. At
the top of the multifunction lever, there's a paddle
marked with the windshield washer symbol and
PUSH. To spray washer fluid on the windshield,
press the paddle.
The wipers will clear
the window and then either stop
or return to your preset speed.
I ' A CAUTION:
In freezing weather, don't use your washer until
the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can
form ice on the windshield, blocking
your vision.
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Page 108 of 404
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You control your rear
window washedwiper
from a switch on your
instrument panel, next to
the audio system.
To turn the wiper on, slide the switch all the way up.
For delay wiping, slide the switch even with the word
DELAY in the center position of the rear wiper control.
The wiper will cycle every
nine seconds.
To wash the window, push in on the switch, Window
washer fluid will continue to spray until the switch is
released. The wiper will continue with three more wipes
and then return to
the setting that was chosen before the
lever was pushed.
The rear window washer uses the same fluid bottle as
the front windshield washer. If the fluid level is low in
the washer bottle, you may not be able to wash your rear
window. If
you can wash your windshield, but not your
rear window, check the fluid level.
Cruise Control
With cruise control, you can maintain a speed of about
25 mph (40 kmh) or more without keeping your foot
on the accelerator. This can really help on long trips.
Cruise control does not work at speeds below about
25 mph (40 km/h).
When
you apply your brakes, the cruise control
shuts off.
Cruise control can be dangerous where you
can’t drive safely at a steady speed.
So,
don’t use your cruise control on winding
roads or in heavy traffic.
slippery roads. On such roads, fast changes
in tire traction can cause needless wheel
spinning, and you could lose control. Don’t
use cruise control on slippery roads.
Cruise control can be dangerous on
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Page 109 of 404
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A CAUTION:
If you leave your cruise control switch on when
you’re not using cruise, you might hit a button
and go into cruise when you don’t want to. You
could be startled and even lose control. Keep
the cruise control switch
OFF until you want
to use it.
1. Move the cruise control switch to ON.
2. Get up to the speed you want.
3. Press in the SET button
at the end of the lever
and release it.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal.
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Page 110 of 404
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Resuming a Set Speed
Suppose you set your cruise control at a desired speed
and then
you apply the brake. This, of course, shuts off
the cruise control. But you don’t need to reset it.
Once you’re going about
25 mph (40 km/h) or
more, you can move the
cruise control switch
from ON
to R/A for
1 about 1 1/2 seconds.
You’ll go right back up to your chosen speed and
stay there.
Remember, if you hold the switch at R/A longer than
1 1/2 seconds, the vehicle will keep going faster until
you release the switch or apply the brake. So unless you
want to go faster, don’t hold the switch at R/A.
Increasing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to go to a higher speed:
Use the accelerator pedal to get to the higher speed.
Press the button
at the end of the lever, then release
the button and the accelerator pedal. You’ll now
cruise at the higher speed.
0 Move the cruise switch from ON to R/A. Hold it
there until you get up to the speed you want, and
then release the switch. (To increase your speed in
very small amounts, move the switch to R/A for less
than
3/4 of a second. Each time you do this, your
vehicle will go about
1 mph (1.6 km/h) faster.)
Reducing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to reduce your speed while using
cruise control:
Press the button at the end of the lever until you
reach the lower speed you want, then release it.
To slow down in very small amounts, press the
button for less than
1/2 of a second. Each time you
do this,
you’ll go 1 mph (1.6 kdh) slower.
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