CHEVROLET ASTRO 2000 Owners Manual

2-66 Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
This gage shows the
engine coolant temperature.
If the gage pointer moves
to the red area, your engine
is too hot!
It means that your engine coolant has overheated.
If you have been operating your vehicle under normal
driving conditions, you should pull off the road, stop
your vehicle and turn off the engine as soon as possible.
The ªProblems on the Roadº section of this manual
shows you what to do. See ªEngine Overheatingº in
the Index.
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Service Engine Soon Light in the United
States or Check Engine Light in Canada)
United States Canada
Your vehicle is equipped with a computer which monitors
operation of the fuel, ignition and emission control systems.
This system is called OBD II (On
-Board
Diagnostics
-Second Generation) and is intended to
assure that emissions are at acceptable levels for the
life of the vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner
environment. The SERVICE ENGINE SOON or
CHECK ENGINE light comes on and a chime will sound
to indicate that there is a problem and service is required.
Malfunctions often will be indicated by the system before
any problem is apparent. This may prevent more serious
damage to your vehicle. This system is also designed
to assist your service technician in correctly diagnosing
any malfunction.

2-67
NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle with this light
on, after a while, your emission controls may not
work as well, your fuel economy may not be as
good and your engine may not run as smoothly.
This could lead to costly repairs that may not be
covered by your warranty.
NOTICE:
Modifications made to the engine, transmission,
exhaust or fuel system of your vehicle or the
replacement of the original tires with other than
those of the same Tire Performance Criteria
(TPC) can affect your vehicle's emission controls
and may cause the SERVICE ENGINE SOON or
CHECK ENGINE light to come on. Modifications
to these systems could lead to costly repairs not
covered by your warranty. This may also result
in a failure to pass a required Emission
Inspection/Maintenance test.
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is not
running. If the light doesn't come on, have it repaired.
This light will also come on during a malfunction in one
of two ways:

Light Flashing
-- A misfire condition has been
detected. A misfire increases vehicle emissions and
may damage the emission control system on your
vehicle. Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis
and service may be required.

Light On Steady
-- An emission control
system malfunction has been detected on your
vehicle. Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis
and service may be required.
If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:

Reducing vehicle speed.

Avoiding hard accelerations.

Avoiding steep uphill grades.

If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible.

2-68
If the light stops flashing and remains on steady,
see ªIf the Light Is On Steadyº following.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart the
engine. If the light remains on steady, see ªIf the Light
Is On Steadyº following. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your
dealer or qualified service center for service.
If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. See ªFilling Your Tankº in the Index. The
diagnostic system can determine if the fuel cap has been
left off or improperly installed. A loose or missing fuel
cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap properly installed
should turn the light off.Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.
Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel
(see ªFuelº in the Index). Poor fuel quality will cause
your engine not to run as efficiently as designed.
You may notice this as stalling after start
-up, stalling
when you put the vehicle into gear, misfiring, hesitation
on acceleration or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditions may go away once the engine is warmed up.)
This will be detected by the system and cause the light
to turn on.
If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use. It will require at least
one full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
have your dealer or qualified service center check the
vehicle. Your dealer has the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to fix any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.

2-69
Emissions Inspection and Maintenance Programs
Some state/provincial and local governments have or may
begin programs to inspect the emission control equipment
on your vehicle. Failure to pass this inspection could
prevent you from getting a vehicle registration.
Here are some things you need to know in order to help
your vehicle pass an inspection:
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the
SERVICE ENGINE SOON or CHECK ENGINE
light is on or not working properly.
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the OBD
(on
-board diagnostic) system determines that critical
emission control systems have not been completely
diagnosed by the system. The vehicle would be
considered not ready for inspection. This can happen
if you have recently replaced your battery or if your
battery has run down. The diagnostic system is designed
to evaluate critical emission control systems during
normal driving. This may take several days of routine
driving. If you have done this and your vehicle still does
not pass the inspection for lack of OBD system
readiness, see your dealer or qualified service center to
prepare the vehicle for inspection.
Oil Pressure Gage
The oil pressure gage shows
the engine oil pressure in
psi (pounds per square inch)
when the engine is running.
Canadian vehicles indicate pressure in kPa (kilopascals).
Oil pressure may vary with engine speed, outside
temperature and oil viscosity, but readings above the
low pressure zone indicate the normal operating range.
A reading in the low pressure zone may be caused by a
dangerously low oil level or other problems causing low
oil pressure.

2-70
CAUTION:
Don't keep driving if the oil pressure is low.
If you do, your engine can become so hot that
it catches fire. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon as possible and have
your vehicle serviced.
NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and is not covered by
your warranty.
Security Light
This light will come on
briefly when you turn the
key to START.
The light will stay on until the engine starts. If the light
flashes, the Passlock

System has entered a tamper
mode. If the vehicle fails to start, see ªPasslockº in
the Index.
If the light comes on continuously while driving and
stays on, there may be a problem with the Passlock
System. Your vehicle will not be protected by Passlock,
and you should see your GM dealer.

2-71 Service AWD Light (If Equipped)
This light should come on
briefly when you turn on the
ignition, as a check to show
you it is working.
The SERVICE AWD light comes on to indicate that
there may be a problem with the drive system and
service is required. Malfunctions can be indicated by the
system before any problem is apparent, which may
prevent serious damage to the vehicle. This system is
also designed to assist your service technician in
correctly diagnosing a malfunction.
Daytime Running Lamps Indicator Light
You will have this light
on the instrument panel.
It goes on whenever the
Daytime Running Lamps
(DRL) are on.
When it begins to get dark, the DRL indicator light is a
reminder to turn on your headlamps.
Check Gages Light
This light will come on
briefly when you are
starting the engine.
If the light comes on and stays on while you are
driving, check your various gages to see if they are
in the warning zones.

2-72 Fuel Gage
The fuel gage tells you
approximately how much
fuel you have remaining
when the ignition is on.
When the gage first indicates E (Empty), you still
have a little fuel left, but you should get more fuel as
soon as possible.Here are things some owners ask about. None of these
indicate a problem with your fuel gage:

At the gas station, the gas pump shuts off before
the gage reads F (Full).

The fuel tank will take either a little more or a little
less fuel to fill up than the gage shows.

The gage moves a little when you turn a corner or
speed up.

The gage doesn't go back to E (Empty) when you
turn off the ignition.

3-
3-1
Section 3 Comfort Controls and Audio Systems
In this section, you'll find out how to operate the comfort control and audio systems offered with your vehicle.
Be sure to read about the particular systems supplied with your vehicle.
3
-2 Comfort Controls
3
-2 Heating/Air Conditioning System
3
-3 Heating System
3
-4 Rear Heating System (Option)
3
-5 Rear Air Conditioning System (Option)
3
-5 Air Conditioning
3
-6 Heating
3
-6 Defrosting
3
-6 Ventilation System
3
-8 Rear Window Defogger (Option)
3
-9 Audio Systems
3
-9 Setting the Clock for Systems with
SET Button
3
-9 Setting the Clock for Systems with HR
and MN Buttons
3
-10 AM-FM Stereo3
-12 AM-FM Stereo with Cassette Tape Player
(If Equipped)
3
-15 AM-FM Stereo with Cassette Tape Player
and Automatic Tone Control (If Equipped)
3
-19 AM-FM Stereo with Compact Disc Player
and Automatic Tone Control (If Equipped)
3
-24 Rear Seat Audio (If Equipped)
3
-26 Remote Compact Disc Player (If Equipped)
3
-28 Theft-Deterrent Feature (If Equipped)
3
-30 Understanding Radio Reception
3
-30 Tips About Your Audio System
3
-31 Care of Your Cassette Tape Player
3
-33 Care of Your Compact Discs
3
-33 Care of Your Compact Disc Player
3
-33 Fixed Mast Antenna

3-2
Comfort Controls
This section tells you how to make your air system work
for you.
With these systems, you can control the heating, cooling
and ventilation in your vehicle. Your vehicle also has a
flow
-through ventilation system described later in
this section.
Heating/Air Conditioning System
If your vehicle has air conditioning, your heating/air
conditioning controls will look like this.Fan Knob
This control has four positions. To increase airflow,
turn the knob toward HI. To decrease airflow, move it
toward LO.
Temperature Knob
This knob is next to the fan knob. It controls the
temperature of the air flowing into your vehicle. Turn
the knob clockwise for warmer air. Turn the knob
counterclockwise for cooler air.
Function Knob
This knob is next to the temperature knob.
OFF: This setting turns the system off.
MAX A/C: This cools the air the fastest, by
recirculating the inside air. Turn the temperature knob
all the way to MAX A/C.
A/C: This setting brings in outside air and cools it.

3-3
BI-LEVEL: This setting brings in outside air and
blows it out through the heater floor vents and the
instrument panel vents. If you move the temperature
knob between hot and cold, cooler air will come out of
the upper vents while warmer air comes out of the floor
vent. The air conditioning compressor may operate in
this setting to cool the air.
VENT: The air comes out at the vents on your
instrument panel. The air conditioning compressor will
not run in this position. Adjust the temperature knob for
warmer or cooler air.
HEATER: Most of the air comes out near the
floor. The rest comes out from the defroster vents under
the windshield and at the front side windows.
BLEND: With this setting, the heated outside air
comes out of both the heater vents and defroster vents.
Adjust the temperature knob for warmer or cooler air.
The air conditioning compressor may operate in this
setting to dehumidify the air.
DEFROST: This setting operates the defroster.
Most of the air comes out near the windshield, with
some going to the floor vents and front side windows.
The air conditioning compressor may operate in this
setting to dehumidify the air.
Heating System
If your vehicle does not have air conditioning, your
heater controls will look like this.
Fan Knob
This control has four positions. To increase airflow,
turn the knob toward HI. To decrease airflow, move it
toward LO.
Temperature Knob
This knob is next to the fan knob. It controls the
temperature of the air flowing into your vehicle. Turn
the knob clockwise for warmer air. Turn the knob
counterclockwise for cooler air.