tow CHEVROLET ASTRO 2001 User Guide

2-6
Front Doors
To open a front door from the outside, grasp the handle
and pull the door open.
To open a front door from
the inside, pull the lever
toward you and push the
door open.
Rear Doors
If you have the ªDutch doors,º you must open the hatch
first. See ªHatch Releaseº in the Index.
Rear doors can only be
opened from the outside.
Open the passenger's side
rear door first. Grasp the
handle and pull the
door open.
Cargo Door Shown

2-9 Power Door Locks (If Equipped)
If your vehicle has power
door locks, press the power
door lock switch to lock or
unlock all the doors at once.
The power door lock switch will lock or unlock the rear
hatch and Dutch doors. See ªHatch Releaseº in the Index.
When a door is locked, the inside door handle will not
open the door. This will help stop a door from being
accidentally opened.
If the sliding door is open and you press the power door
lock switch, the sliding door will not lock immediately.
After you close the door, the system comes on and locks
the sliding door in about five seconds.
When the key is in the ignition and the power door lock
switch is pressed with a door open, all doors are locked
while the driver's side door remains unlocked.
Programmable Automatic Door Locks
Your vehicle is equipped with an auto lock/unlock
feature which enables you to program your power
door locks.
Your vehicle left the factory programmed to have no
doors lock and none of the doors unlock. You can set the
automatic lock feature to lock all the doors when the
vehicle speed is greater than 15 mph (24 km/h) for
two seconds, and then unlock the doors you select once
the key is removed from the ignition. The following
instructions detail how to program your door locks.
To enter the program mode you need to do
the following:
1. Begin with the ignition in OFF. Then, pull back on
the turn signal/multifunction lever all the way toward
you and hold it while you perform the next step.
2. Turn your key to ON and OFF twice. Then, with the
key in OFF, release the turn signal/multifunction
lever. Once you do this, you will hear the lock switch
lock and unlock.

2-14
Resynchronization
Resynchronization may be necessary due to the security
method used by this system. The transmitter does not
send the same signal twice to the receiver. The receiver
will not respond to a signal it has been sent previously.
This will prevent anyone from recording and playing
back the signal from the transmitter.
To resynchronize your transmitter, stand close to your
vehicle and simultaneously press and hold the LOCK
and UNLOCK buttons on the transmitter for eight
seconds. The door locks should cycle to confirm
synchronization. If the locks do not cycle, see your
dealer for service.Sliding Door
To open the sliding side door, pull the handle toward the
back and slide the door to the rear until it rests in the
open position.
To close the sliding side door, pull the handle toward the
front and slide the door forward.

2-15 Sliding Door Security Lock
Your vehicle's sliding side
door is equipped with a
security door lock located at
the front of the sliding door.
There are two labels on your vehicle to remind you that
you have this feature. One can be seen from the outside
on your sliding door. It is located near the bottom
of the door glass, toward the front of the door. The other
label is at the front of the sliding door, near the security
door lock.This feature prevents passengers from opening the
sliding side door from the inside.
To use this feature, do the following:
1. Move the lever all the way up.
2. Close the door.
To open the sliding side door while the security lock is
engaged, unlock the door and open it from the outside.
If you don't cancel the security lock feature, adults or
older children who ride in the rear won't be able to open
the sliding door from the inside. You should let adults
and older children know how the security door lock
works, and how to cancel the lock.
Canceling the Sliding Door Security Lock
To cancel the security lock, do the following:
1. Unlock the door and open it from the outside.
2. Move the lever all the way down.

2-19
Passlock

Your vehicle is equipped with the Passlock
theft
-deterrent system.
Passlock is a passive theft
-deterrent system. Passlock
enables fuel if the ignition lock cylinder is turned with a
valid key. If a correct key is not used or the ignition lock
cylinder is tampered with, fuel is disabled.
During normal operation, the SECURITY light will go off
approximately five seconds after the key is turned to RUN.
If the engine stalls and the SECURITY light flashes,
wait until the light stops flashing before trying to restart
the engine. Remember to release the key from START
as soon as the engine starts.
If the engine is running and the SECURITY light comes
on, you will be able to restart the engine if you turn the
engine off. However, your Passlock system is not working
properly and must be serviced by your dealer. Your vehicle
is not protected by Passlock at this time. You may also
want to check the fuses (see ªFuses and Circuit Breakersº
in the Index). See your dealer for service.
New Vehicle ªBreak-Inº
NOTICE:
Your vehicle doesn't need an elaborate
ªbreak
-in.º But it will perform better in the long
run if you follow these guidelines:

Keep your speed at 55 mph (88 km/h) or
less for the first 500 miles (805 km).

Don't drive at any one speed
-- fast or
slow
-- for the first 500 miles (805 km).
Don't make full
-throttle starts.

Avoid making hard stops for the first
200 miles (322 km) or so. During this time
your new brake linings aren't yet broken
in. Hard stops with new linings can mean
premature wear and earlier replacement.
Follow this breaking
-in guideline every
time you get new brake linings.

Don't tow a trailer during break
-in.
See ªTowing a Trailerº in the Index for
more information.

2-20
Ignition Positions
Use your ignition key to start your vehicle. The ignition key
lets you turn the ignition switch to five different positions.
ACCESSORY (A): This position lets you use things like
the radio, power windows and windshield wipers when the
engine is off. To get into ACCESSORY, push in the key
and turn it toward you. Your steering wheel will remain
locked, just as it was before you inserted the key.
NOTICE:
Don't operate accessories in the ACCESSORY
position for long periods of time. Prolonged
operation of accessories in the ACCESSORY
position could drain your battery and prevent
you from starting your vehicle.
LOCK (B): This position locks your ignition, steering
wheel and transmission shift lever in PARK (P). It's a
theft
-deterrent feature. You will only be able to remove
your key when the ignition is turned to LOCK.
OFF (C): This position lets you turn off the engine but
still turn the steering wheel. Use OFF if you must
have your vehicle in motion while the engine is off
(for example, if your vehicle is being towed).
RUN (D): This is the position for driving.
START (E): This position starts your engine.

2-24
Automatic Transmission Operation
There are several different positions for your shift lever.
PARK (P): This position locks your rear wheels. It's the
best position to use when you start your engine because
your vehicle can't move easily.
CAUTION:
It is 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 have 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).
See ªShifting Into PARK (P)º in the Index. If
you're pulling a trailer, see ªTowing a Trailerº in
the Index.

2-25
Ensure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P) before starting
the engine. Your vehicle has an automatic transmission
shift lock control system. You have to fully apply your
regular brakes before you can shift from PARK (P) when
the ignition key is in RUN. If you cannot shift out of
PARK (P), ease pressure on the shift lever
-- push the shift
lever all the way into PARK (P) as you maintain brake
application. Then move the shift lever into the gear you
wish. See ªShifting Out of PARK (P)º in the Index.
REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.
NOTICE:
Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle is
moving forward could damage your
transmission. Shift to REVERSE (R) only after
your vehicle is stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice or sand without damaging your transmission, see
ªStuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snowº in the Index.NEUTRAL (N): In this position, your engine
doesn't connect with the wheels. To restart when you're
already moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only. Also, use
NEUTRAL (N) when your vehicle is being towed.
CAUTION:
Shifting out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) while
your engine is ªracingº (running at high speed) is
dangerous. Unless your foot is firmly on the
brake pedal, your vehicle could move very
rapidly. You could lose control and hit people or
objects. Don't shift out of PARK (P) or
NEUTRAL (N) while your engine is racing.
NOTICE:
Damage to your transmission caused by shifting
out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) with the
engine racing isn't covered by your warranty.

2-26
DRIVE (D): This position is for normal driving.
If you need more power for passing, and you're:

Going less than about 35 mph (55 km/h), push your
accelerator pedal about halfway down.

Going about 35 mph (55 km/h) or more, push the
accelerator pedal all the way down. You'll shift
down to the next gear and have more power.
DRIVE (D) should be used for normal towing.
THIRD (3): This position is also used for normal
driving, however it offers more power and lower fuel
economy than DRIVE (D). You should use THIRD (3)
when carrying a heavy load or driving on steep hills.
SECOND (2): This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy. You can use SECOND (2) on hills.
It can help control your speed as you go down steep
mountain roads, but then you would also want to use
your brakes off and on.
If you manually select SECOND (2), the transmission will
drive in second gear. You may use this feature for reducing
torque to the rear wheels when you are trying to start your
vehicle from a stop on slippery road surfaces.FIRST (1): This position gives you even more power
(but lower fuel economy) than SECOND (2). You can use
it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If the
selector lever is put in FIRST (1), the transmission won't
shift into first gear until the vehicle is going slow enough.
NOTICE:
If your rear wheels can't rotate, don't try to
drive. This might happen if you were stuck in
very deep sand or mud or were up against a solid
object. You could damage your transmission or
transfer case or both.
Also, if you stop when going uphill, don't hold
your vehicle there with only the accelerator
pedal. This could overheat and damage the
transmission. Use your brakes or shift into
PARK (P) to hold your vehicle in position
on a hill.

2-27 Tow/Haul Mode Selector Switch
Your vehicle is equipped with a tow/haul selector
switch. The selector switch is located on the end of the
column shift lever. You can use this feature to assist
when towing or hauling a heavy load.
To select the tow/haul mode, press in the switch. The
TOW/HAUL light on the instrument panel cluster will
come on. To go back to normal operation, press the
switch again. The indicator light on the instrument panel
cluster will go out. See ªTow/Haul Modeº in the Index
for more information.
Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the regular brake pedal
down with your right foot.
Push down the parking brake pedal with your left foot.
If the ignition is on, the brake system warning light will
come on.
To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down. Pull the brake release lever located on the
lower left side of the steering column.