tow CHEVROLET ASTRO 2005 Owners Manual

Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-3
Rear Seats
............................................... 1-7
Safety Belts
.............................................1-18
Child Restraints
.......................................1-38
Airbag System
.........................................1-63
Restraint System Check
............................1-70
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-2
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-6
Windows
.................................................2-14
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-16
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-16
Mirrors
....................................................2-28
HomeLink
®Transmitter
.............................2-29
Storage Areas
.........................................2-33
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-19
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
........3-23
Driver Information Center (DIC)
..................3-37
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-39Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-33
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-10
All-Wheel Drive
........................................5-47
Rear Axle
...............................................5-48
Front Axle
...............................................5-49
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-50
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-57
Tires
......................................................5-58
Appearance Care
.....................................5-84
Vehicle Identication
.................................5-93
Electrical System
......................................5-94
Capacities and Specications
...................5-101
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
....5-102
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance and Information.............. 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information
........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
...........................7-11
Index................................................................ 1
2005 Chevrolet Astro Owner ManualM

Front Seats
Manual Seats
{CAUTION:
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 do not want to. Adjust the driver’s
seat only when the vehicle is not moving.
If your vehicle has manual
seats, they can be
adjusted forward or
rearward using the lever
located under the front
of the seat(s).1. Move the seat adjustment lever toward the outboard
side of the seat to unlock it.
2. Slide the seat to where you want it.
3. Release the lever and try to move the seat with
your body, to make sure that the seat is locked
into placePower Seat
If your vehicle has this feature, there will be controls
located on the inboard side of the driver’s seat.
To raise or lower the front of the seat cushion, raise or
lower the lever located toward the front of the vehicle.
To raise or lower the rear of the seat cushion, raise
or lower the lever located toward the rear of the vehicle.
To move the entire seat backwards, forward, or up or
down, move the center knob.
1-3

Manual Lumbar
If your vehicle has this feature, there will be a knob
located on the inboard side of the driver’s and
passenger’s bucket seats.
Turn the knob toward the front of the vehicle to increase
lumbar support. Turn the knob toward the rear of the
vehicle to decrease lumbar support.
Reclining Seatbacks
There is a lever located
on the inboard side of
the seat to adjust
the seatback.
1. Lift the lever and lean back until the seatback
is at the desired position.
2. Release the lever to lock the seatback where you
want it.
To return the seatback to an upright position, pull up on
the lever and lean forward.
1-4

Head Restraints
Adjust your head restraint so that the top of the
restraint is closest to the top of your head. This position
reduces the chance of a neck injury in a crash.
Seatback Latches
The seatback lever is
located on the right rear of
your seat. If your vehicle
has the non-touring
bench seatback, pull up on
the latch release lever
while pulling the seatback
toward the rear of the
vehicle.
After the latch has been released, push the seatback
toward the front of the vehicle until it locks into place.
To raise the seatback, unlock the seatback latch
by pushing up on the lever while pushing down on the
upper edge of the seatback. Move the seatback into the
upright position. Make sure the seatback is locked
when it is back in the upright position.
1-6

If you installed the safety belt with the release hole facing
inward (toward the seat), slide the plastic cover up so you
can see the buckle. Disconnect the seat belt. Slide the
cover back down and reinstall the belt correctly.
{CAUTION:
A safety belt that is improperly routed, not
properly attached, or twisted will not provide
the protection needed in a crash. The person
wearing the belt could be seriously injured.
After raising the rear seatback, always check
to be sure that the safety belts are properly
routed and attached, and are not twisted.
Bench Seat
Each bench seat can carry up to three passengers.
They can also be removed to increase storage space.
See “Removing the Rear Seats” following.
Only the third row bench seat can be adjusted forward
or rearward.Move the seat adjustment
lever located at the front
of the seat toward the
passenger’s side to unlock
it. Slide the seat to
where you want it and
release the lever. Try to
move the seat with
your body, to make sure
the seat is locked into
place.
The center bench seat has a pivoting right armrest.
The optional bench seats come with moveable armrests,
individual reclining seatbacks, adjustable headrests
and a fold-down center armrest console.
1-11

To adjust your seatback, pull up on the lever located on
the outboard sides of the seat cushion.
Entering the Third Row Seat
The second row seat has
a seatback lever that
makes it easier to enter
the third row seat, if
equipped. The lever is
located on the right rear
of the second row seat.
1. Pull up on the seatback release lever while pulling
the seatback toward the rear of the vehicle.
2. After the lever has been released, push the seatback
toward the front of the vehicle until it locks into place.
1-12

5. If you installed the safety belt with the release hole
facing inward (toward the seat), slide the plastic
cover up so you can see the buckle. Disconnect the
seat belt. Slide the cover back down and reinstall
the belt correctly.
{CAUTION:
A safety belt that is improperly routed, not
properly attached, or twisted will not provide
the protection needed in a crash. The person
wearing the belt could be seriously injured.
After raising the rear seatback, always check
to be sure that the safety belts are properly
routed and attached, and are not twisted.
Bucket Seats
Your vehicle may have rear bucket seats with an
adjustment release bar located under the front of the
seats. These seats can be adjusted forward or rearward
with the release bar. Pull the release bar up to release
the seat bottom. Slide the seat where you want it
and then let go of the release bar. Then try to move the
seat with your body to make sure the seat is locked
into place.
1-17

{CAUTION:
Never do this.
Here two children are wearing the same belt.
The belt can not properly spread the impact
forces. In a crash, the two children can be
crushed together and seriously injured. A belt
must be used by only one person at a time.
Q:What if a child is wearing a lap-shoulder belt,
but the child is so small that the shoulder belt
is very close to the child’s face or neck?
A:Move the child toward the center of the vehicle, but
be sure that the shoulder belt still is on the child’s
shoulder, so that in a crash the child’s upper
body would have the restraint that belts provides.
If the child is sitting in a rear seat outside position,
seeRear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children
and Small Adults on page 1-35.
If the child is so small that the shoulder belt is still
very close to the child’s face or neck, you might
want to place the child in a seat that has a lap belt,
if your vehicle has one.
1-39

Child Restraint Systems
An infant car bed (A), a special bed made for use in a
motor vehicle, is an infant restraint system designed
to restrain or position a child on a continuous at
surface. Make sure that the infant’s head rests toward
the center of the vehicle.A rear-facing infant seat (B) provides restraint with the
seating surface against the back of the infant. The
harness system holds the infant in place and, in a crash,
acts to keep the infant positioned in the restraint.
1-46

How Does an Airbag Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel
or the instrument panel. Airbags supplement the
protection provided by safety belts. Airbags distribute
the force of the impact more evenly over the occupant’s
upper body, stopping the occupant more gradually.
But airbags would not help you in many types of
collisions, including rollovers, rear impacts and many
side impacts, primarily because an occupant’s motion is
not toward those airbags. Airbags should never be
regarded as anything more than a supplement to safety
belts, and then only in moderate to severe frontal or
near-frontal collisions.
What Will You See After an
Airbag Inates?
After an airbag inates, it quickly deates, so quickly that
some people may not even realize the airbag inated.
Some components of the airbag module — the steering
wheel hub for the driver’s airbag, or the instrument
panel for the right front passenger’s bag — will be hot
for a short time. The parts of the bag that come into
contact with you may be warm, but not too hot to touch.There will be some smoke and dust coming from the
vents in the deated airbags. Airbag ination does not
prevent the driver from seeing or being able to steer the
vehicle, nor does it stop people from leaving the vehicle.
{CAUTION:
When an airbag inates, there is dust in the
air. This dust could cause breathing problems
for people with a history of asthma or other
breathing trouble. To avoid this, everyone in
the vehicle should get out as soon as it is safe
to do so. If you have breathing problems but
can not get out of the vehicle after an airbag
inates, then get fresh air by opening a
window or a door. If you experience breathing
problems following an airbag deployment,
you should seek medical attention.
1-68