fuel type SATURN ASTRA 2009 Owners Manual

Fuel
Use of the recommended fuel
is an important part of the proper
maintenance of this vehicle. To help
keep the engine clean and maintain
optimum vehicle performance, we
recommend the use of gasoline
advertised as TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline.
Gasoline Octane
Use regular unleaded gasoline with a
posted octane rating of 87 or higher.
If the octane rating is less than 87,
you might notice an audible knocking
noise when you drive, commonly
referred to as spark knock. If this
occurs, use a gasoline rated at
87 octane or higher as soon as
possible. If you are using gasoline
rated at 87 octane or higher and you
hear heavy knocking, the engine
needs service.
Gasoline Specications
At a minimum, gasoline should
meet ASTM specication D 4814
in the United States or
CAN/CGSB-3.5 or 3.511 in Canada.
Some gasolines contain an
octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese
tricarbonyl (MMT). We recommend
against the use of gasolines
containing MMT. SeeAdditives on
page 8-34for additional information.
California Fuel
If the vehicle is certied to meet
California Emissions Standards, it is
designed to operate on fuels that
meet California specications. See
the underhood emission control
label. If this fuel is not available in
states adopting California emissions
standards, the vehicle will operate
satisfactorily on fuels meeting federal
specications, but emission control
system performance might be
affected. The malfunction indicator
lamp could turn on and the vehiclemight fail a smog-check test. See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 4-18. If this occurs, return to
your authorized dealer/retailer for
diagnosis. If it is determined that the
condition is caused by the type of
fuel used, repairs might not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Additives
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines
in the United States are now
required to contain additives that
help prevent engine and fuel system
deposits from forming, allowing
the emission control system to work
properly. In most cases, you
should not have to add anything to
the fuel. However, some gasolines
contain only the minimum amount of
additive required to meet U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency
regulations. To help keep fuel
injectors and intake valves clean, or
if the vehicle experiences problems
due to dirty injectors or valves,
look for gasoline that is advertised
as TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline.
8-34 Driving and Operating
ProCarManuals.com

This would allow fuel to evaporate
into the atmosphere. See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 4-18.
{CAUTION
If a re starts while you are
refueling, do not remove the
nozzle. Shut off the ow of fuel by
shutting off the pump or by
notifying the station attendant.
Leave the area immediately.
Notice:If you need a new fuel
cap, be sure to get the right type.
Your dealer/retailer can get one for
you. If you get the wrong type, it
may not t properly. This may
cause the malfunction indicator
lamp to light and may damage the
fuel tank and emissions system.
SeeMalfunction Indicator Lamp
on page 4-18.
Filling a Portable Fuel
Container
{CAUTION
Never ll a portable fuel container
while it is in the vehicle. Static
electricity discharge from the
container can ignite the fuel
vapor. You can be badly burned
and the vehicle damaged if this
occurs. To help avoid injury to
you and others:
Dispense fuel only into
approved containers.
Do not ll a container while it
is inside a vehicle, in a
vehicle’s trunk, pickup bed, or
on any surface other than the
ground.
(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
Bring the ll nozzle in contact
with the inside of the ll
opening before operating the
nozzle. Contact should be
maintained until the lling is
complete.
Do not smoke while
pumping fuel.
Do not use a cellular phone
while pumping fuel.
Driving and Operating 8-37
ProCarManuals.com

Vehicle Data
Recording and
Privacy
Your Saturn vehicle has a number
of sophisticated computers that
record information about the
vehicle’s performance and how it is
driven. For example, your vehicle
uses computer modules to monitor
and control engine and transmission
performance, to monitor the
conditions for airbag deployment
and deploy airbags in a crash and,
if so equipped, to provide antilock
braking to help the driver control the
vehicle. These modules may store
data to help your dealer/retailer
technician service your vehicle.
Some modules may also store data
about how you operate the vehicle,
such as rate of fuel consumption or
average speed. These modules may
also retain the owner’s personal
preferences, such as radio pre-sets,
seat positions, and temperature
settings.
Event Data Recorders
This vehicle has an Event Data
Recorder (EDR). The main purpose
of an EDR is to record, in certain
crash or near crash-like situations,
such as an airbag deployment
or hitting a road obstacle, data that
will assist in understanding how
a vehicle’s systems performed.
The EDR is designed to record data
related to vehicle dynamics and
safety systems for a short period
of time, typically 30 seconds or less.
The EDR in this vehicle is designed
to record such data as:
How various systems in your
vehicle were operating
Whether or not the driver and
passenger safety belts were
buckled/fastened
How far, if at all, the driver was
pressing the accelerator and/or
brake pedal
How fast the vehicle was travelingThis data can help provide a better
understanding of the circumstances
in which crashes and injuries occur.
Important:EDR data is recorded
by your vehicle only if a non-trivial
crash situation occurs; no data
is recorded by the EDR under
normal driving conditions and no
personal data (e.g., name, gender,
age, and crash location) is
recorded. However, other parties,
such as law enforcement, could
combine the EDR data with the type
of personally identifying data
routinely acquired during a crash
investigation.
To read data recorded by an EDR,
special equipment is required,
and access to the vehicle or the
EDR is needed. In addition to
the vehicle manufacturer, other
parties, such as law enforcement,
that have the special equipment, can
read the information if they have
access to the vehicle or the EDR.
12-16 Customer Information
ProCarManuals.com