CHEVROLET ASTRO 1996 Owners Manual

Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Here you will find information about the care of your vehicle.
This section begins with service and fuel information, and then it shows how
to check important fluid and lubricant
levels. There is also technical information about your
vehicle, and a part devoted to its appearance care.
Service
Your GM dealer knows your vehicle best and wants you
to be happy with it. We hope you’ll go to your dealer for
all your service needs. You’ll
get genuine GM parts and
GM-trained and supported service people. We
hope
you’ll want to keep your GM vehicle all GM.
Genuine GM parts have one
of these marks:
n
Delco
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Doing Your Own Service Work
If you want to do some of your own service work, you’ll
want to get the proper GM Service Manual. It tells you
much more about how to service your vehicle than this
manual can.
To order the proper service manual, see
“Service and Owner Publications” in the Index.
Your vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting
to do your own service work, see “Servicing Your
Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle” in the Index.
You should keep a record with all parts receipts and list
the mileage and the date
of any service work you
perform. See “Maintenance Record” in the Index.
I A CAUTION:
You can be injured and your vehicle could be
damaged if you try to do service work on
a
vehicle without knowing enough about it.
Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, and the proper replacement
parts and tools before you attempt any
vehicle maintenance task.
Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts and
other fasteners. “English” and “metric”
fasteners can be easily confused. If you use
the wrong fasteners, parts can later break
or fall
off. You could be hurt.
6-2

Fuel
Use regular unleaded ‘gasoline rated at 87 octane or
higher. At a minimum, it should meet specifications
\.
ASTM D4814 in the United States and CGSB 3.5-M93
in Canada. Improved gasoline specifications have been
developed by the American Automobile Manufacturers
Association (AAMA) for better vehicle performance
and engine protection. Gasolines meeting the AAMA
specification could provide improved driveability and
emission control system protection compared-to
other gasolines.
Be sure the posted octane is at least
87. If the octane is
less than
87, you may get a heavy knocking noise when
you drive. If it’s bad enough, it can damage your engine.
If you’re using fuel rated at 87 octane or hgher and you
still hear heavy knocking, your engine needs service. But
don’t worry
if you hear a little pinging noise when you’re
accelerating or driving
up a hill. That’s nomal, and you don’t
have to buy a higher octane fuel to get rid of pinging. It’s the
heavy, constant knock that means you have a problem. If
your vehicle is certified’ to meet California Emission
Standards (indicated on the underhood tune-up label),
it is designed to operate on fuels that meet California
I
specifications. If such fuels are not available in states
adopting California emissions standards, your vehicle
will operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting federal
specifications, but emission control system performance
may be affected. The malfunction indicator lamp on
your instrument panel may turn on and/or your vehicle
may fail a smog-check test. If this occurs, return to your
authorized GM dealer for diagnosis to determine the
cause of failure. In the event it is determined that the
cause of the condition is the type of fuels used, repairs
may not be covered by your warranty.
.In Canada, some gasolines contain an octane-enhancing
additive called MMT. If you use such fuels, your
emission control system performance may deteriorate
and the malfunction indicator lamp on your instrument
panel may turn on.
If this happens, return to your
authorized GM dealer for service.
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To provide cleaner air, all gasolines are now required to
Contain additives
that will help prevent deposits from
forming in your engine and
fuel system, allowing your
emission control system
to function properly. Therefore,
you should not have
to add anything to the fuel. In
addition, gasolines containing oxygenates, such as ethers
and ethanol, and reformulated gasolines may be
available in your area to help clean the air. General
Motors recommends that
you use these gasolines if they
comply with the specifications described earlier.
NOTICE:
Your vehicle was not designed for fuel that
contains methanol. Don’t use it. It can corrode
metal parts
in your fuel system and also damage
plastic and rubber parts. That damage wouldn’t
be covered under
your warranty.
Fuels in Foreign Countries
If you plan on driving in another country outside the
United States or Canada, the proper fuel may be hard
to find. Never use leaded gasoline or any other fuel not
recommended in the previous
text on fuel. Costly repairs
caused by use
of improper fuel wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
To check on fuel availability, ask an auto club, or
contact a major
oil company that does business in the
country where you’ll be driving.
You can also write us at the following address for
advice. Just tell
us where you’re going and give your
Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN).
General Motors Overseas Distribution Corporation, North American Export Sales
(NAES)
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario
L 1 H 8P7
6-4

The cap is behind a hinged door on the driver’s side of
your vehicle.
I A CAUTION:
Gasoline vapor is highly flammable. It burns
violently, and that can cause very bad injuries.
Don’t smoke if you’re near gasoline or refueling
your vehicle. Keep sparks, flames and smoking
materials away from gasoline.
6-5

I A CAUTION:
---
If you get gasoline on yourself and then.
something ignites
it, you could be badly burned.
Gasoline can spray ,out on you
if you open the
fuel filler cap too quickly. This spray can happen
if your tank is nearly full, and is more likely in
hot weather. Open the fuel filler cap slowly and
wait for any “hiss” noise to stop. Then unscrew
the cap all the way.
While refueling, hang the cap inside the fuel door.
To take off the cap, turn it slowly to the left
(counterclockwise). Be
careful not
to spill gasoline. Clean gasoline from
painted surfaces as soon as possible. See “Cleaning the
Outside of Your Vehicle” in the Index.

When you put the cap back on, turn it to the right until
you hear at least three clicks. Make sure you
fully install
the cap. The diagnostic
system can determine if the fuel
cap has been
left off or improperly installed. This would
allow fuel
to evaporate into the atmosphere. See
“Malfunction Indicator Lamp” in the Index.
NOTICE:
If you need a new cap, be sure to get the right
type. Your dealer can get one for you.
If you get
the wrong type, it may not fit or have proper
venting, and your fuel tank and emissions system
might be damaged.
Checking Things Under the Hood
/1 CAUTION:
Things that burn can get on hot engine parts and
start a fire. These include liquids like gasoline,
oil, coolant, brake fluid, windshield washer and
other fluids, and plastic or rubber. You or others
could be burned. Be careful not
to drop or spill
things that will burn onto a hot engine.
6-7

Hood Release
To open the hood, first pull the handle inside the vehicle
on the lower driver’s side of the kick panel. Then
go to the front of the vehicle and release the
secondary hood release.
6-8

When you open the hood, this is what you will see:
-
A. Windshield Washer Fluid Fill Location
B. Coolant Fill Location
C. Oil Dipstick Location
D. Transmission Dipstick/Fill Location
E. Air Cleaner
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F. Oil Fill Location
G. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir
H. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir
I. Battery

Lift the hood, release the hood prop from its retainer and
put the hood prop into
the slot in the hood.
Before closing the hood, be sure all the filler caps are on
properly. Then lift the hood
to relieve pressure on the
hood prop. Remove
the hood prop
from the slot in the hood
and return the
prop to
its retainer.
Then just pull the hood
down and close it firmly.
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