CHEVROLET ASTRO 1996 Repair Manual

Section 2 Features and Controls
Here you can learn about the many standard and
optional features on your vehicle, and information on
starting, shifting and braking. Also explained are
the
instrument panel and the warning systems that tell you if
everything is working properly -- and what to do if you
have a problem.
Keys
Leaving young children in a vehicle with the
ignition key
is dangerous for many reasons.
A child or others could be badly injured or
even killed.
They could operate power windows or other
controls or even make the vehicle move. Don't
leave the keys in a vehicle with young children.
2-1

This vehicle has one
double-sided key for the
ignition and door locks. It
will fit with either side up.
You will have a separate
single-sided key
to
secure the locking front
storage compartment. When
a new vehicle is delivered, the dealer provides the
owner
with a pair of identical keys and a bar-coded tag.
The bar-coded tag has a code on
it that tells your dealer
or a qualified locksmith how to make extra keys. Keep
this tag
in a safe place. If you lose your keys, you'll be
able to have new ones made easily using this tag.
NOTICE:
Your vehicle has a number of new features that
can help prevent theft. But you can have a lot
of trouble getting into your vehicle if you ever
lock your keys inside. You may even have to
damage your vehicle to get in.
So be sure you
have extra keys.
2-2

Front Doors
To open the front side door from the outside, grasp the
handle and pull the door open.
To open the front side door
from the inside, pull the
lever toward you and push
the door open.
Rear Doors
If you have the Dutch doors, you must open the
hatch first.
To open the rear doors from
the outside, open the
passenger's side rear door
first. Grasp the handle and
pull the door open.
2-3

To open the driver’s side
rear door. pull
on the latch ‘I
release handle in the inside
of the door.
To close the rear doors, close the driver’s side door first.
Check to make sure both doors are completely closed.
The rear doors have a check assembly to keep the doors
from opening beyond
90”.
To fully open the rear doors,
push
in on the clip and lift
the check assembly up off
the mounting bracket.
Do this on each door. Replace the assemblies the
same way.
See
the Caution following “Swing-Out Windows” in
this section.
2-4

Door Locks
A. CAUTION:
Unlocked doors can be dangerous.
Passengers
-- especially children -- can easily
open the doors and fall out. When a door is
locked, the inside handle won't open
it.
Outsiders can easily enter through an unlocked
door when you slow down or stop your vehicle.
This may not be
so obvious: You increase the
chance
of being thrown out of the vehicle in a
crash if the doors aren't locked. Wear safety belts
properly, lock your doors, and you will be far
better off whenever you drive your vehicle.
I'here are several ways to lock and unlock your vehicle.
To unlock your door from the outside, use your key.
To lock the front doors and
sliding side door from the
inside, slide the lock levers
down.
To unlock the front
doors and the sliding side
door from the inside, slide
the lock levers up.
Rear doors cannot be manually locked from the inside.
To unlock the rear hatch and Dutch doors from the
inside, press the REAR HATCH button located
to the
right
of the shift lever.
2-5

Power Door Locks
’r x ’?
If your vehicle has power
door locks, press the power
door lock switch to lock or
unlock all the doors at once. Every vehicle
with power door locks
has a pulse lock
system.
A pulse lock system works like this:
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, in
about five seconds, locks the sliding door.
All models have overriding door locks. When a door is
locked,
the door handle will not work the latch. This
will help stop a door from being accidentally opened.
However, power door locks do not affect the operation
of
the hatch.
Leaving Your Vehicle
The power door lock switch will not lock or unlock the
rear hatch and Dutch doors. You must use
the REAR
HATCH button. See “Rear Hatch and Dutch Doors
Release” in this section.
If you are leaving the vehicle, take your keys, open your
door and set the locks from inside. Then get out and
close the door.
2-6

Keyless Entry System
If your vehicle has this option, you can lock and unlock
your doors or unlock your
trunk from up to 30 feet (9 m)
away using the key chain transmitter supplied
with
your vehicle.
Your Keyless Entry System operates on a radio
frequency subject to Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) Rules.
This device complies with
Part 15 of the FCC Rules.
Operation
is subject to the following two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and
(2) This device must accept any interference received,
including interference that may cause undesired operation.
Should interference to this system occur, try this:
Check to determine if battery replacement is
necessary. See the instructions on battery replacement.
Check the distance. You may be too far from your
vehicle. This product has a maximum range.
Check the location. Other vehicles or objects may be
blocking the signal.
See your GM dealer or a qualified technician
for service.
Changes or modifications to this system by other than
an
authorized service facility could void authorization to
use this equipment.
Operation
When you press UNLOCK, the driver’s door will
unlock automatically. If you press UNLOCK again
within five seconds, all doors will unlock.
All doors will
lock when
DOOR is pressed. The interior lamps will
come on whenever you lock or unlock the doors. See
“Keyless Illumination’’
in the Index. Pressing REAR
twice within
3 1/2 seconds, will unlock the hatch or rear
cargo doors.
2-7

Matching Transmitter(s) To Your Vehicle
Each key chain transmitter is coded to prevent another
transmitter from unlocking your vehicle. If
a transmitter is
lost or stolen, a replacement can be purchased through
your dealer. Remember to bring
any remaining transmitters
with you when
you go to your dealer. When the dealer
matches the replacement transmitter to your vehicle, any
remaining transmitters must also be matched. Once the new transmitter is coded, the lost transmitter will
not
unlock your vehicle. Each vehicle can have only two
transmitters matched to
it.
See your dealer to match transmitters to another vehicle.
Battery Replacement
Under normal use, the batteries in your key chain
transmitter should last about two years.
You can tell the batteries are weak if the transmitter
won’t work at the normal range
in any location. If you
have
to get close to your vehicle before the transmitter
works, it’s probably time
to change the batteries.
Your transmitter housing snaps apart for ease
in
battery replacement.
To open the housing:
1. Insert a dime be een two halves of the transmitter
housing near
the Key ring hole.
2. Remove the bottom by twisting the dime.
3. Remove and replace the batteries with two Duracell @
batteries (DL2016 or equivalent), positive (+) side down.
4. Align and snap together the back and top
transmitter housings.
2-8

Sliding Door
To open the sliding side door, pull the handle toward the
back and slide the door to the rear until it latches in the
open position.
To close the sliding side door, pull the handle toward the
front to release
the rear latch, and slide the door forward.
2-9

Sliding Door Child Security Lock
Your vehicle’s sliding side
door is equipped with
a
child security door lock,
located at the rear of the
sliding door, near the side
door latch mechanism. 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. (Arrow is pointing to
the lever that you must move.)
2. Close the door.
To open
the sliding side door while the child 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
There are
two labels on your vehicle to remind you that works, and how to cancel the lock,
you have this feature. One can be
seen from the outside
on your sliding door. It is located near the bottom
of the Canceling the Sliding Door Child
door glass, toward the rear of the door. The other label is Security Lock
at the back of the sliding door, near the child security
door lock.
To cancel the child security lock:
1. Unlock the door and open it from the outside.
2. Move the lever all the way down.
2-10