mirror CHEVROLET ASTRO 1997 2.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
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2-26 Keys
Front
Doors
Rear Doors
Door Locks
Keyless Entry System
Sliding Door
Hatch
Theft New Vehicle “Break-In”
Ignition Positions
Starting Your Engine
Engine Coolant Heater (Option)
Automatic Transmission Operation
Locking Rear Axle All-Wheel Drive (Option)
Parking Brake
Shifting Into PARK (P)
Shifting Out
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2-60 Parking
Over Things That Burn
Engine Exhaust
Running Your Engine While You’re Parked
Windows
Horn
Tilt Wheel (If Equipped)
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
Lamps Interior Lamps
Mirrors Storage Compartments
Ashtrays and Cigarette Lighter
Sun Visors
Accessory Power Outlets (Option)
Universal Transmitter (Option)
Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel Cluster
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Mirrors
Inside Daymight Rearview Mirror Outside
Mirrors
Adjust your
outside mirrors so you can just see the side
of your vehicle.
Some mirrors are manually adjustable. The optional
electric mirrors come
with a remote control adjustment
switch, Find the switch on the driver’s door.
You can adjust the mirror for day or night driving. Press
the tab forward (away from
you) for day driving. Pull
the tab back (toward
you) for night driving.
To move
a mirror, turn the knob in the middle of the
control to
L for the driver’s side mirror or to R for
the passenger’s side mirror. Then press the four-way
pad
to move the mirror in the desired direction.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine To make sure you do not accidentally move a mirror.
turn the knob
to the middle (off‘) position.
Mirrors can also be folded
in or out. Push the mirror
toward
the vehicle to move it in. After pushing the
mirror out, adjustment will be maintained.
Convex Outside Mirror
Your passenger’s side mirror is convex. A convex
mirror’s surface is curved
so you can see more from
the driver’s seat.
1 A CAUTION:
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A convex mirror can make things (like other
vehicles) look farther away than they really are.
If you cut too sharply into the right lane, you
could hit a vehicle on your right. Check your
inside mirror or glance over your shoulder before
changing lanes.
Storage Compartments
Your front storage compartment/glove box is at the
center
of the engine cover. To open the compartment,
press the two tabs together and
pull.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Visor Vanity Mirror (If Equipped)
Some visors have mirrors built in, with or without
lamps. Just lift the mirror cover
on each visor to turn the
lamps on, if you have them.
Lighted mirrors also have a density switch
to make the
mirror lamps brighter or dimmer.
Accessory Power Outlets (Option)
If you have accessory power outlets, you can plug in
auxiliary electrical equipment. Just pull up from the
bottom of the door and follow the proper installation
instructions that are included with any electrical
equipment that you install.
Passenger vans also have
two accessory power
outlets located
on the passenger’s side of the engine
cover console.
Another accessory power outlet
is located on the
driver’s side behind the third row seating position,
near the floor.
These circuits are protected
by a fuse and have
maximum current levels.
NOTICE:
When using the accessory power outlets, maximum
electrical load must not exceed
25 amps. Always
turn
off any electrical equipment when not in use.
Leaving electrical equipment on
for extended
periods
will drain your battery.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0 Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder and
start your left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you
are far enough
ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front in your
inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal
and move back
into the right lane. (Remember that
your right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle
you
just passed may seem to be farther away from you
than
it really is.)
0 Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on
two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.
Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps are not flashing, it may
be slowing down or starting
to turn.
If you’re being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you
can ease a little to the right.
Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems (brakes, steering
and acceleration) don’t have enough friction where the
tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying to steer and
constantly seek
an escape route or area of less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not
“overdriving” those conditions. But skids are
always possible.
The three types
of skids correspond to your vehicle’s
three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels
aren’t rolling, In the steering or cornering skid, too
much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force. And in the acceleration skid, too
much throttle causes
the driving wheels to spin.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A cornering skid and an acceleration slud are best
handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want the
vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid
if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road.
For safety, you’ll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions.
It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or
braking (including engine braking by shifting to a
lower gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires
to slide.
You may not realize the surface is slippery until
your vehicle
is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues
-- such as enough water, ice or packed snow on
the road to make a “mirrored surface”
-- and slow down
when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock brake system (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving.
One reason is that some drivers are likely to be
impaired
-- by alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems, or by fatigue.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Here are some tips on night driving.
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Drive defensively.
Don’t drink and drive.
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind you.
Since you can’t see as well, you may need to
slow down and keep more space between you and
other vehicles,
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light up only
so much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If
you’re tired, pull off the road in a safe place and rest.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps.
It can take a second or two, or even several
seconds, for your eyes to readjust to the dark. When you
are faced with severe glare (as from a driver who
doesn’t lower the high beams,
or a vehicle with
misaimed headlamps), slow down a
little. Avoid staring
directly into the approaching headlamps.
Keep your windshield and all the glass
c-1 your vehicle
clean
-- inside and out. Glare at night is made much
worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside of the glass
can build up a film caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and flash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Night Vision
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as
we get older these differences increase. A 50-year-old
driver may require at least twice as much light to see
the
same thing at night as a 20-year-old.
What you do
in the daytime can also affect your night
vision. For example, if you spend the day
in bright
sunshine you are wise
to wear sunglasses. Your eyes will
have less trouble adjusting to night. But if you’re
driving, don’t wear sunglasses at night.
They may cut
down on glare from headlamps, but
they also make a lot
of things invisible. Remember
that your headlamps light up far less of a
roadway when you
are in a turn or curve. Keep your
eyes moving; that way, it’s easier to pick out dimly
lighted objects. Just
as your headlamps should be
checked regularly for proper
aim, so should your eyes
be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from night
blindness
-- the inability to see in dim light -- and aren’t
even aware of it.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The most important advice on freeway driving is: Keep
up with traffic and keep to the right. Drive at
the same
speed most of the other drivers are driving. Too-fast or
too-slow driving breaks a smooth traffic flow. Treat the
left lane on a freeway as a passing lane.
At the entrance, there is usually a ramp that leads
to the
freeway. If
you have a clear view of the freeway as you
drive along the entrance ramp, you should begin to
check traffic. Try to determine where you expect
to
blend with the flow. Try to merge into the gap at close to
the prevailing speed. Switch on your turn signal, check
your mirrors and glance over your shoulder as
often as
necessary. Try to blend smoothly with
the traffic flow.
Once you are
on the freeway, adjust your speed to the
posted limit or to the prevailing rate if it’s slower. Stay
in the right lane unless you want to pass.
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then use your turn signal. Just
before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your
shoulder to make sure there isn’t another vehicle
in your
“blind” spot.
Once you are moving
on the freeway, make certain you
allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to move
slightly slower at night.
When
you want to leave the freeway, move to the proper
lane well
in advance. If you miss your exit, do not,
under any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive on to
the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit speed is usually posted.
Reduce your speed according to your speedometer, not
to your sense of motion. After driving for any distance
at higher speeds, you may tend
to think you are going
slower than you actually are.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be
aware that it can happen.
Then here
are some tips:
Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
0 Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and
comfortably cool
interior.
to the sides. Check your mirrors and your
instruments frequently.
0 If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest, service
or parking area and take
a nap, get some exercise, or
both. For safety, treat drowsiness on the highway as
an emergency.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving in flat
or rolling terrain.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of experience.
Before setting out for the open road, you’ll want
to get
to know your rig. Acquaint yourself with the feel
of
handling and braking with the added weight of the
trailer. And always keep in mind that the vehicle
you are
driving is now a good deal longer and not nearly as
responsive as your vehicle is by itself.
Before
you start, check the trailer hitch and platform
(and attachments), safety chains, electrical connector,
lamps, tires and mirror adjustment. If the trailer has
electric brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving and
then apply the trailer brake controller by hand to be sure
the brakes are working. This lets you check your
electrical connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally
to be sure that the
load is secure, and that the lamps and any trailer brakes
are still working.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead as you
would when driving your vehicle without a trailer. This
can help
you avoid situations that require heavy braking
and sudden turns.
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up ahead when
you’re towing a trailer. And, because you’re
a good deal
longer, you’ll need
to go much farther beyond the
passed vehicle before
you can return to your lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand.
Then, to move the trailer to the left, just move that hand
to the left. To move the trailer to the right, move your
hand
to the right. Always back up slowly and, if
possible, have someone guide
you.
Making Turns
NOTICE:
Making very sharp turns while trailering could
cause the trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider turns than
normal. Do this so your trailer won’t strike soft shoulders,
curbs, road signs, trees or other objects. Avoid jerky or
sudden maneuvers. Signal well in advance.
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