ignition CHEVROLET ASTRO 2003 User Guide

Automatic Transmission Operation
There are several different positions for your shift lever.
PARK (P): This position locks your rear wheels.
It’s the best position to use when you start your
engine because your vehicle can’t move easily.
It is dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the
shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
CAUTION: (Continued) Don’t leave your vehicle when
the enL le
is
running unless you have to. If you have left
the engine running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be injured.
To be sure your vehicle won’t move, even
when you’re on fairly level ground, always set
your parking brake and move the shift lever to
PARK (P). See “Shifting Into Park (P)” in the
Index. If you’re pulling
a trailer, see “Towing a
Trailer” in the Index.
Ensure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P) before starting
the engine. Your vehicle has an automatic transmission
shift lock control system. You have to fully apply your
regular brakes before you can shift from PARK (P) when
the ignition key is in
RUN. If you cannot shift out of
PARK (P), ease pressure on the shift lever
- push the
shift lever all the way into PARK (P) as you maintain
brake application. Then move the shift lever into
the gear you wish. See
Shifting Out of Park (P) on
page
2-29.
2-23

All-Wheel Drive
If your vehicle has all-wheel drive, your engine’s driving
power is sent
to all four wheels for extra traction
when needed.
This is like four-wheel drive, but there is no separate
lever or switch to engage or disengage the front axle.
It is fully automatic, and adjusts itself as needed for
road conditions.
You may experience a brief vehicle vibration upon
acceleration when driving in slippery conditions.
This is normal and is an indication that the all-wheel
drive system is functioning properly.
Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the regular brake pedal
down with your right foot.
Push down the parking brake pedal with your left foot.
If the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will come on.
To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down.
Pull the brake release lever located on the
lower left side of the steering column.
Notice: Driving with the parking brake on can
cause your rear brakes to overheat. You may have
to replace them, and you could also damage
other parts
of your vehicle.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on a hill,
see
Towing a Trailer on page 4-31. That section shows
what to do first to keep the trailer from moving.
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Move the lever up as far as it will go.
3. Move the ignition key to LOCK.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
leave your vehicle with the ignition key in your
hand, your vehicle is
in PARK (P).
Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Engine
F nning
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with
the engine running. Your vehicle could move suddenly if the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the parking brake firmly set.
And, if you leave the vehicle with the engine
running,
it could overheat and even catch fire.
You
or others could be injured. Don’t leave
your vehicle with the engine running.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and
your parking brake is firmly set before you leave it.
After you’ve moved the shift lever to PARK (P), hold the
regular brake pedal down. Then, see
if you can move
the shift lever away from PARK (P) without first pulling it
toward you.
If you can, it means that the shift lever
wasn’t fully locked into PARK (P).
2-28

Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transmission into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl
in the transmission. You may find it difficult to pull the
shift lever out of PARK (P). This is called “torque lock.”
To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and
then shift into PARK (P) properly before you leave
the driver’s seat. To find out how, see
Shifting Into
Park
(P) on page 2-27.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK (P)
before you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another
vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of the
pressure from the parking pawl in the transmission,
so you can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).
Shifting Out of Park (P)
Your vehicle has an automatic transmission shift lock
control system. You have to fully apply your regular
brakes before you can shift from PARK (P) when the
ignition is in RUN. See
Automatic Transmission
Operation on page
2-23.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever and push the shift lever all the way up
into PARK
(P) as you maintain brake application. Then,
move the shift lever into the gear you want.
If you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can’t shift
out of PARK (P), try this:
1. Turn the key to OFF.
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
3. Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the vehicle and then shift to the drive gear
5. Have the system fixed as soon as you can.
you
want.
2-29

There is also a mapktorage pocket on the passenger's
side of the engine cover console. Your
vehicle may have this feature.
The overhead console includes reading lamps,
a compartment for a garage door opener, a trip
computer, a temperature and compass display, and a
storage compartment for sunglasses.
The reading lamps, trip computer, temperature and
compass display will work when the ignition is in
RUN,
ACCESSORY or when Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
is active. See "Retained Accessory Power" under
lgnition
Positions on
page 2- 19.
2-39

Driver Information System
\I
Your vehicle may have this feature. This system displays
the outside air temperature, compass direction and trip
information in the overhead console.
US/MET (United StatedMetric): The US/MET button
allows you
to switch the display between the English and
metric system.
MODE: The MODE button can be used to toggle
between three modes of operation:
OFF, COMP/TEMP
and TRIP.
COMPTTEMP (CompassTTemperature): This display
provides the outside temperature and one of eight
compass readings to indicate the direction the vehicle
is facing.
Before you turn on the ignition and move the vehicle,
the temperature indicated will be the last outside
temperature recorded with the ignition on.
If the outside
temperature
is 37°F (3°C) or lower, the display will
toggle between the word ICE and the current
temperature every eight seconds. This is a warning
to
the driver that road conditions may be icy, and that
appropriate precautions should be taken.
The compass is self-calibrating,
so it does not need to be
manually set. However,
if C (Calibration) is displayed, the
compass will need
to be calibrated. You may also place
the compass in a noncalibrated mode by pressing and
holding the US/MET and MODE buttons simultaneously
while in the COMPREMP mode. After about
10 seconds.
the compass will display
C and you can release the
buttons. Drive the vehicle in a complete 360" circle three
times at a speed of less than 5 mph
(8 km/h), and the
compass will function normally. Once the calibration
is
complete, the display will return to a compass reading.
Variance is the difference between magnetic north
and geographic north. In some areas, the difference
between the two can be great enough
to cause false
compass readings.
2-42

The main components of your instrument panel are the following:
A. B.
C. D. E.
F.
G.
H.
I.
I.
Exterior Lamp Control
Instrument Panel Brightness Thumbwheel
Multifunction Lever
Hazard Warning Flasher Button
Transmission Shift Lever
Ignition Switch
Rear Defogger Button (Option)
Climate Controls
Rear A/C Control (Option)
Rear Heater Control (Option) Y.
L.
M.
N.
0.
P.
Q.
R.
S.
Rear WasherNViper Switch (Option)
Front Ashtray
Dome Override Button
Hood Release
Cigarette Lighter
Audio System Front Storage Compartment
Cupholders/Storage Tray
Accessory Power Outlets
3-3

Passing Another Vehicle While Using
Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase your speed.
When you take your foot
off the pedal, your vehicle will
slow down to the cruise control speed you set earlier.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on hills depends
upon your speed, load and the steepness
of the hills.
When going up steep hills, you may want to step on the
accelerator pedal to maintain your speed. When going
downhill, you may have to brake or shift to a lower gear to
keep your speed down. Of course, applying the brake
takes you out of cruise control. Many drivers find this to
be too much trouble and don’t use cruise control on
steep hills.
Ending Cruise Control
There are two ways to turn off the cruise control:
Step lightly on the brake pedal.
Move the cruise switch to OFF.
Erasing Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition, your
cruise control set speed memory is erased.
Exterior Lamps
The exterior lamp control is located on the driver’s side
of the instrument panel.
3-1 2

The exterior lamp control has three positions:
0 (Off): Turning the control to this position turns off
all lamps except the Daytime Running Lamps (DRL).
%: (Parking Lamps): Turning the control to this
position turns on the parking lamps, together with the
following:
Sidemarker Lamps
0 Taillamps
License Plate Lamps
0 Instrument Panel Lights
Ashtray Lamp
-g- (Headlamps): Turning the control to this position
turns on the headlamps, together with the previously
listed lamps and lights.
Automatic Headlamp System
When it is dark enough outside, your automatic
headlamp system will turn on your headlamps at the
normal brightness along with other lamps such as
the taillamps, sidemarker, parking lamps and the
instrument panel lights. The radio lights will also dim.
Your vehicle is equipped with a light sensor on the top
of
the instrument panel in the defroster grille. Be sure it
is not covered, or the system will be on whenever
the ignition is on.
The system may also turn on your headlamps when
driving through a parking garage, heavy overcast
weather or a tunnel. This is normal.
There
is a delay in the transition between the daytime and
nighttime operation of the Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
and the automatic headlamp systems
so that driving
under bridges or bright overhead street lights does not
affect the system. The DRL and automatic headlamp
system will only be affected when the light sensor sees a
change in lighting lasting longer than the delay.
3-1 3

To idle your vehicle with the automatic headlamp
system
off, set the parking brake while the ignition is off.
Then start your vehicle. The automatic headlamp
system will stay
off until you release the parking brake.
You may be able to turn
off your automatic headlamp
system. See “Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)” later
in this section for more information.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamps when you need them.
Lamps On Reminder
A reminder tone will sound when your headlamps or
parking lamps are manually turned on and your ignition
is
in OFF, LOCK or ACCESSORY. To disable the
tone, turn the instrument panel brightness thumbwheel
all the way down. In the automatic mode, the
headlamps turn off once the ignition key is in OFF.
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier
for others to see the front of your vehicle during the day.
DRL can be helpful in many different driving conditions,
but they can be especially helpful in the short periods
after dawn and before sunset. Fully functional daytime
running lamps are required on all vehicles first sold
in Canada.
The DRL system will make your headlamps come on
at a reduced brightness when the following conditions
are met:
The ignition is on,
the exterior lamp control is off.
the automatic transmission is not in PARK (P),
the light sensor determines it is daytime and
the parking brake is released.
When the DRL are on, only your DRL lamps will be on.
The taillamps, sidemarker and other lamps won’t be on.
Your instrument panel won’t be lit up either.
3-1 4