turn signal CHEVROLET ASTRO 2003 User Guide

Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads And, if your tires don’t have much tread left, you’ll get
even less traction. It’s always wise to go slower and
be cautious
if rain starts to fall while you are driving.
The surface may get wet suddenly when your reflexes
are tuned for driving on dry pavement.
The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. Even
if your
windshield wiper blades are in good shape, a heavy rain
can make it harder to see road signs and traffic signals,
pavement markings, the edge of the road and even
people walking.
It’s wise to keep your wiping equipment in good shape
and keep your windshield washer tank filled with
washer fluid. Replace your windshield wiper inserts
when they show signs of streaking or missing areas
on the windshield, or when strips of rubber start
to separate from the inserts.
Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a wet
road, you can’t stop, accelerate or turn as well because
your tire-to-road traction isn’t as good
as on dry roads.
4-1 6

City Driving
One of the biggest problems with city streets is the
amount
of traffic on them. You’ll want to watch out for
what the other drivers are doing and pay attention
to traffic signals. here
are ways to increase your safety in city driving:
Know the best way to get to where you are
going. Get
a city map and plan your trip into
an unknown part
of the city just as you would for a
cross-country trip.
Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross
most large cities. You’ll save time and energy.
See the next part, “Freeway Driving.”
Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic
light is there because the corner is busy enough
to need it. When a light turns green, and just before
you start to move, check both ways for vehicles
that have not cleared the intersection or may
be running the red light.
4-1 9

Freeway Driving
Mile for mile, freeways (also called thruways, parkways,
expressways, turnpikes or superhighways) are the
safest of all roads. But they have their own special rules.
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.
4-20

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.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has to have extra
wiring (included in the optional trailering package).
The arrows on your instrument panel will flash whenever
you signal a turn or lane change. Properly hooked up,
the trailer lamps will also flash, telling other drivers
you’re about to turn, change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the arrows on your instrument
panel will flash for turns even
if the bulbs on the trailer
are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers behind
you are seeing your signal when they are not. It’s
important to check occasionally to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working.
4-38

Trailer Wiring Harness
If you have the optional trailering package, your vehicle
will have an eight-wire harness, including the center
high-mounted stoplamp battery feed wire. The harness
is stored on the passenger’s side of the vehicle near
the rear wheel well. This harness has a
30 amp battery
feed wire and no connector, and should be wired by
a qualified electrical technician. After choosing an
aftermarket trailer mating connector pair, have the
technician attach one connector to the eight-wire trailer
harness and the other connector to the wiring harness
on the trailer. Be sure the wiring harness on the trailer
is
taped or strapped to the trailer’s frame rail and leave
it loose enough
so the wiring doesn’t bend or break, but
not
so loose that it drags on the ground. The eight-wire
harness must be routed out of your vehicle between
the rear door and the floor, with enough of the harness
left on both sides
so that the trailer or the body won’t
pull it. If you do not have the optional trailering
package, your vehicle will still have a trailering harness.
The harness is located near the passenger’s side
rear wheel well. It consists
of six wires that may be
used by after-market trailer hitch installers. The
technician can use the following color code chart
when connecting the wiring harness to your trailer.
e
e
Brown: Rear lamps.
Yellow: Left stoplamp and turn signal.
Dark Green: Right stoplamp and turn signal.
White (Heavy Gage): Ground.
Light Green: Back-up lamps.
White (Light Gage): Center High-Mounted Stoplamp.
Blue: Auxiliary circuit (eight-wire harness only).
Orange: Fused auxiliary (eight-wire harness only).
Store the harness in its original place. Wrap the
harness together and tie it neatly
so it won’t
be damaged.
4-4 1

Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
Service .......................................................... -5-3
Doing Your Own Service Work
......................... 5-3
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle
.............................................. 5-4
Fuel ................................................................ 5.5
Gasoline Octane ........................................... -5-5
Gasoline Specifications .................................... 5.5
California Fuel ............................................. -56
Additives
....................................................... 5.6
Fuels in Foreign Countries
............................... 5.7
Filling Your Tank
............................................ 5-8
Filling a Portable Fuel Container
..................... 5-10
Checking Things Under the Hood .................... 5-1 1
Hood Release .............................................. 5.11
Engine Compartment Overview
...................... 5.14
Engine Oil
................................................... 5.15
Engine Cover ................. .... ........ 5.20
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
................. ........ 5.24
Automatic Transmission Fluid
...................... 5.25
Engine Coolant ............................................. 5.28
Radiator Pressure Cap
.................................. 5.30
Engine Overheating
....................................... 5.31
Cooling System
............................................ 5.33
Engine Fan Noise
......................................... 5.39
Power Steering Fluid
..................................... 5.40
Windshield Washer Fluid
................................ 5.41 Brakes
........................................................ 5.42
Battery
........................................................ 5-46
Jump Starting
............................................... 5-47
All-Wheel Drive .............................................. 5-52
Rear Axle ....................................................... 5-53
Front Axle ...................................................... 5-54
Bulb Replacement .......................................... 5-55
Halogen Bulbs .............................. ..... 5-55
Headlamps .................................. ..... 5-55
Front Turn Signal Lamps ............................... 5-59
Replacement Bulbs
....................................... 5-61
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement .............. 5-62
Tires .............................................................. 5.63
Inflation
- Tire Pressure ................................ 5-64
Tire Inspection and Rotation
........................... 5-64
When It
Is Time for New Tires ....................... 5-66
Buying New Tires
......................................... 5-66
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
.......................... 5-67
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
.................. 5-69
Wheel Replacement
...................................... 5-69
Tire Chains
.................................................. 5-70
If a Tire Goes Flat ........................................ 5.70
Changing a Flat Tire ..................................... 5.71
Compact Spare Tire ...................................... 5-82
Taillamps
.................................................... 5-60
5- 1

2. Pull the connector out
and unplug the lamp.
3. Plug the new lamp into the connector.
4. Reverse Steps 1 and 2 to reinstall the headlamp.
Composite Headlamps
1. Open the hood.
2. Remove the two
screws from the
sidemarkedturn
signal lamp.
5-56

3. Completely remove the sidemarkedturn signal lamp
by pulling out the assembly and disconnecting the
sidemarkedturn signal lamp sockets from the lamp.
4. Remove the screw
located behind the
corner reflector
to remove the entire
corner reflector.
5-57

Front Turn Signal Lamps
1. Remove the two screws at the inside edge of the
2. Remove the lamp assembiy.
parkinghurn signal
lamp assembly.
3. Squeeze the tab on the
side
of the lamp socket
while turning the socket
counterclockwise.
4. Pull the socket out of the lamp assembly.
5. Pull the bulb from the socket.
6. Gently push the new bulb into the socket.
7. Put the socket back into the lamp assembiy and
turn it clockwise until it locks.
8. Put the parkinghurn signal lamp assembly back
into the vehicle and tighten the screws.
5-59

13
14
15
16
Fuse/Circuit Usage Breaker
10 Air Bag System
11 Not Used
12 L, MI, M2 Blower Motor, Rear Air
Conditioning Relay Coil, Front Cont.
Temp. Door Motor, HI Blower Relay.
Defogger Timer Coil
Cigarette Lighter, Door Lock
Switches, Dutch Door Release Module
Cluster Illum, Climate Controls,
Chime Module, Radio Illumination,
Rear Heat Switch Illumination, Rear
Wipermasher Switch Illumination,
Rear Liftgate Switch Illumination,
Remote Cassette Illumination,
Overhead Console, Truck Body
Control Illurnination
Truck Body Module, Headlamp Relay
Front Turn Signals, Rear Turn
Signals, Trailer Turn Signals,
Back-up Lamps, Brake Transmission
Shift Interlock Solenoid 21
22
23
24
A
19
20
FuseKircuit
Usage
Breaker
17 Front Wipers, Front Washer Pump
18 VCM-lgn
3, VCM-Brake, Cruise
Stepper Motor Signal, ATC Module
Instrument Panel Radio: ATC
(Main Feed),
2000 Series (Standby)
PRNDUOdometer, TCC Enable and
PWM Solenoid, Shift A and Shift B
Solenoids, 3-2 Downshift Solenoid, Instrument Panel Cluster, VCM
Module
Powr Adjust Mirrors
Not Used
Rear Wiper, Rear Washer Pump
Not Used
(Circuit Breaker) Power Door Lock
Relay, 6-Way Power Seats
(Circuit Breaker) Power Windows
B
5-95