CHEVROLET ASTRO 2003 Owners Manual

Notice:
0 Using the wrong fluid can badly damage brake
system parts. For example, just a few drops
of
mineral-based oil, such as engine oil, in your
brake system can damage brake system
parts
so badly that they’ll have to be replaced.
Don’t let someone put in the wrong kind of fluid.
If you spill brake fluid on your vehicle’s painted
surfaces, the paint finish can be damaged.
Be careful not to spill brake fluid on your
vehicle. If you do, wash
it off immediately.
See “Appearance Care”
in the Index.
What to Add
When you do need brake fluid, use only DOT-3 brake
fluid. Use new brake fluid from a sealed container
only. See
Part D: Recommended Fluids and Lubricants
on page 6-32.
Always clean the brake fluid reservoir cap and the area
around the cap before removing it. This will help keep dirt
from enterinn the reservoir.
I
With the VI .-.. =I kir.- of flui, .n your b.,.re
system, your brakes may not work well, or they
may not even work at all. This could cause a
crash. Always use the proper brake fluid.
5-44

Brake Wear
Your vehicle has four-wheel disc brakes,
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that make
a high-pitched warning sound when the brake
pads
are worn and new pads are needed. The sound
may come and go or be heard all the time your vehicle
is moving (except when you are pushing on the
brake pedal firmly).
The brake wear warning sound means that soon
your brakes won’t work well. That could lead to
an accident. When
you hear the brake wear
Notice: Continuing to drive with worn-out brake
pads could result in costly brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are first applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean something is wrong with
your brakes.
Properly torqued wheei nuts are necessary to heip
prevent brake pulsation. When tires are rotated, inspect
brake pads for wear and evenly tighten wheel nuts in
the proper sequence to
GM torque specifications.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
See
Brake System Inspection on page 6-31.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not return to
normal height, or if there is a rapid increase in
pedal travel. This could be a sign of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you make a brake stop, your disc brakes
adjust for wear.
5-45

Replacing Brake System Parts
Te braking system on a vehicle is complex. Its many parts
have to be of top quality and work well together
if the
vehicle is to have really good braking. Your vehicle was
designed and tested with top-quality
GM brake parts.
When you replace parts of your braking system -for
example, when your brake linings wear down and you
need new ones put
in - be sure you get new approved
GM replacement parts. If you don’t, your brakes may no
longer work properly.
For example,
if someone puts in brake linings that are
wrong for your vehicle, the balance between your front
and rear brakes can change -for the worse. The braking
performance you’ve come to expect can change
in many
other ways
if someone puts in the wrong replacement
brake parts.
Battery
Your new vehicle comes with a maintenance free
ACDelco@ battery. When it’s time for a new battery,
get one that has the replacement number shown on the
original battery’s label. We recommend an ACDelco@
battery. See
Engine Compartment Overview on
page 5-74 for battery location.
Warnings Battery posts, terminals and related
accessories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State
of California to cause
cancer and reproductive harm. Wash hands after
handling.
5-46

Vehicle Storage
If you’re not going to drive your vehicle for 25 days or
more, remove the black, negative
(-) cable from
the battery. This will help keep your battery from
running down.
Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may want to use
another vehicle and some jumper cables to start your
vehicle. But
please follow the numbered steps to
do it safely.
Batteries have acid that can burn you and gas
that can explode. You can be badly hurt if you
aren’t careful. See “Jump Starting” next for
Contact your dealer to learn how
to prepare your
vehicle for longer storage periods.
Also, for your audio system, see Theft-Deterrent
Feature
on page 3-47.
Batteries can hurt you. They can be dangerous
They contain acid that can burn you.
They contain gas that can explode
0 They contain enough electricity to
Nofice: Ignoring these steps could result in costly
damage to your vehicle that wouldn’t be covered
by your warranty.
Trying to start your vehicle by pushing or pulling
it
won’t work, and it could damage your vehicle.
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1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with a negative ground system.
Notice: If the other system isn’t a 12-volt system
with a negative ground, both vehicles can be
damaged.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicles aren’t touching
each other. If they are, it could cause a ground
connection you don’t want. You wouldn’t be able
to
start your vehicle, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
To avoid the possibility
of the vehicles rolling, set
the parking brake firmly on both vehicles involved
in the jump start procedure. Put an automatic
transmission in PARK (P) and a manual
transmission in NEUTRAL.
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
unnecessary accessories plugged into the cigarette
lighter
or accessory power outlets. Turn off all lamps
that aren’t needed as well as radios. This will avoid
sparks and help save both batteries. In addition,
it could save your radio!
Nofice: If you leave your radio on, it could be badly
damaged. The repairs wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries. Find the
positive
(+) and negative (-) terminals on each
battery.
Using a match near a battery can cause battery
gas to explode. People have been hurt doing
this, and some have been blinded. Use a
flashlight if you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water.
You don’t need to add water to the ACDelco@
battery installed in your new vehicle. But if
a battery has filler caps, be sure the right amount
of fluid is there. If it is low, add water
to take care
of that first. If you don’t, explosive
gas could be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn you.
Don’t get
it on you. If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or on your skin, flush the place with
water and get medical help immediately.
5-48

Fans or other moving engine p-. ts can injure
you badly. Keep your hands away from moving
parts once the engine
is running.
5. Check that the jumper cables don’t have loose or
missing insulation.
If they do, you could get a
shock. The vehicles could be damaged too.
Before you connect the cables, here are some
basic things you should know. Positive
(+) will go
to positive
(+) or to a remote positive (+) terminal
if the vehicle has one. Negative (-) will go to a
heavy, unpainted metal engine part, or to a
negative
(-) terminal if the vehicle has one.
Don’t connect positive
(+) to negative (-) or you’ll
get a short that would damage the battery and
maybe other parts, too. And don’t connect the
negative
(-) cable to the negative (-) terminal on
the dead battery because this can cause sparks.
6. Connect the red
positive
(+) cable to the
positive
(+) terminal
of the vehicle with the
dead battery.
Use
a remote positive (+)
terminal if the
vehicle has one.
7. Don’t let the other end
touch metal. Connect it
to the positive
(+)
terminal of the good
battery. Use a remote
positive
(+) terminal
if the vehicle has one.
5-49

The other end of the negative (-) cable does not
go to the dead battery. It goes to a heavy,
unpainted metal engine part, or to a remote
negative
(-) terminal on the vehicle with the
dead battery.
Notice: Damage to your vehicle may result from
electrical shorting
if jumper cables are removed
incorrectly. To prevent electrical shorting, take care
that the cables don’t touch each other
or any
other metal. The repairs wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
5-50

Jumper Cable Removal
A. Heavy, Unpainted Metal Engine Part
B. Good Battery
C. Dead Battery
To disconnect the jumper cables from both vehicles,
do the following:
1. Disconnect the black negative (-) cable from the
2. Disconnect the black negative (-) cable from the
3. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from the
4. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from the
vehicle that
had the dead battery.
vehicle with the good battery.
vehicle with the good battery.
other vehicle.
5-5 1

All-Wheel Drive
Lubricant checks in this section also apply to these
vehicles. However, there are two additional systems that
need lubrication.
Transfer Case
When to Check Lubricant
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine how
often to check the lubricant. See
Part C: Periodic
Maintenance lnspections on page
6-30.
How to Check Lubricant
To get an accurate reading, the vehicle should be on a
level surface.
If the level is below the bottom of the filler plug hole,
you’ll need to add some lubricant. Add enough lubricant
to raise the level to the bottom of the filler plug hole.
Use care not to overtighten the plug.
What to Use
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind
of lubricant to use. See Part D: Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants on page
6-32.
5-52

If the level is below the bottom of the filler plug hole,
you’ll need to add some lubricant. Add enough lubricant
to raise the level to the bottom of the filler plug hole.
What to Use
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind of lubricant to
use. See Part D: Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants on page 6-32.
5-53