check engine light CHEVROLET ASTRO 2003 Owners Manual

Theft-Deterrent Systems
Vehicle theft is a big business, especially in some cities.
Although your vehicle has a number of theft-deterrent
features, we know that nothing we put on it can make
it impossible to steal. However, there are ways you
can help.
Passlock@
Your vehicle is equipped with the Passlock@
theft-deterrent system.
Passlock@ is a passive theft-deterrent system. Passlock@
enables fuel
if the ignition lock cylinder is turned with
a valid key.
If a correct key is not used or the ignition
lock cylinder is tampered with, fuel is disabled. During normal operation,
the SECURITY light will
go off
approximately five seconds after the key is turned
to RUN.
If the engine stalls and the SECURITY light flashes, wait
until the light stops flashing before trying to restart the
engine. Remember to release the key from START as
soon as the engine starts.
If the engine is running and the SECURITY light comes
on, you will be able to restart the engine
if you turn
the engine
off. However, your Passlock@ system is
not working properly and must be serviced by your
dealer. Your vehicle is not protected by Passlock@ at this
time. You may also want to check the fuse.
See
Fuses and Circuit Breakers on page 5-93.
See your dealer for service.
2-1 8

Section 3 Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel Overview ............................... 3.2
Hazard Warning Flashers
................................ 3-4
Other Warning Devices
................................... 3-5
Horn
............................................................. 3-5
Tilt Wheel
..................................................... 3-5
Turn SignaVMultifunction Lever
......................... 3.6
Exterior Lamps
.......................................... 3.12
Interior Lamps
................................ ....... 3.15
Accessory Power Outlets
............................... 3.16
Ashtrays and Cigarette Lighter
........................ 3.17
Climate Controls ............................................ 3.18
Climate Control System
................................. 3.18
Rear Heating System
................................... -3-1 9
Rear Air Conditioning System ......................... 3.20
Rear Climate Control System
......................... 3.21
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators ............. 3.23
Instrument Panel Cluster
................................ 3.24
Speedometer and Odometer
........................... 3.25
Safety Belt Reminder Light
............................. 3.26
Air Bag Readiness Light
................................ 3-26
Charging System Light
.................................. 3.27
Voltmeter Gage
........................................... -3-28
Brake System Warning Light
.......................... 3.28 Anti-Lock
Brake System Warning Light
............. 3.29
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
= = =. ~ = = ~ ~ ~ = i. 3-39
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
............................. 3.30
Oil Pressure Gage
........................................ 3.34
Security Light
.............................................. -3-35
Service All-Wheel Drive Light
......................... 3.35
Tow/Haul Mode Light
......... ................... 3.36
Fuel Gage
................................................... 3.36
Low Fuel Warning Light
................................. 3.37
Audio System@) ............................................. 3.38
Setting the Time for Radios with
the Set Button
.......................................... 3-38
Setting the Time for Radios with
HR and MN Buttons .................................. 3-38
AM-FM Radio
............................................... 3.39
Radio with CD
.............................................. 3-41
Theft-Deterrent Feature
........... ................ 3.47
Understanding Radio Reception
................... 3.50
Care of Your CDs
......................................... 3-50
Care of Your CD Player
................................ 3-50
Fixed Mast Antenna
...................................... 3.50
Check Gages Warning
Light
........................... 3-36
Rear Seat Audio (RSA)
. . .... ............ 3.46
3-
1

Warning Lights, Gages and
Indicators
This part describes the warning lights and gages that
may be on your vehicle. The pictures will help you
locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that something is
wrong before it becomes serious enough to cause
an expensive repair or replacement. Paying attention to
your warning lights and gages could also save you
or others from injury.
Warning lights come on when there may be or
is a
problem with one of your vehicle’s functions.
As you
will see in the details on the next few pages, some
warning lights come on briefly when you start the engine
just to let you know they’re working.
If you are familiar
with this section, you should not be alarmed when
this happens. Gages
can indicate when there may be or is a problem
with one of your vehicle’s functions. Often gages
and warning lights work together to let you know when
there’s a problem with your vehicle.
When one
of the warning lights comes on and stays on
when you are driving, or when one of the gages shows
there may be a problem, check the section that tells you
what to do about it. Please follow this manual’s advice.
Waiting to do repairs can be costly
- and even
dangerous.
So please get to know your warning lights
and gages. They’re a big help.
3-23

If the air bag readiness light stays on after you start the
vehicle or comes on when
you are driving, your air
bag system may not work properly. Have your vehicle
s iced right away.
Charging System
If the air bag readiness light stays on after you
start your vehicle,
it means the air bag system
may not be working properly. The air bags in
your vehicle may not inflate
in a crash, or they
could even inflate without a crash. To help avoid
injury to yourself or others, have your vehicle
serviced right away if the air bag readiness light
stays on after you start your vehicle.
The air bag readiness light should flash for a few
seconds when you turn the ignition key to
RUN.
If the light doesn’t come on then, have it fixed so
it will be ready to warn you if there is a problem.
Light
This light should come on
briefly when you turn on
the ignition, before starting the engine, as a check
to show you it is working.
After the engine starts, the light should go out.
if it stays
on or comes on while you are driving, you may have
a problem with your charging system. It could indicate a
problem with the generator drive belt, or some other
charging system problem. Have it checked right away.
Driving while this light is on could drain your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with this light
on,
it helps to turn off all your accessories, such as
the radio and air conditioner.
3-27

Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
This gage shows
the engine coolant
temperature.
If the
gage pointer moves
to the red area, your
engine is too hot!
It means that your engine coolant has overheated.
If you have been operating your vehicle under normal
driving conditions, you should pull
off the road, stop your
vehicle and turn
off the engine as soon as possible.
See
Engine Overheating on page 5-31.
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
Service Engine Soon Light in the
United States
or Check Engine Light
in Canada
SERVICE
ENGINE
SOON
ds
CHECK
United States Canada
Your vehicle is equipped with a computer which
monitors operation of the fuel, ignition and emission
control systems.
3-30

This system is called OBD II (On-Board Diagnostics-
Second Generation) and is intended to assure that
emissions are at acceptable levels for the life of
the vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner environment.
The SERVICE ENGINE SOON or CHECK ENGINE
light comes on and a chime will sound to indicate that
there is a problem and service is required. Malfunctions
often will be indicated by the system before any
problem is apparent. This may prevent more serious
damage to your vehicle. This system is also designed to
assist your service technician in correctly diagnosing
any malfunction.
Notice: If you keep driving your vehicle with this
light on, after a while, your emission controls
may not work as well, your fuel economy may not
be as good and your engine may not run as
smoothly. This could lead to costly repairs that
may not be covered by your warranty.
Notice: Modifications made to the engine,
transmission, exhaust, intake or fuel system of
your vehicle
or the replacement of the original tires
with other than those of the same Tire Performance
Criteria (TPC) can affect your vehicle’s emission
controls and may cause
this light to come on. Modifications to these systems could lead to costly
repairs not covered by your warranty. This may
also result
in a failure to pass a required Emission
Inspection/Maintenance test.
This light should come on, as a check to show you
it
is working, when the ignition is on and the engine is not
running.
If the light doesn’t come on, have it repaired.
This light will also come on during a malfunction in one
of two ways:
e
e Light Flashing - A misfire condition has been
detected.
A misfire increases vehicle emissions
and may damage the emission control system on
your vehicle. Dealer or qualified service center
diagnosis and service may be required.
Light On Steady
- An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis
and service may be required.
3-31

If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use.
it will require at least
one full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light
off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
have your dealer or qualified service center check
the vehicle. Your dealer has the proper test equipment
and diagnostic tools to fix any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.
Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance Programs
Some state/provincial and local governments have or
may begin programs to inspect the emission control
equipment on your vehicle. Failure to pass this
inspection could prevent you from getting a vehicle
registration. Here are
some things you need to know to help your
vehicle pass an inspection:
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection
if the SERVICE
ENGINE SOON or CHECK ENGINE light is on or not
working properly.
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection
if the OBD
(on-board diagnostic) system determines that critical
emission control systems have not been completely
diagnosed by the system. The vehicle would be
considered not ready for inspection. This can happen
if you have recently replaced your battery or if your
battery has run down. The diagnostic system is
designed to evaluate critical emission control systems
during normal driving. This may take several days
of routine driving.
If you have done this and your
vehicle still does not pass the inspection for lack of
OBD system readiness, see your dealer or qualified
service center to prepare the vehicle for inspection.
3-33

Security Light Service All-Wheel
This light will come on
briefly when you turn the
ignition key to
START.
SERVICE
AWD
Drive Light
This light should come on
briefly when you turn on
the ignition, as a check to
show you it is working.
The light will stay on until the engine starts.
If the light The SERVICE AWD light
comes on to indicate that
flashes, the Passlock@ System has entered a tamper there
may be a problem with the drive system and
mode. If the vehicle fails to start, see
Passlock@ service is required. Malfunctions can be indicated by the
on page 2- 18. system before any problem is apparent, which may
If the light comes on continuously while driving and also designed to assist your service technician in
stays on, there may be a problem with the Passlock@ correctly diagnosing a malfunction.
System. Your vehicle will not be protected by Passlock@,
and you should see your
GM dealer. prevent serious
damage to the vehicle. This system is
3-35

Tow/HauI Mode Liaht
TOW / HAUL
J
This light should come on
when the tow/haul mode
has been selected.
For more information, see “Tow/Haul Mode” in
Towing a
Trailer on page 4-31.
Check Gages Warning Light
CHECK
GAGES
The CHECK GAGES light
will come on briefly when
you are starting the engine.
Fuel Gage
I
UNLEADED
United States Canada
The
fuel gage tells you approximately how much fuel
you have remaining when the ignition is on.
When the gage first indicates empty, you still have a
little fuel left, but you should get more fuel as soon
as possible.
If the light comes on and stays on while you are driving,
check your coolant temperature and engine oil
pressure gages to see
if they are in the warning zones.
3-36

Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive
in spurts
- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
- rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is
a mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool
between
hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much
faster
if you do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace
with the traffic and allow realistic following distances,
you will eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking.
That means better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you’re driving, brake
normally but don’t pump your brakes.
If you do,
the pedal may get harder to push down.
If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist.
But you will use it when you brake. Once the power
assist is used up, it may take longer to stop and
the brake pedal will be harder to push.
Anti-lock Brake System
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes. ABS is an advanced
electronic braking system that will help prevent a
braking skid.
When you start your engine and begin to drive away,
your anti-lock brake system will check itself. You may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while this test
is going on. This is normal.
ANTI -
LOCK
I I I I
United States Canada
If there’s a problem with the anti-lock brake system, this
warning light will stay on. See
Anti-Lock Brake System
Warning Light on page
3-29.
4-7