open hood CHEVROLET ASTRO 2003 Owners Manual

Engine Coolant Heater
If your vehicle has this
feature,
in very cold
weather, 0°F
(-8°C) or
colder, the engine coolant heater can help. You’ll get
easier starting and better
fuel economy during engine warm-up.
Usually, the coolant heater should be plugged in a
minimum of four hours prior to starting your vehicle.
At temperatures above 32°F
(OOC), use of the coolant
heater is not required.
To Use the Engine Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
The engine coolant heater cord is located on the
driver’s side of the engine compartment, near
the power steering fluid reservoir. 3.
Plug
it into a normal, grounded 1 IO-volt AC outlet.
Plugging the cord i ..__ _.. mgrounc,, ,utlet
could cause an electrical shock.
Also, the
wrong kind of extension cord could overheat
and cause a fire. You could be seriously
injured. Plug the cord into
a properly grounded
three-prong
11 0-volt AC outlet. If the cord
won’t reach, use a heavy-duty three-prong
extension cord rated for at least
15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and
store the cord as it was before to keep it away
from moving engine parts.
If you don’t, it could be
damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends on the outside temperature, the
kind of oil you have, and some other things. Instead
of trying to list everything here, we ask that you contact
your dealer
in the area where you’ll be parking your
vehicle. The dealer can give you the best advice for that
particular area.
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Checking Things Under
the Hood
Hood Release
Things that burn can get on hot engine parts
and start
a fire. These include liquids like fuel,
oil, coolant, brake fluid, windshield washer and
other fluids, and plastic or rubber. You or
others could be burned. Be careful not to drop
or spill things that
will burn onto a hot engine.
To open the hood, do the following:
1. Pull the handle located inside the vehicle on the
lower driver’s side of the kick panel.
5-1 1

Engine Overheating
You will find an engine coolant temperature gage on
your vehicle’s instrument panel. See Engine Coolant
Temperature Gage on page 3-30.
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
Sean, ,ram an overheated engine can burn
you badly, even if you just open the hood. Stay away from the engine if you see or hear
steam coming from
it. Just turn it off and get
everyone away from the vehicle
until it cools
down. Wait until there
is no sign of steam or
coolant before you open the hood.
If you keep driving when your engine
is
overheated, the liquids in it can catch fire.
You or others could be badly burned. Stop
your engine if
it overheats, and get out of the
vehicle
until the engine is cool.
Notice: If your engine catches fire because you
keep driving with no coolant, your vehicle can
be badly damaged. The costly repairs would not
be covered by your warranty.
5-31

If No Steam Is Coming From
Your Engine
If you get an engine overheat warning but see or
hear no steam, the problem may not be too serious.
Sometimes the engine can get a little too hot when you:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high-speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer. See ”Driving on Grades” in Towing a
Trailer on page 4-3 I.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for a minute or
so:
1. In heavy traffic, let the engine idle in NEUTRAL (N)
while stopped. If it is safe to do so, pull off the road,
shift to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL
(N) and let the
engine idle.
If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can
drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about
10 minutes.
If the warning doesn’t come back on, you can drive
normally.
If the warning continues and you have not stopped,
pull over, stop, and park your vehicle right away.
If there’s still no sign of steam, you can push down the
accelerator until the engine speed is about twice as
fast as normal idle speed for at least three minutes while
you’re parked. If you still have the warning’turn
off the
engine and get everyone
out of the vehicle until it cools
down.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window as necessary.
5-32

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

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

Underhood Fuse Block
The underhood fuse block is located toward the rear
of the engine compartment on the driver’s side of
the vehicle.
Lift the hood and open the cover to gain access to this
fuse block.
A fuse puller is included in the underhood fuse block.
You will also find spare fuses.
Feed
AUX B
AUX A
Usage
Upfitter Battery Feed
Upfitter Accessory Feed
5-96

Part B: Owner Checks and Services
Listed in this part are owner checks and services
which should be performed at the intervals specified to
help ensure the safety, dependability and emission
control performance of your vehicle.
Be sure any necessary repairs are completed at once.
Whenever any fluids or lubricants are added to your
vehicle, make sure they are the proper ones, as shown
in Part D.
At Each Fuel Fill
It is important for you or a service station attendant to
perform these underhood checks at each fuel fill.
Engine Oil Level Check
Check the engine oil level and add the proper oil
if necessary. See Engine Oil on page 5-15 for
further details.
Engine Coolant Level Check
Check the engine coolant level and add DEX-COOL@
coolant mixture
if necessary. See Engine Coolant
on page
5-28 for further details.
Windshield Washer Fluid Level Check
Check the windshield washer fluid level in the windshield
washer tank and add the proper fluid
if necessary.
See
Windshield Washer Fluid on page 5-41 for
further details.
At Least Once a Month
Tire Inflation Check
Make sure tires are inflated to the correct pressures.
Don’t forget to check your spare tire. See
Tires on
page
5-63 for further details.
At Least Twice a Year
Restraint System Check
Make sure the safety belt reminder light and all your belts,
buckles, latch plates, retractors and anchorages are
working properly. Look for any other loose or damaged
safety belt system parts. If you see anything that might
keep a safety belt system from doing its job, have it
repaired. Have any torn or frayed safety belts replaced.
Also look for any opened or broken air bag coverings,
and have them repaired or replaced. (The air bag
system does not need regular maintenance.)
6-26