CHEVROLET ASTRO 2005 Owners Manual

Do not add paper labels to CDs, they could get caught
in the CD player.
If an error appears on the display, see “CD Messages”
later in this section.
1 PREV (Previous):Press this pushbutton to go to the
start of the current track if more then eight seconds
have played. If this pushbutton is held or pressed more
than once, the player will continue moving backward
through the CD.
2 RDM (Random):Press this pushbutton to hear the
tracks in random, rather than sequential, order.
RANDOM will appear on the display. Press this
pushbutton again to turn off random play.
3 NEXT:Press this pushbutton to go to the next track.
If this pushbutton is held or pressed more than once,
the player will continue moving forward through the CD.
REV 4 (Reverse):Press and hold this pushbutton to
reverse quickly within a track. You will hear sound at a
reduced volume. Release the pushbutton to play the
passage. The elapsed time of the track will appear
on the display.
FWD 6 (Forward):Press and hold this pushbutton to
advance quickly within a track. You will hear sound at a
reduced volume. Release the pushbutton to play the
passage. The elapsed time of the track will appear
on the display.oSEEKp:The right arrow is the same as the
NEXT pushbutton, and the left arrow is the same as the
PREV pushbutton. If either arrow is held or pressed
more than once, the player will continue moving forward
or backward through the CD.
RECALL:Press this button to see what track is
playing. Press it again within ve seconds to see how
long the current track has been playing. Press this
button again to return to the time display.
AM FM:Press this button to listen to the radio when a
CD is playing. The inactive CD will remain safely
inside the radio for future listening.
CD AUX (Auxiliary):Press this button to play a CD
when listening to the radio. CD and the CD symbol will
appear on the display when a CD is loaded.
EJECT:Press this button to eject the CD. Eject may be
activated with either the ignition or radio off. CDs may
be loaded with the ignition and radio off if this button
is pressed rst.
3-45

CD Messages
ERR (Error):If this message appears on the display
and/or the CD comes out, it could be for one of the
following reasons:
It is very hot. When the temperature returns to
normal, the CD should play.
You are driving on a very rough road. When the
road becomes smoother, the CD should play.
The CD is dirty, scratched, wet, or upside down.
The air is very humid. If so, wait about an hour
and try again.
There may have been a problem while burning
the CD.
The label may be caught in the CD player.
Press RECALL to make ERR go off of the display.
If the CD is not playing correctly, for any other reason,
try a known good CD.
If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error cannot be
corrected, contact your dealer. If the radio displays
an error message, write it down and provide it to your
dealer when reporting the problem.
Rear Seat Audio (RSA)
This feature allows rear seat passengers to listen to any
of the sources: radio and CDs. However, the rear
seat passengers can only control the sources that the
front seat passengers are not listening to. For example,
rear seat passengers may listen to and control a CD
through headphones while the driver listens to the radio
through the front speakers. The rear seat passengers
have control of the volume for each set of headphones.
The front seat audio controls always have priority
over the RSA controls. If the front seat passengers
switch the source for the main radio to a remote source,
the RSA will not be able to control the remote source.
You can operate the RSA when the main radio is off.
3-46

PWR (Power):Press this button to turn the system on
or off. The rear speakers will be muted when the
power is turned on.
VOL (Volume):Press this knob lightly so it extends.
Turn the knob to increase or to decrease the volume.
Push the knob back into it’s stored position when
you are not using it. The upper knob controls the upper
headphones and the lower knob controls the lower
headphones.
AM FM:Press this button to switch between FM1,
FM2, or AM. If the front seat passengers are listening to
the radio, the RSA will not switch between the bands
or change the frequency.
Press AM FM to listen to the radio when a CD is
playing. The inactive CD will remain safely inside the
radio for future listening.
wSEEKx:When listening to the radio, press the up
or the down arrow to go to the next or to the previous
station and stay there. This function is inactive if
the front seat passengers are listening to the radio.
To scan preset stations, press and hold either SEEK
arrow until SCAN appears on the radio display.
The radio will go to a station, play for a few seconds,
then go on to the next station. Press either SEEK arrow
again to stop scanning. This function is inactive if the
front seat passengers are listening to the radio.
When a CD is playing, press the up arrow to go to the
next track on the CD. Press the down arrow to go
to the start of the current track if more than eight
seconds have played. This function is inactive if the front
seat passengers are listening to a CD.
P.SET PROG (Preset Program):Press this button to
scan the preset radio stations set on the pushbuttons on
the main radio. The radio will go to a preset station,
play for a few seconds, then go on to the next preset
station. Press this button again to stop scanning.
This function is inactive if the front seat passengers are
listening to the radio.
TAPE CD:Press this button to play CD when listening
to the radio.
3-47

Theft-Deterrent Feature
THEFTLOCK®is designed to discourage theft of your
vehicle’s radio. It works by using a secret code to
disable all radio functions whenever battery power is
interrupted.
The THEFTLOCK
®feature for the radio may be used or
ignored. If ignored, the radio plays normally and the
radio is not protected by the feature. If THEFTLOCK
®is
activated, the radio will not operate if stolen.
When THEFTLOCK
®is activated, LOC will appear on
the radio display to indicate a locked condition anytime
battery power has been interrupted. If the battery
loses power for any reason, you must unlock the radio
with the secret code before it will operate.
Activating the Theft-Deterrent Feature
The instructions which follow explain how to enter
your secret code to activate the THEFTLOCK®system.
Read through all nine steps before starting the
procedure.If you allow more than 15 seconds to elapse between
any steps, the radio automatically reverts to time
and you must start the procedure over at Step 4.
1. Write down any three or four-digit number
from 000 to 1999 and keep it in a safe place
separate from the vehicle.
2. Turn the ignition on.
3. Turn the radio off.
4. Press the 1 and 4 pushbuttons at the same time.
Hold them down until --- appears on the display.
Next you will use the secret code number which you
have written down.
5. Press MN and 000 will appear on the display.
6. Press MN again to make the last two digits agree
with your code.
7. Press HR to make the rst one or two digits agree
with your code.
8. Press AM FM after you have conrmed that the
code matches the secret code you have written
down. REP will appear on the display to indicate
that Steps 5 through 7 need to be repeated to
conrm your secret code.
9. Press AM FM again. SEC will appear on the display
to indicate that the radio is secure. The LED
indicator by the volume knob will begin ashing
when the ignition is turned off.
3-48

Unlocking the Theft-Deterrent Feature
After a Power Loss
Enter your secret code as follows; pause no more than
15 seconds between steps:
1. Turn the ignition on. LOC will appear on the
display.
2. Press MN and 000 will appear on the display.
3. Press MN again to make the last two digits agree
with your code.
4. Press HR to make the rst one or two digits agree
with your code.
5. Press AM FM after you have conrmed that the
code matches the secret code you have written
down. The display will show SEC, indicating
the radio is now operable and secure.
If you enter the wrong code eight times, INOP will
appear on the display. You will have to wait an hour
with the ignition on before you can try again. When you
try again, you will only have three chances, eight
tries per chance, to enter the correct code before INOP
appears.
If you lose or forget your code, contact your GM dealer.
Disabling the Theft-Deterrent Feature
Enter your secret code as follows; pause no more than
15 seconds between steps:
1. Turn the ignition on.
2. Turn the radio off.
3. Press and hold the 1 and 4 pushbuttons at the
same time until SEC appears on the display.
4. Press MN and 000 will appear on the display.
5. Press MN again to make the last two digits agree
with your code.
6. Press HR to make the rst one or two digits agree
with your code.
7. Press AM FM after you have conrmed that the
code matches the secret code you have written
down. --- will appear on the display, indicating that
the radio is no longer secured.
If the code entered is incorrect, SEC will appear on the
display. The radio will remain secured until the correct
code is entered.
When battery power is removed and later applied to a
secured radio, the radio will not turn on and LOC
will appear on the display.
To unlock a secured radio, seeUnlocking the
Theft-Deterrent Feature After a Power Lossearlier in
this section.
3-49

Radio Reception
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM,
especially at night. The longer range, however, can
cause stations to interfere with each other. AM can
pick up noise from things like storms and power lines.
Try reducing the treble to reduce this noise.
FM
FM stereo will give you the best sound, but FM signals
will reach only about 10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km).
Tall buildings or hills can interfere with FM signals,
causing the sound to come and go.
Care of Your CDs
Handle CDs carefully. Store them in their original
cases or other protective cases and away from direct
sunlight and dust. If the surface of a CD is soiled,
dampen a clean, soft cloth in a mild, neutral detergent
solution and clean it, wiping from the center to the edge.
Be sure never to touch the side without writing when
handling CDs. Pick up CDs by grasping the outer edges
or the edge of the hole and the outer edge.
Care of Your CD Player
The use of CD lens cleaners for CD players is not
advised, due to the risk of contaminating the lens of the
CD optics with lubricants internal to the CD mechanism.
Fixed Mast Antenna
The xed mast antenna can withstand most car washes
without being damaged. If the mast should ever
become slightly bent, straighten it out by hand. If the
mast is badly bent, replace it.
Check occasionally to make sure the mast is still
tightened to the fender. If tightening is required, tighten
by hand, then with a wrench one quarter turn.
3-50

Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle..........4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunken Driving.............................................4-3
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-5
Braking.........................................................4-6
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS).........................4-7
Braking in Emergencies...................................4-8
Locking Rear Axle..........................................4-8
Steering........................................................4-9
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-11
Passing.......................................................4-11
Loss of Control.............................................4-12
Driving at Night............................................4-14
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-15City Driving..................................................4-18
Freeway Driving...........................................4-19
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-20
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-21
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-21
Winter Driving..............................................4-23
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow........4-27
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out.................4-28
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-28
Towing..........................................................4-33
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-33
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-34
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-34
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

Your Driving, the Road, and
Your Vehicle
Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about driving is: Drive
defensively.
Please start with a very important safety device in your
vehicle: Buckle up. SeeSafety Belts: They Are for
Everyone on page 1-18.
Defensive driving really means “be ready for anything.”
On city streets, rural roads, or freeways, it means
“always expect the unexpected.”
Assume that pedestrians or other drivers are going to
be careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what
they might do. Be ready for their mistakes.Rear-end collisions are about the most preventable of
accidents. Yet they are common. Allow enough following
distance. It is the best defensive driving maneuver, in
both city and rural driving. You never know when
the vehicle in front of you is going to brake or turn
suddenly.
Defensive driving requires that a driver concentrate on
the driving task. Anything that distracts from the
driving task — such as concentrating on a cellular
telephone call, reading, or reaching for something on
the oor — makes proper defensive driving more difficult
and can even cause a collision, with resulting injury. Ask
a passenger to help do things like this, or pull off the road
in a safe place to do them yourself. These simple
defensive driving techniques could save your life.
4-2

Drunken Driving
Death and injury associated with drinking and driving
is a national tragedy. It is the number one contributor to
the highway death toll, claiming thousands of victims
every year.
Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs to drive
a vehicle:
Judgment
Muscular Coordination
Vision
Attentiveness
Police records show that almost half of all motor
vehicle-related deaths involve alcohol. In most cases,
these deaths are the result of someone who was
drinking and driving. In recent years, more than
16,000 annual motor vehicle-related deaths have been
associated with the use of alcohol, with more than
300,000 people injured.Many adults — by some estimates, nearly half the adult
population — choose never to drink alcohol, so they
never drive after drinking. For persons under 21,
it is against the law in every U.S. state to drink alcohol.
There are good medical, psychological and
developmental reasons for these laws.
The obvious way to eliminate the leading highway
safety problem is for people never to drink alcohol and
then drive. But what if people do? How much is “too
much” if someone plans to drive? It is a lot less
than many might think. Although it depends on each
person and situation, here is some general information
on the problem.
The Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of someone
who is drinking depends upon four things:
The amount of alcohol consumed
The drinker’s body weight
The amount of food that is consumed before and
during drinking
The length of time it has taken the drinker to
consume the alcohol
4-3

According to the American Medical Association, a
180 lb (82 kg) person who drinks three 12 ounce (355 ml)
bottles of beer in an hour will end up with a BAC of about
0.06 percent. The person would reach the same BAC by
drinking three 4 ounce (120 ml) glasses of wine or three
mixed drinks if each had 1-1/2 ounces (45 ml) of liquors
like whiskey, gin, or vodka.It is the amount of alcohol that counts. For example, if the
same person drank three double martinis (3 ounces or
90 ml of liquor each) within an hour, the person’s BAC
would be close to 0.12 percent. A person who consumes
food just before or during drinking will have a somewhat
lower BAC level.
There is a gender difference, too. Women generally
have a lower relative percentage of body water
than men. Since alcohol is carried in body water, this
means that a woman generally will reach a higher BAC
level than a man of her same body weight will when
each has the same number of drinks.
The law in most U.S. states, and throughout Canada,
sets the legal limit at 0.08 percent. In some other
countries, the limit is even lower. For example, it is
0.05 percent in both France and Germany. The
BAC limit for all commercial drivers in the United States
is 0.04 percent.
The BAC will be over 0.10 percent after three to
six drinks (in one hour). Of course, as we have seen,
it depends on how much alcohol is in the drinks,
and how quickly the person drinks them.
But the ability to drive is affected well below a BAC of
0.10 percent. Research shows that the driving skills
of many people are impaired at a BAC approaching
0.05 percent, and that the effects are worse at night.
4-4