tow CHEVROLET ASTRO CARGO VAN 2001 2.G Owners Manual

1-800-CHEV-USA
(For vehicles purchased in Canada,
call
1-800-268-6800)
that provides in an emergency:
1-800-CHEV-USA
(For vehicles purchased in Canada,
call
1-800-268-6800)
Free lockout assistance
Free dead-battery assistance
Free out-of-fuel assistance
Free flat-tire change
Emergency towing
Courtesy
Transportation
Every
2001 Astro
under warranty is
backed with the
following
services:®

Comfort Controls and Audio Systems
Your Driving and the Road
Table of Contents (cont'd)
Your Driving, the Road and Your Vehicle
Defensive Driving
Drunken Driving
Control of a Vehicle
BrakingSteering
Driving Tips for Various Road Conditions
Recreational Vehicle Towing
Loading Your Vehicle
Towing a Trailer Heating and Air Conditioning
Setting the Radio ClockRadio/CD Player
Radio Theft-Deterrent Feature
Hazard Warning Flashers
Jump Starting
Towing Your VehicleEngine Overheating
Changing a Flat Tire
If You're Stuck
Problems on the Road
iii
Section
5
Section
4
Section
3

1-2
Seats and Seat Controls
This section tells you about the seats -- how to adjust
them, take them out and put them back in. It also tells
you about bucket and bench seats, power seats and
head restraints.
Manual Front Seats
CAUTION:
You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to
adjust a manual driver's seat while the vehicle is
moving. The sudden movement could startle and
confuse you, or make you push a pedal when you
don't want to. Adjust the driver's seat only when
the vehicle is not moving.
2-Way Front Seat
The bucket seats can be
adjusted forward or
rearward using the lever
located on the front of
the seat.
Move the seat adjustment lever on the front of the seat
toward the outboard side of the seat to unlock it. Slide
the seat to where you want it. Then release the lever and
try to move the seat with your body, to make sure that
the seat is locked into place.

1-3 Manual Lumbar Support (If Equipped)
If you have this feature, there will be a knob located
on the inboard side of the driver's and passenger's
bucket seats.
Turn the knob toward the front of the vehicle to increase
lumbar support. Turn the knob toward the rear of the
vehicle to decrease lumbar support.
Power Seat (If Equipped)
If you have this feature, there will be a control pad
located on the inboard side of the driver's seat.
To raise or lower the front of the seat, raise or lower the
lever located toward the front of the vehicle.
To raise or lower the rear of the seat, raise or lower the
lever located toward the rear of the vehicle.
To move the entire seat backwards, forward, or up or
down, move the center knob.

1-6 Seatback Latches
The seatback lever is
located on the right rear
of your seat.
To fold your bench seatback
forward, pull up on the latch
release lever while pulling
the seatback toward the rear
of the vehicle.After the latch has been released, push the seatback
toward the front of the vehicle until it locks into place.
To raise the seatback, unlock the seatback latch by
pushing up on the lever while pushing down on the
upper edge of the seatback. Move the seatback into the
upright position. Make sure the seatback is locked when
it is back in the upright position.
CAUTION:
If the seatback isn't locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there.
Always press rearward on the seatback to be
sure it is locked.

1-7 Rear Seats
Bucket Seats (If Equipped)
You may have rear bucket seats with an adjustment
release bar located at the front of the seats. These seats
can be adjusted forward or rearward with the release bar.
Pull the release bar up to release the seat bottom and
slide the seat where you want it. Then let go of the
release bar and try to move the seat with your body, to
make sure the seat is locked into place.Bench Seats
Each bench seat can carry up to three passengers.
They can also be removed to increase storage space.
The center bench and rear bench seats can be adjusted
forward or rearward using the lever at the front of
the seat.
Move the seat adjustment
lever located at the front
of the seat toward the
passenger's side to unlock
it. Slide the seat to where
you want it. Then release
the lever and try to move
the seat with your body, to
make sure the seat is locked
into place.
The center bench seat has a pivoting right armrest.
The optional bench seats come with moveable armrests,
individual reclining seatbacks, adjustable headrests and
a fold
-down center armrest console.

1-12

To raise the seatback, do the following:
1. Unlock the seatback latch by pushing up on the
latch release lever at the right rear of the seat,
while pushing down on the upper edge of
the seatback.
2. Move the seatback into the upright position.
Make sure the seatback is locked when it is back
in the upright position.
If you are replacing the center seat, connect the right
lap
-shoulder belt to the attachment on the seat
cushion. If you have a safety belt guide on your seat,
pull the belt through the guide before reattaching the
lap
-shoulder belt to the side of the seat. The release
hole should be facing outward.
If you installed the safety belt with the release hole
facing inward (toward the seat), slide the plastic
cover up so you can see the buckle. Disconnect the
seat belt. Slide the cover back down and reinstall the
belt correctly.
CAUTION:
A safety belt that is improperly routed, not
properly attached, or twisted won't provide the
protection needed in a crash. The person wearing
the belt could be seriously injured. After
installing the seat, always check to be sure that
the safety belts are properly routed and attached,
and are not twisted.

1-31
What makes an air bag inflate?
In an impact of sufficient severity, the air bag sensing
system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. The sensing
system triggers a release of gas from the inflator, which
inflates the air bag. The inflator, air bag and related
hardware are all part of the air bag modules inside the
steering wheel and in the instrument panel in front of the
right front passenger.
How does an air bag restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near
-frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel or the
instrument panel. Air bags supplement the protection
provided by safety belts. Air bags distribute the force of
the impact more evenly over the occupant's upper body,
stopping the occupant more gradually. But air bags would
not help you in many types of collisions, including
rollovers, rear impacts and side impacts, primarily because
an occupant's motion is not toward those air bags. Air
bags should never be regarded as anything more than a
supplement to safety belts, and then only in moderate to
severe frontal or near
-frontal collisions.What will you see after an air bag inflates?
After an air bag inflates, it quickly deflates, so quickly that
some people may not even realize the air bag inflated.
Some components of the air bag module
-- the steering
wheel hub for the driver's air bag, or the instrument panel
for the right front passenger's bag
-- will be hot for a short
time. The parts of the bag that come into contact with you
may be warm, but not too hot to touch. There will be
some smoke and dust coming from vents in the deflated
air bags. Air bag inflation doesn't prevent the driver from
seeing or from being able to steer the vehicle, nor does it
stop people from leaving the vehicle.
CAUTION:
When an air bag inflates, there is dust in the air.
This dust could cause breathing problems for
people with a history of asthma or other
breathing trouble. To avoid this, everyone in the
vehicle should get out as soon as it is safe to do so.
If you have breathing problems but can't get out
of the vehicle after an air bag inflates, then get
fresh air by opening a window or door.

1-48
Restraint Systems for Children
An infant car bed (A), a special bed made for use in a
motor vehicle, is an infant restraint system designed to
restrain or position a child on a continuous flat surface.
Make sure that the infant's head rests toward the center
of the vehicle.
A rear-facing infant seat (B) provides restraint with the
seating surface against the back of the infant. The
harness system holds the infant in place and, in a crash,
acts to keep the infant positioned in the restraint.

1-63
CAUTION:
Never do this.
Here two children are wearing the same belt. The
belt can't properly spread the impact forces. In a
crash, the two children can be crushed together
and seriously injured. A belt must be used by
only one person at a time.
Q:What if a child is wearing a lap-shoulder belt,
but the child is so small that the shoulder belt is
very close to the child's face or neck?
A:Move the child toward the center of the vehicle, but
be sure that the shoulder belt still is on the child's
shoulder, so that in a crash the child's upper body
would have the restraint that belts provide. If the
child is sitting in a rear seat outside position, see
ªRear Safety Belt Comfort Guidesº in the Index.
If the child is so small that the shoulder belt is still
very close to the child's face or neck, you might
want to place the child in a seat that has a lap belt,
if your vehicle has one.