wheel CHEVROLET ASTRO CARGO VAN 2003 2.G Owner's Guide

Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as ªhighway
hypnosisº? Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel?
Call it highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or
whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch of road with
the same scenery, along with the hum of the tires on the
road, the drone of the engine, and the rush of the
wind against the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Don't
let it happen to you! If it does, your vehicle can leave
the road in
less than a second,and you could crash and
be injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be
aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:
·Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.
·Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and
to the sides. Check your mirrors and your
instruments frequently.
·If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest,
service or parking area and take a nap, get some
exercise, or both. For safety, treat drowsiness
on the highway as an emergency.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving in ¯at or rolling terrain.
4-22

What's the worst time for this? ªWet ice.º Very cold
snow or ice can be slick and hard to drive on. But wet
ice can be even more trouble because it may offer
the least traction of all. You can get wet ice when it's
about freezing (32ÉF; 0ÉC) and freezing rain begins
to fall. Try to avoid driving on wet ice until salt and sand
crews can get there.Whatever the condition ± smooth ice, packed, blowing
or loose snow ± drive with caution.
Accelerate gently. Try not to break the fragile traction.
If you accelerate too fast, the drive wheels will spin and
polish the surface under the tires even more.
Your anti-lock brakes improve your vehicle's stability
when you make a hard stop on a slippery road.
Even though you have an anti-lock braking system,
you'll want to begin stopping sooner than you would on
dry pavement. See
Braking on page 4-6.
·Allow greater following distance on any slippery road.
·Watch for slippery spots. The road might be ®ne until
you hit a spot that's covered with ice. On an
otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in
shaded areas where the sun can't reach: around
clumps of trees, behind buildings or under bridges.
Sometimes the surface of a curve or an overpass
may remain icy when the surrounding roads are
clear. If you see a patch of ice ahead of you, brake
before you are on it. Try not to brake while you're
actually on the ice, and avoid sudden steering
maneuvers.
4-25

If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice
or Snow
In order to free your vehicle when it is stuck, you will
need to spin the wheels, but you don't want to spin your
wheels too fast. The method known as ªrockingº can
help you get out when you're stuck, but you must
use caution.
{CAUTION:
If you let your tires spin at high speed, they
can explode, and you or others could be
injured. And, the transmission or other parts of
the vehicle can overheat. That could cause an
engine compartment ®re or other damage.
When you're stuck, spin the wheels as little as
possible. Don't spin the wheels above 35 mph
(55 km/h) as shown on the speedometer.
Notice:Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of
your vehicle as well as the tires. If you spin the
wheels too fast while shifting your transmission
back and forth, you can destroy your transmission.
For information about using tire chains on your
vehicle, see
Tire Chains on page 5-70.
Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your front wheels. Then shift back
and forth between REVERSE (R) and a forward gear,
spinning the wheels as little as possible. Release
the accelerator pedal while you shift, and press lightly
on the accelerator pedal when the transmission is
in gear. By slowly spinning your wheels in the forward
and reverse directions, you will cause a rocking
motion that may free your vehicle. If that doesn't get
you out after a few tries, you may need to be towed out.
If you do need to be towed out, see ªTowing Your
Vehicleº following.
4-28

Towing
Towing Your Vehicle
Consult your dealer or a professional towing service if
you need to have your disabled vehicle towed. See
Roadside Assistance Program on page 7-6.
If you want to tow your vehicle behind another vehicle
for recreational purposes (such as behind a motorhome),
see ªRecreational Vehicle Towingº following.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
Recreational vehicle towing means towing your vehicle
behind another vehicle Ð such as behind a motorhome.
The two most common types of recreational vehicle
towing are known as ªdinghy towingº (towing your vehicle
with all four wheels on the ground) and ªdolly towingº
(towing your vehicle with two wheels on the ground and
two wheels up on a device known as a ªdollyº).
Your vehicle was not designed to be towed with any of
its wheels on the ground. If your vehicle must be
towed, see
Towing Your Vehicle on page 4-29.
Notice:Towing an all-wheel-drive vehicle with all
four wheels on the ground, or even with only two of
its wheels on the ground, will damage drivetrain
components. Don't tow an all-wheel-drive vehicle if
any of its wheels will be on the ground.
Loading Your Vehicle
The Certi®cation/Tire label in your vehicle will look
similar to this example.
The Certi®cation/Tire label is found on the rear edge of
the driver's door. The label shows the size of your
original tires and the in¯ation pressures needed to obtain
the gross weight capacity of your vehicle.
This is called the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR).
The GVWR includes the weight of the vehicle, all
occupants, fuel, cargo and tongue weight, if pulling
a trailer.
4-29

The following chart shows how much your trailer can weigh, based upon your vehicle model and options.
Vehicle Axle RatioMax. Trailer Wt. (lbs)
(kg) GCWR (lbs) (kg)
Two-Wheel Drive (Cargo)3.42
3.735,300 (2406)
5,800 (2633)9,500 (4313)
10,000 (4540)
Two-Wheel Drive (Passenger)3.42
3.734,900 (2225)
5,400 (2452)9,500 (4313)
10,000 (4540)
All-Wheel Drive (Cargo)3.42
3.735,100 (2315)
5,600 (2542)9,500 (4313)
10,000 (4540)
All-Wheel Drive (Passenger)3.42
3.734,600 (2088)
5,100 (2315)9,500 (4313)
10,000 (4540)
Maximum trailer weight is calculated assuming the
driver and one passenger are in the tow vehicle and it
has all the required trailering equipment. The weight
of additional optional equipment, passengers and cargo
in the tow vehicle must be subtracted from the
maximum trailer weight.You can ask your dealer for our trailering information or
advice, or you can write us at the address listed in
your Warranty and Owner Assistance Information
Booklet.
In Canada, write to:
General Motors of Canada Limited
Customer Communication Centre, 163-005
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario L1H 8P7
4-34

Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead as
you would when driving your vehicle without a trailer.
This can help you avoid situations that require
heavy braking and sudden turns.
Passing
You'll need more passing distance up ahead when
you're towing a trailer. And, because you're a good deal
longer, you'll need to go much farther beyond the
passed vehicle before you can return to your lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand.
Then, to move the trailer to the left, just move that hand
to the left. To move the trailer to the right, move your
hand to the right. Always back up slowly and, if possible,
have someone guide you.
Making Turns
Notice:Making very sharp turns while trailering
could cause the trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
When you're turning with a trailer, make wider turns than
normal. Do this so your trailer won't strike soft shoulders,
curbs, road signs, trees or other objects. Avoid jerky or
sudden maneuvers. Signal well in advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has to have extra
wiring (included in the optional trailering package).
The arrows on your instrument panel will ¯ash whenever
you signal a turn or lane change. Properly hooked up,
the trailer lamps will also ¯ash, telling other drivers
you're about to turn, change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the arrows on your instrument
panel will ¯ash for turns even if the bulbs on the trailer
are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers behind
you are seeing your signal when they are not. It's
important to check occasionally to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working.
4-38

Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gearbeforeyou start
down a long or steep downgrade. If you don't shift
down, you might have to use your brakes so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
You can tow in DRIVE (D). You may want to shift
the transmission to THIRD (3) or, if necessary, a
lower gear selection if the transmission shifts too often
(e.g., under heavy loads and/or hilly conditions).
When towing at high altitude on steep uphill grades,
consider the following: Engine coolant will boil at a lower
temperature than at normal altitudes. If you turn your
engine off immediately after towing at high altitude
on steep uphill grades, your vehicle may show signs
similar to engine overheating. To avoid this, let the
engine run while parked (preferably on level ground)
with the automatic transmission in PARK (P) for a
few minutes before turning the engine off. If you do get
the overheat warning, see
Engine Overheating on
page 5-31.
Parking on Hills
{CAUTION:
You really should not park your vehicle, with a
trailer attached, on a hill. If something goes
wrong, your rig could start to move. People
can be injured, and both your vehicle and the
trailer can be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here's
how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don't shift into
PARK (P) yet.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer
wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your
parking brake, and shift to PARK (P).
5. Release the regular brakes.
4-39

Trailer Wiring Harness
If you have the optional trailering package, your vehicle
will have an eight-wire harness, including the center
high-mounted stoplamp battery feed wire. The harness
is stored on the passenger's side of the vehicle near
the rear wheel well. This harness has a 30 amp battery
feed wire and no connector, and should be wired by
a quali®ed electrical technician. After choosing an
aftermarket trailer mating connector pair, have the
technician attach one connector to the eight-wire trailer
harness and the other connector to the wiring harness
on the trailer. Be sure the wiring harness on the trailer is
taped or strapped to the trailer's frame rail and leave
it loose enough so the wiring doesn't bend or break, but
not so loose that it drags on the ground. The eight-wire
harness must be routed out of your vehicle between
the rear door and the ¯oor, with enough of the harness
left on both sides so that the trailer or the body won't
pull it. If you do not have the optional trailering package,
your vehicle will still have a trailering harness. The
harness is located near the passenger's side rear wheel
well. It consists of six wires that may be used by
after-market trailer hitch installers.The technician can use the following color code chart
when connecting the wiring harness to your trailer.·Brown: Rear lamps.
·Yellow: Left stoplamp and turn signal.
·Dark Green: Right stoplamp and turn signal.
·White (Heavy Gage): Ground.
·Light Green: Back-up lamps.
·White (Light Gage): Center High-Mounted Stoplamp.
·Blue: Auxiliary circuit (eight-wire harness only).
·Orange: Fused auxiliary (eight-wire harness only).
Store the harness in its original place. Wrap the
harness together and tie it neatly so it won't
be damaged.
4-41

Service............................................................5-3
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-3
Adding Equipment to the Outside
of Your Vehicle...........................................5-4
Fuel................................................................5-5
Gasoline Octane............................................5-5
Gasoline Speci®cations....................................5-5
California Fuel...............................................5-6
Additives.......................................................5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-7
Filling Your Tank............................................5-8
Filling a Portable Fuel Container.....................5-10
Checking Things Under the Hood....................5-11
Hood Release..............................................5-11
Engine Compartment Overview.......................5-14
Engine Oil...................................................5-15
Engine Cover...............................................5-20
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-24
Automatic Transmission Fluid.........................5-25
Engine Coolant.............................................5-28
Radiator Pressure Cap..................................5-30
Engine Overheating.......................................5-31Cooling System............................................5-33
Engine Fan Noise.........................................5-39
Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-40
Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-41
Brakes........................................................5-42
Battery........................................................5-46
Jump Starting...............................................5-47
All-Wheel Drive..............................................5-52
Rear Axle.......................................................5-53
Front Axle......................................................5-54
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-55
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-55
Headlamps..................................................5-55
Front Turn Signal Lamps...............................5-59
Taillamps.....................................................5-60
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-61
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-62
Tires..............................................................5-63
In¯ation Ð Tire Pressure...............................5-64
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-64
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-66
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

Buying New Tires.........................................5-66
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-67
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-69
Wheel Replacement......................................5-69
Tire Chains..................................................5-70
If a Tire Goes Flat........................................5-70
Changing a Flat Tire.....................................5-71
Compact Spare Tire......................................5-82
Appearance Care............................................5-83
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle.................5-83
Care of Safety Belts......................................5-86
Weatherstrips...............................................5-86
Cleaning the Outside of Your Vehicle.................5-86
Sheet Metal Damage.....................................5-88
Finish Damage.............................................5-88
Underbody Maintenance................................5-89
Chemical Paint Spotting.................................5-89
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials..................5-89Vehicle Identi®cation......................................5-91
Vehicle Identi®cation Number (VIN).................5-91
Service Parts Identi®cation Label.....................5-91
Electrical System............................................5-92
Add-On Electrical Equipment..........................5-92
Headlamp Wiring..........................................5-92
Windshield Wiper Fuses................................5-92
Power Windows and Other
Power Options..........................................5-92
Fuses and Circuit Breakers............................5-93
Capacities and Speci®cations..........................5-99
Capacities and Speci®cations.........................5-99
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts.........5-101
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-2