light CHEVROLET ASTRO CARGO VAN 2003 2.G Owners Manual

Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats
............................................... 1-7
Safety Belts
.............................................1-13
Child Restraints
.......................................1-35
Air Bag System
.......................................1-62
Restraint System Check
............................1-71
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-2
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-7
Windows
.................................................2-16
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-18
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-19
Mirrors
....................................................2-32
HomeLink
žTransmitter
.............................2-34
Storage Areas
.........................................2-38
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-2
Climate Controls
......................................3-18
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
.........3-23
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-38
Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2Towing
....................................................4-29
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-11
All-Wheel Drive
........................................5-52
Rear Axle
...............................................5-53
Front Axle
...............................................5-54
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-55
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-62
Tires
......................................................5-63
Appearance Care
.....................................5-83
Vehicle Identi®cation
.................................5-91
Electrical System
......................................5-92
Capacities and Speci®cations
.....................5-99
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
....5-101
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information.................... 7-1
Customer Assistance Information
.................. 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
...........................7-10
Index.................................................................1
2003 Chevrolet Astro Owner ManualM

Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this book you will ®nd these notices:
Notice:These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
A notice will tell you about something that can damage
your vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be
covered by your warranty, and it could be costly. But the
notice will tell you what to do to help avoid the
damage.
When you read other manuals, you might see CAUTION
and NOTICE warnings in different colors or in different
words.
You'll also see warning labels on your vehicle. They use
the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.
Vehicle Symbols
Your vehicle has components and labels that use
symbols instead of text. Symbols, used on your vehicle,
are shown along with the text describing the operation
or information relating to a speci®c component, control,
message, gage or indicator.
If you need help ®guring out a speci®c name of a
component, gage or indicator, reference the following
topics:
·Seats and Restraint Systems in Section 1
·Features and Controls in Section 2
·Instrument Panel Overview in Section 3
·Climate Controls in Section 3
·Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators in Section 3
·Audio System(s) in Section 3
·Engine Compartment Overview in Section 5
iv

Safety Belts
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety
belts properly. It also tells you some things you should
not do with safety belts.
{CAUTION:
Don't let anyone ride where he or she can't
wear a safety belt properly. If you are in a
crash and you're not wearing a safety belt,
your injuries can be much worse. You can hit
things inside the vehicle or be ejected from it.
You can be seriously injured or killed. In the
same crash, you might not be, if you are
buckled up. Always fasten your safety belt,
and check that your passengers' belts are
fastened properly too.
{CAUTION:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo
area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a
collision, people riding in these areas are more
likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not
allow people to ride in any area of your vehicle
that is not equipped with seats and safety
belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a
seat and using a safety belt properly.
Your vehicle has a light
that comes on as a
reminder to buckle up. See
Safety Belt Reminder
Light on page 3-26.
1-13

There is an air bag readiness light on the instrument
panel, which shows AIR BAG or the air bag symbol.
The system checks the air bag electrical system
for malfunctions. The light tells you if there is an
electrical problem. See
Air Bag Readiness Light on
page 3-26for more information.
Where Are the Air Bags?
The driver's air bag is in the middle of the steering
wheel. United States
Canada
1-64

Restraint System Check
Checking Your Restraint Systems
Now and then, 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.
Torn or frayed safety belts may not protect you in a
crash. They can rip apart under impact forces. If a belt
is torn or frayed, get a new one right away.
Also look for any opened or broken air bag covers, and
have them repaired or replaced. (The air bag system
does not need regular maintenance.)
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash
{CAUTION:
A crash can damage the restraint systems in
your vehicle. A damaged restraint system may
not properly protect the person using it,
resulting in serious injury or even death in a
crash. To help make sure your restraint
systems are working properly after a crash,
have them inspected and any necessary
replacements made as soon as possible.
1-71

Remote Keyless Entry System
Operation
If your vehicle has this feature, you can lock and unlock
your doors from about 3 feet (1 m) up to 30 feet
(9 m) away using the remote keyless entry transmitter
supplied with your vehicle.
UNLOCK:Press UNLOCK
once for the driver's door to
unlock, the parking lamps
to ¯ash and the interior
lights to go on.
If you press UNLOCK again within three seconds, all
doors will unlock.LOCK:Press LOCK to lock all the doors. Press LOCK
again within three seconds and the horn will chirp.
REAR 2X:Press the REAR button twice within three
seconds to unlock the rear hatch or cargo doors.
The parking lamps will ¯ash and the interior lights will
go on. If the engine is running, the automatic
transmission must be in PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) for
the REAR 2X button to operate.
L(Panic Alarm):Press this button for the horn to
sound and the headlamps and taillamps to ¯ash for up to
30 seconds. This can be turned off by pressing the
panic button again, waiting for 30 seconds, or starting
the vehicle.
Matching Transmitter(s) to Your
Vehicle
Each remote keyless entry transmitter is coded to
prevent another transmitter from unlocking your vehicle.
If a transmitter is lost or stolen, a replacement can
be purchased through your dealer. Remember to bring
any remaining transmitters with you when you go to
your dealer. When the dealer matches the replacement
transmitter to your vehicle, any remaining transmitters
must also be matched. Once your dealer has coded the
new transmitter, the lost transmitter will not unlock
your vehicle. Each vehicle can have a maximum of four
transmitters matched to it.
2-5

Power Windows
If you have power windows, the controls are located on
each of the front doors. The driver's door also has a
switch for the front passenger window. Your power
windows will not work unless the ignition is in RUN or
ACCESSORY, or unless retained accessory power
is active. See ªRetained Accessory Powerº under
Ignition Positions on page 2-19.
Express-Down Window
The driver's window switch also has an express-down
feature that allows you to lower the window without
holding the switch. Press the down arrow on the driver's
window switch marked AUTO brie¯y to activate the
express-down feature. The express-down feature can
be interrupted at any time by pressing the up arrow end
of the switch. Lightly tap the switch to open the
window slightly.
Sun Visors
To block out glare, you can swing down the visors. You
can also swing them from side to side. Your visors
may have an extension that can be pulled out for
additional glare protection.
Visor Vanity Mirror
Some visors have mirrors built in, with or without lamps.
Just lift the mirror cover on each visor to turn the
lamps on.
2-17

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.
Passlockž
Your vehicle is equipped with the Passlockž
theft-deterrent system.
Passlock
žis a passive theft-deterrent system. Passlockž
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 ®ve seconds after the key is turned
to RUN.
If the engine stalls and the SECURITY light ¯ashes,
wait until the light stops ¯ashing 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
žsystem is not
working properly and must be serviced by your
dealer. Your vehicle is not protected by Passlock
žat
this time. You may also want to check the fuse.
See
Fuses and Circuit Breakers on page 5-93. See your
dealer for service.
2-18

If you manually select SECOND (2), the transmission
will drive in second gear. You may use this feature
for reducing torque to the rear wheels when you
are trying to start your vehicle from a stop on slippery
road surfaces.
FIRST (1):This position gives you even more power
(but lower fuel economy) than SECOND (2). You
can use it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud.
If the shift selector lever is put in FIRST (1), the
transmission won't shift into ®rst gear until the vehicle is
going slow enough.
Notice:If your wheels won't turn, don't try to drive.
This might happen if you were stuck in very deep
sand or mud or were up against a solid object. You
could damage your transmission. Also, if you
stop when going uphill, don't hold your vehicle there
with only the accelerator pedal. This could overheat
and damage the transmission. Use your brakes
or shift into PARK (P) to hold your vehicle in
position on a hill.
Tow/Haul Mode Button
Your vehicle is equipped with a tow/haul button. The
button is located on the end of the column shift
lever. You can use this feature to assist when towing or
hauling a heavy load.
To select the tow/haul mode, press in the button. The
TOW/HAUL light on the instrument panel cluster
will come on. To go back to normal operation, press the
button again. The indicator light on the instrument
panel cluster will go out. See
Tow/Haul Mode Light on
page 3-36for more information.
2-25

All-Wheel Drive
If your vehicle has all-wheel drive, your engine's driving
power is sent to all four wheels for extra traction
when needed.
This is like four-wheel drive, but there is no separate
lever or switch to engage or disengage the front axle.
It is fully automatic, and adjusts itself as needed for road
conditions.
You may experience a brief vehicle vibration upon
acceleration when driving in slippery conditions. This is
normal and is an indication that the all-wheel drive
system is functioning properly.
Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the regular brake pedal
down with your right foot.
Push down the parking brake pedal with your left foot.
If the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will come on.To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down. Pull the brake release lever located on the
lower left side of the steering column.
Notice:Driving with the parking brake on can
cause your rear brakes to overheat. You may have
to replace them, and you could also damage
other parts of your vehicle.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on a hill, see
Towing a Trailer on page 4-31. That section shows
what to do ®rst to keep the trailer from moving.
2-26