four wheel drive SATURN ASTRA 2008 Owners Manual

Starting and
Operating Your
Vehicle
New Vehicle Break-In
Notice:Your vehicle does not
need an elaborate break-in. But it
will perform better in the long
run if you follow these guidelines:
Do not drive at any one
constant speed, fast or slow,
for the rst 500 miles (805 km).
Do not make full-throttle
starts. Avoid downshifting
to brake or slow the vehicle.
Avoid making hard stops for
the rst 200 miles (322 km) or
so. During this time the new
brake linings are not yet broken
in. Hard stops with new linings
can mean premature wear and
earlier replacement. Follow this
breaking-in guideline every
time you get new brake linings.Following break-in, engine
speed and load can be gradually
increased.
Ignition Positions
Use the key to turn the ignition
switch to four different positions.
Notice:Using a tool to force the
key to turn in the ignition could
cause damage to the switch or
break the key. Use the correct key,
make sure it is all the way in, and
turn it only with your hand. If the
key cannot be turned by hand, see
your dealer/retailer.To shift out of P (Park), the ignition
must be in the ON/RUN position
and the regular brake pedal must
be applied.
A (LOCK/OFF):This is the only
position from which you can remove
the key. This locks the steering
wheel, ignition and automatic
transmission.
On vehicles with an automatic
transmission, the shift lever must
be in P (Park) to turn the ignition
switch to the LOCK/OFF position.
The ignition switch can bind in the
LOCK/OFF position with your wheels
turned off center. If this happens,
move the steering wheel from
right to left while turning the key to
STEERING UNLOCK/IGNITION
OFF. If this doesn’t work, then the
vehicle needs service.
8-2 Driving and Operating
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Buying New Tires
GM has developed and matched
specic tires for your vehicle.
The original equipment tires installed
on your vehicle, when it was new,
were designed to meet General
Motors Tire Performance Criteria
Specication (TPC Spec) system
rating. If you need replacement
tires, GM strongly recommends
that you get tires with the same
TPC Spec rating. This way,
your vehicle will continue to have
tires that are designed to give
the same performance and vehicle
safety, during normal use, as
the original tires.
GM’s exclusive TPC Spec system
considers over a dozen critical
specications that impact the
overall performance of your vehicle,
including brake system performance,
ride and handling, traction control,and tire pressure monitoring
performance. GM’s TPC Spec
number is molded onto the tire’s
sidewall near the tire size. If the tires
have an all-season tread design,
the TPC Spec number will be
followed by an MS for mud and
snow. SeeTire Sidewall Labeling on
page 9-40for additional information.
GM recommends replacing tires
in sets of four. This is because
uniform tread depth on all tires will
help keep your vehicle performing
most like it did when the tires were
new. Replacing less than a full
set of tires can affect the braking
and handling performance of
your vehicle. SeeTire Inspection
and Rotation on page 9-51for
information on proper tire rotation.{CAUTION
Mixing tires could cause you
to lose control while driving.
If you mix tires of different
sizes, brands, or types
(radial and bias-belted tires),
the vehicle may not handle
properly, and you could
have a crash. Using tires
of different sizes, brands,
or types may also cause
damage to the vehicle.
Be sure to use the correct
size, brand, and type of tires
on all wheels. It is all right
to drive with the compact
spare temporarily, as it was
developed for use on the
vehicle. SeeCompact Spare
Tire on page 9-67.
9-54 Vehicle Service and Care
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