1993 CHEVROLET ASTRO PASSENGER Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If you’re using fuel rated at 91 octane or higher and you still hear heavy
knocking, your engine needs service. But don’t worry if you hear a little
pinging noise when you’re accelerating or driving up a hill. That’s normal, and
you don’t have to buy a higher octane fuel to get rid of pinging. It’s the
heavy, constant knock that means you have a problem.
What about gasoline with blending materials that contain oxygen,\
such as MTBE
or alcohol?
MTBE is “methyl tertiary-butyl ether.” Fuel that is no more th\
an 15% MTBE is
fine for your vehicle.
Ethanol is ethyl or grain alcohol. Properly-blended fuel that is no more than
10% ethanol is fine for your vehicle.
Methanol is methyl or wood alcohol.
Fuel that is more than
5% methanol is bad for your vehicle. Don’t use It.
It can corrode metal parts in your fuel system and also damage plastic
and rubber parts. That damage wouldn’t be covered under your\
warran
And even at 5% or less, there must be “cosolvents” md cc----6io
preventers in this fuel to help avoid these problems
Gasolines for CIeaner Air
Your use of gasoline with detergent additives will help prevent deposits fro\
m
forming in your engine and fuel system. That helps keep your engine in tune
and your emission control system working properly. It’s good \
for your vehicle,
and you’ll be doing your part for cleaner air.
Many gasolines are now blended with materials called oxygenates.\
General
Motors recommends that you use gasolines with these blending ma\
terials,
such as MTBE and ethanol. By doing
so, you can help clean the air,
especially in those parts of the country that have high carbon monoxide
levels.
In addition, some gasoline suppliers are now producing reformulated \
gasolines. These gasolines are specially designed to reduce vehicle
emissions. General Motors recommends that you use reformulated g\
asoline.
By doing
so, you can help clean the air, especially in those parts of the
country that have high ozone levels.
You should ask your service station operators
if their gasolines contain
detergents and oxygenates, and
if they have been reformulated to reduce
vehicle emissions.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Fuels in Foreign Countries
If you plan on driving in another country outside the U.S. or Canada,
unleaded fuel may be hard to find.
Do not’ use leaded gasoline. If you use
even one tank full, your emission controls won’t work well \
or at all. With
continuous use, spark plugs can get fouled, the exhaust system \
can corrode,
and your engine oil can deteriorate quickly. Your vehicle’s oxygen sensor will
be damaged.
All of that means costly repairs that wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
To check on fuel availability, ask an auto club, or contact a major oil
company that does business in the country where you’ll be driving.
You can also write us at the following address
for advice. Just tell us where
you’re going and give your Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN).
General Motors of Canada, Limited
International Export Sales
P.O. Box 828
Oshawa, Ontario L1H 7N1, Canada
Filling Your Tank
PO389
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine CAUTION
A
Gasoline vapor is highly flammable. It burns violently, and that can
cause very bad injuries. Don’t smoke
if you’re near gasoline or
refueling your vehicle. Keep sparks, flames, and smoking materia\
ls
away from gasoline.
The cap is behind a hinged door on the left side of your ~icle.
Your optional fuel filler door release button is in the upper corner of the
driver’s side stepwell.
While refueling, hang the cap inside the fuel door.
To take
off the cap, turn it slowly to the left (counterclockwise).
I CAUTION
A
If you get gasoline on you and then something ignites it, you co\
uld
be badly burned. Gasoline can spray out on you
if you open the fuel
filler cap too quickly. This spray can happen
if your tank is nearly
full, and is more likely in hot weather. Open the fuel filler cap slowly
and wait for any “hiss” noise
to stop. Then unscrew the cap all the
way.
When you put the cap back on, turn
it to the right until you hear a clicking
noise.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Service & Appearance Care
Checking Things Under the Hood
Hood Release
To open the hood, first pull the handle inside the vehicle.
Then
go to the front of the vehicle and release the secondary hood release.
PO469
K3605
Lift the hood, release the hood prop from its retainer and pu\
t the hood prop
into the
slot in the hood.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A
Things that burn can get on hot engine parts and start a fire. These
include liquids like gasoline, oil, coolant, brake fluid, windsh\
ield
washer and other fluids, and plastic or rubber. You or others could
be burned. Be careful not to drop or spill things that will burn onto a
hot engine.
I I
Before closing the hood, be sure all the filler caps are on properly.
I
~
K3607
Then lift the hood to relieve pressure on the hood prop. Remove the hood
prop from the slot in the hood and return the prop to its retainer. Then just
let the hood down and close
it firmly.
Engine Oil
It’s a good idea to check your engine oil every time you get fuel. In order to
get an accurate reading, the oil must be warm and the vehicle\
must be on level ground.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Service dk Appearance Care
K3608
Turn off the engine and give the oil a few minutes to drain back down into
the oil pan.
If you don’t, the oil dipstick might not show the actual level\
.
To Check Engine Oil: Pull out the dipstick and clean it with a paper towel
or cloth, then push it back in all the way. Remove it again, keeping the tip
lower.
K3609
When to Add Oil: If the oil is at or below the ADD line, then you’ll need to
add some oil. But you must use the right kind. This section \
explains what
kind
of oil to use. For crankcase capacity see ‘Capacities and Speci\
fications’’
in the Index.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine PO384
NOTICE
Just fill it enough to put the level somewhere in the proper operating range.
Push the dipstick all the way back in when you’re through.

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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Service & Appearance Cam
KO704
What Kind of Oil to Use:
Look for three things:
SG
SG must be on the oil container, either by itself or combined with other
quality designations, such as
SG/CC, SG/CD, SF, SG, CC, etc. These
letters show American Petroleum Institute (API) levels of quality.
NOTICE I
you use oils that don’t have the SG dl
3maae not covered bv vour warrantv.
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