1993 CHEVROLET ASTRO PASSENGER automatic transmission

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Features & Controls
ic
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Here you can learn about the many standard and optional featur\
es on your
vehicle, and information on starting, shifting and braking. Also\
explained are
the instrument panel and the warning systems that tell you
if everything is
working properly-and what
to do if you have a problem.
For explanation of vehicle symbols, refer to “Vehicle Symbols in
Section
0.
Keys ........................................................................\
............................................... 2-3
Your Doors and How They Work
........................................................................\
2-5
Door
Locks ........................................................................\
.................................. 2-1 0
Theft ........................................................................\
............................................. 2-1 2
New Vehicle “Break-In”
........................................................................\
.............. 2-1 3
Ignition Switch ........................................................................\
............................. 2-1 3
Starting Your Engine ........................................................................\
................... 2-14
Fuel Regulator
........................................................................\
......................... 2-15
Driving Through Deep Standing Water
.......................................................... 2-16
Engine Block Heater
........................................................................\
............... 2-1 6
Automatic Transmission ........................................................................\
.............. 2-1 7
Locking Rear Axle ........................................................................\
....................... 2-20
Parking Brake
........................................................................\
.............................. 2-20
2-1

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine CAUTION
Shifting out of P (Park) or N (Neutral) while your engine is
b “racing”(running at high speed) is dangerous. Unless your\
foot is
firmly on the brake pedal, your vehicle could move very rapidl\
y.
You could lose control and hit people or objects. Don’t shift out
of
P (Park) or N (Neutral) while your engine is racing.
NOTICE
sed by shifting out of P (Park) (
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OD (Automatic Overdrive).
This position is for normal driving. If you need more power for passing,
and you’re:
- Going less than about 35 mph (56 km/h), push your accelerator
about halfway down,
- Going about 35 mph (56 km/h) or more, push the accelerator all the
way down. You’ll shift down to the next gear and have more power.
OD should not be used when towing a trailer, carrying a heavy load, or
driving on steep hills. Select
D (third gear) when operating the vehicle
under any of these conditions.
D (Third Gear).
This
is like OD, but you never go into Overdrive. You should use D
when towing a trailer, carrying a heavy load, or driving on steep hills.
2 (Second Gear).
This position gives you more power but lower fuel economy. You can
use
2 (Second Gear) on hills. It can help control your speed as you go
down steep mountain roads, but then you would also want to use your
brakes
off and on.
If you manually select 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.
1 (First Gear).
This position gives you even more power (but lower fuel econo\
my) than
2 (Second Gear). You can use it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or
2-1 9

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Shifting Out of P (park]
Your vehicle has a brake-transmission shift interlock. You have to fully apply
your regular brake before you can shift from P (Park) when the ignition is in
the
RUN position. See “Automatic Transmission” in the Index.
If you cannot shift out of P (Park), ease pressure on the shift lever-push the
shift lever all the way into
P (Park) as you maintain brake application. Then
move the shift lever into the gear you wish.
If you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can’t shift out of P (Park), try
this:
1. Turn the key to “Off’.
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
3. Shift to N (Neutral).
4. Start the vehicle and then shift to the drive gear you want.
5. Have the vehicle fixed as soon as you can.
Parking Over Things That Burn
-1
AN22001 2
CAUTION
Things that can burn could touch hot. exhaust parts under your
vehicle and ignite. Don’t park over papers, leaves,
dry grass or other‘
I
I things that- can burn. :-
2-23

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine ~~~~ If you’re going uphill on a one-way street and you’re parking on the
left side,
your wheels should point to the right.
AM470055
If there is no curb when you’re parking uphill, turn the wheel\
s to the right.
If there is no curb when you’re parking uphill on the left si\
de of a one-way
street, your wheels should be turned
to the left.
Torque Lock (Automatic Transmission)
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your transmission into P
(Park) properly, the weight of the vehicle may put too much force on the
parking pawl in the transmission. You may find it difficult to pull the shift lever
out of
P (Park). This is called torque lock. To prevent torque lock, always be
sure to shift into
P (Park) properly before you leave the driver’s seat. To find
out how, see “Shifting Into P (Park) in the Index.”
When you are ready
to drive, move the shift lever out of P (Park) BEFORE
you release the parking brake.
If “torque lock” does occur, you may need to have another vehicle push
yours a little uphill to take some of the pressure from the transmission,
so
you can pull the shift lever out of P (Park).
4-39

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Parking on Hills
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 P (Park) 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
P (Park).
5. Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave After Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down while you:
Start your engine.
Shift into a gear; and
Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re pulling a trailer. See
the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially
important in trailer operation are automatic transmission fluid (don’t ove\
rfill),
engine oil, axle lubricant, belt, cooling system, and brake adj\
ustment. Each of
these is covered in this manual, and the Index will help you find them
quickly. If you’re trailering, it’s a good idea
to review these sections before
you start your trip.
Check periodically
to see that all hitch nuts and bolts are tight.
mailer Light Wiring
See “Trailer Wiring Harness” in the Index.
4-49

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables can reach, but be
sure the vehicles aren’t touching each other.
If they are, it could cause a
ground .connection you don’t want. You wouldn’t be able
to start your
vehicle, and the bad grounding could damage the electrical syst\
ems.
1 CAUTION
I
A You could be injured if the vehicles roll. Set the parking brake firmly
b on each vehicle. Put an automatic transmission in P (Park) or a
I manual transmission in N (Neutral).
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Turn off all lights that aren’t
needed, and radios. This will avoid sparks and help save both \
batteries.
And
it could save your radio!
1’ NOTICE
Iv dar li 1. The Pairs f you leave your radio on, it could be t
Nouldn’t be covered bv vour warrallLv I
4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries. Find the positive (t) and the
negative
(-) terminals on each battery.
1 CAUTION
A Using a match near a battery can cause battery gas to explode.
People have been hurt doing this, and some have been blinded. \
Use
a flashlight
if you need more light.
You don’t need
to add water to the Delco Freedom@ battery installed
in every new
GM vehicle. But if a battery has filler caps, be sure the
right amount of fluid is there.
If it is low, add water to take care of
that first. If you don’t, explosive gas could be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn you. Don’t get
it on you. If
you accidentally get it in your eyes or on your skin, flush the place
I with water and get medical help immediately.
5. Check that the jumper cables don’t have loose or missing in\
sulation. If
they do, you could get a shock. The vehicles could be damaged\
, too.
Before you connect the cables, here are some things you should\
know.
Positive
(t) will go to positive (+) and negative (-) will go to negative
(-) or a metal engine part. Don’t connect (t) to (-) or you’ll get a
short that would damage the battery and maybe other parts,
too.
5-4

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Service & Appearance Care
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......... ..... -&-.A- -
I 5, "9
. .
Here you will find information about the care of your vehicle \
. This Section
begins with service and fuel information. and then
it shows how to check
important fluid and lubricant levels
. There is also technical information about
your vehicle. and a section devoted to its appearance care
.
Service ........................................................................\
........................................... 6-3
Fuel
........................................................................\
................................................ 6-4
Checking Things Under the Hood
....................................................................... \
6-8
Hood Release
........................................................................\
............................ 6-8
Engine
Oil ........................................................................\
.................................. 6-9
Engine Cover
........................................................................\
........................... 6-15
Air Cleaner
........................................................................\
............................... 6-19
Automatic Transmission Fluid
........................................................................\
. 6-20
Rear Axle
........................................................................\
................................. 6-23
All-Wheel Drive
........................................................................\
........................ 6-23
Transfer Case
........................................................................\
.......................... 6-23
Front Axle
........................................................................\
................................. 6-24
Engine Coolant
........................................................................\
........................ 6-26
Power Steering Fluid
........................................................................\
............... 6-30
Windshield Washer Fluid
........................................................................\
......... 6-31
Brake Master Cylinder
........................................................................\
............. 6-32
6-1

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Service & Appearance Care
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Operating the engine with the air cleaner off can cause you or other!
to be burned. The air cleaner not only cleans the air, it stops flame
if the engine backfires. If it isn’t there, and the engine backfires, you
could be burned. Don’t drive with it off, and be careful working on
the engine with the air cleaner off.
If the air cleaner is off, a backfir
dirt can easily get into your engine,
air cleaner in place when you’re drivin $use a damaging engir
hicl
vill damage it. Na)
Automatic Transmission Nuid
When to Check and Change:
A good time to check your automatic transmission fluid level is when the
engine oil is changed. Refer to the Maintenance Schedule
to determine when
to change your fluid. See “Scheduled Maintenance Services” in the Index.
How to Check:
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you may choo\
se to have this
done at a
GM dealership Service Department.
If you do it yourself, be sure to follow all the instructions here, or you could
get a false reading on the dipstick.
Too much or too little fluid can damage your transmission. Too much can
mean that some of the fluid could come out and fall on hot engine part-
starting a fire. Be sure to get an accurate reading
if you check your
transmission fluid.
I
I
Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the transmission fluid level if you
have been driving:
When outside temperatures are above 90°F (32°C).
At high speed for quite a while.
In heavy traffic-especially in hot weather.
While pulling a trailer.
6-20