1996 CHEVROLET ASTRO tow

Sliding Door Child Security Lock
Your vehicle’s sliding side
door is equipped with
a
child security door lock,
located at the rear of the
sliding door, near the side
door latch mechanism. This
feature prevents passengers from opening the
sliding side door from
the inside.
To use this feature, do the following:
1. Move the lever all the way up. (Arrow is pointing to
the lever that you must move.)
2. Close the door.
To open
the sliding side door while the child security
lock is engaged, unlock the door and open it from
the outside.
If
you don’t cancel the security lock feature, adults or
older children who ride
in the rear won’t be able to open
the sliding door from the inside.
You should let adults
and older children know how the security door lock
There are
two labels on your vehicle to remind you that works, and how to cancel the lock,
you have this feature. One can be
seen from the outside
on your sliding door. It is located near the bottom
of the Canceling the Sliding Door Child
door glass, toward the rear of the door. The other label is Security Lock
at the back of the sliding door, near the child security
door lock.
To cancel the child security lock:
1. Unlock the door and open it from the outside.
2. Move the lever all the way down.
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Parking at Night
Park in a lighted spot, close all windows and lock your
vehicle. Remember to keep your valuables
out of sight.
Put them
in a storage area, or take them with you.
Parking Lots
If you park in a lot where someone will be watching
your vehicle,
it’s best to lock it up and take your keys.
But what if you have to leave your ignition key? What if
you have to leave something valuable in your vehicle?
0 Put your valuables in a storage area, like your
glove box.
0 Remember to lock the storage compartment/glove
0 Lock all the doors except the driver’s.
box and take that key
with you.
New Vehicle “Break-In”
NOTICE:
Your
modern vehicle doesn’t need an elaborate
“break-in.” But it will perform better in the long
run if you follow these guidelines:
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Keep your speed at 55 mph (88 kmk) or
less for the first
500 miles (804 km).
Don’t drive at
any one speed -- fast or
slow
-- for the first 500 miles (804 km).
Don’t make full-throttle starts.
Avoid making hard stops for the first
200 miles (322 km) or so. During this time
your new brake linings aren’t 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.
Don’t tow
a trailer during break-in. See
“Towing
a Trailer’’ in the Index for
more information.
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Ignition Positions
Use your ignition key to start your vehicle. The ignition key \
lets you turn the ignition switch
to five different positions.
C
ACCESSORY (A): This position lets you use things like
the radio and the windshield wipers when the engine is
off. To get into ACCESSORY, push in the key and turn
it toward
you. Your steering wheel will remain locked,
just as it was before
you inserted the key.
NOTICE:
Don’t operate accessories in the ACCESSORY
position for long periods
of time. Prolonged
operation of accessories in the ACCESSORY
position could drain your battery and prevent
you from starting your vehicle.
LOCK (B): This position locks your ignition, steering
wheel and transmission shift lever
in PARK (P). It’s a
theft-deterrent feature. You will only be able to remove
your key when the ignition is turned to
LOCK.
OFF (C): This position lets you turn off the engine but
still turn the steering wheel. Use
OFF if you must have
your vehicle in motion while the engine is off (for
example,
if your vehicle is being towed).
RUN (D): This is the position for driving.
START (E): This starts your engine.

2. If it doesn’t start right away, hold your key in
START. If it doesn’t start in 10 seconds, push the
accelerator pedal
all the way down for five more
seconds, or until it starts.
3. If your engine still won’t start (or starts but then
stops), wait
15 seconds and start over.
When the engine starts, let go
of the key and the
accelerator pedal.
I NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle.
If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the
way
the engine operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your dealer. If you don’t,
your engine might not perform properly.
If you ever have to have your vehicle towed, see
the part of this manual that tells how to do it
without damaging your vehicle. See “Towing
Your Vehicle” in the Index.
Fuel Regulator
You have a fuel regulator that shuts the fuel off when the
engine reaches
5,600 rpm.
Engine Coolant Heater (Option)
In very cold weather,
0°F (- 18°C) or colder,
the engine coolant heater
can help.
You’ll get easier starting and better fuel economy during
engine warm-up. Usually, the coolant heater should be
plugged
in a minimum of four hours prior to starting
your vehicle.
3 IL

Automatic Transmission Operation
There are several different positions for your shift lever.
PARK (P): This locks your rear wheels. It’s the best
position to use when you start your engine because your
vehicle can’t move easily.
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It is dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the
shift lever
is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
CAUTION: (Continued)
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I CAUTION: (Continued)
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine
is
running unless you have to. If you have left the
.engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be sure your
vehicle won’t move, even when you’re on fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to
PARK (P).
See “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in the Index. If
you’re pulling a trailer, see “Towing a Trailer”
in the Index.
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Ensure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P).range
before starting the engine. Your vehicle has a
brake-transmission shift interlock. You have to fully
apply your regular brakes before you can shift from
PARK
(P) when the ignition key is in the RUN position.
If you cannot shift out of PARK
(P), ease pressure on’
the shift lever
-- push the shift lever all the way into
PARK (P) as you maintain brake application. Then
move the shift lever into the gear you wish. See
’‘Shifting Out of PARK
(P)” in this section.
2-1s

REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.
1 NOTICE:
Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle is
moving forward could damage your transmission.
Shift to
REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle
is stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice or sand without damaging your transmission, see
“Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow” in the Index.
NEUTRAL (N): In this position, your engine doesn’t
connect with the wheels.
To restart when you’re already
moving, use NEUTRAL
(N) only. Also, use
NEUTRAL (N) when your vehicle is being towed.
A CAUTION:
Shifting out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) while
your engine is “racing” (running at high speed) is
dangerous. Unless your foot is firmly on the
brake pedal, your vehicle could move very
rapidly. You could lose control and hit people
or objects. Don’t shift out of
PARK (P) or
NEUTRAL (N) while your engine is racing.
I NOTICE:
Damage to your transmission caused by shifting
out of
PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) with the
engine racing isn’t covered
by your warranty.

DRIVE (D): 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 pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (56 km/h) or more, push the
accelerator pedal all the way down. You’ll shift
down to
the next gear and have more power.
DRIVE
(D) should be used for normal trailer towing.
THIRD
(3): This position is also used for normal
driving, however it offers more power and lower
fuel
economy than DRIVE (D). You should use THIRD (3)
when carrying a heavy load or driving on steep hills.
SECOND
(2): This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy.
You can use SECOND (2) 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 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
selector lever is put
in FIRST (1)’ the transmission
won’t shift
into first gear until the vehicle is going
slowly enough.
NOTICE:
If your rear wheels can’t rotate, 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 or
transfer case or both.
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.
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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 any hill,
see “Towing a Trailer” in the Index. That section shows
what to
do first to keep the trailer from moving.
Shifting Into PARK (P)
CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
If you have left the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others could be
injured.
To be sure your vehicle won’t move, even
when you’re on fairly level ground, use the steps
that follow.
If you’re pulling a trailer, see
“Towing
a Trailer” in the Index.
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.
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