1998 CHEVROLET ASTRO Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I Fuel
You can be injured and J licle could be
damaged if you
try to do service work on a
vehicle without knowing enough about it.
! 0 Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
I
experience, the proper replacement parts
and tools before you attempt any vehicle
maintenance task.
Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts and
other fasteners. “English” and “metric”
fasteners can be easily confused.
If you use
the wrong fasteners, parts can later break
or fall
off. You could be hurt.
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle
Things you might add to the outside of your vehicle can
affect the airflow around
it. This may cause wind noise
and affect windshield washer performance. Check with
your dealer before adding equipment to the outside of
your vehicle. Use
regular unleaded gasoline rated at 87 octane or
higher. At a minimum, it should meet specifications
ASTM D48 14 in the United States and CGSB 3.5-M93
in Canada. Improved gasoline specifications haw been
developed by the American Automobile Manufacturers
Association (AAMA) for better vehicle performance
and engine protection. Gasolines meeting the AAMA
specification could provide improved driveability and
emission control system protection compared
to
other gasolines.
Be sure the posted octane is at least 87.
If the octane is
less than 87, you may get a heavy knocking noise when
you drive.
If it’s bad enough, it can damage your engine.
If you’re using fuel rated at
87 octane or higher and you
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.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If your vehicle is certified to meet California Emission
Standards (indicated on the underhood emission control
label), it is designed to operate on fuels that meet
California specifications.
If such fuels are not available
in states adopting California emissions standards, your
vehicle will operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting
federal specifications, but emission control system
performance may be affected. The malfunction indicator
lamp on your instrument panel may turn
on and/or your
vehicle may fail a smog-check test. If this occurs, return
to your authorized
GM dealer for diagnosis to determine
the cause of failure. In the event it
is determined that the
cause
of the condition is the type of fuels used, repairs
may not be covered by your warranty.
Some gasolines that
are not reformulated for low
emissions contain an octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT);
ask your service station operator whether or not his fuel
contains MMT. General Motors does not recommend the
use
of such gasolines. If fuels containing MMT are used,
spark plug life may be reduced and your emission
control system performance may be affected. The
malfunction indicator lamp on your instrument panel
may turn
on. If this occurs, return to your authorized
GM dealer for service. To provide cleaner air, all
gasolines in the United States
are now required to contain additives that will help
prevent deposits from forming in your engine and fuel
system, allowing your emission control system
to
function properly. Therefore, you should not have to add
anything
to the fuel. In addition, gasolines containing
oxygenates, such as ethers and ethanol, and
reformulated gasolines may be available
in your area to
help clean the air. General Motors recommends that
you
use these gasolines if they comply with the
specifications described earlier.
NOTICE:
Your vehicle was not designed for fuel that
contains methanol. 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 warranty.
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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
United States or Canada, the proper fuel may be hard to
find. Never use leaded gasoline or any other fuel not
recommended in the previous text on fuel. Costly repairs
caused by
use of improper fuel 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 Overseas Distribution Corporation
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario
L1H 8P7
Filling Your Tank
A CAUTION:
--
Gasoline vapor is highly flaml,,~ble. 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
materials away from gasoline.
6-5

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The fuel cap is behind a hinged door on the driver’s side
of your vehicle.
While refueling, place the cap in the holder on the fuel
filler door.
To remove the cap, turn it slowly to the left
(counterclockwise). The cap has a spring in it;
if you let
go of the cap too soon,
it will spring back to the right.
1
A CAUTION:
If you get gasoline on yourself and then
something ignites it, you could 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.
Be careful not to spill gasoline. Clean gasoline from
painted surfaces as soon as possible. See “Cleaning the
Outside of Your Vehicle” in the Index.
When you put the cap back on, turn it to the right
(clockwise) until you hear a clicking sound. Make sure
you fully install the cap. The diagnostic system can
determine
if the fuel cap has been left off or improperly
installed. This would allow fuel to evaporate into the
atmosphere. See “Malfunction Indicator Lamp” in
the Index.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I
NOTICE:
If you need a new cap, be sure to get the right
type. Your dealer can get one for you.
If you get
the wrong type, it may not fit properly. This may cause your malfunction indicator lamp to light and your fuel tank and emissions system may be
damaged. See “Malfunction Indicator Lamp” in
the Index.
Filling a Portable Fuel Container
A CAUTION:
Never fill a portable fuel container while it is in
your vehicle. Static electricity discharge from the
container can ignite the gasoline vapor.
You can
be badly burned and your vehicle damaged if this
occurs.
To help avoid injury to you and others:
Dispense gasoline only into
approved containers.
CAUTION: (Continued)
I
Do not fill a container whilc : is inside a
vehicle, in a vehicle’s trunk, pickup bed or
on any surface other than the ground.
inside of the fill opening before operating
the nozzle. Contact should be maintained
until the filling
is complete.
0 Bring the fill nozzle in contact with the
Don’t smoke while pumping gasoline.
Checking Things Under the Hood
A CAUTION: I
Things that burn can get on hot engine parts and
start a fire. These include liquids like gasoline,
oil, coolant, brake fluid, windshield 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.
6-7

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Hood Release
To open the hood, first pull the handle inside the vehicle on the lower driver's side
of the kick panel. Then go
to the front
of the vehicle and release the
secondary hood release.
6-8

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When you open the hood, this is what you will see:
A. Windshield Washer Fluid Fill Location
B. Coolant Fill Location
C. Oil Dipstick Location
D. Transmission DipsticWill Location
E. Air Cleaner
F. hngine Oil b111 Location
G. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir
H. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir
I. Battery
6-9

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I
I
Lift the hood, release the hood prop from its retainer and
put the hood prop into the slot in the hood.
Before closing the hood, be sure all the filler caps
are on
properly. Then lift the hood to relieve pressure on the
hood prop. Remove the
hood prop from
the slot in the hood and
I return the
Drop to its retainer. 1.L
Then just pull 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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