1998 CHEVROLET ASTRO belt

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Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about driving is:
Drive defensively.
Please start with a very important safety device in your
vehicle: Buckle up. (See “Safety Belts” in the Index.)
Defensive driving really means “be ready for anything.”
On city streets, rural roads or freeways, it means
“always expect the unexpected.” Assume
that pedestrians or other drivers are going to be
careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what they might
do. Be ready for their mistakes.
Rear-end collisions
are about the most preventable of
accidents. Yet they are common. Allow enough following
distance. It’s the best defensive driving maneuver, in both
city and rural driving. You never know when the vehicle in
front of you is going
to brake or turn suddenly.
Defensive driving requires that a driver concentrate
on
the driving task. Anything that distracts from the driving
task
-- such as concentrating on a cellular telephone call,
reading, or reaching for something on the floor
-- makes
proper defensive driving more difficult and can even
cause
a collision, with resulting injury. Ask a passenger
to help do things like this, or pull
off the road in a safe
place to do them yourself. These simple defensive
driving techniques could save your life.
Drunken Driving
Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is a
national tragedy. It’s the number one contributor
to the
highway death toll, claiming thousands of victims every year.
Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs
to drive
a vehicle:
0 Judgment
Muscular Coordination

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine An emergency like this requires close attention and a
quick decision. If you are holding the steering wheel at
the recommended
9 and 3 o’clock positions, you can
turn it a full
180 degrees very quickly without removing
either hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and
just as quickly straighten the wheel once you have
avoided the object.
Off-Road Recovery
You may find that your right wheels have dropped off the
edge
of a road onto the shoulder while you’re driving.
If the level
of the shoulder is only slightly below the
pavement, recovery should
be fairly easy. Ease off the
The fact that such emergency situations are always
possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving at
all times and wear safety belts properly. accelerator and then,
if there is nothing in the way, steer
so
that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement. You
can turn the steering wheel up to one-quarter turn until the
right front tire contacts the pavement edge. Then turn your steering wheel to
go straight down the roadway.
4-10

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
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
PARK (P).
5. Release the regular brakes.
PARK (P) yet.
When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while
you:
0 Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
:ks.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the choc
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
overfill), engine oil, axle lubricant, belt, cooling system
and brake adjustment. 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.
4-36

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires you need, look at
the CertificationRire label.
The tires installed on your vehicle when it was new had
a Tire Performance Criteria Specification (TPC Spec)
number on each tire’s sidewall. When you get new tires,
get ones with that same
TPC Spec number. That way
your vehicle will continue
to have tires that are designed
to give proper endurance, handling, speed rating,
traction, ride and other things during normal service on
your vehicle.
If your tires have an all-season tread
design, the TPC number will be followed by an
“MS”
(for mud and snow).
If you ever replace your tires with those not having a
TPC Spec number, make sure
they are the same size,
load range, speed rating and construction type (bias,
bias-belted or radial) as your original tires.
I A CAUTION:
---
Mixing tires could cause you to lose contrc while
driving.
If you mix tires of different sizes or types
(radial and bias-belted tires), the vehicle may not
handle properly, and you could have
a crash.
Using tires of different sizes may also cause
damage to your vehicle. Be sure to use the same
size and type tires on all wheels.
It’s all right to drive with your compact spare,
though. It was developed for use
on your vehicle.
If you use bias-ply tires on your vehil , the
wheel rim flanges could develop cracks after
many miles of driving.
A tire and/or wheel could
fail suddenly, causing
a crash. Use only radial-ply
tires with the wheels on your vehicle.
6-46

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Care of Safety Belts and Built-in
Child Restraint Harness
Keep the safety belts and the built-in child restraint
harness clean and dry.
Do not bleach or dye safety belts or the built-in
child restraint harness. If you do, they may be
severely weakened. In a crash, they might not be
able to provide adequate protection. Clean the
safety belts and the child restraint harness only
with mild soap and lukewarm water.
Cleaning Glass Surfaces
Glass should be cleaned often. GM Glass Cleaner (GM
Part
No. 1050427) or a liquid household glass cleaner
will remove normal tobacco smoke and dust films on
interior glass.
Don’t use abrasive cleaners
on glass, because they may
cause scratches. Avoid placing decals on the inside rear window, since they may have
to be scraped off later. If
abrasive
cleaners are used on the inside of the rear
window, an electric defogger element may be damaged.
Any temporary license should not be attached across the
defogger grid.
Cleaning the Outside of the
Windshield, Backglass and
Wiper Blades
If the windshield is not clear after using the windshield
washer, or
if the wiper blade chatters when running, wax,
sap or other material may be on the blade or windshield.
Clean the outside of the windshield
with GM
Windshield Cleaner, Bon Ami@ Powder (non-scratching
glass cleaning powder),
GM Part No. 105001 1. The
windshield
is clean if beads do not form when you rinse
it
with water.
Grime from the windshield will stick to the wiper blades
and affect their performance. Clean the blade by wiping
vigorously
with a cloth soaked in full-strength windshield
washer solvent. Then rinse the blade with water.
Check the wiper blades and clean them as necessary;
replace blades that look worn.
6-54

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Maintenance Schedule
I Short Trip/City Definition
Follow the Short Trip/City Maintenance Schedule if any
one of these conditions
is true for your vehicle:
Most trips are less than 5 to 10 miles (8 to 16 km).
This is particularly important when outside
temperatures are below freezing.
driving
in stop-and-go traffic).
0 Most trips are through dusty areas.
You frequently tow a trailer or use a carrier on top of
If the vehicle is used for delivery service, police, taxi
One of the reasons you should follow this schedule if
you operate your vehicle under any of these conditions
is that these conditions cause engine oil to
break
down sooneE
0 Most trips include extensive idling (such as frequent
your vehicle.
or other commercial application.
I Short Trip/City Intervals
Every 3,000 Miles (5 000 km): Engine Oil and Filter
Change (or
3 months, whichever occurs first). Chassis
Lubrication (or
3 months, whichever occurs first). Drive
Axle Service (or
3 months, whichever occurs first).
Every 6,000 Miles (10 000 km): Tire Rotation.
Every 15,000 Miles (25 000 km): Air Cleaner Filter
Inspection, if driving
in dusty conditions. Front
Wheel Bearing Repack
(2WD only) (or at each brake
relining, whichever occurs first). Automatic
Transmission Service (severe conditions only).
Every 30,000 Miles (50 000 km): Air Cleaner Filter
Replacement. Fuel Filter Replacement.
Every 50,000 Miles (83 000 km): Automatic
Transmission Service (normal conditions).
Every 60,000 Miles (100 000 km): Engine
Accessory Drive Belt Inspection. Fuel Tank,
Cap and Lines Inspection.
7-5

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Maintenance Schedule
L Long Tripmighway Intervals I
Every 7,500 Miles (12 500 km): Engine Oil and Filter
Change (or every 12 months, whichever occurs first).
Chassis Lubrication
(or every 12 months, whichever
occurs first). Drive Axle Service. Tire Rotation.
Every 15,000 Miles (25 000 km): Automatic
Every 30,000 Miles (50 000 km): Fuel Filter
Transmission Service (severe conditions
only).
Replacement.
Air Cleaner Filter Replacement. Front
Wheel Bearing Repack
(2WD only) (or at each brake
relining, whichever occurs first).
Every 50,000 Miles (83 000 km): Automatic
Transmission Service (normal conditions).
Long Tripmighway Intervals
Every 60,000 Miles (100 000 km): Engine
Accessory Drive Belt Inspection.
Fuel Tank,
Cap and Lines Inspection.
Inspection. Spark Plug Replacement. Positive
Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) Valve Inspection.
Every 150,000 Miles (240 000 km): Cooling System
Service (or every
60 months, whichever occurs first).
These intervals only summarize maintenance services.
Be sure to follow the complete maintenance schedule on
the following pages.
Every 100,000 Miles (166 000 km): Spark Plug Wire
7-7

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I Short Trip/City Maintenance Schedule I
60,000 Miles (100 000 km) (Continued)
0 Lubricate chassis components (or every 3 months, whichever occurs first).
0 Check readfront axle fluid level and add fluid as needed. Check constant
0 For Two-Wheel-Drive vehicles only: Clean and repack the front wheel
(See footnote
#.)
velocity
joints and axle seals for leaking. (See footnote **.)
bearings (or at each brake relining, whichever occurs first).
0 Change automatic transmission fluid and filter if the vehicle is mainly driven
under one or more
of these conditions:
- In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature regularly reaches
- In hilly or mountainous terrain.
- When doing frequent trailer towing.
- Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these conditions, change the fluid
andfilter every
50,000 miles (83 000 krn).
90°F (32°C) or higher.
0 Inspect engine accessory drive belt.
0 Replace fuel filter.
0 Replace air cleaner filter.
An Emission Control Service. (See footnote?.)
An Emission Control Service.
7-20