1998 CHEVROLET ASTRO ESP

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine ‘I Here Are Questions Many People Ask
About Safety Belts
-- and the Answers
@ Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if I’m wearing a safety belt?
A: You could be -- whether you’re wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can unbuckle
a safety belt,
even
if you’re upside down. And your chance of
being conscious during and after an accident,
so
you can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if
you are belted.
@ If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to
A: Air bags are in many vehicles today and will be in
most of them in the future. But they are
supplemental systems only;
so they work with
safety belts -- not instead of them. Every air bag
system ever offered for sale has required the use of
safety belts. Even if you’re in a vehicle that has air
bags, you still have to buckle up to get the most
protection. That’s true not only in frontal collisions,
but especially in side and other collisions.
wear safety belts?
@ If I’m a good driver, and I never drive far from
home, why should I wear safety belts?
A: You may be an excellent driver, but if you’re in an
accident
-- even one that isn’t your fault -- you and
your passengers can be hurt. Being a good driver
doesn’t protect you from things beyond your
control, such as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within
25 miles (40 km)
of home. And the greatest number of serious
injuries and deaths occur at speeds
of less than
40 mph (65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
1-17

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Door Locks
I
I
Unlocked doors can be dangerous.
Passengers
-- especially children -- can easily
open the doors and fall out. When a door is
locked, the inside handle won’t open it.
Outsiders can easily enter through an unlocked
door when you slow down or stop your vehicle.
This may not be so obvious: You increase the
chance of being thrown out
of the vehicle in a
crash if the doors aren’t locked. Wear safety belts
properly, lock your doors, and you will be far
better
off whenever you drive your vehicle.
There are several ways to lock and unlock your vehicle.
Your vehicle
may be equipped with Remote Keyless
Entry. For more information, see “Remote Keyless
Entry” later in this section.
To unlock your door from the outside, use your key.
To lock the front doors and
sliding side door from the
inside, slide the lock levers
down. To unlock the front
doors and the sliding side
door from the inside, slide
the lock levers up.
Power Door Locks (If Equipped)
If your vehicle has power
door locks, press the power
door lock switch to lock
or
unlock all the doors at once.
2-6

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Synchronization
Synchronization may be necessary due to the security
method used by this system. The transmitter does not
send the same signal twice to the receiver.
The receiver
will not respond to a signal it has been sent previously.
This will prevent anyone from recording and playing
back the signal from the transmitter.
To resynchronize your transmitter, stand close to your
vehicle and simultaneously press and hold the
LOCK
and UNLOCK buttons on the transmitter for eight
seconds. The door locks should cycle
to confirm
synchronization.
If the locks do not cycle, see your
dealer for service.
Sliding Door
To open the sliding side door, pull the handle toward the
back and slide the door to
the rear until it latches in the
open position.
To close the sliding slide door, pull the handle toward
the front
to release the rear latch, and slide the
door forward.
2-10

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine To lock the power lock system from the outside, insert
the key in the hatch release button and turn it
to the
right. All doors will lock.
Also, see the Caution following “Hatch,” located in
this section.
Theft
Vehicle theft is big business, especially in some cities.
Although your vehicle has a number
of theft-deterrent
features, we know that nothing we put on it can make it
impossible to steal. However, there
are ways you
can help.
Key in the Ignition
If you leave your vehicle with the keys inside, it’s an
easy target for joy riders or professional thieves
-- so
don’t do it.
When
you park your vehicle and open the driver’s door,
you’ll hear a chime reminding you to remove your key
from the ignition and take it with you. Always do this.
Your steering wheel will be locked, and
so will your
ignition and transmission. And remember to lock
the doors.
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 key? Do not leave
valuables in your vehicle, since there is no locking area
in which
to secure them. Lock all doors except
the driver’s.
Passlock@
Your vehicle is equipped with the Passlock
theft-deterrent system.
Passlock is a passive theft-deterrent system. The system
is armed once the key is removed from
the ignition.
Passlock enables fuel if the ignition lock cylinder
is
turned with a valid key. If a correct key is not used, fuel
is disabled.
During normal operation, the SECURITY light will go
off after the engine is started.
2-14

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Daytime Running Lamps
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to
see the front of your vehicle during the day.
DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful in the
short periods after dawn and before sunset.
The DRL system will make your headlamps come on at
a reduced brightness when:
0 the ignition is on,
0 the headlamp switch is off and
0 the parking brake is released.
When the DRL
are on, only your headlamp
-
s will be on.
The taillamps, sidemarker and other lamps won’t be on.
Your instrument panel won’t be lit up either.
When it begins to get dark, your DRL indicator light is
a
reminder to turn your headlamp switch on. The other
lamps that come on with your headlamps will also
come on.
When you turn the headlamp switch
off, the regular
lamps will go off, and your headlamps will change to
the reduced brightness of DRL. To
idle your vehicle with the DRL off, set the parking
brake. The DRL will stay off until you release the
parking brake.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
Interior Lamps
Dome Lamps
2-38

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Understanding Radio Reception
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM,
especially at night. The longer range, however, can
cause stations to interfere with each other.
AM can pick
up noise from things like storms and power lines. Try
reducing the treble
to reduce this noise if you ever get it.
FM Stereo
FM stereo will give you the best sound, but FM signals
will reach only about 10 to
40 miles (16 to 65 km). Tal1
buildings or hills can interfere with
FM signals, causing
the sound to come and go.
Tips About Your Audio System
Hearing damage from loud noise is almost undetectable
until it is too late. Your hearing can adapt to higher
volumes
of sound. Sound that seems normal can be loud
and harmful to your hearing. Take precautions by
adjusting the volume control
on your radio to a safe
sound level before your hearing adaDts
to it.
To help avoid hearing loss or damage:
0 Adjust the volume control to the lowest setting.
Increase volume slowly until you hear comfortably
and clearly.
NOTICE:
Before you add any sound equipment to your
vehicle
-- like a tape player, CB radio, mobile
telephone or two-way radio
-- be sure you can
add what you want.
If you can, it’s very
important to do it properly. Added sound
equipment may interfere with the operation of
your vehicle’s engine, Delco Electronics radio or
other systems, and even damage them. Your
vehicle’s systems may interfere with the
operation of sound equipment that has been
added improperly.
So, before adding sound equipment, check with
your dealer and be sure to check Federal rules
covering mobile radio and telephone units.
3-28

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine It’s the amount of alcohol that counts. For example, if
the same person drank three double martinis (3 ounces
or
90 ml of liquor each) within an hour, the person’s
BAC would be close to 0.12 percent. A person who
consumes food just before or during drinking will have
a
somewhat lower BAC level.
There is a gender difference, too. Women generally have
a lower relative percentage
of body water than men.
Since alcohol is carried in body water, this means that a
woman generally will reach a higher BAC level than
a
man of her same body weight when each has the same
number of drinks.
The law in many
U.S. states sets the legal limit at a BAC
of 0.10 percent. In a growing number of U.S. states, and
throughout Canada, the limit
is 0.08 percent. In some
other countries, it’s
even lower. The BAC limit for all
commercial drivers in the United States is
0.04 percent.
The BAC will be over 0.10 percent after three to
six drinks (in
one hour). Of course, as we’ve seen, it
depends on how much alcohol is in the drinks, and how
quickly the person drinks them.
But the ability to drive is affected well below a BAC of
0.10 percent. Research shows that the driving skills of
many people are impaired at
a BAC approaching
0.05 percent, and that the effects are worse at night.
All drivers are impaired at BAC levels above
0.05 percent. Statistics show that the chance of being in
a collision increases sharply for drivers who have a
BAC of
0.05 percent or above. A driver with a BAC
level
of 0.06 percent has doubled his or her chance of
having a collision. At a BAC level of 0.10 percent, the
chance of this driver having a collision is 12 times
greater; at a level of
0. I5 percent, the chance is
25 times greater!
The body takes about an hour
to rid itself of the alcohol
in one drink. No amount of coffee or number of cold
showers will speed
that up. “I’ll be careful” isn’t the
right answer. What
if there’s an emergency, a need to
take sudden action, as when
a child darts into the street?
A person
with even a moderate BAC might not be able
to react quickly enough to avoid the collision.
There’s something else about drinking and driving that many people don’t know. Medical research shows that
alcohol
in a person’s system can make crash injuries
worse, especially injuries to
the brain, spinal cord or
heart. This means that when anyone who has been
drinking
-- driver or passenger -- is in a crash, that
person’s chance of being killed or permanently disabled
is higher than
if the person had not been drinking.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Passing
The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a
two-lane highway waits for just the right moment,
accelerates,
moves around the vehicle ahead, then goes
back
into the right lane again. A simple maneuver?
Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle
on a two-lane
highway is a potentially dangerous move, since the
passing vehicle occupies the same lane as oncoming
traffic for several seconds.
A miscalculation, an error in
judgment, or a brief surrender to frustration or anger can
suddenly put the passing driver face to face with the
worst of all traffic accidents
-- the head-on collision.
So here are some tips for passing:
0 “Drive ahead.” Look down the road, to the sides and to
crossroads for situations that might affect your passing
patterns. If you have
any doubt whatsoever about
making a successful pass, wait for a better time.
Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings and lines.
If you can see a sign up ahead that might indicate
a
turn or an intersection, delay your pass. A broken
center line usually indicates it’s all right to pass
(providing the road ahead is clear). Never cross a
solid line on your side
of the lane or a double
solid line, even if the
road seems empty of
approaching traffic.
Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to pass
while you’re awaiting an opportunity. For one thing,
following too closely reduces your area of vision,
especially
if you’re following a larger vehicle.
Also, you won’t have adequate space if the vehicle
ahead suddenly slows or stops. Keep back
a
reasonable distance.
0 When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up,
start to accelerate but stay in the right lane and don’t
get too close. Time your move
so you will be
increasing speed
as the time comes to move into the
other lane. If the way is clear
to pass, you will have a
“running start” that more than makes up for the
distance you would lose by dropping back. And if
something happens to cause you
to cancel your pass,
you need only slow down and drop back again and
wait for another opportunity.
If other cars are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait
your turn. But take care that someone isn’t trying to
pass you
as you pull out to pass the slow vehicle.
Remember to glance over your shoulder and check
the blind spot.