1998 CHEVROLET ASTRO instrument panel

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine or the instrument panel ... or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance,
and your strongest bones take the forces. That's why
safety belts make such good sense.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine i
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1 CAUTION:
Air bags inflate with great force, faster than the
blink of an eye. If you’re too close to an inflating
air bag, it could seriously injure you. Safety belts
help keep you in position before and during a
crash. Always wear your safety belt, even with
air
bags. The driver should sit as far back as possible
while still maintaining control of the vehicle.
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A CAUTION:
Children who are up against, or very close to, an
air bag when
it inflates can be seriously injured
or killed. This is true even if your vehicle has
reduced-force frontal
air bags. Air bags plus
lap-shoulder belts offer the best protection for
adults, but not for young children and infants.
Neither the vehicle’s safety belt system nor its air
CAUTION: (Continued)
I CAUTION: (Continued)
bag system is designed for them. Young children
and infants need the protection that
a child
restraint system can provide. Always secure
children properly in your vehicle.
To read how,
see the part of this manual called “Children” and
see the caution labels on the sunvisors and the
right front passenger’s safety belt.
There is an air bag
readiness light on the
instrument panel, which
BAG
shows AIRBAG.
The system checks the air bag electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells you
if there is an electrical
problem. See “Air Bag Readiness Light” in the Index
for more information.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine How the Air Bag System Works
I The right front passenger's air bag is in the instrument
panel on the passenger's side.
Where are the air bags?
The driver's air bag is in the middle of the
steering wheel.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If something is between an occupant and an air
bag, the bag might not inflate properly or it
might force the object into that person. The path
of an inflating air bag must be kept clear. Don’t
put anything between
an occupant and an air
bag, and don’t attach or put anything on the steering wheel hub or on or near any other air
bag covering. And don’t hang anything from the
assist handle on the passenger’s side of the
instrument panel.
When should an air bag inflate? An air bag is designed to inflate in a moderate to severe
frontal or near-frontal crash. The air bag will inflate
only if the impact speed is above the system’s designed
“threshold
level.” If your vehicle goes straight into a
wall that doesn’t move or deform, the threshold level is
about
1 1 to 16 mph (1 8 to 26 km/h). The threshold level can vary, however, with
specific vehicle design,
so that
it can be somewhat above or below this range. If your
vehicle strikes something that will move or deform, such
as a parked car, the threshold level will be higher. The
air bag is not designed to inflate in rollovers, side
impacts or rear impacts, because inflation would
not
help the occupant.
In
any particular crash, no one can say whether an air
bag should have inflated simply because of the damage
to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs were.
Inflation is determined by the angle of
the impact and
how quickly the vehicle slows down in frontal or
near-frontal impacts.
What makes an air bag inflate? In an impact
of sufficient severity, the air bag sensing
system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. The sensing
system triggers a release of gas from the inflator, which
inflates the air bag. The inflator, air bag and related
hardware are all part of the air bag modules inside the
steering wheel and in the instrument panel in front of the
right front passenger.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine How does an air bag restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel
or
the instrument panel. Air bags supplement the protection
provided by safety belts. Air bags distribute the force of
the impact more evenly over the occupant’s upper body,
stopping the occupant more gradually. But air bags would
not help
you in many types of collisions, including
rollovers, rear impacts and side impacts, primarily
because
an occupant’s motion is not toward those air
bags. Air bags should never be regarded as anything
more than a supplement
to safety belts, and then only in
moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions.
What will you see after an air bag inflates?
After an air bag inflates, it quickly deflates, so quickly
that some people may not even realize
the air bag
inflated. Some components
of the air bag module -- the
steering wheel hub for the driver’s air bag, or the
instrument panel for
the right front passenger’s
bag
-- will be hot for a short time. The parts of the bag
that come into contact with you may be warm, but not
too hot to touch. There will be some smoke and dust
coming from vents in the deflated air bags. Air bag
inflation doesn’t prevent the driver from seeing or from
being able
to steer the vehicle, nor does it stop people
from leaving the vehicle.
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/A CAUTION:
When an air bag inflates, there is dust in the air.
This dust could cause breathing problems for
people with a history of asthma or other
breathing trouble. To avoid this, everyone in the
vehicle should get out as soon as
it is safe to do so.
If you have breathing problems but can’t get out
of the vehicle after an air bag inflates, then get
fresh air by opening a window or door.
Air bags are designed to inflate only once. After they
inflate, you’ll need some new parts for your air bag
system.
If you don’t get them, the air bag system
won’t be there to help protect you in another crash.
A new system
will include air bag modules and
possibly other parts. The service manual for your
vehicle covers the need to replace other parts.
Your vehicle is equipped with a crash sensing and
diagnostic module, which records information
about the air bag system. The module records
information about
the readiness of the system,
when the sensors are activated and driver’s safety
belt usage at deployment.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0 Let only qualified technicians work on your air bag
system. Improper service can mean that your
air bag
system won’t work properly. See your dealer for service.
NOTICE:
If you damage the covering for the driver’s or the
right front passenger’s air bag, the bag may not
work properly. You may have to replace the
air
bag module in the steering wheel or both the air
bag module and the instrument panel for the
right front passenger’s air bag.
Do not open or
break the air bag coverings.
If your vehicle ever gets into a lot of water
-- such as
water up to the carpeting or higher
-- or if water enters
your vehicle and
soaks the carpet, the air bag controller
can be soaked and ruined. If this ever happens, and then
you start your vehicle, the damage could make the air
bags inflate, even if there’s no crash. You would have to
replace the air bags as well as the sensors and related
parts. If you vehicle is ever in a flood, or if it’s exposed
to water that
soaks the carpet, you can avoid needless
repair costs by turning off the vehicle immediately.
Don’t let anyone start the vehicle, even to tow it, unless
the battery cables are first disconnected.
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle
Air bags affect how your vehicle should be serviced.
There are parts of the air bag system in several places
around your vehicle. You don’t want the system to
inflate while someone is working on your vehicle. Your
dealer and the
GM Service Manual have information
about servicing your vehicle and the air bag system.
To
purchase a service manual, see “Service and Owner
Publications” in the Index.
For up to
10 minutes after the ignition key is
turned
off and the battery is disconnected, an air
bag can still inflate during improper service. You
can be injured if you are close to an air bag when
it inflates. Avoid wires wrapped with yellow tape
or yellow connectors. They are probably part of
the air bag system. Be sure to follow proper
service procedures, and make sure the person
performing work for you is qualified to
do so.
The air bag system does not need regular maintenance.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Section 2 Features and Controls
Here you can learn about the many standard and optional features 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.
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2-26 Keys
Front Doors
Rear Doors
Door Locks Keyless Entry System (Option)
Sliding Door
Hatch
Theft
Passlock@
New Vehicle “Break-In”
Ignition Positions
Starting Your Engine
Engine Coolant Heater
(If Equipped)
Automatic Transmission Operation
Parking Brake Shifting Into PARK (P)
Shifting Out of PARK (P)
Parking Over Things That Burn 2-27
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Running
Your Engine While You’re Parked
Locking Rear Axle (Option)
All-Wheel Drive (Option)
Windows
Horn
Tilt Wheel (If Equipped)
Turn SignalhAultifunction Lever
Exterior Lamps
Interior Lamps
Mirrors
Storage Compartments
Ashtrays and Cigarette Lighter
Sun Visors
Accessory Power Outlets
Universal Transmitter (Option)
Instrument Panel
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Hatch
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It can be dangerous to drive with the rear
swing-out windows, rear hatch or rear doors
open because carbon monoxide (CO) gas can
come into your vehicle. You can’t see or smell
CO. It can cause unconsciousness and even death.
If you must drive with the rear swing-out windows,
rear hatch or rear doors open or if electrical wiring
or other cable connections must pass through the
seal between the body and the rear swing-out
windows, rear hatch or rear doors:
Make sure all windows are shut.
Turn the fan on your heating or cooling
system to its highest speed with the setting
on anything but MAX A/C. That will force
outside air into your vehicle. See “Comfort
Controls” in the Index.
instrument panel, open them
all the way.
If you have air outlets on or under the
See “Engine Exhaust’’ in the Index.
Hatch Release (Option)
You can use your key to unlock the hatch and all the
other doors from the outside. Insert the key into the
hatch release button and turn it to the left. All doors
will unlock.
You may also use the Keyless Entry System
described earlier.
The hatch can be opened or closed without a key
if the
door lock system is unlocked.
To open the hatch, unlock it, press the button and lift the
handle located in the center of the door.
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