
Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats
............................................... 1-7
Safety Belts
.............................................1-13
Child Restraints
.......................................1-35
Air Bag System
.......................................1-62
Restraint System Check
............................1-71
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-2
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-7
Windows
.................................................2-16
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-18
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-19
Mirrors
....................................................2-32
HomeLink
žTransmitter
.............................2-34
Storage Areas
.........................................2-38
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-2
Climate Controls
......................................3-18
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
.........3-23
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-38
Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2Towing
....................................................4-29
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-11
All-Wheel Drive
........................................5-52
Rear Axle
...............................................5-53
Front Axle
...............................................5-54
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-55
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-62
Tires
......................................................5-63
Appearance Care
.....................................5-83
Vehicle Identi®cation
.................................5-91
Electrical System
......................................5-92
Capacities and Speci®cations
.....................5-99
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
....5-101
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information.................... 7-1
Customer Assistance Information
.................. 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
...........................7-10
Index.................................................................1
2003 Chevrolet Astro Owner ManualM

Q: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.
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
This part is only for people of adult size.
Be aware that there are special things to know about
safety belts and children. And there are different
rules for smaller children and babies. If a child will be
riding in your vehicle, see
Older Children on page 1-35orInfants and Young Children on page 1-38. Follow
those rules for everyone's protection.
First, you'll want to know which restraint systems your
vehicle has.
We'll start with the driver position.
Driver Position
This part describes the driver's restraint system.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here is how to wear
it properly.
1. Close and lock the door.
2. Adjust the seat so you can sit up straight. To see
how, see ªSeatsº in the Index.
1-18

The best way to protect the fetus is to protect the
mother. When a safety belt is worn properly, it's more
likely that the fetus won't be hurt in a crash. For
pregnant women, as for anyone, the key to making
safety belts effective is wearing them properly.
Right Front Passenger Position
To learn how to wear the right front passenger's safety
belt properly, seeDriver Position on page 1-18.
The right front passenger's safety belt works the same
way as the driver's safety belt Ð except for one
thing. If you ever pull the lap portion of the belt out all
the way, you will engage the child restraint locking
feature. If this happens, just let the belt go back all the
way and start again.
Center Passenger Position
Lap Belt
If your vehicle has rear bench seats, someone can sit in
the center positions.
1-27

5. Pull the rest of the belt all the way out of the
retractor to set the lock.6. To tighten the belt, feed the shoulder belt back
into the retractor while you push down on the
child restraint. You may ®nd it helpful to use your
knee to push down on the child restraint as
you tighten the belt.
7. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.
To remove the child restraint, just unbuckle the vehicle's
safety belt and let it go back all the way. The safety
belt will move freely again and be ready to work for an
adult or larger child passenger.
1-61

Doors and Locks
Door Locks
{CAUTION:
Unlocked doors can be dangerous.
·Passengers Ð especially children Ð can
easily open the doors and fall out of a
moving vehicle. When a door is locked, the
handle won't open it. You increase the
chance of being thrown out of the vehicle
in a crash if the doors aren't locked. So,
wear safety belts properly and lock the
doors whenever you drive.
·Young children who get into unlocked
vehicles may be unable to get out. A child
can be overcome by extreme heat and can
suffer permanent injuries or even death
from heat stroke. Always lock your vehicle
whenever you leave it.
·Outsiders can easily enter through an
unlocked door when you slow down or
stop your vehicle. Locking your doors can
help prevent this from happening.There are several ways to lock and unlock your vehicle.
To unlock your door from the outside, use your key
or remote keyless entry transmitter, if equipped.
For more information, see
Remote Keyless Entry
System on page 2-4.
To lock the front doors and
sliding side door from the
inside, slide the manual
lock levers down. To
unlock the front doors and
the sliding side door
from the inside, slide the
manual lock levers
up. When the red mark on
the lock lever is visible,
the door is unlocked.
2-7

Sliding Door Security Lock
Your vehicle may have this
feature. A sliding door
security lock helps
to prevent young children
or other passengers
from opening the sliding
door using the inside door
handle.
The security door lock is located near the front of the
sliding door.There are two labels on your vehicle to remind you that
you have this feature. One can be seen from the
outside on your sliding door. It is located near the bottom
of the door glass, toward the front of the door. The
other label is located on the front of the sliding door,
near the security door lock.
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.
2. Close the door.
To open the sliding side door while the 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
works, and how to cancel the lock.
2-11

How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery Tank............................................5-34
How to Add Coolant to the Radiator..................5-37
How to Add Fluid............................................5-27
How to Check Lubricant...................................5-53
How to Check Power Steering Fluid..................5-40
How to Check........................................5-25, 5-64
How to Inspect the Engine Air Cleaner/Filter.......5-24
How to Use This Manual...................................... ii
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly...................1-18
Hydroplaning..................................................4-18
I
If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine..........5-32
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine...............5-31
If the Light Is Flashing.....................................3-32
If the Light Is On Steady.................................3-32
If You Are Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow.......4-28
If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer.....................4-32
If You're Caught in a Blizzard...........................4-26
Ignition Positions.............................................2-19
Ignition Transmission Lock Check......................6-29
Infants and Young Children, Restraints...............1-38
In¯ation Ð Tire Pressure.................................5-64
Inspection......................................................6-31
Brake System.............................................6-31
Engine Cooling System................................6-30Inspection (cont.)
Exhaust System..........................................6-30
Fuel System...............................................6-30
Part C - Periodic Maintenance.......................6-30
Steering, Suspension and Front Drive Axle
Boot and Seal.........................................6-30
Throttle System...........................................6-31
Transfer Case and Front Axle
(All-Wheel Drive)......................................6-31
Installing a Garage Door Opener.......................2-40
Instrument Panel Brightness Control..................3-15
Instrument Panel Fuse Block............................5-93
Instrument Panel.............................................3-24
Cluster.......................................................3-24
Overview..................................................... 3-2
Interior Lamps................................................3-15
J
Jump Starting.................................................5-47
K
Key Lock Cylinders Service..............................6-27
Keyless Entry System....................................... 2-4
Keys............................................................... 2-2
7

L
Lamps On Reminder.......................................3-14
Lamps...........................................................3-12
Exterior......................................................3-12
Interior.......................................................3-15
Lap Belt........................................................1-27
Lap-Shoulder Belt...................................1-18, 1-29
LATCH System...............................................1-52
Child Restraints...........................................1-52
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the
LATCH System........................................1-54
Latches, Seatback............................................ 1-6
Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Engine Running..........................................2-28
Leaving Your Vehicle.......................................2-10
Light.............................................................3-26
Air Bag Readiness.......................................3-26
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning...................3-29
Brake System Warning.................................3-28
Charging System.........................................3-27
Check Gages Warning.................................3-36
Low Fuel Warning.......................................3-37
Malfunction Indicator....................................3-30
Safety Belt Reminder...................................3-26
Security.....................................................3-35
Service All-Wheel-Drive................................3-35
Tow/Haul Mode...........................................3-36Loading Your Vehicle.......................................4-29
Locking Rear Axle............................................ 4-9
Locks............................................................. 2-7
Door........................................................... 2-7
Front Doors.................................................. 2-8
Leaving Your Vehicle....................................2-10
Power Door.................................................. 2-8
Programmable Automatic Door Locks............... 2-9
Long Trip/Highway De®nition.............................. 6-6
Long Trip/Highway Intervals............................... 6-6
Long Trip/Highway Scheduled Maintenance........6-18
Loss of Control...............................................4-13
Low Fuel Warning Light...................................3-37
Luggage Carrier..............................................2-44
Lumbar........................................................... 1-3
Manual Controls............................................ 1-3
M
Maintenance, Normal Replacement Parts..........5-101
Maintenance Schedule.....................................6-26
At Each Fuel Fill.........................................6-26
At Least Once a Month................................6-26
At Least Once a Year..................................6-27
At Least Twice a Year..................................6-26
Brake System Inspection..............................6-31
Engine Cooling System Inspection.................6-30
Exhaust System Inspection...........................6-30
8