2003 CHEVROLET ASTRO CARGO VAN spare tire

Buying New Tires.........................................5-66
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-67
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-69
Wheel Replacement......................................5-69
Tire Chains..................................................5-70
If a Tire Goes Flat........................................5-70
Changing a Flat Tire.....................................5-71
Compact Spare Tire......................................5-82
Appearance Care............................................5-83
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle.................5-83
Care of Safety Belts......................................5-86
Weatherstrips...............................................5-86
Cleaning the Outside of Your Vehicle.................5-86
Sheet Metal Damage.....................................5-88
Finish Damage.............................................5-88
Underbody Maintenance................................5-89
Chemical Paint Spotting.................................5-89
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials..................5-89Vehicle Identi®cation......................................5-91
Vehicle Identi®cation Number (VIN).................5-91
Service Parts Identi®cation Label.....................5-91
Electrical System............................................5-92
Add-On Electrical Equipment..........................5-92
Headlamp Wiring..........................................5-92
Windshield Wiper Fuses................................5-92
Power Windows and Other
Power Options..........................................5-92
Fuses and Circuit Breakers............................5-93
Capacities and Speci®cations..........................5-99
Capacities and Speci®cations.........................5-99
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts.........5-101
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-2

In¯ation Ð Tire Pressure
The Certi®cation/Tire label, which is on the rear edge of
the driver's door, shows the correct in¯ation pressures
for your tires when they're cold. ªColdº means your
vehicle has been sitting for at least three hours or driven
no more than 1 mile (1.6 km).
Notice:Don't let anyone tell you that underin¯ation
or overin¯ation is all right. It's not. If your tires
don't have enough air (underin¯ation), you can get
the following:
·Too much ¯exing
·Too much heat
·Tire overloading
·Bad wear
·Bad handling
·Bad fuel economy
If your tires have too much air (overin¯ation), you
can get the following:
·Unusual wear
·Bad handling
·Rough ride
·Needless damage from road hazards
When to Check
Check your tires once a month or more.
Don't forget your compact spare tire. It should be at
60 psi (420 kPa).
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire
pressure. You can't tell if your tires are properly in¯ated
simply by looking at them. Radial tires may look
properly in¯ated even when they're underin¯ated.
Be sure to put the valve caps back on the valve stems.
They help prevent leaks by keeping out dirt and
moisture.
Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be rotated every 6,000 to 8,000 miles
(10 000 to 13 000 km).
Any time you notice unusual wear, rotate your tires as
soon as possible and check wheel alignment. Also
check for damaged tires or wheels. See
When It Is Time
for New Tires on page 5-66andWheel Replacement
on page 5-69for more information.
5-64

Make sure the spare tire is stored securely. Push, pull,
and then try to rotate or turn the tire. If it moves,
use the ratchet/wheel wrench to tighten the cable. See
Changing a Flat Tire on page 5-71.
The purpose of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear for all tires on the vehicle. The ®rst rotation
is the most important. See ªPart A: Scheduled
Maintenance Services,º in Section 6, for scheduled
rotation intervals.
When rotating your tires, always use the correct rotation
patterns shown here.
Don't include the compact spare tire in your tire rotation.After the tires have been rotated, adjust the front and
rear in¯ation pressures as shown on the
Certi®cation/Tire label. Make certain that all wheel nuts
are properly tightened. See ªWheel Nut Torqueº
underCapacities and Speci®cations on page 5-99.
{CAUTION:
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the parts to
which it is fastened, can make wheel nuts
become loose after a time. The wheel could
come off and cause an accident. When you
change a wheel, remove any rust or dirt from
places where the wheel attaches to the vehicle.
In an emergency, you can use a cloth or a
paper towel to do this; but be sure to use a
scraper or wire brush later, if you need to, to
get all the rust or dirt off. See ªChanging a
Flat Tireº in the Index.
5-65

{CAUTION:
Mixing tires could cause you to lose control
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 temporarily, it was developed
for use on your vehicle. See ªCompact Spare
Tireº in the index.
{CAUTION:
If you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle, the
wheel rim ¯anges 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.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the
tire sidewall between tread shoulder and maximum
section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance.
(This applies only to vehicles sold in the United States.)
The grades are molded on the sidewalls of most
passenger car tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading
system does not apply to deep tread, winter-type
snow tires, space-saver or temporary use spare tires,
tires with nominal rim diameters of 10 to 12 inches
(25 to 30 cm), or to some limited-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors passenger
cars and light trucks may vary with respect to these
grades, they must also conform to federal safety
requirements and additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) standards.
5-67

Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
The jacking equipment you'll need is stored by your
vehicle's rear doors, along the passenger's side wall.
1. Remove the jack cover by pulling it away from
the side wall and down to release the tabs
securing the top of the cover.2. Remove the wheel blocks by turning the top nut
counterclockwise. Remove the nut and washer,
then pull the wheel blocks off the bolt.
3. Push down on the bolt and remove the hooked end
from the slot. Slide the jack toward the front of the
vehicle and lift it from the mounting. Remove
the extension and the ratchet from the pouch.
5-72

Your compact spare tire is stored underneath the
rear of your vehicle. You will use the ratchet
and extension to lower the compact spare tire.The ratchet has an
UP side.
It also has a DOWN side.
5-73

4. Attach the ratchet to the extension, with the DOWN
side facing you. The extension has a socket end
and a ¯at chisel end.
5. Put the ¯at end of the extension on an angle
through the hole in the rear door frame, above
the bumper. Be sure the ¯at end connects into the
hoist shaft.
6. Turn the ratchet counterclockwise to lower the
compact spare tire to the ground. Keep turning
the ratchet until the spare tire can be pulled out from
under the vehicle.7. When the tire has been
lowered, tilt the retainer
plate at the end of
the cable and pull it
through the wheel
opening.
8. Pull the tire out from under the vehicle.
Notice:To help avoid vehicle damage, do not drive
the vehicle before the cable is restored.
5-74

Removing the Flat Tire and Installing
the Spare Tire
1. Before you start, block the front and rear of the tire
farthest away from the one being changed. Then
put your compact spare tire near the ¯at tire.
{CAUTION:
Getting under a vehicle when it is jacked up is
dangerous. If the vehicle slips off the jack you
could be badly injured or killed. Never get under
a vehicle when it is supported only by a jack.
{CAUTION:
Raising your vehicle with the jack improperly
positioned can damage the vehicle and even
make the vehicle fall. To help avoid personal
injury and vehicle damage, be sure to ®t the
jack lift head into the proper location before
raising the vehicle.2. With the DOWN side facing you, turn the ratchet
and socket to loosen all the wheel nuts
counterclockwise. Don't remove them yet.
3. The jack has a bolt on the end. Attach the socket
end of the extension to the jack bolt.
5-76