
The 2003 Chevrolet Astro Owner Manual 
Seats and Restraint Systems ........................... I-! 
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 
Keys 
........................................................ 2-2 
Doors  and  Locks 
....................................... 2-7 
Windows 
................................................. 2-1  6 
Theft-Deterrent  Systems 
............................ 2-1 8 
Mirrors 
.................................................... 2-32 
HomeLink@  Transmitter 
............................. 2-34 
Features  and  Controls ..................................... 2-1 
Starting  and Operating  Your Vehicle 
........... 2-19 
Storage  Areas 
Instrument  Panel . 
Instrument Panel 
Climate Controls 
......................................... 2-38 
........................................... 3-1 
Overview .......................... 3-2 
...................................... 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 
........ 4-2 
Towing 
................................................... 4-29 
Service and Appearance Care .......................... 5-1 
Service ..................................................... 5-3 
Fuel 
......................................................... 5-5 
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  Identification 
................................. 5-91 
Electrical  System 
...................................... 5-92 
Capacities  and  Specifications 
..................... 5-99 
Normal  Maintenance  Replacement  Parts 
...... 5-1 01 
Maintenance Schedule ..................................... 6-1 
Maintenance  Schedule 
................................ 6-2 
Customer  Assistance  Information .................... 7-1 
Customer  Assistance  Information 
.................. 7-2 
Reporting Safety Defects ........................... 7-10 
Checking  Things  Under 
the Hood 
............... 5-11 
Index ................................................................ 1  

These  are  some  examples of vehicle symbols you may find on your  vehicle: 
POSSIBLE A 
CAUTION INJURY 
PROTECT  EYES  BY 
SHIELDING 
CAUSTIC 
BATTERY 
KID  COULD 
CAUSE 
BURNS 
AVOID 
SPARKS  OR  FLAMES 
SPARK  OR  COULD 
EXPLODE  FLAME 
\\I/' 
BAlTERY I 
LATCH  BOTH  LAP  AND 
SHOULDER  BELTS  TO 
PROTECT  OCCUPANT 
*&: @ 
DO  NOT  TWIST  SAFETY 
BELT  WHEN  AlTACHING 
FASTEN  SEAT 
BELTS 
MOVE  SEAT  FULLY 
\!$! 
REARWARD /a 
SECURE 
CHILD 
SEAT 
PULL  BELT 
COMPLETELY 
rHEN  SECURE  CHILD  SEAT 
POWER 
WINDOW  DO  NOT  INSTALL 
A  REAR-FACING 
CHILD  RESTRAINT  IN  THIS  SEATING  POSITION 
DO  NOT  INSTALL  A 
'ORWARD-FACING  CHILD  RESTRAINT  IN  THIS  SEATING  POSITION 
DOOR  LOCK  UNLOCK  LIGHTING 
- MASTER SWITCH u- 0 ,  
SIGNALS 
TURN 
LAMPS 
Pf 
RUNNING ***o 
DAYTIME 0.0 
LAMPS ea. 
LAMPS $0 
ENGINE 
COOLANT 
cc 
TEMP 
CHARGING 
I-1 
BATTERY  SYSTEM 
BRAKE 
(a) 
ENGINE  OIL PRESSURE 
Wb 
ANTI-LOCK (@) 
BRAKES  COOLANT 
FAN 
OWNERS  MANUAL 
SERVICE 
MANUAL 
V  

Child Restraints 
Older Children 
Older  children  who  have outgrown booster seats should 
wear  the vehicle’s  safety  belts. 
Q: What is the  proper  way  to  wear  safety  belts? 
A: If possible, an older child should  wear a 
lap-shoulder belt and  get the  additional restraint 
a shouider beit can  provide.  The shouider belt 
should  not cross the  face  or  neck.  The  lap 
belt should fit  snugly below  the hips, just  touching 
the top  of the  thighs. 
It should  never be worn 
over  the abdomen,  which  could cause severe  or 
even  fatal internal injuries in a crash. 
Accident  statistics show  that children are  safer 
if they 
are  restrained in the  rear  seat. 
In a crash, children  who are not buckled up can strike 
other  people  who are  buckled  up,  or can  be thrown 
out  of the vehicle. Older children need to  use safety 
belts properly. 
If  you  have  the  choice,  a child should sit next  to a 
window 
so the child  can  wear  a  lap-shoulder belt and 
get  the  additional  restraint  a shoulder  belt can  provide. 
1-35  

A forward-facing child seat (C-E) provides restraint  for 
the child's  body  with  the  harness and also sometimes 
with  surfaces  such as T-shaped 
or shelf-like shields. 
A booster seat (F-G) is a child restraint designed to 
improve the  fit of the vehicle's  safety belt system. 
Some booster  seats have a shoulder belt positioner, 
and  some  high-back booster seats have  a five-point 
harness. 
A booster seat can also  help  a child to see 
out  the  window. 
1-45  

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 the  vents in the 
deflated  air  bags.  Air  bag inflation  doesn’t prevent the 
driver from seeing  or being able  to steer the  vehicle, nor 
does it  stop people  from leaving the  vehicle.  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  a  door. If you  experience  breathing 
l problems  following  an  air  bag  deployment, 
you  should  seek  medical  attention. 
1-68  

Section 2 Features and controls 
Keys ............................................................... 2.2 
Remote  Keyless  Entry  System 
~ = ~ . = = =  =  = -2-4 
Remote  Keyless  Entry  System  Operation 
.......... -2-5 
Doors  and  Locks ............................................. 2-7 
Door  Locks 
.................................................... 2.7 
Front  Doors 
................................................... 2.8 
Power  Door  Locks 
.......................................... 2-8 
Programmable  Automatic  Door  Locks 
................ 2.9 
Leaving  Your  Vehicle 
................................... -2-10 
Sliding  Side  Door 
......................................... -2-1 0 
Rear  Doors ................................................. -2-1  3 
Windows ........................................................ 2.16 
Manual  Windows 
.......................................... 2.16 
Power  Windows 
........................................... -2-1 7 
Sun  Visors ................................................... 2.17 
Theft-Deterrent  Systems .................................. 2.18 
Passlock@ 
.................................................... 2.18 
Starting  and  Operating Your Vehicle ................ 2.19 
New  Vehicle  Break-In 
.................................... 2.19 
Ignition  Positions 
........ ................... 2.19  Starting 
Your Engine 
..................................... 2.21 
Engine  Coolant  Heater 
.................................. 2.22 
Automatic  Transmission  Operation 
................... 2.23 
All-Wheel  Drive 
............................................ 2.26 
Parking Brake 
.............................................. 2.26 
Shifting  Into  Park  (P) 
..................................... 2-27 
Shifting  Out 
of Park (P) ................................. 2-29 
Parking  Over Things  That  Burn 
....................... 2-30 
Running  Your Engine While  You  Are Parked 
....... 2-31 
Engine  Exhaust 
............................................ 2-30 
Mirrors ........................................................... 2.32 
Manual  Rearview  Mirror 
................................ -2-32 
Outside  Manual  Mirrors 
.................................. 2.32 
Outside  Power Mirrors 
................................... 2.32 
Outside Convex  Mirror 
................................... 2.33 
HomeLink@  Transmitter ................................... 2.34 
Programming the  HomeLink Transmitter 
........... 2.35 
Storage  Areas ................................................ 2.38 
Overhead Console 
........................................ 2.39 
Luggage  Carrier 
........................................... 2.44 
Convenience Net 
.......................................... 2.45 
2-1  

Keys 
mm 
!aving  children  in a vehicle  with  the  ignition 
key  is dangerous  for  many  reasons. 
A child or 
others  could be  badly injured  or even  killed. 
They  could  operate  the  power windows  or 
other  controls  or  even  make the  vehicle  move. 
Don’t  leave  the  keys in  a  vehicle  with  children. 
2-2  

To fully open  the rear 
doors, push  in  on  the 
clip and 
lift the  check 
assembly  up 
off the 
mounting bracket. 
Do this on each  door. Replace the check assemblies on 
the  mounting brackets before closing the doors. 
It can  be  dangerous  to  drive  with  the rear 
glass  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 
glass  open  or  if  electrical  wiring  or  other  cable 
connections  must  pass  through  the  seal  between  the  body  and  the  rear  glass: 
Make  sure  all  other  windows  are  shut. 
Turn  the  fan on your  heating  or  cooling 
system  to  its  highest  speed  and  select  the  control  setting  that  will  force  outside  air  into  your  vehicle.  See ”Climate  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. 
2-1 4