2003 CHEVROLET ASTRO Owners Manual

All-Wheel Drive
If your vehicle has all-wheel drive, your engine’s driving
power is sent
to all four wheels for extra traction
when needed.
This is like four-wheel drive, but there is no separate
lever or switch to engage or disengage the front axle.
It is fully automatic, and adjusts itself as needed for
road conditions.
You may experience a brief vehicle vibration upon
acceleration when driving in slippery conditions.
This is normal and is an indication that the all-wheel
drive system is functioning properly.
Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the regular brake pedal
down with your right foot.
Push down the parking brake pedal with your left foot.
If the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will come on.
To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down.
Pull the brake release lever located on the
lower left side of the steering column.
Notice: Driving with the parking brake on can
cause your rear brakes to overheat. You may have
to replace them, and you could also damage
other parts
of your vehicle.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on a hill,
see
Towing a Trailer on page 4-31. That section shows
what to do first to keep the trailer from moving.
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Shifting Into Park (P)
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle
if the shift lever
is not fully in PARK (P) with
the parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can
roll. If you have left the engine running, the
vehicle can move suddenly. You or others
could be injured. To be sure your vehicle won’t
move, even when you’re on fairly level ground,
use the steps that
follow. If you’re pulling a
trailer, see “Towing a Trailer” in the Index.
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake. 2.
Move the shift lever into PARK (P) like this: Pull the lever toward you.
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Move the lever up as far as it will go.
3. Move the ignition key to LOCK.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
leave your vehicle with the ignition key in your
hand, your vehicle is
in PARK (P).
Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Engine
F nning
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with
the engine running. Your vehicle could move suddenly if the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the parking brake firmly set.
And, if you leave the vehicle with the engine
running,
it could overheat and even catch fire.
You
or others could be injured. Don’t leave
your vehicle with the engine running.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and
your parking brake is firmly set before you leave it.
After you’ve moved the shift lever to PARK (P), hold the
regular brake pedal down. Then, see
if you can move
the shift lever away from PARK (P) without first pulling it
toward you.
If you can, it means that the shift lever
wasn’t fully locked into PARK (P).
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Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transmission into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl
in the transmission. You may find it difficult to pull the
shift lever out of PARK (P). This is called “torque lock.”
To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and
then shift into PARK (P) properly before you leave
the driver’s seat. To find out how, see
Shifting Into
Park
(P) on page 2-27.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK (P)
before you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another
vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of the
pressure from the parking pawl in the transmission,
so you can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).
Shifting Out of Park (P)
Your vehicle has an automatic transmission shift lock
control system. You have to fully apply your regular
brakes before you can shift from PARK (P) when the
ignition is in RUN. See
Automatic Transmission
Operation on page
2-23.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever and push the shift lever all the way up
into PARK
(P) as you maintain brake application. Then,
move the shift lever into the gear you want.
If you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can’t shift
out of PARK (P), try this:
1. Turn the key to OFF.
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
3. Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the vehicle and then shift to the drive gear
5. Have the system fixed as soon as you can.
you
want.
2-29

Parking Over Things That Burn
Things tha- Jan -Jrn could tout hot e: 3ust
parts under your vehicle and ignite. Don't park
over papers, leaves, dry grass or other things
that can burn. Engine exhaust can kill.
It contains the gas
carbon monoxide (CO), which you can't see or
smell.
It can cause unconsciousness and death.
You might have exhaust coming in if:
Your exhaust system sounds strange
Your vehicle gets rusty underneath.
Your vehicle was damaged in a collision.
Your vehicle was damaged when driving
over high points on the road or over road
debris.
or different.
Repairs weren't done correctly.
Your vehicle or exhaust system had
been
modified improperly.
If you ever suspect exhaust
is coming into
your vehicle:
Drive it only with all the windows down to
Have your vehicle fixed immediately.
blow out any
CO; and
2-30

Running Your Engine While You
Are Parked
It’s better not to park with the engine running. But if you
ever have
to, here are some things to know.
I,..ng the e..,ine with the c
.... late conL ,I
system off could allow dangerous exhaust into
your vehicle. See the earlier Caution under
“Engine Exhaust.”
Also, idling in a closed-in place can let deadly
carbon monoxide
(CO) into your vehicle even
if the fan is at the highest setting. One place
this can happen
is a garage. Exhaust - with
CO - can come in easily. NEVER park in a
garage with the engine running.
Another closed-in place can be a blizzard. See “Winter Driving’’
in the Index.
L
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle
if the shift lever
is not fully in PARK (P) with
the parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can
roll. Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine
is running unless you have to. If you’ve left
the engine running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be injured.
To be sure your vehicle won’t move, even
when you’re on fairly level ground, always set
your parking brake and move the
shift lever
to
PARK (P).
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle won’t
move. See
Shifting Into Park (P) on page 2-27.
If you’re pulling a trailer, see Towing a Trailer on
page
4-37.
2-31

Mirrors Outside Power Mirrors
Manual Rearview Mirror
You can adjust the mirror for day or night driving.
Press the tab forward (away from you) for day driving.
Pull the tab back (toward you) for night driving.
Outside Manual Mirrors
Adjust your outside rearview mirrors so you can see a
little
of the side of your vehicle and the area beside
and behind your vehicle, from
a comfortable driving
position.
You can fold the mirrors inward before entering a car
wash. Pull the mirrors toward the vehicle. Push the
mirrors back out when finished. After pushing the mirror
out, the adjustment will be maintained. Your
vehicle may have this feature.
2-32

To adjust the outside rearview mirror, move the selector Outside Convex Mirror
switch in the middle of the control to L for the driver’s
side mirror or to
R for the passenger’s side mirror. Your passenger’s side mirror is convex. A convex
Then use the arrows located on the four-way control pad mirror’s surface
is curved so you can see more from
to move the mirror in the desired direction.
To make the driver’s seat.
sure you do not accidentally move a mirror, return the
selector switch to the middle position
(off) after
adjusting the mirrors.
A convex r....ror can make things (like other
vehicles)
look farther away than they really are.
If you cut too sharply into the right lane, you
could hit
a vehicle on your right. Check your
inside mirror or glance over your shoulder
before changing lanes.
2-33