2003 CHEVROLET ASTRO ignition

Notice: Don’t operate accessories in the
ACCESSORY position for long periods of time.
Prolonged operation of accessories in the
ACCESSORY position could drain your battery
and prevent you from starting your vehicle.
B (LOCK): This position locks your ignition, steering
wheel and transmission. It’s a theft-deterrent feature.
You will only be able to remove your key when the
ignition is turned to LOCK.
Notice: If your key seems stuck in LOCK and you
can’t turn
it, be sure you are using the correct key;
if
so, is it all the way in? If it is, then turn the
steering wheel left and right while you turn the key hard. Turn the key only with your hand. Using a
tool to force
it could break the key or the ignition
switch. If none of this works, then your vehicle needs service.
C (OFF): This position lets you turn off the engine but
still turn the steering wheel. Use
OFF if you must
have your vehicle in motion while the engine is
off
(for example, if your vehicle is being towed).
D (RUN): This is the position for driving.
E (START): This position starts your engine.
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
Your vehicle is equipped with a Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) feature which will allow certain features
on your vehicle to continue to work up to
20 minutes
after the ignition key is turned
to OFF.
Your radio, power windows and overhead console will
work when the ignition key is in RUN or ACCESSORY
Once the key is turned from RUN to
OFF, these
features will continue to work for up to
20 minutes or
until a door is opened.
2-20

Starting Your Engine
Move your shift lever to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N).
Your engine won’t start in any other position
- that’s a
safety feature.
To restart when you’re already moving,
use NEUTRAL (N) only.
Notice: Don’t try to shift to PARK
(P) if your
vehicle
is moving. If you do, you could damage the
transmission. Shift to PARK (P) only when your
vehicle
is stopped.
1. With your foot off the accelerator pedal, turn the
ignition key to START. When the engine starts,
let go of the key. The idle speed will go down as
your engine gets warm.
Notice: Holding your key
in START for longer than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to
be drained much sooner. And the excessive heat
can damage your starter motor. Wait about
15 seconds between each try to help avoid draining
your battery or damaging your starter.
2. If it doesn’t start within 10 seconds, push the
accelerator pedal all the way to the floor, while you
hold the ignition key in START. When the engine
starts, let go of the key and let up on the accelerator
pedal. Wait about
15 seconds between each try. When
starting your engine in very cold weather
(below
0°F or -18°C)’ do this:
1. With your foot off the accelerator pedal, turn the
ignition key
to START and hold it there up to
15 seconds. When the engine starts, !et go of
the key.
2.
If your engine still won’t start (or starts but then
stops), it could be flooded with too much gasoline.
Try pushing your accelerator pedal all the way to the
floor and holding
it there as you hold the key in
START for about three seconds. When the engine
starts, let go of the key and accelerator.
If the
vehicle starts briefly but then stops again, do the
same thing, but this time keep the pedal down
for five or six seconds. This clears the extra
gasoline from the engine.
Notice: Your engine
is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle.
If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the way the
engine operates. Before adding electrical equipment,
check with your dealer. If you don’t, your engine might not perform properly.
Fuel Regulator
You have a fuel regulator that shuts the fuel off when
the engine reaches
5,600 rpm.
2-2
1

Automatic Transmission Operation
There are several different positions for your shift lever.
PARK (P): This position locks your rear wheels.
It’s the best position to use when you start your
engine because your vehicle can’t move easily.
It is 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.
CAUTION: (Continued) Don’t leave your vehicle when
the enL le
is
running unless you have to. 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, always set
your parking brake and move the shift lever to
PARK (P). See “Shifting Into Park (P)” in the
Index. If you’re pulling
a trailer, see “Towing a
Trailer” in the Index.
Ensure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P) before starting
the engine. 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 key is in
RUN. If you cannot shift out of
PARK (P), ease pressure on the shift lever
- push the
shift lever all the way into PARK (P) as you maintain
brake application. Then move the shift lever into
the gear you wish. See
Shifting Out of Park (P) on
page
2-29.
2-23

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.
2-26

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).
2-28

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

There is also a mapktorage pocket on the passenger's
side of the engine cover console. Your
vehicle may have this feature.
The overhead console includes reading lamps,
a compartment for a garage door opener, a trip
computer, a temperature and compass display, and a
storage compartment for sunglasses.
The reading lamps, trip computer, temperature and
compass display will work when the ignition is in
RUN,
ACCESSORY or when Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
is active. See "Retained Accessory Power" under
lgnition
Positions on
page 2- 19.
2-39

Driver Information System
\I
Your vehicle may have this feature. This system displays
the outside air temperature, compass direction and trip
information in the overhead console.
US/MET (United StatedMetric): The US/MET button
allows you
to switch the display between the English and
metric system.
MODE: The MODE button can be used to toggle
between three modes of operation:
OFF, COMP/TEMP
and TRIP.
COMPTTEMP (CompassTTemperature): This display
provides the outside temperature and one of eight
compass readings to indicate the direction the vehicle
is facing.
Before you turn on the ignition and move the vehicle,
the temperature indicated will be the last outside
temperature recorded with the ignition on.
If the outside
temperature
is 37°F (3°C) or lower, the display will
toggle between the word ICE and the current
temperature every eight seconds. This is a warning
to
the driver that road conditions may be icy, and that
appropriate precautions should be taken.
The compass is self-calibrating,
so it does not need to be
manually set. However,
if C (Calibration) is displayed, the
compass will need
to be calibrated. You may also place
the compass in a noncalibrated mode by pressing and
holding the US/MET and MODE buttons simultaneously
while in the COMPREMP mode. After about
10 seconds.
the compass will display
C and you can release the
buttons. Drive the vehicle in a complete 360" circle three
times at a speed of less than 5 mph
(8 km/h), and the
compass will function normally. Once the calibration
is
complete, the display will return to a compass reading.
Variance is the difference between magnetic north
and geographic north. In some areas, the difference
between the two can be great enough
to cause false
compass readings.
2-42