2003 CHEVROLET ASTRO tow

What Makes an Air Bag Inflate?
In an impact of sufficient severity, the air bag sensing
system detects that the vehicle
is in a crash. The sensing
system triggers a release of gas from the inflator, which
inflates the air bag. The inflator, air bag, and related
hardware are all part of the air bag modules inside the
steering wheel and in the instrument panel in front of the
right front passenger.
How Does an Air Bag Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel
or the instrument panel. Air bags supplement the
protection provided by safety belts. Air bags distribute
the force of the impact more evenly over the occupant’s
upper body, stopping the occupant more gradually.
But air bags would not help you in many types
of
collisions, including rollovers, rear impacts and many
side impacts, primarily because an occupant’s motion is
not toward those air bags. Air bags should never be
regarded as anything more than a supplement to safety
belts, and then only in moderate to severe frontal or
near-frontal collisions.
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Front Doors
To open a front door from the outside, grasp the handle
and pull the door open.
To open a front door from
the inside, pull the lever
toward you and push
the door open.
Power Door Locks
If your vehicle has power
door locks, press the power door lock switch
located on the door panel
to lock or unlock all the
doors at once.
The power door lock switch will lock or unlock the
rear hatch and Dutch doors. See “Hatch Release’’ in
Rear Doors on page 2- 13.
When a door is locked, the inside door handle will not
open the door. This will help stop a door from being
accidentally opened.
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If the sliding door is open and you press the power door
lock switch, the sliding door will not lock immediately.
After you close the door, the system comes on and locks
the sliding door in about five seconds.
When the key is in the ignition and the
power door lock
switch is pressed with a door open, all doors are
locked while the driver’s side door remains unlocked.
Programmable Automatic
Door Locks
Your vehicle is equipped with an auto IocWunlock
feature which enables you
to program your power
door locks.
Your vehicle left the factory programmed to have all the
doors lock automatically when the shift lever is moved out
of PARK (P).
All of the doors will unlock when the shift
lever is moved back into PARK (P). The following
instructions detail how to program your door locks. To
enter the program mode you need to do the following:
1. Begin with the ignition in OFF. Then, pull back on the
turn signaVmultifunction lever all the way toward you
and hold
it while you perform the next step.
2. Turn your key to RUN and
OFF twice. Then, with
the key in
OFF, release the turn signaVmultifunction
lever. Once you do this, you will hear the lock
switch lock and unlock.
You are now ready to program the automatic door
locks. Select one
of the following four programming
options and follow the instructions. You
will have thirty
seconds to begin programming.
If you exceed the
thirty second limit, the locks will automatically lock and
unlock to indicate that you have left the program mode.
If this occurs, repeat the procedure beginning with
Step
1. You can exit the program mode any time by
turning the ignition to RUN. The locks will automatically
lock and unlock
to indicate that you are leaving the
program mode. If the IocWunlock switches are not
pressed while in the programming mode, the auto
IocWunlock setting will not be modified.
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The following is a list of the available programming
oDtions: Sliding Side Door
0 All doors lock/Only the driver’s door unlocks:
Press the lock side of the power lock switch on
the door panel once and then the unlock side once.
All doors lock/All doors unlock: Press the
lock side
of the power lock switch on the door panel
once, and then the unlock side twice.
All doors lock/None of the doors unlock: Press
the lock side of the power lock switch on the door
panel once, and then the unlock side three times.
0 No doors lock/None of the doors unlock: Press
the lock side of the power lock switch on the door
panel twice. This turns
off the automatic lock feature.
For more information, see your dealer. To open the sliding
side door, pull the handle toward
the back and slide the door to the rear until it rests in the
Leaving Your Vehicle open position.
To close the sliding side door, pull the handle toward
If you are leaving your vehicle, take your key, open your the front and slide the door forward.
door and set the locks from inside. Then get out and
close the door.
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Sliding Door Security Lock
I
n
I
d
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.
2-1 1

Starting and Operating
Your Vehicle
New Vehicle Break-in
Nofice: Your vehicle doesn’t need an elaborate
“break-in.” But
it will perform better in the long run
if you follow these guidelines:
e
e
Keep your speed at 55 mph (88 km/h) or less
for
the first 500 miles (805 km).
Don’t drive at any one speed
- fast or
slow
- for the first 500 miles (805 km).
Don’t make full-throttle starts.
Avoid making hard stops for the first
200 miles
(322 km) or so. During this time your new
brake linings aren’t yet broken in. Hard stops
with new linings can mean premature wear and
earlier replacement. Follow this breaking-in guideline every time you get new brake linings.
Don’t tow a trailer during break-in. See “Towing
a Trailer” in the Index for more information.
Ignition Positions
With the key in the ignition, you can turn it to five
different positions.
C
A
A (ACCESSORY): This position lets you use things like
the radio, power windows and windshield wipers when
the engine is off.
To get into ACCESSORY, push in the
key and turn it toward you. Your steering wheel will
remain locked, just as it was before you inserted the key.
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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.
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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.
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