2003 CHEVROLET ASTRO service

Service
Your dealer knows your vehicle best and wants you to
be happy with it. We hope you’ll go to your dealer
for all your service needs. You’ll get genuine GM parts
and GM-trained and supported service people.
We hope you’ll want to keep your GM vehicle all GM.
Genuine GM parts have one
of these marks:
Doing Your Own Service Work
If you want to do some of your own service work, you’ll
want to use the proper service manual. It tells you
much more about how to service your vehicle than this
manual can.
To order the proper service manual,
see
Service Publications Ordering lnformation on
page
7- I 1.
Your vehicle may have an air bag system. If it does,
see
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle on
page
1-69 before attempting to do your own
service work.
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You should keep a record with all parts receipts and list
the mileage and the date of any service work you
perform. See
Part E: Maintenance Record on pi- - ? 6-34.
You can be injured and your vehicle could be
damaged if you try to do service work on a
vehicle without knowing enough about
it.
Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, the proper replacement parts and tools before you attempt any vehicle maintenance task.
Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts and
other fasteners. “English” and “metric”
fasteners can be easily confused.
If you
use the wrong fasteners, parts can later
break or fall off. You could be hurt.
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle
Things you might add to the outside of your vehicle
can affect the airflow around it. This may cause
wind noise and affect windshield washer performance.
Check with your dealer before adding equipment to
the outside
of your vehicle.
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Fuel
Use of the recommended fuel is an important part of the
proper maintenance of your vehicle.
Gasoline Octane
Use regular unleaded gasoline with a posted octane
of
87 or higher. If the octane is less than 87, you may
get a heavy knocking noise when you drive. If this
occurs, use a gasoline rated at
87 octane or higher as
soon as possible. Otherwise, you might damage
your engine. A little pinging noise when you accelerate
or drive uphill is considered normal. This does not
indicate a problem exists or that a higher-octane fuel is
necessary.
If you are using 87 octane or higher-octane
fuel and hear heavy knocking, your engine needs
service.
Gasoline Specifications
It is recommended that gasoline meet specifications
which were developed by the American Automobile
Manufacturers Association and endorsed by the
Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers Association for better
vehicle performance and engine protection. Gasoline
meeting these specifications could provide improved
driveability and emission control system performance
compared to other gasoline.
In Canada, look for the
“Auto Makers’ Choice’’
label on the pump.
Canada Only
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Some gasolines that are not reformulated for low
emissions may contain an octane-enhancing additive
called methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl
(MMT); ask the attendant where you buy gasoline
whether the fuel contains MMT. General Motors
does not recommend the use of such gasolines.
Fuels containing MMT can reduce the life of spark
plugs and the performance
of the emission control
system may be affected. The malfunction indicator lamp
may turn on.
If this occurs, return to your authorized
GM dealer for service.
Fuels in Foreign Countries
If you plan on driving in another country outside the
United States or Canada, the proper fuel may be
hard to find. Never use leaded gasoiine or any other
fuel not recommended in the previous text on fuel.
Costly repairs caused by use of improper fuel wouldn’t
be covered by your warranty.
To check the fuel availability, ask an auto club, or
contact a major oil company that does business in the
country where you’ll be driving.
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What Kind of Engine Oil to Use
Oils recommended for your vehicle can be identified by
looking for the starburst symbol.
This symboi indicates that the oii has been certified by
the American Petroleum Institute (API). Do not use
any oil which does not carry this starburst symbol.
If you choose
to perform
the engine oil change
service yourself, be sure
the oil you use has the
starburst symbol on the
front of the oil container.
If you have your oil
changed for you, be sure
the oil put into your engine
is American Petroleum
Institute certified for
gasoline engines.
You should also use the proper viscosity oil for your
vehicle, as shown in the viscosity chart.
RECOMMENDED SAE VISCOSITY GRADE ENGINE OILS
HOT
WEATHER
-
"C
t 3t
+ 2;
- +1
- t4
- -7
- - 1,
LOOK
FOR MIS
SYMBOL
1111 SAE 1 1OW-30
ACCEPTABLE
AVAILABLE IF 5W-30 IS NOT
RECOMMENDED
WEATHER
DO NOT USE SAE 1OW-40, SAE 2OW-50 OR ANY OTHER
VlSCOSlN GRADE OIL NOT RECOMMENDED
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As in the chart shown previously, SAE 5W-30 is the
only viscosity grade recommended for your vehicle.
You should look for and use only oils which have the
API Starburst symbol and which are also identified
as SAE 5W-30.
If you cannot find such SAE 5W-30 oils,
you can use an SAE IOW-30 oil which has the API
Starburst symbol,
if it's going to be 0°F (-18°C)
or above.
Do not use other viscosity grade oils, such as
SAE 1OW-40 or SAE 20W-50 under any conditions.
Notice: Use only engine oil with the American
Petroleum Institute Certified For Gasoline Engines
starburst symbol. Failure to use the recommended
oil can result in engine damage not covered by
your warranty.
GM Goodwrench@ oil meets all the requirements for
your vehicle.
If you are in an area of extreme cold, where the
temperature falls below -20°F (-29"C), it is
recommended that you use either an SAE 5W-30
synthetic oil or an SAE OW-30 oil. Both will provide
easier cold starting and better protection for your engine
at extremely low temperatures.
Engine Oil Additives
Don't add anything to your oil. The recommended oils
with the starburst symbol are all you will need for
good performance and engine protection.
When to Change Engine Oil
If any one of these are true for you, use the short
tripkity maintenance schedule:
e
e
e
Most trips are less than 5 miles (8 km). This is
particularly important when outside temperatures
are below freezing.
Most trips include extensive idling (such as frequent
driving in stop-and-go traffic).
You frequently tow a trailer or use a carrier on top
of your vehicle.
The vehicle is used for delivery service, police, taxi
or other commercial application.
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8

Driving under these conditions causes engine oil to
break down sooner. If any one of these is true for your
vehicle, then you need to change your oil and filter
every
3,000 miles (5 000 km) or 3 months - whichever
occurs first.
If none of them is true, use the long trip/highway
maintenance schedule. Change the oil and filter every
7,500 miles (12 500 km) or 12 months - whichever
occurs first. Driving a vehicle with a fully warmed engine
under highway conditions will cause engine oil to
break down slower.
What to Do with Used Oil
Used engine oil contains certain elements that may be
unhealthy for your skin and could even cause cancer.
Don’t let used oil stay on your skin for very long. Clean
your skin and nails with soap and water, or a good
hand cleaner. Wash or properly dispose of clothing or
rags containing used engine oil. See the manufacturer’s
warnings about the use and disposal of oil products.
Used oil can be a threat to the environment.
If you
change your own oil, be sure to drain all the oil from
the filter before disposal. Never dispose of oil by putting
it in the trash, pouring it on the ground, into sewers,
or into streams or bodies of water. Instead, recycle
it
by taking it to a place that collects used oil. If you have
a problem properly disposing of your used oil, ask
your dealer, a service station or
a local recycling center
for help.
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Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine
when to replace the engine air cleanedfilter and the
crankcase ventilation filter. See
Part A: Scheduled
Maintenance Services on page
6-4.
See Engine Compartment Overview on page 5-14 for
more information on location.
3. Change the filter.
4. Snap both clips to secure the engine air
cleaner/filter cover.
Be sure the engine air cleaner/filter cover is correctly
positioned
to seal out dust and contaminants that
are harmful to your engine.
To change the engine air cleaner/filter, do the following:
1. Unsnap both clips on the cover.
2. Remove the cover. Operat
...d the engine witt.
_.re air cleaner/ ____ er
off can cause you or others to be burned.
The air cleaner not only cleans the air,
it stops
flame if the engine backfires.
If it isn’t there
and the engine backfires, you could be burned.
Don’t drive with
it off, and be careful working
on the engine with the air cleaner/filter
off.
Notice: If the air cleanedfilter is off, a backfire
can cause a damaging engine fire. And, dirt
can easily get into your engine, which will damage
it. Always have the air cleanedfilter in place
when you’re driving.
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