2003 CHEVROLET ASTRO lock

Remember: Anti-lock doesn’t change the time you need
to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always
decrease stopping distance. If you get too close to the
vehicle in front of you, you won’t have time to apply
your brakes
if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops.
Always leave enough room up ahead to stop, even
though you have anti-lock brakes.
Using Anti-Lock
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down
firmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel
the brakes vibrate, or you may notice some noise, but
this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It’s important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here’s why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject
to the same laws of physics when driving on curves.
The traction of the tires against the road surface makes
it possible for the vehicle to change its path when
you turn the front wheels. If there’s no traction, inertia
will keep the vehicle going in the same direction.
If you’ve ever tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice,
you’ll understand this.
The traction you can get in a curve depends on the
condition of your tires and the road surface, the angle at
which the curve is banked, and your speed. While you’re
in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control.
4-9

An emergency like this requires close attention and a
quick decision. If you are holding the steering wheel at
the recommended
9 and 3 o’clock positions, you
can turn it a full
180 degrees very quickly without
removing either hand. But you have
to act fast, steer
quickly, and just as quickly straighten the wheel
once you have avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency situations are always
possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving
at all times and wear safety belts properly.
Off -Road Recovery
You may find that your right wheels have dropped off the
edge of a road onto the shoulder while you’re driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the
pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease
off the
accelerator and then,
if there is nothing in the way,
steer
so that your vehicle straddles the edge of
the pavement. You can turn the steering wheel up to
one-quarter turn until the right front tire contacts the
pavement edge. Then turn your steering wheel to
go straight down the roadway.
4-1 1

If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want
the vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough,
your vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready
for a second skid
if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road. For safety, you’ll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions.
It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction,
try your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or
braking (including engine braking by shifting to a
lower gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires
to slide. You may not realize the surface
is slippery
until your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues
- such as enough water, ice or packed snow
on the road to make a “mirrored surface”
- and slow
down when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock brake system
(ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
Driving at Night
...s
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving.
One reason is that some drivers are likely to be
impaired
- by alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems, or by fatigue.
4-1 4

What’s the worst time for this? “Wet ice.” Very cold
snow or ice can be slick and hard to drive on. But wet
ice can be even more trouble because it may offer
the least traction of all. You can get wet ice when it’s
about freezing
(32°F; OOC) and freezing rain begins
to fall. Try to avoid driving on wet ice until salt and sand
crews can get there. Whatever
the condition
- smooth ice, packed, blowing
or loose snow
- drive with caution.
Accelerate gently. Try not to break the fragile traction.
If you accelerate too fast, the drive wheels will spin and
polish the surface under the tires even more.
Your anti-lock brakes improve your vehicle’s stability
when you make a hard stop on a slippery road.
Even though you have an anti-lock braking system,
you’ll want to begin stopping sooner than you would
on dry pavement. See
Braking on page 4-6.
Allow greater following distance on any slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be fine
until you hit a spot that’s covered with ice. On an
otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in
shaded areas where the sun can’t reach:
around clumps of trees, behind buildings
or under
bridges. Sometimes the surface of a curve or an
overpass may remain icy when the surrounding
roads are clear. If you see a patch of ice ahead of
you, brake before you are on it. Try not to brake while
you’re actually on the ice, and avoid sudden steering
maneuvers.
4-25

Snow can trap exhaust gases under your
vehicle. This can cause deadly
CO (carbon
monoxide) gas to get inside.
CO could
overcome you and kill you. You can’t see
it or
smell
it, so you might not know it is in your
vehicle. Clear away snow from around the
base of your vehicle, especially any that is
blocking your exhaust pipe. And check around
again from time to time to be sure snow doesn’t collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side
of the
vehicle that’s away from the wind. This will
help keep
CO out. Run your
engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little
faster than just idle. That is, push the accelerator
slightly. This uses less fuel for the heat that you get
and
it keeps the battery charged. You will need a
well-charged battery to restart the vehicle, and possibly
for signaling later on with your headlamps. Let the
heater run for a while.
Then, shut the engine
off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine
again and repeat this only when you feel really
uncomfortable from the cold. But do it as little as
possible. Preserve the fuel as long as you can.
To help keep warm, you can get out of the vehicle and
do some fairly vigorous exercises every half hour or
so until help comes.
4-27

While refueling, let the fuel cap hang by the tether
below the fuel
fill opening.
To remove the fuel cap, turn it slowly to the left
(counterclockwise). The fuel cap has a spring in it;
if you let go of the cap too soon, it will spring back to
the right.
d lf you get fuel on yourself and then something
ignites
it, you could be badly burned. Fuel can
spray out on you if you open the fuel cap too
quickly. This spray can happen
if your tank is
nearly full, and is more likely in hot weather.
Open the fuel cap slowly and wait for any
“hiss” noise to stop. Then unscrew the cap
all the way.
Be careful not to spill fuel. Clean fuel from painted
surfaces as soon as possible. See
Cleaning the Outside
of Your Vehicle on page 5-86. When filling the tank
do not overfill by squeezing in much more fuel after the
pump shuts off.
5-9

When you put the fuel cap back on, turn it to the
right (clockwise) until you hear a clicking sound.
Make sure you fully install
the cap. The diagnostic
system can determine
if the fuel cap has been left off or
improperly installed. This would allow fuel to evaporate
into the atmosphere. See
Malfunction lndicator Lamp
on page 3-30.
Notice: If you need a new fuel cap, be sure to get
the right type. Your dealer can get one for you.
If you get the wrong type, it may not fit properly.
This may cause your malfunction indicator lamp to
light and may damage your fuel tank and emissions
system. See “Malfunction lndicator Lamp”
in the
Index.
Filhg a Portable Fuel Container
~
Never fill a portable fuel container while it is in
your vehicle. Static electricity discharge from
the container can ignite the gasoline vapor. You can be badly burned and your vehicle
damaged if this occurs.
To help avoid injury to
you and others:
Dispense gasoline only into approved
containers.
Do not fill a container while it is inside a
vehicle,
in a vehicle’s trunk, pickup bed or
on any surface other than the ground.
Bring the fill nozzle in contact with the
inside of the
fill opening before operating
the nozzle. Contact should be maintained until the filling is complete.
Don’t smoke while pumping gasoline.
5-1 0

3. Check both sides of the dipstick, and read the lower How to Add Fluid
level. The fluid level must be in the COLD area,
below the cross-hatched area, for a cold check or
in Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine
the HOT area
or cross-hatched area for a hot check. what kind of transmission fluid to use. See Part D:
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants on Daae 6-32. tu
Add fluid only after checking the transmission fluid while
it is hot. (A cold check is used
only as a reference.)
If the fluid level is low, add only enough of the proper
fluid to bring the level up to the
HOT area for a hot
check. It doesn’t take much fluid, generally less
than one pint
(0.5 L). Don’t ovetfi/l.
Notice: We recommend you use only fluid labeled
DEXRON@-Ill, because fluid with that label is
made especially for your automatic transmission.
Damage caused by fluid other than DEXRON@-Ill is
not covered by your new vehicle warranty.
4. If the fluid level is in the acceptable range, push the
dipstick back in all the way; then flip the handle
down to lock the dipstick in place. After
adding fluid, recheck the fluid level as
described under “How to Check.”
When the correct fluid level is obtained, push the
dipstick back in all the way; then flip the handle
down to lock the dipstick in place.
5-27