2003 CHEVROLET ASTRO checking oil

Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
Service .......................................................... -5-3
Doing Your Own Service Work
......................... 5-3
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle
.............................................. 5-4
Fuel ................................................................ 5.5
Gasoline Octane ........................................... -5-5
Gasoline Specifications .................................... 5.5
California Fuel ............................................. -56
Additives
....................................................... 5.6
Fuels in Foreign Countries
............................... 5.7
Filling Your Tank
............................................ 5-8
Filling a Portable Fuel Container
..................... 5-10
Checking Things Under the Hood .................... 5-1 1
Hood Release .............................................. 5.11
Engine Compartment Overview
...................... 5.14
Engine Oil
................................................... 5.15
Engine Cover ................. .... ........ 5.20
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
................. ........ 5.24
Automatic Transmission Fluid
...................... 5.25
Engine Coolant ............................................. 5.28
Radiator Pressure Cap
.................................. 5.30
Engine Overheating
....................................... 5.31
Cooling System
............................................ 5.33
Engine Fan Noise
......................................... 5.39
Power Steering Fluid
..................................... 5.40
Windshield Washer Fluid
................................ 5.41 Brakes
........................................................ 5.42
Battery
........................................................ 5-46
Jump Starting
............................................... 5-47
All-Wheel Drive .............................................. 5-52
Rear Axle ....................................................... 5-53
Front Axle ...................................................... 5-54
Bulb Replacement .......................................... 5-55
Halogen Bulbs .............................. ..... 5-55
Headlamps .................................. ..... 5-55
Front Turn Signal Lamps ............................... 5-59
Replacement Bulbs
....................................... 5-61
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement .............. 5-62
Tires .............................................................. 5.63
Inflation
- Tire Pressure ................................ 5-64
Tire Inspection and Rotation
........................... 5-64
When It
Is Time for New Tires ....................... 5-66
Buying New Tires
......................................... 5-66
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
.......................... 5-67
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
.................. 5-69
Wheel Replacement
...................................... 5-69
Tire Chains
.................................................. 5-70
If a Tire Goes Flat ........................................ 5.70
Changing a Flat Tire ..................................... 5.71
Compact Spare Tire ...................................... 5-82
Taillamps
.................................................... 5-60
5- 1

Checking Things Under
the Hood
Hood Release
Things that burn can get on hot engine parts
and start
a fire. These include liquids like fuel,
oil, coolant, brake fluid, windshield washer and
other fluids, and plastic or rubber. You or
others could be burned. Be careful not to drop
or spill things that
will burn onto a hot engine.
To open the hood, do the following:
1. Pull the handle located inside the vehicle on the
lower driver’s side of the kick panel.
5-1 1

A. Windshield Washer Fluid
B. Engine Coolant
C. Engine
Oil Dipstick
D. Transmission Dipstick
E. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
F. Engine Oil Fill
G. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir
H. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir
I. Battery
Engine Oil
It is important to keep engine oil at the proper level. The engine oil dipstick has a yellow ring and is located
near the center of the engine compartment. See
Engine
information on location.
Checking Engine Oil Compartment Overview on page 5- 14 for more
It’s a good idea to check your engine oil every time
you
get fuel. In order to get an accurate reading, the oil Turn off the engine and give the oil several minutes to
must be warm and the vehicle must be on level ground. drain back into the
Oil pan. If YOU don’t, the oil dipstick
might not show the actual level.
Pull out the dipstick and clean it with a paper towel or
cloth, then push it back in all the way. Remove it again,
keeping the tip down, and check the level.
5-1 5

Automatic Transmission Fluid
When to Check and Change
A good time to check your automatic transmission fluid
level is when the engine oil is changed.
Change both the fluid and filter every
15,000 miles
(25
000 km) if the vehicle is mainly driven under one or
more of these conditions:
In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
In hilly or mountainous terrain.
When doing frequent trailer towing.
Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, change the fluid and filter every
50,000 miles (83 000 km).
See
Part A: Scheduled Maintenance Services on
page
6-4.
regularly reaches 90°F (32°C) or higher.
service.
How to Check
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you may
choose to have this done at the dealership service
department.
If you do it yourself, be sure to follow all the instructions
here, or you could get a false reading on the dipstick.
Notices Too much or too little fluid can damage
your transmission.
Too much can mean that some
of the fluid could come out and fall on hot engine
part or exhaust system parts, starting a fire.
Too little fluid could cause the transmission to
overheat. Be sure to get an accurate reading if you
check your transmission fluid.
Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the
transmission fluid level
if you have been driving:
When outside temperatures are above 90°F (32°C).
0 At high speed for quite a while.
In heavy traffic
- especially in hot weather.
While pulling a trailer.
To get the right reading, the fluid should be at normal
operating temperature, which is 180°F to 200°F
(82°C to 93°C).
5-25

Checking Brake Fluid .................................. 5-43
Checking Coolant ............................................ 5-29
Checking Engine Oil ........................................ 5-15
Checking Things Under the Hood ...................... 5-1 1
Checking Your Restraint Systems ...................... 1-71
Chemical Paint Spotting ................................... 5-89
Child Restraints
Child Restraint Systems
............................... 1-44
Infants and Young Children ........................... 1-38
Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System)
.......................... 1-52
Older Children ............................................. 1-35
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for
the LATCH System
................................ 1-54
Securing a Child Restraint in a Center
Seat Position
....................................... 1-57
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear
Outside Seat Position
............................... 1-54
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right
Front Seat Position
................................... 1-59
Top Strap ................................................... 1-48
Top Strap Anchor Location ............................ 1-50
Where to Put the Restraint ........................... 1-47
Cigarette Lighter ............................................. 3-1 7
Cleaning
Inside of Your Vehicle
.................................. 5-83
Outside of Your Vehicle ................................ 5-86
Underbody Maintenance ............................... 5-89
Weatherstrips .............................................. 5-86
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses ....................... 5-86
Climate Control System ................................... 3-18
Rear .......................................................... 3-21
Rear Heating System ................................... 3-19
Compact Disc Messages .................................. 3-45
Compact Spare Tire ........................................ 5-82
Composite Headlamps ..................................... 5-56
Control of a Vehicle .......................................... 4-6
Convenience Net ............................................ 2-45
Coolant
Engine Temperature Gage
............................ 3-30
Heater, Engine ............................................ 2-22
Cooling System .............................................. 5-33
Cruise Control ................................................ 3-10
Current and Past Model Order Forms ................ 7-12
Customer Assistance Information
Customer Assistance for Text
Customer Assistance
Off ices ........................... 7-4
Customer Satisfaction Procedure ..................... 7-2
GM Mobility Program for Persons with
Disabilities
................................................ 7-5
Reporting Safety Defects to General Motors ....... 7-11
Reporting Safety Defects to the
Canadian Government
.............................. 7-11
Reporting Safety Defects to the United States Government
......................... 7-10
Roadside Assistance Program ......................... 7-6
Service Publications Ordering Information ........ 7-11
Rear Air Conditioning System ........................ 3-20
Courtesy Transportation ......... ...... 7-8
Telephone (TTY) Users ............................... 7-4
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