2003 CHEVROLET ASTRO inflation pressure

Towing Loading Your Vehicle
Towing
Your Vehicle
Consult your dealer or a professional towing service if
you need to have your disabled vehicle towed.
See
Roadside Assistance Program on page 7-6.
If you want to tow your vehicle behind another vehicle
for recreational purposes (such as behind a motorhome),
see “Recreational Vehicle Towing” following.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
Recreational vehicle towing means towing your vehicle
behind another vehicle
- such as behind a motorhome.
The two most common types
of recreational vehicle
towing are known as “dinghy towing” (towing your vehicle
with all four wheels on the ground) and “dolly towing”
(towing your vehicle with two wheels on the ground and
two wheels up on a device known as a “dolly”).
Your vehicle was not designed to be towed with any
of
its wheels on the ground. If your vehicle must be
towed, see
Towing Your Vehicle on page 4-29.
Notice: Towing an all-wheel-drive vehicle with all
four wheels on the ground, or even with only two
of
its wheels on the ground, will damage drivetrain
components. Don’t tow an all-wheel-drive vehicle
if
any of its wheels will be on the ground.
1 I GWVR GAWR FRT GAWR RR 1
COLD TIRE PRESSURI
DO nn
NERS MANUAL FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION^ I
The Certificationflire label in your vehicle will look
similar to this example.
The Certificationflire label is found on the rear edge of
the driver’s door. The label shows the size
of your
original tires and the inflation pressures needed to obtain
the gross weight capacity of your vehicle.
This is called the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR).
The GVWR includes the weight of the vehicle, all
occupants, fuel, cargo and tongue weight,
if pulling
a trailer.
4-29

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

Inflation - Tire Pressure
The Certificationnire label, which is on the rear edge of
the driver’s door, shows the correct inflation pressures
for your tires when they’re cold. ‘Cold” means your
vehicle has been sitting for at least three hours or driven
no more than
1 mile (1.6 km).
Notice: Don’t let anyone tell you that underinflation
or overinflation is all right.
It’s not. If your tires
don’t have enough air (underinflation), you can get
the following:
Too much flexing
Too much heat
Tire overloading
Bad wear
Bad handling
Bad fuel economy
If your tires have too much air (overinflation),
you can get the following:
Unusual wear
Bad handling
0 Rough ride
Needless damage from road hazards
When to Check
Check your tires once a month or more.
Don’t forget your compact spare tire. It should be at
60 psi (420 kPa).
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire
pressure. You can’t tell
if your tires are properly inflated
simply by looking at them. Radial tires may look
properly inflated even when they’re underinflated.
Be sure to put the valve caps back on the valve stems.
They help prevent leaks by keeping out dirt and moisture.
Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be rotated every 6,000 to 8,000 miles
(1 0 000 to 13 000 km).
Any time you notice unusual wear, rotate your tires
as soon as possible and check wheel alignment.
Also check for damaged tires or wheels. See
When It
Is Time for New Tires on page 5-66 and Wheel
Replacement on page
5-69 for more information.
5-64

Make sure the spare tire is stored securely. Push,
pull, and then try to rotate or turn the tire.
If it moves,
use the ratchevwheel wrench to tighten the cable.
See
Changing a Flat Tire on page 5-71.
The purpose Gf regular rotation is lo achieve more
uniform wear for all tires on the vehicle. The first rotation
is the most important. See “Part
A: Scheduled
Maintenance Services,” in Section
6, for scheduled
rotation intervals. After
the tires have been rotated, adjust the front and rear
inflation pressures as shown on the CertificationA-ire
label. Make certain that all wheel nuts are properly
tightened. See “Wheel Nut Torque” under
Capacities and
Specifications
on page 5-99.
When rotating your tires, always use the correct rotation
patterns shown here.
ts to
-
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the par
which
it is fastened, can make wheel nuts
become loose after a time. The wheel could
come
off and cause an accident. When you
change a wheel, remove any rust or dirt from
places where the wheel attaches to the vehicle.
In an emergency, you can use a cloth or a
paper towel to do
this; but be sure to use a
scraper
or wire brush later, if you need to,
to get all the rust or dirt
off. See “Changing a
Flat Tire” in the Index.
Don’t include the compact spare tire in your tire rotation.
5-65

Compact Spare Tire
Although the compact spare tire was fully inflated when
your vehicle was new, it can lose air after a time.
Check the inflation pressure regularly. It should be
60 psi (420 kPa).
After installing the compact spare on your vehicle,
you should stop as soon as possible and make sure
your spare tire is correctly inflated. The compact spare
is made to perform well at speeds up to
65 mph
(1 05 km/h) for distances up to 3,000 miles (5 000 km),
so you can finish your trip and have your full-size
tire repaired or replaced where you want.
Of course,
it’s best to replace your spare with a full-size tire as soon
as you can. Your spare will last longer and be in good
shape in case you need it again.
Notice: When the compact spare is installed, don’t
take your vehicle through an automatic car wash
with guide rails. The compact spare can get caught
on the rails. That can damage the tire and wheel,
and maybe other parts of your vehicle.
Don’t use your compact spare on other vehicles.
And don’t mix your compact spare tire or wheel with
other wheels or tires. They won’t fit. Keep your spare tire
and its wheel together.
Notice: Tire chains won’t fit your compact spare.
Using them can damage your vehicle and can
damage the chains too. Don’t use tire chains on
your compact spare.
5-82

Part B: Owner Checks and Services
Listed in this part are owner checks and services
which should be performed at the intervals specified to
help ensure the safety, dependability and emission
control performance of your vehicle.
Be sure any necessary repairs are completed at once.
Whenever any fluids or lubricants are added to your
vehicle, make sure they are the proper ones, as shown
in Part D.
At Each Fuel Fill
It is important for you or a service station attendant to
perform these underhood checks at each fuel fill.
Engine Oil Level Check
Check the engine oil level and add the proper oil
if necessary. See Engine Oil on page 5-15 for
further details.
Engine Coolant Level Check
Check the engine coolant level and add DEX-COOL@
coolant mixture
if necessary. See Engine Coolant
on page
5-28 for further details.
Windshield Washer Fluid Level Check
Check the windshield washer fluid level in the windshield
washer tank and add the proper fluid
if necessary.
See
Windshield Washer Fluid on page 5-41 for
further details.
At Least Once a Month
Tire Inflation Check
Make sure tires are inflated to the correct pressures.
Don’t forget to check your spare tire. See
Tires on
page
5-63 for further details.
At Least Twice a Year
Restraint System Check
Make sure the safety belt reminder light and all your belts,
buckles, latch plates, retractors and anchorages are
working properly. Look for any other loose or damaged
safety belt system parts. If you see anything that might
keep a safety belt system from doing its job, have it
repaired. Have any torn or frayed safety belts replaced.
Also look for any opened or broken air bag coverings,
and have them repaired or replaced. (The air bag
system does not need regular maintenance.)
6-26

Wiper Blade Check
Inspect wiper blades for wear or cracking. Replace
blade inserts that appear worn or damaged or that
streak or miss areas of the windshield. Also see
Cleaning the Outside of Your Vehicle on page 5-86.
Spare Tire Check
At least twice a year, after the monthly inflation check
of the spare tire determines that the spare is inflated to
the correct tire inflation pressure, make sure that the
spare tire is stored securely. Push, pull, and then
try
to rotate or turn the tire. If it moves, use the wheel
wrench
to tighten the cable. See Changing a
Flat Tire on page 5-71.
Weatherstrip Lubrication
Silicone grease on weatherstrips will make them last
longer, seal better, and not stick or squeak. Apply
silicone grease with a clean cloth. During very cold,
damp weather more frequent application may be
required. See
Part D: Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page
6-32.
Automatic Transmission Check
Check the transmission fluid level; add if needed.
See
Automatic Transmission Fluid on page 5-25.
A fluid loss may indicate a problem. Check the
system and repair
if needed.
At Least Once a Year
Key Lock Cylinders Service
Lubricate the key lock cylinders with the lubricant
specified in Part D.
Body Lubrication Service
Lubricate all body door hinges, the body hood, fuel door
and rear compartment hinges, latches and locks
including interior glove box and console doors, hood
latch assembly, secondary latch, pivots, spring anchor,
release pawl and any moving seat hardware. Lubricate
the hood safety lever pivot and prop rod pivot. Part D
tells you what to use. More frequent lubrication may be
required when exposed
to a corrosive environment.
6-27

Gasoline Octane
........................................................ 5-5
Specifications
............................................... 5-5
Gate Operator and Canadian Programming
........ 2-36
Glass Surfaces
............................................... 5-85
GM Mobility Program for Persons with
Disabilities
.................................................... 7-5
Hatch R
H
e I' ease ......................... ........ 2-15
Hazard Warning Flashers
............................... 3-4
Head Restraints
............................................... 1-5
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer
.................... 3-7
Headlamp Wiring
............................................ 5-92
Headlamps
.................................................... 5-55
Bulb Replacement
.................................... 5-55
Front Turn Signal Lamps
.................. ..... 5-59
Halogen Bulbs
............................ ........ 5-55
Highway Hypnosis
........................................... 4-22
Hill and Mountain Roads
.................................. 4-22
Hitches
.......................................................... 4-36
HomeLink Transmitter, Programming
.................. 2-35
HomeLink@ Transmitter
.................................... 2-34
Hood Checking Things Under
................................ 5-1 1
Release
..................................................... 5-1 1
Horn
............................................................... 3-5 How
to Add Coolant to the Coolant
How to Add Coolant to the Radiator
.................. 5-37
How to Add Fluid
............................................ 5-27
How to Check
........................................ 5-25, 5-64
How to Check Lubricant
................................... 5-53
How to Check Power Steering Fluid
.................. 5-40
How to Use This Manual
...................................... ii
Recovery Tank ........................................ 5-34
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
................... 1-18
Hydroplaning
.................................................. 4-18
I
If No Steam Is Coming From
Your Engine
............................................ 5-32
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine ........... 5-31
If the Light
Is Flashing ..................................... 3-32
If the Light
Is On Steady ................................. 3-32
If You Are Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow
....... 4-28
If You Do Decide
To Pull A Trailer ..................... 4-32
If You're Caught in a Blizzard ........................... 4-26
Ignition Transmission Lock Check
...................... 6-29
Infants and Young Children, Restraints
............... 1-38
Inflation
- Tire Pressure ................................... 5-64
Inspection Brake System
............................................. 6-31
Engine Cooling System
................................ 6-30
Ignition Positions
............................................. 2-19
6