2003 CHEVROLET ASTRO spare tire

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

Mix---J tires could cause yo-. JO lose control
while driving.
If you mix tires of different sizes
or types (radial and bias-belted tires), the
vehicle may not handle properly, and you could have a crash. Using tires of different
sizes may also cause damage to your vehicle. Be sure to use the same size and type tires on
all wheels. It’s all right to drive with your
compact spare temporarily,
it was developed
for use on your vehicle. See “Compact Spare
Tire” in the index.
If you use bias-ply tires on yo^. vet,,Je, the
wheel rim flanges could develop cracks after
many miles of driving.
A tire and/or wheel
could fail suddenly, causing a crash. Use only
radial-ply tires with the wheels on your vehicle.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the
tire sidewall between tread shoulder and maximum
section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance.
(This applies only to vehicles sold in the United States.)
The grades are molded on the sidewalls of most
passenger car tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading
system does not apply to deep tread, winter-type
snow tires, space-saver or temporary use spare tires,
tires with nominal rim diameters of
10 to 12 inches
(25 to 30 cm), or to some limited-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors passenger
cars and light trucks may vary with respect to these
grades, they must also conform to federal safety
requirements and additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) standards.
5-67

Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
The jacking equipment you’ll need is stored by your
vehicle’s rear doors, along the passenger’s side wall.
1. Remove the jack cover by pulling it away from
the side wall and down to release the tabs
securing the top of the cover.
2. Remove the wheel blocks by turning the top nut
counterclockwise. Remove the nut and washer,
then pull the wheel blocks
off the bolt.
3. Push down on the bolt and remove the hooked end
from the slot. Slide the jack toward the front of the
vehicle and lift it from the mounting. Remove
the extension and the ratchet from the pouch.
5-72

Your compact spare tire is stored underneath the
rear
of your vehicle. You will use the ratchet
and extension to lower the compact spare tire. The
ratchet has an
UP side.
It also has a
DOWN side.
5-73

4. Attach the ratchet to the extension, with the DOWN
side facing you. The extension has a socket end
and a flat chisel end.
5. Put the flat end of the extension on an angle through
the hole in the rear door frame, above the bumper.
Be sure the flat end connects into the hoist shaft.
6. Turn the ratchet counterclockwise to lower the
compact spare tire to the ground. Keep turning
the ratchet until the spare tire can be pulled out from
under the vehicle. 7.
When the tire has
been lowered, tilt the
retainer plate at
the end
of the cable
and pull it through
the wheel opening.
8. Pull the tire out from under the vehicle.
Notice: To help avoid vehicle damage, do not drive
the vehicle before the cable
is restored.
5-74

Removing the Flat Tire and Installing
the Spare Tire
1. Before you start, block the front and rear of the
tire farthest away from the one being changed.
Then put your cor-xt spare tire near the flat tire.
I
Getting under a vehicle when it is jacked .I is
dangerous. If the vehicle slips off the jack you
could be badly injured or killed. Never get under
a vehicle when
it is supported only by a jack.
Ra.,.ng your vehicle
..ICIm Lhe jack improperly
positioned can damage the vehicle and even
make the vehicle fall.
To help avoid personal
injury and vehicle damage, be sure to fit the
jack
lift head into the proper location before
raising the vehicle.
2. With the DOWN side facing you, turn the
ratchet and socket to loosen all the wheel nuts
counterclockwise. Don’t remove them yet.
3. The jack has a bolt on the end. Attach the socket
end of the extension to the jack bolt.
5-76