2004 CHEVROLET ASTRO check oil

Filling a Portable Fuel Container
{CAUTION:
Never ®ll 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 ®ll 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 ®ll nozzle in contact with the
inside of the ®ll opening before operating
the nozzle. Contact should be maintained
until the ®lling is complete.
·Do not smoke while pumping gasoline.
Checking Things Under
the Hood
{CAUTION:
Things that burn can get on hot engine parts
and start a ®re. These include liquids like fuel,
oil, coolant, brake ¯uid, windshield washer and
other ¯uids, 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.
5-9

A. Windshield Washer Fluid. SeeWindshield Washer
Fluid on page 5-38.
B. Engine Coolant. See
Engine Coolant on page 5-25.
C. Engine Oil Dipstick. See
Engine Oil on page 5-13.
D. Transmission Dipstick. See
Automatic Transmission
Fluid on page 5-22.
E. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. See
Engine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 5-21.
F. Engine Oil Fill. See
Engine Oil on page 5-13.
G. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir. See
Brakes on
page 5-39.
H. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir. See
Power Steering
Fluid on page 5-37.
I. Battery. See
Battery on page 5-42.
Engine Oil
Checking Engine Oil
It is a good idea to check your engine oil every time you
get fuel. In order to get an accurate reading, the oil
must be warm and the vehicle must be on level ground.
The engine oil dipstick handle is a yellow loop. See
Engine Compartment Overview on page 5-12for
the location of the engine oil dipstick.
Turn off the engine and give the oil several minutes to
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.
5-13

How to Inspect the Engine Air
Cleaner/Filter
To inspect the engine air cleaner/®lter remove the ®lter
from the vehicle and lightly shake ®lter to release
loose dust and dirt. If the ®lter remains caked with dirt, a
new ®lter is required.
To inspect or replace the ®lter, do the following:
1. Unsnap both clips on the cover.
2. Remove the cover.
3. Change the ®lter.
4. Snap both clips to secure the engine air
cleaner/®lter cover.
{CAUTION:
Operating the engine with the air cleaner/®lter
off can cause you or others to be burned. The
air cleaner not only cleans the air, it helps to
stop ¯ame if the engine back®res. If it is not
there and the engine back®res, you could
be burned. Do not drive with it off, and be
careful working on the engine with the air
cleaner/®lter off.
Notice:If the air cleaner/®lter is off, a back®re can
cause a damaging engine ®re. And, dirt can
easily get into your engine, which will damage it.
Always have the air cleaner/®lter in place when you
are driving.
Automatic Transmission Fluid
When to Check and Change
A good time to check your automatic transmission ¯uid
level is when the engine oil is changed.
Change both the ¯uid and ®lter 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
regularly reaches 90ÉF (32ÉC) or higher.
·In hilly or mountainous terrain.
·When doing frequent trailer towing.
·Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery
service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, change the ¯uid and ®lter every 50,000 miles
(83 000 km).
See
Part A: Scheduled Maintenance Services on
page 6-4.
5-22

How to Add Fluid
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind of transmission ¯uid to use. SeePart D:
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants on page 6-30.
Using a funnel, add ¯uid down the transmission dipstick
tube only after checking the transmission ¯uid while it
is hot. (A cold check is used only as a reference.) If the
¯uid level is low, add only enough of the proper ¯uid
to bring the level up to the HOT area for a hot check. It
doesn't take much ¯uid, generally less than one pint
(0.5 L).
Don't over®ll.
Notice:We recommend you use only ¯uid labeled
DEXRONž-III, because ¯uid with that label is
made especially for your automatic transmission.
Damage caused by ¯uid other than DEXRON
ž-III is
not covered by your new vehicle warranty.
·After adding ¯uid, recheck the ¯uid level as
described under²How to Check.²
·When the correct ¯uid level is obtained, push the
dipstick back in all the way; then ¯ip the handle
down to lock the dipstick in place.
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in your vehicle is ®lled with
DEX-COOLžengine coolant. This coolant is designed
to remain in your vehicle for 5 years or 150,000 miles
(240 000 km), whichever occurs ®rst, if you add
only DEX-COOL
žextended life coolant.
The following explains your cooling system and how to
add coolant when it is low. If you have a problem
with engine overheating, see
Engine Overheating on
page 5-28.
A 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL
žcoolant will:
·Give freezing protection down to-34ÉF (-37ÉC).
·Give boiling protection up to 265ÉF (129ÉC).
·Protect against rust and corrosion.
·Help keep the proper engine temperature.
·Let the warning lights and gages work as they
should.
Notice:Using coolant other than DEX-COOLžmay
cause premature engine, heater core or radiator
corrosion. In addition, the engine coolant may
require changing sooner, at 30,000 miles (50 000 km)
or 24 months, whichever occurs ®rst. Any repairs
would not be covered by your warranty. Always use
DEX-COOL
ž(silicate-free) coolant in your vehicle.
5-25

What to Use
Use a mixture of one-halfclean, drinkable waterand
one-half DEX-COOLžcoolant which won't damage
aluminum parts. If you use this coolant mixture,
you don't need to add anything else.
{CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling
system can be dangerous. Plain water, or
some other liquid such as alcohol, can boil
before the proper coolant mixture will. Your
vehicle's coolant warning system is set for the
proper coolant mixture. With plain water or the
wrong mixture, your engine could get too hot
but you would not get the overheat warning.
Your engine could catch ®re and you or others
could be burned. Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and the proper coolant.
Notice:If you use an improper coolant mixture,
your engine could overheat and be badly damaged.
The repair cost would not be covered by your
warranty. Too much water in the mixture can freeze
and crack the engine, radiator, heater core and
other parts.If you have to add coolant more than four times a year,
have your dealer check your cooling system.
Notice:If you use the proper coolant, you do not
have to add extra inhibitors or additives which claim
to improve the system. These can be harmful.
Checking Coolant
The engine coolant tank is
located in the engine
compartment on the
passenger's side at the
front. See
Engine
Compartment Overview on
page 5-12
for more
information on location.
The vehicle must be on a level surface. When your
engine is cold, the coolant level should be at ADD, or a
little higher. When your engine is warm, the level
should be up to FULL HOT, or a little higher.
5-26

Checking Brake Fluid
You can check the brake ¯uid without taking off the cap.
Just look at the brake ¯uid reservoir. The ¯uid level
should be above MIN. If it is not, have your brake
system checked to see if there is a leak.
After work is done on the brake hydraulic system,
make sure the level is above the MIN but not over the
MAX mark.
What to Add
When you do need brake ¯uid, use only DOT-3 brake
¯uid. Use new brake ¯uid from a sealed container
only. See
Part D: Recommended Fluids and Lubricants
on page 6-30.
Always clean the brake ¯uid reservoir cap and the area
around the cap before removing it. This will help
keep dirt from entering the reservoir.
{CAUTION:
With the wrong kind of ¯uid in your brake
system, your brakes may not work well, or
they may not even work at all. This could
cause a crash. Always use the proper brake
¯uid.
Notice:
·Using the wrong ¯uid can badly damage brake
system parts. For example, just a few drops of
mineral-based oil, such as engine oil, in your
brake system can damage brake system parts so
badly that they will have to be replaced. Do not
let someone put in the wrong kind of ¯uid.
5-40

Foreign materials such as calcium chloride and other
salts, ice melting agents, road oil and tar, tree sap, bird
droppings, chemicals from industrial chimneys, etc.,
can damage your vehicle's ®nish if they remain
on painted surfaces. Wash the vehicle as soon as
possible. If necessary, use non-abrasive cleaners that
are marked safe for painted surfaces to remove
foreign matter.
Exterior painted surfaces are subject to aging, weather
and chemical fallout that can take their toll over a
period of years. You can help to keep the paint ®nish
looking new by keeping your vehicle garaged or covered
whenever possible.
Protecting Exterior Bright Metal Parts
Bright metal parts should be cleaned regularly to keep
their luster. Washing with water is all that is usually
needed. However, you may use chrome polish on
chrome or stainless steel trim, if necessary.
Use special care with aluminum trim. To avoid damaging
protective trim, never use auto or chrome polish,
steam or caustic soap to clean aluminum. A coating of
wax, rubbed to high polish, is recommended for all
bright metal parts.
Cleaning the Windshield and
Wiper Blades
If the windshield is not clear after using the windshield
washer, or if the wiper blade chatters when running,
wax, sap or other material may be on the blade or
windshield.
Clean the outside of the windshield with a full-strength
glass cleaning liquid. The windshield is clean if beads do
not form when you rinse it with water.
Grime from the windshield will stick to the wiper blades
and affect their performance. Clean the blade by
wiping vigorously with a cloth soaked in full-strength
windshield washer solvent. Then rinse the blade
with water.
Check the wiper blades and clean them as necessary;
replace blades that look worn.
5-91

Capacities and Speci®cations
ApplicationCapacities
English Metric
Cooling Capacities
Quantity without Rear Heater
Quantity with Rear Heater13.5 quarts
16.5 quarts12.8 L
15.6 L
Engine Oil with Filter 4.5 quarts 4.3 L
Fuel Tank 27.0 gallons 101.8 L
Transmission Fluid (Drain and Re®ll) 5.0 quarts 4.7 L
Differential Fluid
Front Axle
Rear Axle2.6 pints
3.5 pints1.2 L
1.7 L
Refrigerant Type 134a
Front A/C
Front and Rear A/C2.25 lbs.
3.0 lbs.1.02 kg
1.36 kg
All capacities are approximate. When adding, be sure to ®ll to the appropriate level, as recommended in this
manual. recheck the ¯uid level after ®lling. See
Part D: Recommended Fluids and Lubricants on page 6-30for
more information.
5-103