2004 CHEVROLET ASTRO check transmission fluid

Service............................................................5-3
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-3
Adding Equipment to the Outside of Your
Vehicle......................................................5-4
Fuel................................................................5-4
Gasoline Octane............................................5-4
Gasoline Speci®cations....................................5-5
California Fuel...............................................5-5
Additives.......................................................5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-6
Filling Your Tank............................................5-7
Filling a Portable Fuel Container.......................5-9
Checking Things Under the Hood.....................5-9
Hood Release..............................................5-10
Engine Compartment Overview.......................5-12
Engine Oil...................................................5-13
Engine Cover...............................................5-17
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-21
Automatic Transmission Fluid.........................5-22
Engine Coolant.............................................5-25
Radiator Pressure Cap..................................5-27
Engine Overheating.......................................5-28
Cooling System............................................5-30
Engine Fan Noise.........................................5-36
Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-37
Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-38Brakes........................................................5-39
Battery........................................................5-42
Jump Starting...............................................5-43
All-Wheel Drive..............................................5-47
Rear Axle.......................................................5-48
Front Axle......................................................5-48
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-49
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-49
Headlamps..................................................5-50
Front Turn Signal Lamps...............................5-53
Taillamps.....................................................5-54
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-55
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-56
Tires..............................................................5-56
In¯ation - Tire Pressure.................................5-66
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-68
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-69
Buying New Tires.........................................5-70
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-71
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-72
Wheel Replacement......................................5-72
Tire Chains..................................................5-74
If a Tire Goes Flat........................................5-74
Changing a Flat Tire.....................................5-75
Compact Spare Tire......................................5-86
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

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

Checking the Fluid Level
Prepare your vehicle as follows:
·Park your vehicle on a level place. Keep the engine
running.
·With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever
in PARK (P).
·With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift
lever through each gear range, pausing for about
three seconds in each range. Then, position the shift
lever in PARK (P).
·Let the engine run at idle for three minutes or more.
Then, without shutting off the engine, follow these steps:
The transmission dipstick
is located near the center
of the engine compartment
and will be labeled with
this graphic shown. See
Engine Compartment
Overview on page 5-12for
more information on
location.
·Flip the handle up and then pull out the dipstick and
wipe it with a clean rag or paper towel.
·Push it back in all the way, wait three seconds and
then pull it back out again.
·Check both sides of the dipstick, and read the lower
level. The ¯uid level must be in the COLD area for
a cold check or in the HOT area or cross-hatched
area for a hot check. Be sure to keep the dipstick
pointed down to get an accurate reading.
·If the ¯uid level is in the acceptable range, push the
dipstick back in all the way; then ¯ip the handle
down to lock the dipstick in place.
5-24

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

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

Selecting the Right Schedule
First you will need to decide which of the two schedules
is right for your vehicle. Here is how to decide which
schedule to follow:
Short Trip/City De®nition
Follow the Short Trip/City Scheduled Maintenance if any
one of these conditions is true for your vehicle:
·Most trips are less than 5 miles (8 km). This is
particularly important when outside temperatures
are below freezing.
·Most trips include extensive idling (such as frequent
driving in stop-and-go traffic).
·You frequently tow a trailer or use a carrier on top
of your vehicle.
·If the vehicle is used for delivery service, police,
taxi or other commercial application.
One of the reasons you should follow this schedule if
you operate your vehicle under any of these conditions
is that these conditions cause engine oil to break
down sooner.
Short Trip/City Intervals
Every 3,000 Miles (5 000 km):Engine Oil and Filter
Change (or 3 months, whichever occurs ®rst). Chassis
Lubrication (or 3 months, whichever occurs ®rst).
Drive Axle Fluid Check.
Every 6,000 Miles (10 000 km):Tire Rotation.
Every 15,000 Miles (25 000 km):Engine Air Cleaner
Filter Inspection. Front Wheel Bearing Repack
(two±wheel drive only) (or at each brake relining,
whichever occurs ®rst). Automatic Transmission Service
(severe conditions only).
Every 30,000 Miles (50 000 km):Engine Air Cleaner
Filter Replacement. Fuel Filter Replacement.
Every 50,000 Miles (83 000 km):Automatic
Transmission Service (normal conditions). Transfer
Case Fluid Change.
Every 100,000 Miles (166 000 km):Spark Plug Wire
Inspection. Spark Plug Replacement. Positive
Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) Valve Inspection.
Every 150 000 Miles (240 000 km):Cooling System
Service (or every 60 months, whichever occurs
®rst). Engine Accessory Drive Belt Inspection.
These intervals only summarize maintenance services.
Be sure to follow the complete scheduled maintenance
on the following pages.
6-5

Long Trip/Highway De®nition
Follow this scheduled maintenanceonlyif none of the
conditions from the Short Trip/City Scheduled
Maintenance are true. Do not use this schedule if the
vehicle is used for trailer towing, driven in a dusty area
or used off paved roads. Use the Short Trip/City
schedule for these conditions
Driving a vehicle with a fully warmed engine under
highway conditions will cause engine oil to break down
slower.
Long Trip/Highway Intervals
Every 7,500 Miles (12 500 km):Engine Oil and Filter
Change (or every 12 months, whichever occurs
®rst). Chassis Lubrication (or 12 months, whichever
occurs ®rst). Drive Axle Fluid Check. Tire Rotation.
Every 15,000 Miles (25 000 km):Engine Air Cleaner
Filter Inspection. Automatic Transmission Service
(severe conditions only).
Every 30,000 Miles (50 000 km):Fuel Filter
Replacement. Engine Air Cleaner Filter Replacement.
Front Wheel Bearing Repack (two±wheel drive only) (or
at each brake relining, whichever occurs ®rst).
Every 50,000 Miles (83 000 km):Automatic
Transmission Service (normal conditions). Transfer
Case Fluid Change.Every 100,000 Miles (166 000 km):Spark Plug Wire
Inspection. Spark Plug Replacement. Positive
Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) Valve Inspection.
Every 150,000 Miles (240 000 km):Cooling System
Service (or every 60 months, whichever occurs
®rst). Engine Accessory Drive Belt Inspection.
These intervals only summarize maintenance services.
Be sure to follow the complete scheduled maintenance
on the following pages.
Short Trip/City Scheduled
Maintenance
The services shown in this schedule up to 100,000 miles
(166 000 km) should be repeated after 100,000 miles
(166 000 km) at the same intervals for the life of
this vehicle. The services shown at 150,000 miles
(240 000 km) should be repeated at the same interval
after 150,000 miles (240 000 km) for the life of this
vehicle.
See
Part B: Owner Checks and Services on page 6-24andPart C: Periodic Maintenance Inspections on
page 6-28.
6-6