Page 1 of 382

Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats
............................................... 1-7
Safety Belts
.............................................1-13
Child Restraints
.......................................1-35
Air Bag System
.......................................1-63
Restraint System Check
............................1-70
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-2
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-6
Windows
.................................................2-14
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-16
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-17
Mirrors
....................................................2-30
HomeLink
žTransmitter
.............................2-31
Storage Areas
.........................................2-34
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-2
Climate Controls
......................................3-18
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
.........3-23
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-38
Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-29Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-4
Checking Things Under the Hood
................. 5-9
All-Wheel Drive
........................................5-47
Rear Axle
...............................................5-48
Front Axle
...............................................5-48
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-49
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-56
Tires
......................................................5-56
Appearance Care
.....................................5-86
Vehicle Identi®cation
.................................5-95
Electrical System
......................................5-95
Capacities and Speci®cations
...................5-102
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
....5-104
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance and Information.............. 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information
........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
...........................7-10
Index................................................................ 1
2004 Chevrolet Astro Owner ManualM
Page 41 of 382
Child Restraints
Older Children
Older children who have outgrown booster seats should
wear the vehicle's safety belts.
If you have the choice, a child should sit next to a
window so the child can wear a lap-shoulder belt and
get the additional restraint a shoulder belt can provide.
Q:What is the proper way to wear safety belts?
A:If possible, an older child should wear a
lap-shoulder belt and get the additional restraint a
shoulder belt can provide. The shoulder belt
should not cross the face or neck. The lap belt
should ®t snugly below the hips, just touching the
top of the thighs. It should never be worn over
the abdomen, which could cause severe or even
fatal internal injuries in a crash.
Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained in the rear seat.
In a crash, children who are not buckled up can strike
other people who are buckled up, or can be thrown
out of the vehicle. Older children need to use safety
belts properly.
1-35
Page 51 of 382
A forward-facing child seat (C-E) provides restraint for
the child's body with the harness and also sometimes
with surfaces such as T-shaped or shelf-like shields.A booster seat (F-G) is a child restraint designed to
improve the ®t of the vehicle's safety belt system. Some
booster seats have a shoulder belt positioner, and
some high-back booster seats have a ®ve-point harness.
A booster seat can also help a child to see out the
window.
1-45
Page 74 of 382

What Will You See After an
Air Bag In¯ates?
After an air bag in¯ates, it quickly de¯ates, so quickly
that some people may not even realize the air bag
in¯ated. Some components of the air bag module ± the
steering wheel hub for the driver's air bag, or the
instrument panel for the right front passenger's
bag ± will be hot for a short time. The parts of the bag
that come into contact with you may be warm, but
not too hot to touch. There will be some smoke and dust
coming from the vents in the de¯ated air bags. Air
bag in¯ation doesn't prevent the driver from seeing or
being able to steer the vehicle, nor does it stop
people from leaving the vehicle.
{CAUTION:
When an air bag in¯ates, there is dust in the
air. This dust could cause breathing problems
for people with a history of asthma or other
breathing trouble. To avoid this, everyone in
the vehicle should get out as soon as it is safe
to do so. If you have breathing problems but
can't get out of the vehicle after an air bag
in¯ates, then get fresh air by opening a
window or a door. If you experience breathing
problems following an air bag deployment, you
should seek medical attention.
1-68
Page 79 of 382

Keys...............................................................2-2
Remote Keyless Entry System Operation...........2-4
Doors and Locks.............................................2-6
Door Locks....................................................2-6
Power Door Locks..........................................2-7
Programmable Automatic
Door Locks................................................2-7
Leaving Your Vehicle......................................2-8
Sliding Side Door...........................................2-9
Rear Doors..................................................2-11
Windows........................................................2-14
Manual Windows..........................................2-14
Power Windows............................................2-15
Sun Visors...................................................2-15
Theft-Deterrent Systems..................................2-16
Passlock
ž....................................................2-16
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle................2-17
New Vehicle Break-In....................................2-17
Ignition Positions..........................................2-17
Starting Your Engine.....................................2-19Engine Coolant Heater..................................2-20
Automatic Transmission Operation...................2-21
All-Wheel Drive............................................2-24
Parking Brake..............................................2-24
Shifting Into Park (P).....................................2-25
Shifting Out of Park (P).................................2-27
Parking Over Things That Burn.......................2-28
Engine Exhaust............................................2-28
Running Your Engine While You Are Parked. . . .2-29
Mirrors...........................................................2-30
Manual Rearview Mirror.................................2-30
Outside Manual Mirror...................................2-30
Outside Power Mirrors...................................2-30
Outside Convex Mirror...................................2-31
HomeLink
žTransmitter...................................2-31
Programming the HomeLinkžTransmitter.........2-31
Storage Areas................................................2-34
Overhead Console........................................2-36
Luggage Carrier...........................................2-41
Convenience Net..........................................2-41
Section 2 Features and Controls
2-1
Page 80 of 382
Keys
{CAUTION:
Leaving children in a vehicle with the ignition
key is dangerous for many reasons. They
could operate the power windows or other
controls or even make the vehicle move. The
children or others could be badly injured or
even killed. Do not leave the keys in a vehicle
with children.
2-2
Page 90 of 382

To close the rear doors, close the driver's side door
®rst. Check to make sure both doors are completely
closed.
The rear doors have a check assembly to keep the
doors from opening beyond 90 degrees.
To fully open the rear
doors, push in on the clip
and lift the check
assembly up off the
mounting bracket.
Do this on each door. Replace the check assemblies on
the mounting brackets before closing the doors.
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to drive with the rear
glass open because carbon monoxide (CO)
gas can come into your vehicle. You can not
see or smell CO. It can cause
unconsciousness and even death. If you must
drive with the rear glass open or if electrical
wiring or other cable connections must pass
through the seal between the body and the
rear glass:
·Make sure all other windows are shut.
·Turn the fan on your heating or cooling
system to its highest speed and select the
control setting that will force outside air
into your vehicle. See
Climate Control
System on page 3-16.
·If you have air outlets on or under the
instrument panel, open them all the way.
See
Engine Exhaust on page 2-28.
2-12
Page 92 of 382
Windows
{CAUTION:
Leaving children, helpless adults, or pets in a
vehicle with the windows closed is dangerous.
They can be overcome by the extreme heat
and suffer permanent injuries or even death
from heat stroke. Never leave a child, a
helpless adult, or a pet alone in a vehicle,
especially with the windows closed in warm or
hot weather.
Manual Windows
To operate your manual windows, turn the hand crank
on each door to raise or lower your side door windows.
2-14