2008 SATURN ASTRA warning light

Fuel Gage
Your fuel gage tells you about how
much fuel you have left, when
the ignition is on.
When the indicator nears empty,
the low fuel warning light will come
on. You still have a little fuel left,
but you should get more soon.
SeeLow Fuel Warning Light
on page 4-25for more information.The arrow on the fuel gage points
to the side of the vehicle with
the fuel door.
Here are ve things that some
owners ask about. These are normal
and do not indicate a problem with
your fuel gage:At the service station, the gas
pump shuts off before the gage
reads full.
It takes a little more or less fuel to
ll up than the gage indicated.
The indicator moves a little when
you turn a corner or speed up.
The gage goes back to empty
when you turn off the ignition.
The vehicle is driven or parked on
a grade.
Low Fuel Warning Light
This light, below the fuel gage,
should come on briey when the
ignition is turned on as a check to let
you know that the light is working.
This light also comes on when
the fuel tank is low on fuel. When
you add fuel the light should go off.
If it does not, have your vehicle
serviced.
Instruments and Controls 4-25
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On some vehicles, menu
options can be selected with
the multifunction knob on the
audio system:
1. Turn the multifunction knob
until the desired menu item is
highlighted.
2. Press the multifunction knob to
select the menu item.
To exit a menu, turn the
multifunction knob clockwise or
counterclockwise to “Return”
or “Main”, then press the knob.Menu options can be selected
with the left thumbwheel on
the steering wheel:
1. Turn the thumbwheel down to
advance to the next menu item.
Turn the thumbwheel up to return
to the previous menu item.
2. Press the thumbwheel to select
the menu item.On some vehicles, if a warning
message appears, the display
is blocked from other functions.
SeeDIC Warnings and Messages
(Base and Uplevel Systems) on
page 4-37for information on
acknowledging the message.
For each functional area there is a
main page (Main), which is selected
at the top edge of the display:
Audio
Trip computer, if your vehicle has
this feature
See “Trip Computer” later in this
section for more information.
For Audio functions, seeAudio
System(s) on page 6-1for more
information.
4-32 Instruments and Controls
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Day / Night
The vehicle may have this feature.
The display can be adjusted to
best match the lighting conditions.
To adjust this setting:
1. Select Day / Night from the
Settings menu.
The available options are
displayed:
Auto:Adjusts the display
automatically based on
the lighting conditions.
Day:Black or colored text on
a light background.
Night:White or colored text
on a dark background.
2. Make the desired selection.
When selected, a
Oappears next
to the item.
Ignition Logic
If the vehicle has this feature, see
Audio System(s) on page 6-1
for more information.
Trip Computer
The vehicle may have a trip
computer. The trip computer
provides information on driving
data. This information is
continually recorded and
evaluated electronically. If power
has been interrupted or if the battery
voltage has dropped too low, the
values stored in the trip computer
will be lost.
The trip computer main page
provides information on range
and instantaneous consumption.
To access other trip computer
vehicle data, do one of the following:
Press the BC button on the
audio system, if your vehicle
has this feature.
Press the left thumbwheel, if your
vehicle has this feature, on the
steering wheel.
Select the trip computer menu
front display.The functions are displayed in the
following order:
Range
This display shows the approximate
number of remaining miles (mi)
or kilometers (km) the vehicle
can be driven without refueling.
The message “Range” displays if
less than 31 miles (50 km) can be
driven with the fuel remaining in
the tank.
SeeDIC Warnings and Messages
(Base and Uplevel Systems) on
page 4-37for information on
acknowledging the message.
The fuel range estimate is based
on an average of the vehicle’s fuel
economy over recent driving history
and the amount of fuel remaining in
the fuel tank. This estimate will
change if driving conditions change.
4-34 Instruments and Controls
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DIC Warnings and
Messages (Base and
Uplevel Systems)
Messages are displayed on the DIC
to notify the driver that the status of
the vehicle has changed and that
some action may be needed by
the driver to correct the condition.
Multiple messages may appear
one after another.
The DIC monitors some uid levels,
battery of the Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) transmitter, the theft-deterrent
system on vehicles with this feature,
the brake light switch, and important
exterior lights, including wiring and
fuses.Some messages may not require
immediate action, but you can
acknowledge that you received the
messages and to clear them from the
display by doing one of the following:
Press the OK button on the base
level audio system.
Press the multifunction knob, if
your vehicle has this feature,
on the uplevel audio system.
Press the left thumbwheel, if your
vehicle has this feature, on the
steering wheel.
If there are several warning
messages, acknowledge them
one at a time.Some messages cannot be cleared
from the DIC display because they
are more urgent. These messages
require action before they can
be cleared. You should take any
messages that appear on the display
seriously and remember that clearing
the messages will only make the
messages disappear, not correct
the problem.
Warning messages for the uplevel
DIC follow. On the base level
DIC, messages appear in an
abbreviated form.
Brakelight check---
This message displays when there
is a problem with the vehicle lighting.
The source of the problem is
displayed as text. For example,
“Brakelight check right”.
Instruments and Controls 4-37
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B (STEERING UNLOCKED/
IGNITION OFF):This position
unlocks the steering wheel.
C (ON/RUN):The ignition switch
stays in this position when the
engine is running. This position can
be used to operate the electrical
accessories, as well as to display
some warning and indicator lights.
The battery could be drained if you
leave the key in the ON/RUN position
with the engine off. You may not be
able to start the vehicle if the battery
is allowed to drain for an extended
period of time.
D (START):This position starts
the engine. When the engine starts,
release the key. The ignition switch
will return to ON/RUN for normal
driving. A warning tone will sound
when the driver door is opened and
the key is in the ignition.Retained Accessory
Power (RAP)
The power windows and mirrors
may be used for up to ve minutes
after the key is turned to LOCK/OFF.
The power windows and mirrors will
not operate after any of the front
doors are opened.
The radio may be used for up to
sixty minutes after the key is turned
to LOCK/OFF.
Starting the Engine
Automatic Transmission
Move the shift lever to P (Park) or
N (Neutral). The engine will not start
in any other position. To restart
when you are already moving,
use N (Neutral) only.
Notice:Do not try to shift to
P (Park) if your vehicle is moving.
If you do, you could damage the
transmission. Shift to P (Park)
only when your vehicle is stopped.
Manual Transmission
The shift lever should be in Neutral
and the parking brake engaged.
Hold the clutch pedal to the
oor and start the engine. The
vehicle will not start if the clutch
pedal is not all the way down.
Starting Procedure
1. With your foot off the accelerator
pedal, turn the ignition key to
START. When the engine starts,
let go of the key. The idle speed
will go down as your engine gets
warm. Do not race the engine
immediately after starting it.
Operate the engine and
transmission gently to allow the
oil to warm up and lubricate all
moving parts.
Driving and Operating 8-3
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A warning chime will sound and
a brake warning light located on the
instrument panel cluster will come
on, if the parking brake is set,
the ignition is on and the vehicle
speed is greater than 5 mph
(8 km/h).
Notice:Driving with the parking
brake on can overheat the
brake system and cause
premature wear or damage
to brake system parts. Make sure
that the parking brake is fully
released and the brake warning
light is off before driving.Shifting Into Park
{CAUTION
It can be dangerous to get out
of your vehicle if the shift lever
is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake rmly set. Your
vehicle can roll. If you have left
the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or
others could be injured. To be
sure your vehicle will not move,
even when you are on fairly level
ground, use the steps that
follow.1. Hold the brake pedal down
with your right foot and set
the parking brake. SeeParking
Brake on page 8-10for more
information.
2. Move the shift lever into
PARK (P) by holding in the button
on the shift lever and pushing the
shift lever all the way toward the
front of the vehicle.
3. Turn the ignition key to
LOCK/OFF.
4. Remove the key and take it
with you. If you can leave
your vehicle with the ignition
key in your hand, your vehicle
is in PARK (P).
Driving and Operating 8-11
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Medical research shows that alcohol
in a person’s system can make crash
injuries worse, especially injuries
to the brain, spinal cord, or heart.
This means that when anyone who
has been drinking — driver or
passenger — is in a crash, that
person’s chance of being killed or
permanently disabled is higher than
if the person had not been drinking.
Control of a Vehicle
The following three systems help
to control your vehicle while
driving — brakes, steering, and
accelerator. At times, as when
driving on snow or ice, it is easy to
ask more of those control systems
than the tires and road can provide.
Meaning, you can lose control of
your vehicle.
Adding non-dealer/non-retailer
accessories can affect your vehicle’s
performance. SeeAccessories
and Modifications on page 9-3.
Braking
SeeBrake System Warning Light on
page 4-17.
Braking action involves perception
time and reaction time. First, you
have to decide to push on the brake
pedal. That is perception time. Then
you have to bring up your foot and
do it. That is reaction time.
Average reaction time is about
three-fourths of a second. But that
is only an average. It might be
less with one driver and as long
as two or three seconds or
more with another. Age, physical
condition, alertness, coordination,
and eyesight all play a part.
So do alcohol, drugs, and
frustration. But even in three-fourths
of a second, a vehicle moving at
60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet
(20 m). That could be a lot of
distance in an emergency, so
keeping enough space between
your vehicle and others is important.And, of course, actual stopping
distances vary greatly with the
surface of the road, whether it is
pavement or gravel; the condition of
the road, whether it is wet, dry, or icy;
tire tread; the condition of the brakes;
the weight of the vehicle; and the
amount of brake force applied.
Avoid needless heavy
braking. Some people drive in
spurts — heavy acceleration
followed by heavy braking — rather
than keeping pace with traffic. This
is a mistake. The brakes might not
have time to cool between hard
stops. The brakes will wear out much
faster if you do a lot of heavy braking.
If you keep pace with the traffic and
allow realistic following distances,
you will eliminate a lot of
unnecessary braking. That means
better braking and longer brake life.
Driving and Operating 8-17
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If your vehicle’s engine ever stops
while you are driving, brake normally
but do not pump the brakes. If you
do, the pedal could get harder to
push down. If the engine stops, you
will still have some power brake
assist. But you will use it when you
brake. Once the power assist is used
up, it can take longer to stop and the
brake pedal will be harder to push.
Adding non-dealer/non-retailer
accessories can affect your vehicle’s
performance. SeeAccessories
and Modifications on page 9-3.Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
Your vehicle has the Antilock
Brake System (ABS), an advanced
electronic braking system that
will help prevent a braking skid.
When you start the engine and
begin to drive away, ABS will check
itself. You might hear a momentary
motor or clicking noise while this
test is going on, and you might even
notice that the brake pedal moves a
little. This is normal.
If there is a problem with ABS,
this warning light will stay on.
SeeAntilock Brake System (ABS)
Warning Light on page 4-18.Let us say the road is wet and you
are driving safely. Suddenly, an
animal jumps out in front of you.
You slam on the brakes and
continue braking. Here is what
happens with ABS:
A computer senses that wheels
are slowing down. If one of
the wheels is about to stop rolling,
the computer will separately
work the brakes at each wheel.
ABS can change the brake
pressure faster than any driver could.
The computer is programmed to
make the most of available tire and
road conditions. This can help you
steer around the obstacle while
braking hard.
As you brake, the computer keeps
receiving updates on wheel speed
and controls braking pressure
accordingly.
8-18 Driving and Operating
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