2008 SATURN ASTRA fuel

Winter Driving Mode
This feature helps you accelerate in
slippery driving conditions by using
THIRD (3) gear when you begin to
accelerate from a stopped position.
The winter driving mode button is
located on the center console.
Press once to turn on the winter
driving mode feature. The vehicle
will be in THIRD (3) gear when the
vehicle begins to move. Once the
vehicle is moving, the vehicle will
upshift normally.The Winter Driving Mode is turned
off by one of the following:Pressing the winter driving mode
button again.
Manually shifting to SECOND (2)
or FIRST (1) gear.
Turning off the ignition.
This light on the instrument panel
cluster will come on when the winter
driving mode is active.
To protect the transmission,
the winter program turns off
automatically at high transmission
oil temperatures.
Automatic Neutral Idle
The Automatic Neutral Idle shift
function automatically sets the
transmission to NEUTRAL (N) to
reduce fuel consumption when
the vehicle is not moving.
Automatic neutral is activated when
ALL of the following occurs:
The selector lever is in
DRIVE (D), THIRD (3),
SECOND (2) or FIRST (1) gear.
The foot brake is pressed.
The vehicle is stopped.
The accelerator pedal is not
pressed.
The transmission uid
temperature is greater than
0° C (32° F).
The road is not steeper than 15°.
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Before Leaving on a
Long Trip
To prepare your vehicle for a long
trip, consider having it serviced by
your dealer/retailer before departing.
Things to check on your own
include:
Windshield Washer Fluid:
Reservoir full? Windows
clean — inside and outside?
Wiper Blades:In good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids:All
levels checked?
Lamps:Do they all work and are
lenses clean?
Tires:Are treads good? Are tires
inated to recommended
pressure?
Weather and Maps:Safe to
travel? Have up-to-date maps?
Highway Hypnosis
Always be alert and pay attention
to your surroundings while driving.
If you become tired or sleepy, nd
a safe place to park your vehicle
and rest.
Other driving tips include:
Keep the vehicle well ventilated.
Keep interior temperature cool.
Keep your eyes moving — scan
the road ahead and to the sides.
Check the rearview mirror and
vehicle instruments often.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through
mountains is different than driving
on at or rolling terrain. Tips for
driving in these conditions include:
Keep the vehicle serviced
and in good shape.
Check all uid levels and brakes,
tires, cooling system, and
transmission.
Going down steep or long hills,
shift to a lower gear.
{CAUTION
If you do not shift down, the
brakes could get so hot that
they would not work well. You
would then have poor braking
or even none going down a hill.
You could crash. Shift down to
let the engine assist the brakes
on a steep downhill slope.
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{CAUTION
Snow can trap exhaust gases
under your vehicle. This can
cause deadly CO (carbon
monoxide) gas to get inside.
CO could overcome you and
kill you. You cannot see it or
smell it, so you might not know
it is in your vehicle. Clear away
snow from around the base of
your vehicle, especially any
that is blocking the exhaust
pipe. And check around again
from time to time to be sure
snow does not collect there.
Open a window just a little on
the side of the vehicle that is
away from the wind. This will
help keep CO out.Run your engine only as long as you
must. This saves fuel. When you run
the engine, make it go a little faster
than just idle. That is, push the
accelerator slightly. This uses less
fuel for the heat that you get and it
keeps the battery charged. You will
need a well-charged battery to
restart the vehicle, and possibly
for signaling later on with the
headlamps. Let the heater run
for a while.
Then, shut the engine off and close
the window almost all the way to
preserve the heat. Start the engine
again and repeat this only when
you feel really uncomfortable from
the cold. But do it as little as
possible. Preserve the fuel as long
as you can. To help keep warm,
you can get out of the vehicle and
do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or so until help
comes.
If Your Vehicle is
Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice,
or Snow
Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
SeeRocking Your Vehicle to Get It
Out on page 8-30.
{CAUTION
If you let your vehicle’s tires
spin at high speed, they can
explode, and you or others
could be injured. The vehicle
can overheat, causing an
engine compartment re or
other damage. Spin the wheels
as little as possible and avoid
going above 35 mph (55 km/h)
as shown on the speedometer.
For information about using tire
chains on the vehicle, seeTire
Chains on page 9-59.
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The GVWR includes the weight
of the vehicle, all occupants,
fuel, and cargo. Never exceed
the GVWR for your vehicle,
or the Gross Axle Weight Rating
(GAWR) for either the front or
rear axle.
And, if you do have a heavy
load, you should spread it out.
See “Steps for Determining
Correct Load Limit” earlier in
this section.
{CAUTION
Do not load the vehicle any
heavier than the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR), or either the
maximum front or rear Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR).
(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
If you do, parts on the
vehicle can break, and it can
change the way your vehicle
handles. These could cause
you to lose control and
crash. Also, overloading
can shorten the life of the
vehicle.
If you put things inside your
vehicle — like suitcases,
tools, packages, or anything
else — they will go as fast as
the vehicle goes. If you have
to stop or turn quickly, or if
there is a crash, they will
keep going.{CAUTION
Things you put inside the
vehicle can strike and injure
people in a sudden stop or
turn, or in a crash.
Put things in the trunk of
your vehicle. In a trunk,
put them as far forward as
you can. Try to spread the
weight evenly.
Never stack heavier
things, like suitcases,
inside the vehicle so that
some of them are above
the tops of the seats.
Do not leave an
unsecured child restraint
in the vehicle.
When you carry
something inside the
vehicle, secure it
whenever you can.
Do not leave a seat folded
down unless you need to.
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Fuel
Use of the recommended fuel
is an important part of the proper
maintenance of your vehicle. To help
keep the engine clean and maintain
optimum vehicle performance, we
recommend the use of gasoline
advertised as TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline.
Gasoline Octane
Use regular unleaded gasoline with
a posted octane rating of 87 or
higher. If the octane rating is less
than 87, you might notice an audible
knocking noise when you drive,
commonly referred to as spark
knock. If this occurs, use a gasoline
rated at 87 octane or higher assoon as possible. If you are using
gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher
and you hear heavy knocking, the
engine needs service.
Gasoline Specications
At a minimum, gasoline should
meet ASTM specication
D 4814 in the United States or
CAN/CGSB-3.5 or 3.511 in Canada.
Some gasolines contain an
octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese
tricarbonyl (MMT). We recommend
against the use of gasolines
containing MMT. SeeAdditives on
page 8-36for additional information.
California Fuel
If your vehicle is certied to meet
California Emissions Standards, it is
designed to operate on fuels that
meet California specications. See
the underhood emission control
label. If this fuel is not available in
states adopting California emissions
standards, your vehicle will operate
satisfactorily on fuels meeting federal
specications, but emission control
system performance might be
affected. The malfunction indicator
lamp could turn on and your vehicle
might fail a smog-check test. See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 4-20. If this occurs, return to
your authorized dealer/retailer for
diagnosis. If it is determined that the
condition is caused by the type of
fuel used, repairs might not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
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Additives
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines
in the United States are now required
to contain additives that help prevent
engine and fuel system deposits
from forming, allowing the emission
control system to work properly.
In most cases, you should not have
to add anything to the fuel. However,
some gasolines contain only the
minimum amount of additive required
to meet U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency regulations.
To help keep fuel injectors and intake
valves clean, or if your vehicle
experiences problems due to dirty
injectors or valves, look for gasoline
that is advertised as TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline. Also, your
dealer/retailer has additives that
will help correct and prevent most
deposit-related problems.
Gasolines containing oxygenates,
such as ethers and ethanol, and
reformulated gasolines might
be available in your area.We recommend that you use these
gasolines, if they comply with the
specications described earlier.
However, E85 (85% ethanol) and
other fuels containing more than
10% ethanol must not be used in
vehicles that were not designed for
those fuels.
Notice:Your vehicle was not
designed for fuel that contains
methanol. Do not use fuel
containing methanol. It can
corrode metal parts in the fuel
system and also damage plastic
and rubber parts. That damage
would not be covered under your
warranty.
Some gasolines that are
not reformulated for low
emissions can contain an
octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese
tricarbonyl (MMT); ask the attendant
where you buy gasoline whether the
fuel contains MMT. We recommend
against the use of such gasolines.Fuels containing MMT can reduce
the life of spark plugs and the
performance of the emission control
system could be affected. The
malfunction indicator lamp might turn
on. If this occurs, return to your
dealer/retailer for service.
Fuels in Foreign
Countries
If you plan on driving in another
country outside the United States or
Canada, the proper fuel might be
hard to nd. Never use leaded
gasoline or any other fuel not
recommended in the previous text
on fuel. Costly repairs caused
by use of improper fuel would not
be covered by your warranty.
To check the fuel availability, ask
an auto club, or contact a major oil
company that does business in
the country where you will be
driving.
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Filling the Tank
{CAUTION
Fuel vapor burns violently and a
fuel re can cause bad injuries.
To help avoid injuries to you and
others, read and follow all the
instructions on the pump island.
Turn off your engine when you
are refueling. Do not smoke if
you are near fuel or refueling
your vehicle. Do not use cellular
phones. Keep sparks, ames,
and smoking materials away
from fuel. Do not leave the fuel
pump unattended when
refueling your vehicle. This is
against the law in some places.
Do not re-enter the vehicle while
pumping fuel. Keep children
away from the fuel pump; never
let children pump fuel.The fuel cap is located behind a
hinged fuel door on the passenger
side of the vehicle.
To remove the fuel cap, turn it
slowly counterclockwise.
The fuel cap has a spring in it,
if the cap is released too soon it
will spring back.
{CAUTION
Fuel can spray out on you if
you open the fuel cap too
quickly. If you spill fuel and
then something ignites it, you
could be badly burned. This
spray can happen if your tank
is nearly full, and is more likely
in hot weather. Open the fuel
cap slowly and wait for any
hiss noise to stop. Then
unscrew the cap all the way.
Be careful not to spill fuel. Do not
top off or overll the tank and wait a
few seconds after you have nished
pumping before removing the nozzle.
Clean fuel from painted surfaces as
soon as possible. SeeExterior
Cleaning on page 9-75.
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When replacing the fuel cap, turn
it clockwise until it clicks. Make
sure the cap is fully installed. The
diagnostic system can determine if
the fuel cap has been left off or
improperly installed. This would
allow fuel to evaporate into
the atmosphere. SeeMalfunction
Indicator Lamp on page 4-20.
{CAUTION
If a re starts while you are
refueling, do not remove the
nozzle. Shut off the ow of fuel
by shutting off the pump or by
notifying the station attendant.
Leave the area immediately.Notice:If you need a new fuel
cap, be sure to get the right type.
Your dealer/retailer can get one for
you. If you get the wrong type, it
may not t properly. This may
cause your malfunction indicator
lamp to light and may damage
your fuel tank and emissions
system. SeeMalfunction Indicator
Lamp on page 4-20.
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 fuel vapor.
(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
You can be badly burned and
your vehicle damaged if this
occurs. To help avoid injury to
you and others:
Dispense fuel 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 fuel.
Do not use a cellular phone
while pumping fuel.
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