2008 SATURN ASTRA shift

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.
8-26 Driving and Operating
ProCarManuals.com

Rocking Your Vehicle to
Get It Out
First, turn the steering wheel left and
right to clear the area around the
front wheels. Turn off any stability
system. SeeStabiliTrak
®System on
page 8-19. Then shift back and forth
between REVERSE (R) and a
forward gear, or with a manual
transmission, between FIRST (1) or
SECOND (2) and REVERSE (R),
spinning the wheels as little as
possible. To prevent transmission
wear, wait until the wheels stop
spinning before shifting gears.Release the accelerator pedal
while you shift, and press lightly
on the accelerator pedal when
the transmission is in gear. By slowly
spinning the wheels in the forward
and reverse directions, you will
cause a rocking motion that could
free your vehicle. If that does not get
your vehicle out after a few tries, it
might need to be towed out. If your
vehicle does need to be towed out,
seeTowing Your Vehicle on
page 9-72.
Loading the Vehicle
It is very important to know how
much weight your vehicle can
carry. This weight is called the
vehicle capacity weight and
includes the weight of all
occupants, cargo and all
nonfactory-installed options.
Two labels on your vehicle
show how much weight it may
properly carry, the Tire and
Loading Information label and
the Certication label.
8-30 Driving and Operating
ProCarManuals.com

If you get the engine coolant
temperature warning with no sign of
steam, try this for a minute or so:
1. If your air conditioner is on,
turn it off.
2. In heavy traffic, let the engine
idle in N (NEUTRAL) while
stopped. If it is safe to do so, pull
off the road, shift to P (PARK)
or N (NEUTRAL) and let
the engine idle.
3. Turn on your heater to full hot at
the highest fan speed and open
the windows as necessary.If you no longer have the overheat
warning, you can drive. Just to
be safe, drive slower for about
10 minutes. If the warning does not
come back on, you can drive
normally.
If the warning continues and you
have not stopped, pull over, stop,
and park your vehicle right away.
If there is still no sign of steam,
you can idle the engine for
three minutes while you are parked.
If you still have the warning, turn
off the engine and get everyone out
of the vehicle until it cools down.
You may decide not to lift the hood
but to get service help right away.Cooling System
When you decide it is safe to lift the
hood, this is what you see:
A. Coolant Reservoir
B. Coolant Reservoir Pressure Cap
C. Engine Cooling Fans
(Out of view)
9-16 Vehicle Service and Care
ProCarManuals.com

Tire Changing
If a Tire Goes Flat
It is unusual for a tire to blowout
while you are driving, especially if
you maintain your vehicle’s tires
properly. If air goes out of a tire, it is
much more likely to leak out slowly.
But if you should ever have a
blowout, here are a few tips about
what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the at tire creates
a drag that pulls the vehicle toward
that side. Take your foot off the
accelerator pedal and grip the
steering wheel rmly. Steer to
maintain lane position, and then
gently brake to a stop well out of the
traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a
curve, acts much like a skid and
may require the same correction you
would use in a skid. In any rear
blowout remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle
under control by steering theway you want the vehicle to go.
It may be very bumpy and noisy, but
you can still steer. Gently brake to
a stop, well off the road if possible.
{CAUTION
Lifting a vehicle and getting
under it to do maintenance or
repairs is dangerous without the
appropriate safety equipment
and training. The jack provided
with your vehicle is designed
only for changing a at tire. If it
is used for anything else, you or
others could be badly injured or
killed if the vehicle slips off the
jack. Use the jack provided with
your vehicle only for changing a
at tire.
If a tire goes at, the next part
shows how to use the jacking
equipment to change a at tire
safely.
Changing a Flat Tire
If a tire goes at, avoid further tire
and wheel damage by driving slowly
to a level place. Turn on the
hazard warning ashers.
{CAUTION
Changing a tire can be
dangerous. The vehicle can slip
off the jack and roll over or fall
on you or other people. You and
they could be badly injured or
even killed. Find a level place
to change your tire. To help
prevent the vehicle from
moving:
1. Set the parking brake
rmly.
2. Put an automatic
transmission shift lever in
P (Park), or shift a manual
transmission to 1 (First) or
R (Reverse).
(Continued)
9-60 Vehicle Service and Care
ProCarManuals.com

Loading Your Vehicle............8-30
Locks
Door ................................. 2-5
Power Door ....................... 2-5
Rear Door Security Locks.... 2-6
Loss of Control....................8-23
Low Fuel Warning Light........4-25
Lumbar Seat Adjustment......... 1-3
M
Malfunction Indicator Light.....4-20
Manual Seats........................ 1-2
Manual Transmission
Fluid...............................9-12
Operation.......................... 8-9
Manual, Using.......................... ii
Message
DIC Warnings and
Messages....................4-37
Mirrors
Manual Rearview Mirror.....2-12
Outside...........................2-12
Outside Power Mirrors.......2-12
MyGMLink.com....................11-4
N
Navigation System,
Privacy..........................11-17
New Vehicle Break-In............. 8-2
Notices and Cautions............... iii
O
Odometer...........................4-13
Odometers, Trip...................4-13
Off-Road Recovery...............8-22
Oil
Engine.............................. 9-7
Low Oil Level Light...........4-23
Pressure Light..................4-22
Oil, Engine Oil Life System..... 9-9
Older Children, Restraints......1-37
Online Owner Center............11-4
OnStar, Privacy..................11-17
OnStar
®System, see
OnStar®Manual...............4-38
Outlet Adjustment.................. 7-4
Outlets
Accessory Power..............4-10Outside
Mirrors............................2-12
Power Mirrors..................2-12
Owner Checks, Service.......... 9-5
Owners, Canadian.................... ii
P
Paint, Damage.....................9-79
Park
Shifting Into.....................8-11
Shifting Out of..................8-13
Park Brake..........................8-10
Parking
Over Things That Burn......8-13
Parking Your Vehicle............8-13
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator..........................4-15
Passing..............................8-23
Perchlorate Materials
Requirements, California...... 9-3
Power
Door Locks........................ 2-5
Electrical System..............9-34
Retained Accessory (RAP) . . . 8-3
i-6 INDEX
ProCarManuals.com

S
Safety Belts.......................... 1-8
Care of ...........................1-22
Check.............................1-22
How to Wear Safety
Belts Properly...............1-12
Lap-Shoulder Belt.............1-17
Reminder Light.................4-14
Replacing Parts After
a Crash.......................1-23
Safety Belt Extender.........1-22
Safety Belt Use During
Pregnancy....................1-21
Seats
Head Restraints................. 1-5
Heated Seats - Rear........... 1-6
Height Adjuster.................. 1-2
Lumbar Adjustment............. 1-3
Rear Seat Operation........... 1-7
Reclining Seatbacks............ 1-3
Securing Child
Restraints................1-50, 1-53Service................................ 9-2
Accessories and
Modications.................. 9-3
Adding Equipment to the
Outside of the Vehicle..... 9-4
California Perchlorate
Materials Requirements.... 9-3
California Proposition 65
Warning......................... 9-3
Doing Your Own Work........ 9-4
Engine Soon Light............4-20
Owner Checks................... 9-5
Publications Ordering
Information.................11-14
Vehicle Soon Light............4-24
Service, Scheduling
Appointments...................12-8
Servicing Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle....1-34
Sheet Metal Damage............9-78
Shifting Into Park.................8-11
Shifting Out of Park..............8-13
Signals, Turn and
Lane-Change..................... 4-8Spare Tire
Compact.........................9-67
Installing..........................9-62
Removing
........................9-61
Storing............................9-66
Specications, Capacities......10-2
Speedometer.......................4-13
StabiliTrak
®Indicator Light.....4-19
Stabilitrak®System...............8-19
Starting the Engine................ 8-3
Steering..............................8-20
Steering Wheel Controls,
Audio..............................6-24
Steering Wheel, Tilt Wheel...... 4-4
Storage Areas
Cupholders........................ 3-1
Glove Box......................... 3-1
Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice,
or Snow..........................8-29
Sun Visors..........................2-11
Sunroof..............................2-13
i-8 INDEX
ProCarManuals.com