2008 SATURN ASTRA fuel

Doing Your Own
Service Work
{CAUTION
You can be injured and your
vehicle could be damaged if
you try to do service work on a
vehicle without knowing enough
about it.
Be sure you have sufficient
knowledge, experience, the
proper replacement parts, and
tools before you attempt any
vehicle maintenance task.
Be sure to use the proper
nuts, bolts, and other
fasteners. English and metric
fasteners can be easily
confused. If you use the
wrong fasteners, parts can
later break or fall off. You
could be hurt.If you want to do some of your own
service work, you should use the
proper service manual. It tells
you much more about how to
service your vehicle than this
manual can. To order the proper
service manual, seeService
Publications Ordering Information
on page 11-14.
Your vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to do your
own service work, seeAirbag
System Check on page 1-36.
You should keep a record with all
parts receipts and list the mileage
and the date of any service work
you perform. See “Maintenance
Record” in the Limited Warranty,
Maintenance and Owner Assistance
Information manual.
Adding Equipment to the
Outside of the Vehicle
Things you might add to the outside
of your vehicle can affect the
airow around it. This can cause
wind noise and can affect fuel
economy and windshield washer
performance. Check with your
dealer/retailer before adding
equipment to the outside of your
vehicle.
9-4 Vehicle Service and Care
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Owner Checks
{CAUTION
An electric fan under the hood
can start up and injure you
even when the engine is not
running. Keep hands, clothing,
and tools away from any
underhood electric fan.
{CAUTION
Things that burn can get on hot
engine parts and start a re.
These include liquids like fuel,
oil, coolant, brake uid,
windshield washer and other
uids, and plastic or rubber.
You or others could be burned.
Be careful not to drop or spill
things that will burn onto a
hot engine.
Hood Release
To open the hood:
1. Pull the handle that is located
under the instrument panel.2. Push the secondary hood
release lever upward.
3. Lift the hood.
After the hood is slightly lifted, it will
continue to open to the full position.
Before closing the hood, be sure
all the ller caps are on properly.
Then lift the hood to relieve
pressure. Pull the hood down,
close it rmly.
Vehicle Service and Care 9-5
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A.Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on
page 9-11.
B. Engine Oil Fill Cap.Engine Oil
on page 9-7.
C. Brake Fluid Reservoir.Brakes
on page 9-22.
D. Coolant Reservoir.Cooling
System on page 9-16.
E. Coolant Reservoir Pressure Cap.
Pressure Cap on page 9-15.
F.Engine Compartment Fuse Block
on page 9-34.
G.Battery on page 9-25.
H.Windshield Washer Fluid on
page 9-20.
I. Engine Oil Dipstick.Engine Oil
on page 9-7.Engine Oil
If the low oil level light appears on
the instrument cluster, check
the engine oil level right away.
SeeLow Oil Level Light on
page 4-23. You should check the
engine oil level regularly; this is just
a reminder.
Checking Engine Oil
It is a good idea to check the
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. SeeEngine
Compartment Overview on page 9-6
for the location of the engine oil
dipstick.
1. Turn off the engine and give the
oil several minutes to drain back
into the oil pan. If you do not
do this, the oil dipstick might not
show the actual level.
2. Pull 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.
Vehicle Service and Care 9-7
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Headlamp Aiming
The optical headlamp aiming system
has been preset at the factory
and should need no further
adjustment.
However, If the vehicle is damaged
in a crash, the headlamp aim
may be affected and adjustment
may be necessary.
If oncoming vehicles ash their high
beams at you, this may also mean
the vertical aim needs to be adjusted.
It is recommended that the vehicle
is taken to your dealer/retailer for
service if the headlamps need to be
re-aimed. It is possible however, to
re-aim the headlamps as described.The vehicle should:Be placed so the headlamps
are 25 ft. (7.6 m) from a light
colored wall.
Have all four tires on a perfectly
level surface which is level all
the way to the wall.
Be placed so it is perpendicular
to the wall.
Not have any snow, ice, or
mudonit.
Be fully assembled and all other
work stopped while headlamp
aiming is being done.
Have a full tank of fuel and
one person or 160 lbs (75 kg)
on the driver seat.
Have all tires properly inated.Headlamp aiming is done with the
vehicle’s low-beam headlamps.
The high-beam headlamps will be
correctly aimed if the low-beam
headlamps are aimed properly.
To adjust the vertical aim on
the headlamps:
1. Open the hood. SeeHood
Release on page 9-5for more
information.
2. Locate the aim dot on the lens of
the low-beam headlamp.
9-26 Vehicle Service and Care
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Fuses Usage
8 Horn
10 Door Locks
13 Foglamps
14Windshield Wipers
(high speed)
15Windshield Wipers
(low speed)
16Antilock Brake System,
Brake Lamp Switch
17 Vacuum Pump
18 Starter
20 Air Conditioning Clutch
21Engine Control
Module (ECM)
(Main Relay)
22 ECM (Battery)
24 Fuel Pump/InjectorsFuses Usage
26ECM (Sensor and
Actuators)
27 Power Steering
28Automatic
Transmission (Battery)
29Automatic
Transmission (Ignition)
30 ECM (Ignition)
32 Brake Switch
34Steering Column
Module
35 Radio
36OnStar™ Module/
OnStar™ Interface
Module/DisplayRear Compartment Fuse
Block
To open the liftgate, SeeLiftgate on
page 2-6.
The rear compartment fuse block is
located on the left side of the
cargo area behind a cover.
9-36 Vehicle Service and Care
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(D) Construction Code:A letter code is used to indicate
the type of ply construction in
the tire. The letter R means
radial ply construction; the
letter D means diagonal or
bias ply construction; and the
letter B means belted-bias
ply construction.
(E) Rim Diameter
:Diameter of
the wheel in inches.
(F) Service Description
:These characters represent the
load range and speed rating
of the tire. The load index
represents the load carry
capacity a tire is certied to
carry. The load index can range
from 1 to 279. The speed
rating is the maximum speed a
tire is certied to carry a load.
Speed ratings range from A to Z.
Tire Terminology and
Denitions
Air Pressure:The amount of
air inside the tire pressing
outward on each square inch
of the tire. Air pressure is
expressed in pounds per square
inch (psi) or kilopascal (kPa).
Accessory Weight
:This means
the combined weight of optional
accessories. Some examples
of optional accessories are,
automatic transmission, power
steering, power brakes, power
windows, power seats, and air
conditioning.
Aspect Ratio
:The relationship
of a tire’s height to its width.
Belt
:A rubber coated layer of
cords that is located between the
plies and the tread. Cords may
be made from steel or other
reinforcing materials.Bead
:The tire bead contains
steel wires wrapped by steel
cords that hold the tire onto
the rim.
Bias Ply Tire
:A pneumatic tire
in which the plies are laid at
alternate angles less than
90 degrees to the centerline of
the tread.
Cold Tire Pressure
:The
amount of air pressure in a
tire, measured in pounds
per square inch (psi) or
kilopascals (kPa) before a tire
has built up heat from driving.
SeeInflation - Tire Pressure on
page 9-46.
Curb Weight
:The weight of a
motor vehicle with standard
and optional equipment including
the maximum capacity of fuel,
oil, and coolant, but without
passengers and cargo.
Vehicle Service and Care 9-43
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Ination - Tire Pressure
Tires need the correct amount
of air pressure to operate
effectively.
Notice:Do not let anyone tell
you that under-ination or
over-ination is all right. It is
not. If your tires do not have
enough air (under-ination),
you can get the following:
Too much exing
Too much heat
Tire overloading
Premature or irregular wear
Poor handling
Reduced fuel economy
If your tires have too much air
(over-ination), you can get
the following:
Unusual wear
Poor handling
Rough ride
Needless damage from
road hazardsA vehicle specic Tire and
Loading Information label is
attached to your vehicle.
This label shows your vehicle’s
original equipment tires and
the correct ination pressures for
your tires when they are cold.
The recommended cold tire
ination pressure, shown on the
label, is the minimum amount
of air pressure needed to
support your vehicle’s maximum
load carrying capacity.
For additional information
regarding how much weight your
vehicle can carry, and an
example of the Tire and Loading
Information label, seeLoading
the Vehicle on page 8-30.
How you load your vehicle
affects vehicle handling and
ride comfort. Never load
your vehicle with more weight
than it was designed to carry.When to Check
Check your tires once a month
or more. Do not forget to
check the compact spare tire, it
should be at 60 psi (420 kPa).
For additional information
regarding the compact spare
tire, seeCompact Spare Tire on
page 9-67.
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type
gage to check tire pressure.
You cannot tell if your tires are
properly inated simply by
looking at them. Radial tires may
look properly inated even
when they are under-inated.
Check the tire’s ination
pressure when the tires are
cold. Cold means your vehicle
has been sitting for at least
three hours or driven no more
than 1 mile (1.6 km).
9-46 Vehicle Service and Care
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When high-speed driving ends,
return the tire pressure to the
recommended cold ination
pressure shown on the Tire and
Loading Information label. See
Loading the Vehicle on page 8-30.
Tire pressure should be checked
and correctly set when the tires are
cold. SeeInflation - Tire Pressure
on page 9-46.
Tire Pressure Monitor
System
The Tire Pressure Monitor System
(TPMS) uses radio and sensor
technology to check tire pressure
levels. The TPMS sensors monitor
the air pressure in your vehicle’s tires
and transmit tire pressure readings to
a receiver located in the vehicle.
Each tire, including the spare
(if provided), should be checked
monthly when cold and inated to
the ination pressure recommended
by the vehicle manufacturer on
the vehicle placard or tire inationpressure label. (If your vehicle has
tires of a different size than
the size indicated on the vehicle
placard or tire ination pressure
label, you should determine the
proper tire ination pressure
for those tires.)
As an added safety feature, your
vehicle has been equipped with
a tire pressure monitoring system
(TPMS) that illuminates a low
tire pressure telltale when one or
more of your tires is signicantly
under-inated.
Accordingly, when the low tire
pressure telltale illuminates, you
should stop and check your tires
as soon as possible, and inate them
to the proper pressure. Driving on
a signicantly under-inated tire
causes the tire to overheat and can
lead to tire failure. Under-ination
also reduces fuel efficiency and tire
tread life, and may affect the
vehicle’s handling and stopping
ability.Please note that the TPMS is
not a substitute for proper tire
maintenance, and it is the driver’s
responsibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if under-ination has
not reached the level to trigger
illumination of the TPMS low tire
pressure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped
with a TPMS malfunction indicator to
indicate when the system is not
operating properly. The TPMS
malfunction indicator is combined
with the low tire pressure telltale.
When the system detects a
malfunction, the telltale will ash for
approximately one minute and then
remain continuously illuminated.
This sequence will continue upon
subsequent vehicle start-ups as long
as the malfunction exists.
9-48 Vehicle Service and Care
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