2008 SATURN ASTRA window

Seats and Restraints......... 1-1
Front Seats
.................... 1-2
Rear Seats
.................... 1-7
Safety Belts
................... 1-8
Airbag System
..............1-23
Child Restraints
.............1-37
Keys, Doors and
Windows............................ 2-1
Keys
............................. 2-2
Doors and Locks
............ 2-5
Theft-Deterrent Systems
... 2-7
Windows
......................2-10
Mirrors
.........................2-12
Sunroof
........................2-13
Storage.............................. 3-1
Storage
......................... 3-1
Instruments and
Controls............................. 4-1
Instrument Panel
Overview
.................... 4-2
Warning Lights, Gages,
and Indicators
............4-11Driver Information
Center (DIC)
.............4-26
OnStar
®System
............4-38
Lighting............................. 5-1
Lighting
......................... 5-1
Infotainment...................... 6-1
Audio System(s)
............. 6-1
Climate Controls............... 7-1
Climate Controls
............. 7-1
Driving and Operating....... 8-1
Starting and Operating
Your Vehicle
................ 8-2
Driving Your Vehicle
......8-16
Fuel
............................8-35
Vehicle Service
and Care............................ 9-1
Service
.......................... 9-2
Owner Checks
................ 9-5
Headlamp Aiming
..........9-26
Bulb Replacement
.........9-28
Electrical System
...........9-33
Tires
...........................9-38Tire Changing
...............9-60
Jump Starting
...............9-68
Towing
........................9-72
Appearance Care
..........9-72
Technical Data.................10-1
Vehicle Identication
......10-1
Capacities and
Specications
............10-2
Customer Information......11-1
Customer Information
.....11-1
Reporting Safety
Defects
...................11-13
Vehicle Data Recording
and Privacy
.............11-15
Index................................... i-1
2008 Saturn Astra Owner ManualM
ProCarManuals.com

{CAUTION
Airbags inate with great force,
faster than the blink of an eye.
Anyone who is up against, or
very close to, any airbag when
it inates can be seriously
injured or killed. Do not sit
unnecessarily close to the
airbag, as you would be if you
were sitting on the edge of your
seat or leaning forward. Safety
belts help keep you in position
before and during a crash.
Always wear your safety belt,
even with airbags. The driver
should sit as far back as
possible while still maintaining
control of the vehicle.
Occupants should not lean on
or sleep against the door or side
windows in seating positions
with seat-mounted side impact
airbags and/or roof-rail airbags.
{CAUTION
Airbags plus lap-shoulder
belts offer the best protection
for adults, but not for young
children and infants. Neither
the vehicle’s safety belt system
nor its airbag system is
designed for them. Young
children and infants need the
protection that a child restraint
system can provide. Always
secure children properly in
your vehicle. To read how, see
Older Children on page 1-37or
Infants and Young Children on
page 1-38.
There is an airbag readiness light
on the instrument panel cluster,
which shows the airbag symbol.
The system checks the airbag
electrical system for malfunctions.
The light tells you if there is an
electrical problem. SeeAirbag
Readiness Light on page 4-14
for more information.
Where Are the Airbags?
The driver’s frontal airbag is in the
middle of the steering wheel.
The right front passenger’s frontal
airbag is in the instrument panel on
the passenger’s side.
Seats and Restraints 1-25
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The seat-mounted side impact
airbags for the driver and right front
passenger are in the side of the
seatbacks closest to the door.
The roof-rail airbags for the driver,
right front passenger, and second
row outboard passengers are in the
ceiling above the side windows.
{CAUTION
If something is between an
occupant and an airbag, the
airbag might not inate
properly or it might force the
object into that person causing
severe injury or even death.
The path of an inating airbag
must be kept clear. Do not put
anything between an occupant
and an airbag, and do not
attach or put anything on the
steering wheel hub or on or
near any other airbag covering.
(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
Do not use seat accessories
that block the ination path of
a seat-mounted side impact
airbag.
Never secure anything to the
roof of a vehicle with roof-rail
airbags by routing a rope or
tie down through any door or
window opening. If you do, the
path of an inating roof-rail
airbag will be blocked. Driver Side shown,
Passenger Side similar
1-26 Seats and Restraints
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Seat-mounted side impact and
roof-rail airbags are not intended to
inate in frontal impacts, near-frontal
impacts, rollovers, or rear impacts.
A seat-mounted side impact
airbag is intended to deploy on
the side of the vehicle that is struck.
A roof-rail airbag is intended to
deploy on the side of the vehicle
that is struck.
In any particular crash, no one
can say whether an airbag should
have inated simply because of
the damage to a vehicle or because
of what the repair costs were.
For frontal airbags, ination is
determined by what the vehicle hits,
the angle of the impact, and how
quickly the vehicle slows down.
For seat-mounted side impact and
roof-rail airbags, deployment is
determined by the location and
severity of the side impact.What Makes an Airbag
Inate?
In a deployment event, the sensing
system sends an electrical signal
triggering a release of gas from the
inator. Gas from the inator lls the
airbag causing the bag to break out
of the cover and deploy. The inator,
the airbag, and related hardware are
all part of the airbag module.
Frontal airbag modules are located
inside the steering wheel and
instrument panel. For vehicles with
seat-mounted side impact airbags,
there are airbag modules in the side
of the front seatbacks closest to the
door. For vehicles with roof-rail
airbags, there are airbag modules in
the ceiling of the vehicle, near the
side windows that have occupant
seating positions.
How Does an Airbag
Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or
near frontal collisions, even belted
occupants can contact the steering
wheel or the instrument panel. In
moderate to severe side collisions,
even belted occupants can contact
the inside of the vehicle.
Airbags supplement the protection
provided by safety belts. Frontal
airbags distribute the force of the
impact more evenly over the
occupant’s upper body, stopping
the occupant more gradually.
Seat-mounted side impact and
roof-rail airbags distribute the force
of the impact more evenly over the
occupant’s upper body.
But airbags would not help in many
types of collisions, primarily because
the occupant’s motion is not toward
those airbags. SeeWhen Should
an Airbag Inflate? on page 1-27
for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded
as anything more than a supplement
to safety belts.
1-28 Seats and Restraints
ProCarManuals.com

What Will You See After
an Airbag Inates?
After the frontal airbags and
seat-mounted side impact airbags
inate, they quickly deate, so
quickly that some people may not
even realize an airbag inated.
Roof-rail airbags may still be at least
partially inated for some time after
they deploy. Some components of
the airbag module may be hot for
several minutes. For location of the
airbag modules, seeWhat Makes
an Airbag Inflate? on page 1-28.
The parts of the airbag that come
into contact with you may be warm,
but not too hot to touch. There may
be some smoke and dust coming
from the vents in the deated
airbags. Airbag ination does not
prevent the driver from seeing out
of the windshield or being able to
steer the vehicle, nor does it prevent
people from leaving the vehicle.
{CAUTION
When an airbag inates, there
may be 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
cannot get out of the vehicle
after an airbag inates, then get
fresh air by opening a window
or a door. If you experience
breathing problems following an
airbag deployment, you should
seek medical attention.
In many crashes severe enough
to inate the airbag, windshields
are broken by vehicle deformation.Additional windshield breakage
may also occur from the right
front passenger airbag.Airbags are designed to inate
only once. After an airbag inates,
you will need some new parts for
the airbag system. If you do not
get them, the airbag system will
not be there to help protect you
in another crash. A new system
will include airbag modules and
possibly other parts. The service
manual for your vehicle covers
the need to replace other parts.
The vehicle has a crash sensing
and diagnostic module which
records information after a crash.
SeeVehicle Data Recording and
Privacy on page 11-15andEvent
Data Recorders on page 11-16.
Let only qualied technicians work
on the airbag systems. Improper
service can mean that an airbag
system will not work properly.
See your dealer/retailer for
service.
Seats and Restraints 1-29
ProCarManuals.com

A forward-facing child seat (B)
provides restraint for the child’s body
with the harness.A booster seat (C) is a child
restraint designed to improve the t
of the vehicle’s safety belt system.
A booster seat can also help a child
to see out the window.
Securing an Add-On Child
Restraint in the Vehicle
{CAUTION
A child can be seriously injured
or killed in a crash if the child
restraint is not properly secured
in the vehicle. Secure the child
restraint properly in the vehicle
using the vehicle’s safety belt or
LATCH system, following the
instructions that came with
that child restraint and the
instructions in this manual. (B) Forward-Facing Child Seat
(C) Booster Seats
1-42 Seats and Restraints
ProCarManuals.com

Keys, Doors and
Windows
Keys
Keys...................................2-2
Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) System..........2-3
Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) System
Operation
..........................2-4
Doors and Locks
Door Locks.........................2-5
Power Door Locks..............2-5
Rear Door Security Locks. . .2-6
Liftgate...............................2-6
Theft-Deterrent Systems
Theft-Deterrent Systems.....2-7
Immobilizer.........................2-7
Immobilizer Operation.........2-8
Content Theft-Deterrent......2-9
Windows
Windows...........................2-10
Power Windows................2-10
Sun Visors........................2-11
Mirrors
Manual Rearview Mirror. . . .2-12
Outside Mirror(s)...............2-12
Outside Power Mirror(s). . . .2-12
Sunroof
Sunroof.............................2-13
Keys, Doors and Windows 2-1
ProCarManuals.com

Keys
{CAUTION
Leaving children in a vehicle
with the ignition key is
dangerous for many reasons,
children or others could be
badly injured or even killed.
They could operate the power
windows or other controls or
even make the vehicle move.
The windows will function with
the keys in the ignition and
children could be seriously
injured or killed if caught in
the path of a closing window.
Do not leave the keys in a
vehicle with children.The key, located in the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter, is
used for the ignition and all locks.Press the button on the RKE
transmitter to extend the key.
Press the button and the key
blade to retract the key.
When a new vehicle is delivered,
a key number is included in
the vehicle documents.
Each key number tells your
dealer/retailer or a qualied
locksmith how to make extra keys.
2-2 Keys, Doors and Windows
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