Chevrolet 2004 Astro Owner's manual

Seats and Restraint Systems

........................... 1-1

Front Seats

............................................... 1-2

Rear Seats

............................................... 1-7

Safety Belts

............................................. 1-13

Child Restraints

....................................... 1-35

Air Bag System

....................................... 1-63

Restraint System Check

............................ 1-70

Features and Controls

..................................... 2-1

Keys

........................................................ 2-2

Doors and Locks

....................................... 2-6

Windows

................................................. 2-14

Theft-Deterrent Systems

............................ 2-16

Starting and Operating Your Vehicle

........... 2-17

Mirrors

.................................................... 2-30

HomeLink

®

Transmitter

............................. 2-31

Storage Areas

......................................... 2-34

Instrument Panel

............................................. 3-1

Instrument Panel Overview

.......................... 3-2

Climate Controls

...................................... 3-18

Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators

......... 3-23

Audio System(s)

....................................... 3-38

Driving Your Vehicle

....................................... 4-1

Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle

..... 4-2

Towing

................................................... 4-29

Service and Appearance Care

.......................... 5-1

Service

..................................................... 5-3

Fuel

......................................................... 5-4

Checking Things Under the Hood

................. 5-9

All-Wheel Drive

........................................ 5-47

Rear Axle

............................................... 5-48

Front Axle

............................................... 5-48

Bulb Replacement

.................................... 5-49

Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement

......... 5-56

Tires

...................................................... 5-56

Appearance Care

..................................... 5-86

Vehicle Identiﬁcation

................................. 5-95

Electrical System

...................................... 5-95

Capacities and Speciﬁcations

................... 5-102

Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts

.... 5-104

Maintenance Schedule

..................................... 6-1

Maintenance Schedule

................................ 6-2

Customer Assistance and Information

.............. 7-1

Customer Assistance and Information

........... 7-2

Reporting Safety Defects

........................... 7-10

Index

................................................................ 1

2004 Chevrolet Astro Owner Manual M

GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem,

CHEVROLET, the CHEVROLET Emblem and the name

CHEVY ASTRO are registered trademarks of General

Motors Corporation.

This manual includes the latest information at the time it

was printed. We reserve the right to make changes

after that time without further notice. For vehicles ﬁrst

sold in Canada, substitute the name “General Motors of

Canada Limited” for Chevrolet Motor Division whenever

it appears in this manual.

Please keep this manual in your vehicle, so it will be

there if you ever need it when you’re on the road. If you

sell the vehicle, please leave this manual in it so the

new owner can use it.

Litho in U.S.A.

Part No. C2410 A First Edition

©

Copyright General Motors Corporation 06/24/03

Canadian Owners

You can obtain a French copy of this manual from your

dealer or from:

Helm, Incorporated

P.O. Box 07130

Detroit, MI 48207

How to Use This Manual

Many people read their owner’s manual from beginning

to end when they ﬁrst receive their new vehicle. If

you do this, it will help you learn about the features and

controls for your vehicle. In this manual, you will ﬁnd

that pictures and words work together to explain things.

Index

A good place to look for what you need is the Index in

back of the manual. It is an alphabetical list of what

is in the manual, and the page number where you will

ﬁnd it.

ii

Safety Warnings and Symbols

You will ﬁnd a number of safety cautions in this book.

We use a box and the word CAUTION to tell you about

things that could hurt you if you were to ignore the

warning.

{CAUTION:

These mean there is something that could hurt

you or other people.

In the caution area, we tell you what the hazard is.

Then we tell you what to do to help avoid or reduce the

hazard. Please read these cautions. If you don’t, you

or others could be hurt.

You will also ﬁnd a circle

with a slash through it in

this book. This safety

symbol means “Don’t,”

“Don’t do this” or “Don’t let

this happen.”

iii

Vehicle Damage Warnings

Also, in this book you will ﬁnd these notices:

Notice:

These mean there is something that could

damage your vehicle.

A notice will tell you about something that can damage

your vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be

covered by your warranty, and it could be costly. But the

notice will tell you what to do to help avoid the

damage.

When you read other manuals, you might see

CAUTION and NOTICE warnings in different colors or in

different words.

You’ll also see warning labels on your vehicle. They use

the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.

Vehicle Symbols

Your vehicle has components and labels that use

symbols instead of text. Symbols, used on your vehicle,

are shown along with the text describing the operation

or information relating to a speciﬁc component, control,

message, gage or indicator.

If you need help ﬁguring out a speciﬁc name of a

component, gage or indicator, reference the

following topics:

• Seats and Restraint Systems in Section 1

• Features and Controls in Section 2

• Instrument Panel Overview in Section 3

• Climate Controls in Section 3

• Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators in Section 3

• Audio System(s) in Section 3

• Engine Compartment Overview in Section 5

iv

These are some examples of symbols you may ﬁnd on your vehicle:

v

Model Reference

This manual covers these models:

Cargo Van

Passenger Van

vi

Front Seats ......................................................1-2

Manual Seats ................................................1-2

Power Seat ...................................................1-3

Manual Lumbar ..............................................1-3

Reclining Seatbacks ........................................1-4

Head Restraints .............................................1-5

Seatback Latches ...........................................1-6

Rear Seats .......................................................1-7

Rear Seat Operation .......................................1-7

Bench Seat ..................................................1-11

Bucket Seats ...............................................1-12

Safety Belts ...................................................1-13

Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone ................1-13

Questions and Answers About Safety Belts ......1-17

How to Wear Safety Belts Properly .................1-18

Driver Position ..............................................1-18

Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy ..................1-26

Right Front Passenger Position .......................1-27

Center Passenger Position .............................1-27

Rear Seat Passengers ..................................1-29

Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children

and Small Adults .......................................1-32

Safety Belt Extender .....................................1-34

Child Restraints .............................................1-35

Older Children ..............................................1-35

Infants and Young Children ............................1-38

Child Restraint Systems .................................1-44

Where to Put the Restraint .............................1-47

Top Strap ....................................................1-48

Top Strap Anchor Location .............................1-50

Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for

Children (LATCH System) ...........................1-52

Securing a Child Restraint Designed for

the LATCH System ....................................1-55

Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear

Outside Seat Position ................................1-55

Securing a Child Restraint in a Center

Seat Position ............................................1-58

Securing a Child Restraint in the Right

Front Seat Position ....................................1-60

Air Bag System ..............................................1-63

Where Are the Air Bags? ...............................1-65

When Should an Air Bag Inﬂate? ....................1-67

What Makes an Air Bag Inﬂate? .....................1-67

How Does an Air Bag Restrain? .....................1-67

What Will You See After an Air Bag Inﬂates? ...1-68

Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle .........1-69

Adding Equipment to Your Air

Bag-Equipped Vehicle ................................1-70

Restraint System Check ..................................1-70

Checking Your Restraint Systems ...................1-70

Replacing Restraint System Parts

After a Crash ............................................1-71

Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems

1-1

Front Seats

Manual Seats

{CAUTION:

You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to

adjust a manual driver’s seat while the vehicle

is moving. The sudden movement could startle

and confuse you, or make you push a pedal

when you don’t want to. Adjust the driver’s

seat only when the vehicle is not moving.

The bucket seats can be

adjusted forward or

rearward using the lever

located under the front

of the seat.

Move the seat adjustment lever toward the ouboard side

of the seat to unlock it. Slide the seat to where you

want it. Then release the lever and try to move the seat

with your body, to make sure that the seat is locked

into place.

1-2

Power Seat

If your vehicle has this feature, there will be controls

located on the inboard side of the driver’s seat.

To raise or lower the front of the seat cushion, raise or

lower the lever located toward the front of the vehicle.

To raise or lower the rear of the seat cushion, raise

or lower the lever located toward the rear of the vehicle.

To move the entire seat backwards, forward, or up or

down, move the center knob.

Manual Lumbar

If your vehicle has this feature, there will be a knob

located on the inboard side of the driver’s and

passenger’s bucket seats.

Turn the knob toward the front of the vehicle to increase

lumbar support. Turn the knob toward the rear of the

vehicle to decrease lumbar support.

1-3

Reclining Seatbacks

There is a lever located on the inside of the seat to

adjust the seatback.

You can adjust the

seatback by lifting the

lever and leaning back.

Release the lever to

lock the seatback where

you want it. Pull up on the

lever, lean forward and

the seatback will go to an

upright position.

But don’t have a seatback reclined if your vehicle

is moving.

1-4

{CAUTION:

Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle

is in motion can be dangerous. Even if you

buckle up, your safety belts can’t do their job

when you’re reclined like this.

The shoulder belt can’t do its job because it

won’t be against your body. Instead, it will be

in front of you. In a crash you could go into it,

receiving neck or other injuries.

The lap belt can’t do its job either. In a crash

the belt could go up over your abdomen. The

belt forces would be there, not at your pelvic

bones. This could cause serious internal

injuries.

For proper protection when the vehicle is in

motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit

well back in the seat and wear your safety belt

properly.

Head Restraints

Adjust your head restraint so that the top of the restraint

is closest to the top of your head. This position

reduces the chance of a neck injury in a crash.

1-5

Seatback Latches

The seatback lever is

located on the right rear of

your seat. If your vehicle

has the non-touring

bench seatback, pull up on

the latch release lever

while pulling the seatback

toward the rear of the

vehicle.

After the latch has been released, push the seatback

toward the front of the vehicle until it locks into place. To

raise the seatback, unlock the seatback latch by

pushing up on the lever while pushing down on the

upper edge of the seatback. Move the seatback into the

upright position. Make sure the seatback is locked

when it is back in the upright position.

{CAUTION:

If the seatback isn’t locked, it could move

forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could

cause injury to the person sitting there. Always

press rearward on the seatback to be sure it is

locked.

1-6

Rear Seats

Rear Seat Operation

Removing the Rear Seats

To remove the rear seats, do the following:

1. If you are removing the

center seat, remove

the right lap-shoulder

belt. To do this,

press the tip of a key

into the release

hole of the safety belt

attachment while

pulling up on the

safety belt.

2. If you have a safety

belt guide on your

seat, pull the safety belt

all the way out

through the guide.

3. To store the safety belt while the second row bench

seat is removed, pull the belt out and put both

buckles in the passenger’s side rear storage bin.

Route the belt out of the forward edge of the storage

bin. Close the cover to retain the belt.

4. Pull up on the seatback latch on the right rear of

the seat. Push the seatback down until it locks

into place.

1-7

5. Lift up on the left and the right seat release levers

at the same time. The latches are near the ﬂoor on

the rear legs of the seat.

6. Lift up on the rear of the seat to remove the seat

assembly from the rear latch pins. Then, pull the

whole seat back to remove the seat from the

front retainers and then lift the seat out of the

vehicle.

1-8

Replacing the Rear Seats

1. Lower the seat into position. Make sure the front

retainers are hooked onto the anchor pins.

2. Pull the seat down to latch the rear retainers. Make

sure the seat is locked in by pulling up and down

on the seat.

{CAUTION:

A seat that isn’t locked into place properly can

move around in a collision or sudden stop.

People in the vehicle could be injured. Be sure

to lock the seat into place properly when

installing it.

1-9

3. To raise the seatback, do the following:

3.1. Unlock the seatback latch by pulling up on

the latch release lever at the right rear of the

seat, while pushing down on the upper

edge of the seatback.

3.2. Move the seatback into the upright position.

Make sure the seatback is locked when it is

back in the upright position.

If you are replacing the center seat, connect the right

lap-shoulder belt to the attachment on the seat cushion.

If you have a safety belt guide on your seat, pull the

belt through the guide before reattaching the

lap-shoulder belt to the side of the seat. The release

hole should be facing outward.

If you installed the safety belt with the release hole

facing inward (toward the seat), slide the plastic cover

up so you can see the buckle. Disconnect the seat belt.

Slide the cover back down and reinstall the belt

correctly.

{CAUTION:

A safety belt that is improperly routed, not

properly attached, or twisted won’t provide the

protection needed in a crash. The person

wearing the belt could be seriously injured.

After raising the rear seatback, always check

to be sure that the safety belts are properly

routed and attached, and are not twisted.

1-10

Bench Seat

Each bench seat can carry up to three passengers.

They can also be removed to increase storage space.

Only the rear bench seat can be adjusted forward

or rearward using the lever at the front of the seat.

Move the seat adjustment

lever located at the front of

the seat toward the

passenger’s side to unlock

it. Slide the seat to

where you want it and

release the lever. Try to

move the seat with

your body, to make

sure the seat is locked

into place.

The center bench seat has a pivoting right armrest.

The optional bench seats come with moveable armrests,

individual reclining seatbacks, adjustable headrests

and a fold-down center armrest console.

To adjust your seatback, pull up on the lever located on

the outboard side of the seat cushion.

1-11

If your vehicle has the

optional touring package,

your vehicle will have

a center console. To raise

or lower the center

console, press the button

located between the

beverage holders. Sit in

the center seating position

only when the console

is in an upright and locked

position.

For details about headrests, see

Head Restraints on

page 1-5

.

Bucket Seats

Your vehicle may have rear bucket seats with an

adjustment release bar located under the front of the

seats. These seats can be adjusted forward or rearward

with the release bar. Pull the release bar up to release

the seat bottom. Slide the seat where you want it

and then let go of the release bar. Then try to move the

seat with your body to make sure the seat is locked

into place.

1-12

Safety Belts

Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone

This part of the manual tells you how to use safety

belts properly. It also tells you some things you should

not do with safety belts.

{CAUTION:

Don’t let anyone ride where he or she can’t

wear a safety belt properly. If you are in a

crash and you’re not wearing a safety belt,

your injuries can be much worse. You can hit

things inside the vehicle or be ejected from it.

You can be seriously injured or killed. In the

same crash, you might not be, if you are

buckled up. Always fasten your safety belt,

and check that your passengers’ belts are

fastened properly too.

{CAUTION:

It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo

area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a

collision, people riding in these areas are more

likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not

allow people to ride in any area of your vehicle

that is not equipped with seats and safety

belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a

seat and using a safety belt properly.

Your vehicle has a light

that comes on as a

reminder to buckle up. See

Safety Belt Reminder

Light on page 3-26

.

1-13

In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law

says to wear safety belts. Here’s why:

They work

.

You never know if you’ll be in a crash. If you do have a

crash, you don’t know if it will be a bad one.

A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so

serious that even buckled up, a person wouldn’t survive.

But most crashes are in between. In many of them,

people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk

away. Without belts they could have been badly hurt

or killed.

After more than 30 years of safety belts in vehicles, the

facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does

matter... a lot!

Why Safety Belts Work

When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as

it goes.

Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it’s just a seat

on wheels.

1-14

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