Chevrolet 2002 Astro User manual

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2002 Chevrolet Astro
Owner’s Manual
Litho in U.S.A. E Copyright General Motors Corporation 6/27/01
Part Number C2210 A First Edition All Rights Reserved

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GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem,
CHEVROLET, the CHEVROLET Emblem and the
name 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.
We support voluntary
technician certification.
For Canadian Owners Who Prefer a
French Language Manual:
Aux propriétaires canadiens: Vous pouvez vous
procurer un exemplaire de ce guide en français chez
votre concessionaire ou au:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207

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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’ll find
that pictures and words work together to explain
things quickly.
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.”

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Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this book you will find these notices:
NOTICE:
These mean there is something that could damage
your vehicle.
In the notice area, we 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 may be equipped with 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 in the Index:
D “Engine Compartment Overview”
D “Instrument Panel”
D “Comfort Controls”
D “Audio Systems”
Also see “Warning Lights and Gages” in the Index.

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

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Model Reference
This manual covers these models:
Cargo Van Passenger Van

1- 1-1
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
Here you’ll find information about the seats in your vehicle and how to use your safety belts properly. You can also
learn about some things you should not do with air bags and safety belts.
1-2 Seats and Seat Controls
1-13 Safety Belts: They’re for Everyone
1-17 Here Are Questions Many People Ask
About Safety Belts -- and the Answers
1-18 How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
1-18 Driver Position
1-26 Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy
1-27 Right Front Passenger Position
1-27 Air Bag System
1-34 Rear Seat Passengers
1-38 Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for
Children and Small Adults
1-40 Center Passenger Position (Bench Seat)
1-42 Children
1-48 Restraint Systems for Children
1-62 Older Children
1-65 Safety Belt Extender
1-65 Checking Your Restraint Systems
1-66 Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash

1-2
Seats and Seat Controls
This section tells you about the seats -- how to adjust
them, take them out and put them back in. It also tells
you about bucket and bench seats, power seats and
head restraints.
Manual Front 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.
Two-Way Front Seat
The bucket seats can
be adjusted forward or
rearward using the lever
located under the front
of the seat.
Move the seat adjustment lever located under the front
of the seat toward the outboard 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.

1-3
Manual Lumbar Support (If Equipped)
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.
Power Seat (If Equipped)
If your vehicle has this feature, there will be a control
pad 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.

1-4
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.

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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
Head restraints are fixed on some models and adjustable
on others. 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.

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Seatback Latches
The seatback lever is
located on the right rear
of your seat.
To fold your non-touring
bench seatback forward,
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.

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Rear Seats
Bucket Seats (If Equipped)
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.
Bench Seats
Each bench seat can carry up to three passengers.
They can also be removed to increase storage space.
The center bench and rear bench seats 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. Then release
the lever and 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.

1-8
To adjust your seatback, pull up on the lever located on
the outboard side of the seat cushion.
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” in
this section.

1-9
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.

1-10
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 back
and lift the seat out of the vehicle.
Your seat release latch lever is operated with a
two-stage mechanism. To fully release the latch,
two levels of lift effort will be required. First,
a low effort to overcome the first stage and then
a moderate effort to fully release the latch.

1-11
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.

1-12
3. To raise the seatback, do the following:
A. Unlock the seatback latch by pushing up on
the latch release lever at the right rear of the
seat, while pushing down on the upper edge
of the seatback.
B. 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 installing the seat, always check to be
sure that the safety belts are properly routed
and attached, and are not twisted.

1-13
Safety Belts: They’re 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.
And it explains the air bag system.
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” in
the Index.