Chevrolet VENTURE 2004 User manual

Seats and Restraint Systems ........................... 1-1
Front Seats ............................................... 1-3
Rear Seats ............................................... 1-6
Safety Belts ............................................. 1-30
Child Restraints ....................................... 1-57
Air Bag Systems ...................................... 1-94
Restraint System Check .......................... 1-103
Features and Controls ..................................... 2-1
Keys ........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks ....................................... 2-9
Windows ................................................. 2-24
Theft-Deterrent Systems ............................ 2-27
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle ........... 2-32
Mirrors .................................................... 2-45
OnStar
®
System ...................................... 2-46
HomeLink
®
Transmitter ............................. 2-47
Storage Areas ......................................... 2-51
Vehicle Personalization ............................. 2-60
Instrument Panel ............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview .......................... 3-4
Climate Controls ...................................... 3-26
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators ......... 3-36
Message Center ....................................... 3-50
Driver Information Center (DIC) .................. 3-57
Audio System(s) ....................................... 3-60
Driving Your Vehicle ....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle ..... 4-2
Towing ................................................... 4-33
Service and Appearance Care .......................... 5-1
Service ..................................................... 5-3
Fuel ......................................................... 5-4
Checking Things Under the Hood ................. 5-9
All-Wheel Drive ........................................ 5-51
Bulb Replacement .................................... 5-52
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement ......... 5-59
Tires ...................................................... 5-61
Appearance Care ..................................... 5-96
Vehicle Identification ............................... 5-105
Electrical System .................................... 5-106
Capacities and Specifications ................... 5-113
Maintenance Schedule ..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule ................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance and Information .............. 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information ........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects ........................... 7-12
Index ................................................................ 1
2004 Chevrolet Venture Owner Manual M

GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem,
CHEVROLET, the CHEVROLET Emblem and the name
VENTURE 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. 10336276 A First Edition ©Copyright General Motors Corporation 06/20/03 All Rights Reserved
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

✍NOTES
vi

Front Seats ......................................................1-3
Manual Seats ................................................1-3
Six-Way Power Seats .....................................1-4
Reclining Seatbacks ........................................1-4
Head Restraints .............................................1-6
Rear Seats .......................................................1-6
Rear Seat Operation .......................................1-6
Second Row Safety Belt Stowage .....................1-6
Flip and Fold Feature .....................................1-7
Split Bench Seats ...........................................1-8
Bucket Seats ...............................................1-15
Captain Chairs .............................................1-21
Stowable Seat ..............................................1-26
Safety Belts ...................................................1-30
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone ................1-30
Questions and Answers About Safety Belts ......1-34
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly .................1-35
Driver Position ..............................................1-36
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy ..................1-45
Right Front Passenger Position .......................1-46
Center Passenger Position
(Bucket Seat) ............................................1-46
Center Passenger Position
(Bench Seat) ............................................1-48
Rear Seat Passengers ..................................1-50
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children
and Small Adults .......................................1-53
Safety Belt Pretensioners ...............................1-56
Safety Belt Extender .....................................1-56
Child Restraints .............................................1-57
Older Children ..............................................1-57
Infants and Young Children ............................1-59
Child Restraint Systems .................................1-63
Where to Put the Restraint .............................1-66
Top Strap ....................................................1-66
Top Strap Anchor Location .............................1-68
Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) ...........................1-70
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the
LATCH System (Rear) ...............................1-72
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Outside
Seat Position ............................................1-72
Securing a Child Restraint in a Center Seat
Position
(Third Row Bench Seat) .............................1-76
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
1-1

Securing a Child Restraint in a Center Seat
Position (Bucket Seat) ................................1-78
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front
Seat Position ............................................1-80
Built-In Child Restraint ...................................1-83
Air Bag Systems ............................................1-94
Where Are the Air Bags? ...............................1-97
When Should an Air Bag Inflate? ....................1-99
What Makes an Air Bag Inflate? ....................1-100
How Does an Air Bag Restrain? ...................1-100
What Will You See After an Air Bag Inflates? .....1-101
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle ........1-103
Restraint System Check ................................1-103
Checking Your Restraint Systems ..................1-103
Replacing Restraint System Parts After
a Crash ..................................................1-104
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
1-2

Front Seats
Manual Seats
Use the lever located on
the front of the seat to
adjust the seat forward or
rearward. Pull up the lever
to unlock the seat. Slide the
seat to where you want it
and release the lever.
{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.
To make sure the seat is locked into place, try to move
the seat back and forth with your body.
1-3

Six-Way Power Seats
Your vehicle may have this
feature. If it does, the
six-way power seat control
is located on the outboard
sides of the driver’s and
front passenger’s seats.
•Move the front of the control up or down to adjust the
front portion of the cushion up or down.
•Move the rear of the control up or down to adjust the
rear portion of the cushion up or down.
•Lift up or push down on the whole control to move
the entire seat up or down.
•To move the whole seat forward or rearward, slide
the control forward or rearward.
Reclining Seatbacks
1-4

To adjust a seatback, pull up on the lever located on
the outboard side of the driver’s or front passenger’s
seats. Release the lever to lock the seatback where you
want it. Push and pull on the seat to make sure it’s
locked into position. Pull up on the lever, and the seat
will go to its original upright position.
But don’t have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is
moving.
{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.
1-5

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.
Head restraints are fixed on some models and
adjustable on others. To adjust a head restraint,
slide it up or down.
Rear Seats
Rear Seat Operation
The rear seats in your vehicle have levers and straps
used to adjust, remove, and reinstall the seats. By using
the levers and straps in the correct order, you can
easily remove the seats from the vehicle.
When you put the seats back in the vehicle, follow the
label on the back of the seat for proper location.
Second Row Safety Belt Stowage
If your vehicle has a split bench seat in the second row,
use the clip on the safety belt to secure the belt after
it is disconnected from the mini-buckle. When removing
the second row split bench seat, secure the loose
end of the safety belt in this clip. This will keep the
safety belt from dangling and possibly striking
something.
Do not have the second row outside safety belt stored if
someone is sitting in the second row outside position.
1-6

Flip and Fold Feature
The rear seats in your vehicle can be folded forward.
Use this feature for exiting and entering third row seats.
1. If the seats have the adjustable head restraints,
push them fully down. 2. Fold the seatback flat
on the seat, by either
pulling on the nylon
strap on the rear of the
seat or lifting up on
the lever located on the
front of the seatback.
If the seat adjusts, slide
it all the way back.
3. Release the rear set of
hooks from the floor
pins by pulling the
nylon strap located at
the base of the
seat; hang on to the
strap as the seat folds
forward.
To return the seat(s) to the normal position, do the
following:
1. Push the seat back and firmly push the rear hooks
onto the rear floor pins by pushing down on the
rear of the seat.
2. Try to raise the seat to check that it is locked down.
3. Lift the seatback recliner lever or pull the nylon
strap on the back of the seat and raise the
seatback until it locks upright.
4. Push and pull on the seatback to check that it is
locked.
1-7

Split Bench Seats
If you have the split bench seat (50/50 or 40/60), the
seatbacks can be folded forward or reclined individually
and the seats can be removed individually. The
second row (40/60) sections can also be adjusted
forward or rearward individually.
The second row (40/60) split bench may be equipped
with a built-in child restraint. See Built-In Child Restraint
on page 1-83.
Adjusting the Split Bench Seats
(Second Row)
The second row bench seats are adjustable. There are
two adjustment levers on each section of the split
bench seats to adjust the seat forward or rearward.
One is located below the center, in the front of each
section of the split bench.
1-8

The other lever is located
on the rear of the seat.
Lift up either lever and slide the seat forward or
rearward. Release the lever. Push and pull on the seat
to make sure it is locked into place.
Folding or Reclining the Seatbacks
{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.
The seatbacks on each section of the split bench seat
can be either folded forward or reclined. The following
explains how to use the nylon strap or recliner lever
to fold or recline the seatbacks.
1-9

To fold the seatback forward, pull the nylon strap
located on the rear of the seat or lift up on the recliner
lever located on the front of the seatback. The
seatback will lock into place.
To raise a seatback, pull the nylon strap or lift the
recliner lever while raising the seatback until it locks
upright. Push and pull on the seatback to check that it is
locked into place.
To recline the seatback, pull the nylon strap or lift the
recliner lever. Press back on the seatback until you
reach the desired position then let go of the strap
or lever.
To return the seatback to an upright position, pull on the
nylon strap or lift the recliner lever without putting any
pressure on the seatback. Push and pull on the
seatback to be sure it is locked into place.
Removing the Split Bench Seat
Make sure the seatback is in the upright position.
1. For the second row split bench, with the seatback
in the upright position, unhook the side attachment
for the safety belt. This mini-buckle is located
on the right side of the seat.
2. Push the red center of
the buckle with a small
pointed object to
remove the seat belt, if
needed.
3. Lift the seatback recliner lever or pull the nylon
strap on the back of the seat to fold the seatback
forward.
Nylon Strap Recliner Lever
1-10

4. If the seat is in the second row, lift one of the
adjustment levers and slide the seat fully rearward.
5. From behind the bench seat, pull the nylon strap at
the center of the base of the seat to release the
rear latches from the floor pins.
Do not let go of the strap until the seat is folded all
the way forward.
6. To unlatch the front latches, squeeze the angled
bar toward the straight crossbar.
7. Remove the seat by rocking it slightly forward,
then toward the rear of the vehicle and then
pulling it out.
Repeat these steps for the other section of the split
bench seat.
1-11

Replacing the Split Bench Seats
{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.
{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.
{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.
Make sure the seatback is in the upright position and
the safety belts are on the correct section of the seat.
Don’t put the sections of the bench seat in so they face
rearward because they won’t latch that way. If you
want more storage room behind the second row seat,
adjust each section by sliding it forward.
The split bench seats have seat position labels, located
on the back of each seat, showing where the seat
must go. Follow that diagram.
The seat must be placed in the proper location for the
legs to attach correctly.
Make sure the seat is in the full rear position before
beginning this procedure.
1-12

1. Squeeze the angled bar toward the solid crossbar
while placing the front hooks of the bench seat onto
the front two floor pins.
2. Make sure the bench
seat is angled so that
the front hooks
clear the floor pins.
If the front legs are not attached correctly, the rear
legs will not attach to the rear set of floor pins.
1-13

If the front latches are not attaching correctly, check
that the seat is in the full rear position.
3. Firmly push the rear hooks onto the rear floor pins
by pushing down on the rear of the seat.
4. Try to raise the seat to check that it is locked down.
5. Lift the seatback recliner lever or pull the nylon
strap on the back of the seat and raise the
seatback until it locks upright.
6. Push and pull on the seatback to check that it is
locked.
7. If you have the 40/60 seat, attach the mini-buckle
so that the safety belt is ready for use when a
passenger uses the seat.
The buckle reattaches by pushing the latch into the
buckle until the red center pops out again.
Repeat these steps for the other section of the split
bench seat.
1-14