CHEVROLET CAVALIER 1998 3.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Key Release Button (Manual Transaxle)
The ignition key cannot be
removed from the ignition
unless the key release
button
is used.
To remove the key, turn the key to
OFF. While pressing
the key release button in, turn the key to LOCK. Pull the
key straight out.
Starting Your Engine
Automatic Transaxle
Move your shift lever to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N).
Your engine won’t start in any other position
-- that’s a
safety feature. To restart when you’re already moving,
use NEUTRAL
(N) only.
NOTICE:
Don’t try to shift to PARK (P) if your Chevrolet
is moving.
If you do, you could damage the
transaxle. Shift to PARK
(P) only when your
vehicle is stopped.
I
Manual Transaxle
The gear selector should be in NEUTRAL (N) and the
parking brake engaged. Hold the clutch pedal
to the
floor and start the engine. Your vehicle won’t start if
the clutch pedal
is not all the way down -- that’s a
safety feature.
2-15
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Starting Your 2.2 Liter Engine
1. Without pushing the accelerator pedal, turn your
ignition key to START. When the engine starts, let
go of the key. The idle speed will go down as your
engine gets warm.
r NOTICE:
Holding your key in START for longer than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to be
drained much sooner. And the excessive heat can
damage your starter motor.
2. If your engine still won’t start (or starts but then
stops), it could be flooded with too much gasoline.
Try pushing your accelerator pedal all the way to the
floor and holding it there as you hold the key in
START for about three seconds.
If the vehicle starts
briefly but then stops again, do the same thing, but
this time keep
the pedal down for five or six seconds.
This clears the
extra gasoline from the engine.
NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle. If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the
way
the engine operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your dealer.
If you don’t,
your engine might not perform properly.
If you ever have to have your vehicle towed, see
the part of this manual that tells how
to do it
without damaging your vehicle. See “Towing
Your Vehicle” in the Index.
2-16

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Starting Your 2.4 Liter Engine
1. With your foot off the accelerator pedal, turn your
ignition key to
START. When the engine starts, let
go
of the key. The idle speed will go down as your
engine warms
up.
NOTICE:
Holding your key in START for longer than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to be
drained much sooner. And the excessive heat can
damage your starter motor.
2. If the engine doesn’t start right away, and if the
weather is very cold (below -20” F or -29” C), push
the accelerator pedal about one-quarter
of the way
down while
you turn the key to START. Do this
until the engine starts. As soon as it does, let go
of the key.
3. If your engine still won’t start (or starts but then stops),
it could be flooded with too much gasoline. Try
pushing your accelerator pedal all the way to the floor
and holding it there as you hold the key in START for
a maximurn of 15 seconds. This clears the extra
gasoline
from the engine. If the engine still won’t start
or starts briefly but then stops again, repeat step 1 or 2,
depending on temperature. When the engine starts,
release the key and the accelerator pedal.
NOTICE:
1 Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle.
If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the
way
the engine operates. Before adding electrical
~ equipment, check with your dealer. If you don’t,
your engine might not perform properly.
If you ever have to have your vehicle towed, see
the part
of this manual that tells how to do it
without damaging your vehicle. See “Towing.
Your Vehicle” in the Index.
2-17

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Engine Coolant Heater (If Equipped)
2.4L Engine
2.2L Engine
In very cold weather, 0 OF (- 18 O C) or colder, the engine
coolant heater can help. You’ll get easier starting and
better fuel economy during engine warm-up. Usually,
the coolant heater should be plugged in a minimum of
four hours prior to starting your vehicle.
2-18

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine To Use the Engine Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord. On
vehicles
with a 2.2L engine, the electrical cord is
located near the engine oil dipstick.
On vehicles
with a
2.4L engine, the electrical cord is located in
front of the engine coolant surge tank on the
passenger’s side.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 1 10-volt AC outlet.
Pluggmg me cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause an electrical shock. Also, the wrong
kind of extension cord could overheat and cause
a fire. You could be seriously injured. Plug the
cord into a properly grounded three-prong 110-volt AC outlet. If the cord won’t reach, use a
heavy-duty three-prong extension cord rated for
at least
15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug
and store the cord as it was before to keep it away
from moving engine parts. If you don’t, it could
be damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends
on the outside temperature, the
kind
of oil you have, and some other things. Instead of
trying to list everything here, we ask that you contact
your dealer in the area where you’ll be parking your
vehicle. The dealer can give you
the best advice for that
particular area.
Automatic Transaxle Operation
Your vehicle may be equipped with a three-speed
automatic or a four-speed automatic transaxle. The shift
lever is located on the console between the seats.
There are six different positions for the shift lever on
the three-speed automatic and seven positions for the
four-speed automatic transaxles. While PARK
(P),
REVERSE (R) and NEUTRAL (N) operate identically
for both transaxles, the forward gear positions represent
different gearing and operation. See “Forward Gears
(3-Speed)” or “Forward Gears (4-Speed)” later
in this section.
2-19

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine PRND2I
eeeeee
Three-Speed Automatic Transaxle
PRND321
Four-Speed Automatic Transaxle PARK
(P): This position locks your front wheels. It’s
the best position to use when you start your engine
because your
vehicle can’t move easily.
It is dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the
shift lever
is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to.
If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be sure your
vehicle won’t move, even when you’re on
fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to PARK
(P).
See “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in the Index. If
you’re pulling a trailer, see “Towing a Trailer’’ in
the Index.
2-20

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Ensure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P) range before
starting the engine. Your vehicle has a brake-transaxle
shift interlock. You have
to fully apply your regular
brakes
before you can shift from PARK (P) when the
ignition key
is in RUN. If you cannot shift out of
PARK
(P), ease pressure on the shift lever -- push the
shift lever all the way into
PARK (P) and also release
the shift lever button on floor shift console models as
you maintain brake application. Then move the shift
lever into the gear you wish. (Press the shift lever button
before moving the shift lever.) See “Shifting Out of
PARK (P)” in the Index.
REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.
NOTICE:
Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle is
moving forward could damage your transaxle.
Shift
to REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle
is stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice
or sand without damaging your transaxle, see
“Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice
or Snow” in the Index.
NEUTRAL (N): In this position, your engine
doesn’t connect with the wheels.
To restart when you’re
already moving, use
NEUTRAL (N) only. Also, use
NEUTRAL
(N) when your vehicle is being towed.
Shifting out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) while
your engine is “racing” (running at high speed)
is
dangerous. Unless your foot is firmly on the
brake pedal, your vehicle could move very
rapidly. You could lose control and hit people or
objects. Don’t shift out of PARK
(P) or
NEUTRAL (N) while your engine is racing.
I NOTICE:
Damage to your transaxle caused by shifting out
of PARK (P)
or NEUTRAL (N) with the engine
racing isn’t covered by your warranty.
2-21

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Forward Gears (3-Speed)
DRIVE (D): This position is for normal driving.
SECOND (2): This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy.
You can use SECOND (2) on hills.
It can help control your speed as you go down steep
mountain roads, but then you would also want to use
your brakes
off and on.
NOTICE:
I
Don’t drive in SECOND (2) for more than
25 miles (40 km), or at speeds over 55 mph
(88 km/h), or you can damage your transaxle.
Use DRIVE
@) as much as possible. Don’t shift
into SECOND
(2) unless you are going slower
than
65 mph (105 km/h), or you can damage
your engine.
FIRST (1): This position gives you even more
power (but lower fuel economy) than SECOND (2). You
can use it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If
the selector lever is put in FIRST (l), the transaxle
won’t shift into first gear until the vehicle is going
slowly enough.
NOTICE:
-
If your front wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might happen
if you were stuck in
very deep sand or mud or were up against a solid
object. You could damage your transaxle. Also,
if
you stop when going uphill, don’t hold your
vehicle there with only the accelerator pedal. This
could overheat and damage the transaxle. Use
your brakes or shift into
PARK (P) to hold your
vehicle in position on
a hill.
2-22

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Forward Gears ($-Speed)
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D): This position is for
normal driving with the four-speed automatic transaxle.
If you need more power for passing, and you’re:
Going less than about 35 mph (55 km/h), push your
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (55 km/h), push your
accelerator all the way down.
THIRD (3): This position is also used for normal
driving, however, it offers more power and lower fuel
economy than AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(D). Here
are some times you might choose THIRD (3) instead of
AUTOMATIC
OVERDRIVE (D):
0 When driving on hilly, winding roads.
When going down a steep hill.
SECOND (2): This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy. You can use
SECOND (2) on hills.
It can help control your speed as you
go down steep
mountain roads, but then you would also want to use
your brakes
off and on.
NOTICE:
Don’t drive in SECOND (2) for more than
25 miles (40 km), or at speeds over 55 mph
(90 km/h), or you can damage your transaxle.
Use AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D) or
THIRD
(3) as much as possible. Don’t shift into
SECOND
(2) unless you are going slower than
65 mph (105 km/h), or you can damape
your engine.
2-23

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine FIRST (1): This position gives you even more
power
(but lower fuel economy) than SECOND (2). You
can use it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If
the selector lever is put in FIRST (l), the transaxle
won’t shift into first gear until the vehicle is going
slowly enough.
NOTICE:
If your front wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might happen
if you were stuck in
very deep sand or mud or were up against
a solid
object. You could damage your transaxle.
Also, if
you stop when going uphill, don’t hold your
vehicle there with only the accelerator pedal. This
could overheat and damage the transaxle. Use
your brakes or shift into
PARK (P) to hold your
vehicle in position on a hill.
Manual Transaxle Operation
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This is your shift pattern.
1 3 5
2 4 R