engine CHEVROLET CAVALIER 2000 3.G Workshop Manual

4-41 When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:

Start your engine;

Shift into a gear; and

Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you're
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transaxle fluid (don't overfill),
engine oil, drive belt, cooling system and brake system.
Each of these is covered in this manual, and the Index
will help you find them quickly. If you're trailering,
it's a good idea to review this information before you
start your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
Engine Cooling When Trailer Towing
Your cooling system may temporarily overheat during
severe operating conditions. See ªEngine Overheatingº
in the Index.
Towing a Trailer (Except Models
with 2.4L L4 Engine and 4
-Speed
Automatic Transaxle)
Do not tow a trailer if your vehicle is:

a convertible model,

equipped with a 2.2L L4 (Code 4) engine or

equipped with a manual transaxle or a three
-speed
automatic transaxle.

5-
5-1
Section 5 Problems on the Road
Here you'll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the road.
5
-2 Hazard Warning Flashers
5
-3 Other Warning Devices
5
-3 Jump Starting
5
-8 Towing Your Vehicle
5
-9 Engine Overheating5
-11 Cooling System
5
-18 If a Tire Goes Flat
5
-19 Changing a Flat Tire
5
-29 Compact Spare Tire
5
-30 If You're Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow

5-4
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicles aren't touching
each other. If they are, it could cause a ground
connection you don't want. You wouldn't be able to
start your vehicle, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
To avoid the possibility of the vehicles rolling, set
the parking brake firmly on both vehicles involved
in the jump start procedure. Put an automatic
transaxle in PARK (P) or a manual transaxle in
NEUTRAL (N) before setting the parking brake.
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
unnecessary accessories plugged into the cigarette
lighter. Turn off all lamps that aren't needed as well
as radios. This will avoid sparks and help save both
batteries. In addition, it could save your radio.
NOTICE:
If you leave your radio on, it could be badly
damaged. The repairs wouldn't be covered by
your warranty.
4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries.
CAUTION:
An electric fan can start up even when the engine
is not running and can injure you. Keep hands,
clothing and tools away from any underhood
electric fan.
5. Find the positive (+) and negative (-) terminals on
each battery.

5-5
CAUTION:
Using a match near a battery can cause battery
gas to explode. People have been hurt doing this,
and some have been blinded. Use a flashlight if
you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water. You don't
need to add water to the ACDelco
battery
installed in every new GM vehicle. But if a
battery has filler caps, be sure the right amount
of fluid is there. If it is low, add water to take care
of that first. If you don't, explosive gas could
be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn you.
Don't get it on you. If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or on your skin, flush the place with
water and get medical help immediately.
6. Check that the jumper cables don't have loose or
missing insulation. If they do, you could get a shock.
The vehicles could be damaged, too.Before you connect the cables, here are some basic
things you should know. Positive (+) will go to
positive (+) and negative (
-) will go to a heavy,
unpainted metal engine part. Don't connect
positive (+) to negative (
-) or you'll get a short
that would damage the battery and maybe other
parts, too.
7. Remove the red plastic cap, and connect the red
positive (+) cable to the positive (+) terminal of
the vehicle with the dead battery. Use a remote
positive (+) terminal if the vehicle has one.

5-6
8. Don't let the other end
touch metal. Connect it
to the positive (+)
terminal of the good
battery. Use a remote
positive (+) terminal if
the vehicle has one.
9. Now connect the black
negative (
-) cable to
the good battery's
negative (
-) terminal.Don't let the other end touch anything until the next
step. The other end of the negative (
-) cable doesn't
go to the dead battery. It goes to a heavy, unpainted
metal part on the engine of the vehicle with the
dead battery.
10. Attach the cable at least 18 inches (45 cm) away
from the dead battery, but not near engine parts
that move. The electrical connection is just as good
there, but the chance of sparks getting back to the
battery is much less.

5-7
CAUTION:
Fans or other moving engine parts can injure you
badly. Keep your hands away from moving parts
once the engine is running.
11. Now start the vehicle with the good battery and run
the engine for a while.
12. Try to start the vehicle with the dead battery.
If it won't start after a few tries, it probably
needs service.
13. Remove the cables in reverse order to prevent
electrical shorting. Take care that they don't touch
each other or any other metal.
A. Heavy, Unpainted Metal Engine Part
B. Good Battery
C. Dead Battery

5-9
Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature gage and a low
coolant warning light on your vehicle's instrument
panel. See ªEngine Coolant Temperature Gageº and
ªLow Coolant Warning Lightº in the Index.
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
CAUTION:
Steam from an overheated engine can burn you
badly, even if you just open the hood. Stay away
from the engine if you see or hear steam coming
from it. Just turn it off and get everyone away
from the vehicle until it cools down. Wait until
there is no sign of steam or coolant before you
open the hood.
If you keep driving when your engine is
overheated, the liquids in it can catch fire. You or
others could be badly burned. Stop your engine if
it overheats, and get out of the vehicle until the
engine is cool.
NOTICE:
If your engine catches fire because you keep
driving with no coolant, your vehicle can be
badly damaged. The costly repairs would not be
covered by your warranty.

5-10 If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
If you get an engine overheat warning but see or hear no
steam, the problem may not be too serious. Sometimes
the engine can get a little too hot when you:

Climb a long hill on a hot day.

Stop after high
-speed driving.

Idle for long periods in traffic.

Tow a trailer.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for a minute or so:
1. If you have an air conditioner and it's on, turn it off.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window as necessary.
3. If you're in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving
-- AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D) for
four
-speed automatic transaxles or DRIVE (D) for
three
-speed automatic transaxles.If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can
drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about 10 minutes.
If the warning doesn't come back on, you can
drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your
vehicle right away.
If there's still no sign of steam, idle the engine for
three minutes while you're parked. If you still have the
warning, turn off the engine and get everyone out of the
vehicle until it cools down.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.

5-11
Cooling System
When you decide it's safe to lift the hood, here's what
you'll see:
2.2L L4 Engine
A. Coolant Surge Tank with Pressure Cap
B. Electric Engine Cooling Fan
2.4L L4 Engine
A. Coolant Surge Tank with Pressure Cap
B. Electric Engine Cooling Fan
CAUTION:
An electric engine cooling fan under the hood can
start up even when the engine is not running and
can injure you. Keep hands, clothing and tools
away from any underhood electric fan.

5-12
If the coolant inside the coolant surge tank is boiling,
don't do anything else until it cools down.
When the engine is cold, the coolant level should be at
the FULL COLD mark. If it isn't, you may have a leak
in the radiator hoses, heater hoses, radiator, water pump
or somewhere else in the cooling system.
CAUTION:
Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine
parts, can be very hot. Don't touch them.
If you do, you can be burned.
Don't run the engine if there is a leak. If you run
the engine, it could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you could be burned.
Get any leak fixed before you drive the vehicle.
NOTICE:
Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn't covered by your warranty.