ESP CHEVROLET CAVALIER 2004 3.G Owners Manual

Q:If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to
wear safety belts?
A:Air bags are in many vehicles today and will be in
most of them in the future. But they are
supplemental systems only; so they workwith
safety belts – not instead of them. Every air bag
system ever offered for sale has required the use of
safety belts. Even if you’re in a vehicle that has
air bags, you still have to buckle up to get the most
protection. That’s true not only in frontal collisions,
but especially in side and other collisions.
Q:If I’m a good driver, and I never drive far from
home, why should I wear safety belts?
A:You may be an excellent driver, but if you’re in an
accident – even one that isn’t your fault – you and
your passengers can be hurt. Being a good
driver doesn’t protect you from things beyond your
control, such as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within 25 miles (40 km)
of home. And the greatest number of serious
injuries and deaths occur at speeds of less than
40 mph (65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
This part is only for people of adult size.
Be aware that there are special things to know about
safety belts and children. And there are different
rules for smaller children and babies. If a child will be
riding in your vehicle, seeOlder Children on page 1-29
orInfants and Young Children on page 1-31. Follow
those rules for everyone’s protection.
First, you’ll want to know which restraint systems your
vehicle has.
We’ll start with the driver position.
1-13

Resynchronization
Your remote keyless entry system is equipped with a
security system that prevents anyone from recording and
playing back your signal. The transmitter does not
send the same signal twice to the receiver. The receiver
will not respond to a signal that has been sent to it
more than once.
Normally, the transmitter and receiver resynchronize
automatically. However, under certain circumstances,
manual resynchronization may be required.
To resynchronize your transmitter and receiver, follow
these directions:
1. Stand close to your vehicle.
2. Press and hold the LOCK and UNLOCK buttons on
the transmitter at the same time.
3. Hold the buttons for at least 10 seconds. During this
time, the doors should lock and unlock once. This
conrms the resynchronization. If the doors do
not lock and unlock, see your dealer for service.
Doors and Locks
Door Locks
{CAUTION:
Unlocked doors can be dangerous.
Passengers — especially children — can
easily open the doors and fall out of a
moving vehicle. When a door is locked, the
handle will not open it. You increase the
chance of being thrown out of the vehicle
in a crash if the doors are not locked. So,
wear safety belts properly and lock the
doors whenever you drive.
Young children who get into unlocked
vehicles may be unable to get out. A child
can be overcome by extreme heat and can
suffer permanent injuries or even death
from heat stroke. Always lock your vehicle
whenever you leave it.
Outsiders can easily enter through an
unlocked door when you slow down or
stop your vehicle. Locking your doors can
help prevent this from happening.
2-7

Trap-Resistant Trunk Kit
To help prevent a child from becoming trapped in your
trunk, you can order a trap-resistant trunk kit from
your dealer. This kit includes the following:
A modied trunk latch
A lighted release handle
Seatback tethers (for vehicles with folding rear
seatbacks)
See your dealer for additional information.
Windows
{CAUTION:
Leaving children, helpless adults, or pets in a
vehicle with the windows closed is dangerous.
They can be overcome by the extreme heat
and suffer permanent injuries or even death
from heat stroke. Never leave a child, a
helpless adult, or a pet alone in a vehicle,
especially with the windows closed in warm or
hot weather.Manual Windows
On a vehicle with manual windows, use the window
crank to open and close each window.
2-12

Theft-Deterrent Systems
Vehicle theft is big business, especially in some cities.
Although your vehicle has a number of theft-deterrent
features, we know that nothing we put on it can make it
impossible to steal.
Content Theft-Deterrent
Arming the System
With the ignition off, press the LOCK button on the
remote keyless entry transmitter to arm the system
immediately after all doors and the trunk are closed. If
the LOCK button is pressed again within ve seconds,
the horn will chirp to conrm that the system has
been armed.
Once the system is armed, the THEFT SYSTEM light
on your instrument panel will ash and remain ashing.
This conrms the system is armed and monitoring
the doors and trunk. If the light is on solid, the system is
not properly activated due to either a door or the
trunk being ajar.
If you don’t want to arm the system, lock the car with
the lock levers on the doors or with the power door
lock switch.
Disarming the System
If the system is armed, press the UNLOCK button on
the transmitter to disarm the system. The THEFT
SYSTEM light will stop ashing.
If the system is armed, turning the key to START will
also disarm the system.
If the system is armed and the trunk is opened using
the trunk release button on the transmitter, the system
will temporarily disarm itself and re-arm when the
trunk has been closed. This allows the customer to exit
the vehicle, lock the doors using the transmitter, and
open the trunk using the transmitter without having
to disarm and subsequently re-arm the system.
How the System Alarm is Activated
If the system is armed, opening any door or trunk, or
using a wrong key to start the vehicle will cause a
pre-alarm chirp for 10 seconds and then a full alarm of
horn and headlights for two minutes.
If an alarm event has nished and all doors and trunk
are closed, the content theft security system will
re-arm itself.
2-14

<(Parking Lamps):Turning the band to this position
turns on the parking lamps, together with the following:
Sidemarker Lamps
Taillamps
Instrument Panel Lights
4(Headlamps):Turning the band to this position
turns on the headlamps, together with the previously
listed lamps and lights.
Lamps On Reminder
If you open the driver’s door with the ignition off and the
lamps on, you will hear a warning chime.
Daytime Running Lamps
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front of your vehicle during the
day. DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful in the short
periods after dawn and before sunset. Fully functional
daytime running lamps are required on all vehicles
rst sold in Canada.The DRL system will make your low-beam headlamps
come on at a reduced brightness in daylight when
the following conditions are met:
The ignition is on.
The exterior lamp band is in OFF or in the parking
lamp position.
The parking brake is released.
The transaxle is not in PARK (P), on models with
an automatic transaxle only.
This indicator light on your
instrument panel cluster
will come on when the DRL
are on.
A ashing DRL telltale indicates a possible burned out
headlamp, or that the vehicle may need service to repair
a stuck DRL relay.
3-12

ZEJT (Eject):Press this button to eject a CD. Eject
may be activated with either the ignition or radio off.
CDs may be loaded with the ignition and radio off if this
button is pressed rst.
CD Messages
CHECK CD:If this message appears on the display
and the CD comes out, it could be for one of the
following reasons:
It is very hot. When the temperature returns to
normal, the CD should play.
You are driving on a very rough road. When the
road becomes smooth, the CD should play.
The CD is dirty, scratched, wet, or upside down.
The air is very humid. If so, wait about an hour and
try again.
The format of the CD may not be compatible. See
“MP3 Format” earlier in this section.
There may have been a problem while burning
the CD.
The label may be caught in the CD player.
If the CD is not playing correctly, for any other reason,
try a known good CD.If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error cannot be
corrected, contact your dealer. If the radio displays
an error message, write it down and provide it to your
dealer when reporting the problem.
Personal Choice Radio Controls
This feature enables two drivers to store and recall
personal settings for radio presets, last tuned station,
volume, tone, radio, or CD.
The numbers, 1 and 2, are located on the back of the
remote keyless entry transmitter, correspond to the
drivers, 1 and 2.
To recall audio sources, press the unlock button on the
remote keyless entry transmitter and turn the ignition
on. The radio settings will adjust to where they were last
set by the identied driver, 1 or 2.
To program this feature, do the following:
1. Press the unlock button on the remote keyless
entry transmitter for the identied driver, 1 or 2.
2. Turn the ignition on.
3. Set all radio preferences. For more information see
“Setting Preset Stations” and “Setting the Tone”
listed for the radio.
Follow these steps each time you want to change the
stored settings.
All vehicles are shipped with this feature on. This
feature can be disabled by your dealer.
3-66

Theft-Deterrent Feature
(Non RDS Radios)
THEFTLOCK®is designed to discourage theft of your
vehicle’s radio. The feature works automatically by
learning a portion of the Vehicle Identication
Number (VIN). If the radio is moved to a different
vehicle, it will not operate and LOC will appear on the
display.
When the radio and vehicle are turned off, the blinking
red light indicates that THEFTLOCK
®is armed.
With THEFTLOCK®activated, the radio will not operate
if stolen.
Theft-Deterrent Feature
(RDS Radios)
THEFTLOCK®is designed to discourage theft of your
vehicle’s radio. The feature works automatically by
learning a portion of the Vehicle Identication
Number (VIN). If the radio is moved to a different
vehicle, it will not operate and LOCKED will appear on
the display.
When the radio and vehicle are turned off and RAP is
not active, the blinking red light indicates that
THEFTLOCK
®is armed.
With THEFTLOCK®activated, the radio will not operate
if stolen.
Radio Reception
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM,
especially at night. The longer range can cause
station frequencies to interfere with each other. Static
can occur on AM stations caused by things like
storms and power lines. Try reducing the treble to
reduce this noise.
FM Stereo
FM stereo will give the best sound, but FM signals will
reach only about 10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km). Tall
buildings or hills can interfere with FM signals, causing
the sound to fade in and out.
XM™ Satellite Radio Service
XM™ Satellite Radio Service gives digital radio
reception from coast to coast. Just as with FM, tall
buildings or hills can interfere with satellite radio signals,
causing the sound to fade in and out. The radio may
display NO SIGNAL to indicate interference.
3-67

Your Driving, the Road, and
Your Vehicle
Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about driving is: Drive
defensively.
Please start with a very important safety device in your
vehicle: Buckle up. SeeSafety Belts: They Are for
Everyone on page 1-8.
Defensive driving really means “be ready for anything.”
On city streets, rural roads or freeways, it means
“always expect the unexpected.”
Assume that pedestrians or other drivers are going to
be careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what
they might do. Be ready for their mistakes.
Rear-end collisions are about the most preventable of
accidents. Yet they are common. Allow enough following
distance. It is the best defensive driving maneuver, in
both city and rural driving. You never know when
the vehicle in front of you is going to brake or turn
suddenly.
Defensive driving requires that a driver concentrate on
the driving task. Anything that distracts from the driving
task — such as concentrating on a cellular telephone call,
reading, or reaching for something on the oor — makesproper defensive driving more difficult and can even
cause a collision, with resulting injury. Ask a passenger to
help do things like this, or pull off the road in a safe place
to do them yourself. These simple defensive driving
techniques could save your life.Drunken Driving
Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is
a national tragedy. It is the number one contributor
to the highway death toll, claiming thousands of victims
every year.
Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs to drive a
vehicle:
Judgment
Muscular Coordination
Vision
Attentiveness.
Police records show that almost half of all motor
vehicle-related deaths involve alcohol. In most cases,
these deaths are the result of someone who was
drinking and driving. In recent years, more than
16,000 annual motor vehicle-related deaths have been
associated with the use of alcohol, with more than
300,000 people injured.
4-2

The law in an increasing number of U.S. states, and
throughout Canada, sets the legal limit at 0.08 percent.
In some other countries, the limit is even lower. For
example, it is 0.05 percent in both France and Germany.
The BAC limit for all commercial drivers in the United
States is 0.04 percent.
The BAC will be over 0.10 percent after three to six
drinks (in one hour). Of course, as we have seen,
it depends on how much alcohol is in the drinks, and
how quickly the person drinks them.
But the ability to drive is affected well below a BAC of
0.10 percent. Research shows that the driving skills
of many people are impaired at a BAC approaching
0.05 percent, and that the effects are worse at night. All
drivers are impaired at BAC levels above 0.05 percent.
Statistics show that the chance of being in a collision
increases sharply for drivers who have a BAC of
0.05 percent or above. A driver with a BAC level of
0.06 percent has doubled his or her chance of having a
collision. At a BAC level of 0.10 percent, the chance
of this driver having a collision is 12 times greater; at a
level of 0.15 percent, the chance is 25 times greater!
The body takes about an hour to rid itself of the alcohol
in one drink. No amount of coffee or number of cold
showers will speed that up. “I will be careful” is not the
right answer. What if there is an emergency, a need
to take sudden action, as when a child darts intothe street? A person with even a moderate BAC might
not be able to react quickly enough to avoid the
collision.
There is something else about drinking and driving that
many people do not know. Medical research shows
that alcohol in a person’s system can make crash
injuries worse, especially injuries to the brain, spinal
cord or heart. This means that when anyone who has
been drinking — driver or passenger — is in a crash,
that person’s chance of being killed or permanently
disabled is higher than if the person had not been
drinking.
{CAUTION:
Drinking and then driving is very dangerous.
Your reexes, perceptions, attentiveness and
judgment can be affected by even a small
amount of alcohol. You can have a serious — or
even fatal — collision if you drive after drinking.
Please do not drink and drive or ride with a
driver who has been drinking. Ride home in a
cab; or if you are with a group, designate a
driver who will not drink.
4-4

Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go
where you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering
and the accelerator. All three systems have to do their
work at the places where the tires meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you are driving on snow or ice, it
is easy to ask more of those control systems than
the tires and road can provide. That means you can lose
control of your vehicle. Also seeEnhanced Traction
System (ETS) on page 4-8.
Braking
Braking action involvesperception timeand
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That isperception time.Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That isreaction time.
Averagereaction timeis about 3/4 of a second. But that
is only an average. It might be less with one driver
and as long as two or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination
and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs and
frustration. But even in 3/4 of a second, a vehicle moving
at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m). That
could be a lot of distance in an emergency, so keeping
enough space between your vehicle and others is
important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road (whether it is pavement
or gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; the condition of your brakes; the weight of
the vehicle and the amount of brake force applied.
4-5