stop start CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO 2000 6.G User Guide

2-76
TRACTION ACTIVE
This message will
appear when the
traction control system
is limiting wheel spin.
The message will stay on a few seconds after the
traction system stops limiting wheel spin.BATTERY LIFE INDICATORWhen the vehicle is
started this message
will be displayed for
three seconds.
If the message is displayed when the engine is running,
you may have a problem with your charging system.
If there is a problem with the charging system, four
chimes will sound when the message comes on. The
battery display will also stay on while the key is in ON
until the engine is started.
If the message stays on after starting the engine it
could indicate a problem with the generator drive belt,
or some other charging system problem. Have it
checked right away. Driving with this message on
could drain your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with this message
displayed, it helps to turn off all your accessories.

3-14
ALERT!: This type of announcement warns of national
or local emergencies. You will not be able to turn off
alert announcements. ALERT! appears on the display
when an alert announcement plays. When an alert
announcement comes on the tuned radio station, you
will hear it, even if the volume is muted or a cassette
tape or compact disc is playing. If the cassette tape or
compact disc player is playing, play will stop for the
announcement and resume when the announcement
is finished.
ALTERNATE FREQUENCY: This feature allows
the radio to switch to a stronger station with the same
programming. Press and hold AM
-FM for two seconds
to turn alternate frequency on. AF ON will appear on the
display. The radio may switch to stronger stations. Press
and hold AM
-FM again for two seconds to turn alternate
frequency off. AF OFF will appear on the display. The
radio will not switch to other stations.
Playing a Cassette Tape
Your tape player is built to work best with tapes that are
up to 30 to 45 minutes long on each side. Tapes longer
than that are so thin they may not work well in this
player. The longer side with the tape visible should face
to the right. If the ignition is on, but the radio is off,
the tape can be inserted and will begin playing. A tape
symbol is shown on the display whenever a tape isinserted. If you hear nothing but a garbled sound, the
tape may not be in squarely. Press EJT to remove the
tape and start over.
While the tape is playing, use the VOL, FADE, BAL,
TREB, BASS, and SEEK controls just as you do for
the radio. The display will show TAPE and an arrow
showing which side of the tape is playing.
If you want to insert a tape when the ignition is off,
first press EJT or DISP.
If CHK TAPE appears on the radio display, the tape
won't play because of an error.
CHK TAPE may be displayed when the tape is tight and
the player can't turn the tape hubs. Remove the tape.
Hold the tape with the open end down and try to turn
the right hub counterclockwise with a pencil. Turn the
tape over and repeat. If the hubs do not turn easily,
your tape may be damaged and should not be used
in the player. Try a new tape to make sure your player
is working properly.
CHK TAPE may be displayed when the tape is broken.
Try a new tape.
CHK TAPE may be displayed when the tape is wrapped
around the tape head. Attempt to get the cassette out.
Try a new tape.
If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error can't be
corrected, please contact your dealer.

3-33
FWD (4): Press and hold this button to advance quickly
within a track. Press and hold this button for less than
2 seconds to advance at 6 times the normal playing
speed. Press and hold it for more than 2 seconds to
advance at 17 times the normal playing speed. Release it
to play the passage. The display will show ET and the
elapsed time.
RDM (6): Press this button to hear the tracks in random,
rather than sequential, order. RDM ON will show on the
display. RDM T and the track number will appear on the
display when each track starts to play. Press RDM again
to turn off random play. RDM OFF will appear on
the display.
SEEK: Press the

SEEK button to go to the start of the
current or previous track. Press the

SEEK button to
go to the start of the next track. If either of the SEEK
buttons is held or pressed more then once, the player
will continue moving backward or forward through
the CD.
DISP: Press this button to see how long the current track
has been playing. ET and the elapsed time will appear on
the display. To change what is normally shown on the
display (track or elapsed time), press the button until you
see the display you want, then hold the button for two
seconds. The radio will produce one beep.AM FM: Press this button to play the radio when
a disc is in the player. The disc will stop but remain in
the player.
TAPE CD: With a CD in the player and the radio
playing, press this button to play a CD. Press AM FM to
return to the radio when a CD is playing. Press TAPE
CD to switch between the tape and compact disc if both
are loaded. The inactive tape or CD will remain safely
inside the radio for future listening.
EJT: Press this button located below the CD slot
to remove the disc. The radio will play. EJT may be
activated with either the ignition or radio off. CDs may
be loaded with the radio and ignition off if this button is
pressed first.
CAL ERR: This message is displayed when the radio
has not been calibrated properly for the vehicle. You
must return to the dealership for service.
LOCKED: This message is displayed when the
Theftlock
 system has locked up. You must return to
the dealership for service.

4-7
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts
-- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
-- rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is a
mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool between
hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much faster if you
do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace with the
traffic and allow realistic following distances, you will
eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking. That means
better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you're driving, brake
normally but don't pump your brakes. If you do, the
pedal may get harder to push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But
you will use it when you brake. Once the power assist is
used up, it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder to push.
Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
When you start your engine, or when you begin to drive
away, your anti
-lock brake system will check itself. You
may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while
this test is going on, and you may even notice that your
brake pedal moves or pulses a little. This is normal.
If there's a problem with the
anti
-lock brake system, this
warning light will stay on.
See ªAnti
-Lock Brake
System Warning Lightº
in the Index.

4-14

Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to
pass while you're awaiting an opportunity. For one
thing, following too closely reduces your area
of vision, especially if you're following a larger
vehicle. Also, you won't have adequate space if the
vehicle ahead suddenly slows or stops. Keep back
a reasonable distance.

When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up,
start to accelerate but stay in the right lane and
don't get too close. Time your move so you will be
increasing speed as the time comes to move into the
other lane. If the way is clear to pass, you will have a
ªrunning startº that more than makes up for the
distance you would lose by dropping back. And if
something happens to cause you to cancel your pass,
you need only slow down and drop back again and
wait for another opportunity.

If other cars are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait
your turn. But take care that someone isn't trying to
pass you as you pull out to pass the slow vehicle.
Remember to glance over your shoulder and check
the blind spot.
Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and
start your left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough
ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front in your
inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal
and move back into the right lane. (Remember that
your right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle you
just passed may seem to be farther away from you
than it really is.)

Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time
on two
-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.

Don't overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps are not flashing, it may
be slowing down or starting to turn.

If you're being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you
can ease a little to the right.

4-15
Loss of Control
Let's review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems (brakes, steering
and acceleration) don't have enough friction where the
tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don't give up. Keep trying to
steer and constantly seek an escape route or area of
less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not ªoverdrivingº
those conditions. But skids are always possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle's
three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels
aren't rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too
much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force. And in the acceleration skid, too
much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best
handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal.If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want the
vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road. For safety, you'll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or
braking (including engine braking by shifting to a lower
gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires to slide.
You may not realize the surface is slippery until your
vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues
-- such as enough water, ice or packed snow on
the road to make a ªmirrored surfaceº
-- and slow
down when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti
-lock brake system (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.

4-18
Driving in Rain and on Wet RoadsRain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a wet
road, you can't stop, accelerate or turn as well because
your tire
-to-road traction isn't as good as on dry roads.
And, if your tires don't have much tread left, you'll get
even less traction. It's always wise to go slower and be
cautious if rain starts to fall while you are driving. The
surface may get wet suddenly when your reflexes are
tuned for driving on dry pavement.
The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. Even if your
windshield wiper blades are in good shape, a heavy rain
can make it harder to see road signs and traffic signals,
pavement markings, the edge of the road and even
people walking.
It's wise to keep your windshield wiping equipment in
good shape and keep your windshield washer tank
filled with washer fluid. Replace your windshield wiper
inserts when they show signs of streaking or missing
areas on the windshield, or when strips of rubber start
to separate from the inserts.

4-39 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.