CHEVROLET AVEO 2008 1.G Owners Manual

Notice:If your vehicle seems to start up rather
slowly or not shift gears when you go faster, and
you continue to drive your vehicle that way, you
could damage the transmission. Have your vehicle
serviced right away. You can drive in SECOND (2)
when you are driving less than 35 mph (55 km/h)
and AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D) for higher speeds
until then.
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:Do not drive in SECOND (2) at speeds
over 65 mph (105 km/h), or you can damage
the transmission. Use AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D4)
as much as possible. Do not 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 shift lever
is put in FIRST (1), the transmission will not shift into first
gear until the vehicle is going slowly enough.
Notice:Spinning the tires or holding the vehicle
in one place on a hill using only the accelerator
pedal may damage the transmission. The repair will
not be covered by your warranty. If you are stuck,
do not spin the tires. When stopping on a hill,
use the brakes to hold the vehicle in place.
If there is a malfunction with the automatic transmission,
the malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) or the HOLD
indicator light will turn on or flash. SeeMalfunction
Indicator Lamp on page 3-49orHold Mode Light
on page 3-48.
Have your vehicle fixed as soon as possible.
2-23

Hold Mode
If your vehicle’s transmission has hold mode, you can
select this mode to drive with some characteristics
of a manual transmission. With hold mode turned on,
the automatic transmission will stay in a specific
gear range.
Press the HOLD button on the shift lever console to turn
on hold mode. Press the button again to turn off hold
mode, and return to normal automatic transmission
operation.For the Hatchback, the HOLD light will light up on the
secondary information center. For the Sedan, the HOLD
light will light up on the instrument panel cluster.
SeeHold Mode Light on page 3-48.
When hold mode is activated, the transmission runs as
follows:
Selector Lever Position Gear Range
D4 Third Gear
2 Second Gear
1 First Gear
Hold Mode Features
Winter Function
Select hold mode while in AUTOMATIC
OVERDRIVE (D4) or SECOND (2) gear to help the
vehicle maintain traction on slippery road surfaces,
such as snow, mud, or ice.
Manually Controlling Shift
Select hold mode to use your automatic transmission
like a three-speed manual transmission.
2-24

Manual Transmission Operation
Five-Speed
This is your shift pattern.
Here is how to operate your manual transmission:
FIRST (1):Press the clutch pedal and shift into
FIRST (1). Then, slowly let up on the clutch pedal
as you press the accelerator pedal.
You can shift into FIRST (1) when you are going less
than 20 mph (32 km/h). If you have come to a complete
stop and it is hard to shift into FIRST (1), put the shift
lever in NEUTRAL and let up on the clutch. Press
the clutch pedal back down. Then shift into FIRST (1).SECOND (2):Press the clutch pedal as you let up
on the accelerator pedal and shift into SECOND (2).
Then, slowly let up on the clutch pedal as you press
the accelerator pedal.
THIRD (3), FOURTH (4) and FIFTH (5):Shift into
THIRD (3), FOURTH (4) and FIFTH (5), the same way
you do for SECOND (2). Slowly let up on the clutch
pedal as you press the accelerator pedal.
To stop, let up on the accelerator pedal and press
the brake pedal. Just before the vehicle stops, press
the clutch pedal and the brake pedal, and shift to
NEUTRAL.
NEUTRAL:Use this position when you start or idle
your engine.
REVERSE (R):To back up, press down the clutch
pedal, lift up the ring on the shift lever and shift
into REVERSE (R). Let up on the clutch pedal
slowly while pressing the accelerator pedal.
Notice:Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle
is moving forward could damage the transmission.
The repairs would not be covered by your warranty.
Shift to REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle is
stopped.
Also, use REVERSE (R), along with the parking brake,
for parking your vehicle.
2-25

Shift Speeds
{CAUTION:
If you skip a gear when you downshift, you could
lose control of your vehicle. You could injure
yourself or others. Do not shift down more than
one gear at a time when you downshift.
Parking Brake
The parking brake lever is located between the
bucket seats.To set the parking brake, hold the brake pedal down
and pull up on the parking brake lever. If the ignition
is on, the brake system warning light will come on.
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 3-33.
To release the parking brake, hold the brake pedal
down. Pull the parking brake lever up until you can press
the release button. Hold the release button in as you
move the brake lever all the way down.
Notice:Driving with the parking brake on can
overheat the brake system and cause premature
wear or damage to brake system parts. Make sure
that the parking brake is fully released and the brake
warning light is off before driving.
2-26

Shifting Into PARK (P)
(Automatic Transmission)
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle
if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with
the parking brake rmly set. Your vehicle can
roll. If you have left the engine running, the
vehicle can move suddenly. You or others
could be injured. To be sure your vehicle will
not move, even when you are on fairly level
ground, use the steps that follow.
1. Hold the brake pedal down and set the parking
brake. SeeParking Brake on page 2-26for more
information.
2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) by pressing the
button on the shift lever and pushing the lever all
the way toward the front of the vehicle.
3. Turn the ignition key to LOCK/OFF.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
leave your vehicle with the ignition key in your
hand, your vehicle is in PARK (P).
Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running (Automatic Transmission)
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with
the engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the parking brake rmly set.
And, if you leave the vehicle with the engine
running, it could overheat and even catch re.
You or others could be injured. Do not leave
your vehicle with the engine running.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and your
parking brake is firmly set before you leave it. After
you have moved the shift lever into PARK (P), hold
the regular brake pedal down. If the vehicle has
an automatic transmission, see if you can move the
shift lever away from PARK (P) without first pushing
the shift lock release button. If you can, it means that
the shift lever was not fully locked into PARK (P).
2-27

Torque Lock (Automatic Transmission)
If you are parking on a hill and you do not shift your
transmission into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl in the
transmission. You may find it difficult to pull the shift lever
out of PARK (P). This is called “torque lock.” To prevent
torque lock, set the parking brake and then shift into
PARK (P) properly before you leave the driver’s seat.
To find out how, seeShifting Into PARK (P) (Automatic
Transmission) on page 2-27.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK (P)beforeyou release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another
vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of the
pressure from the parking pawl in the transmission,
so you can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).
Shifting Out of PARK (P)
Your automatic transmission vehicle has an automatic
transmission shift-lock control system. You have to
fully apply your regular brakes before you can shift
from PARK (P) when the ignition is turned to ON/RUN.
SeeAutomatic Transmission Operation on page 2-21.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P) while holding
the brake pedal down, try this:
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Turn the ignition off and remove the key.
3. Remove the cover over the shift-lock release slot by
prying it off using a small, flat object. The shift-lock
release slot is located at the top of the shift lever.
2-28

4. Insert the key into the shift-lock release slot and
press and hold the key.
5. Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
6. Remove the key from the shift-lock release slot,
insert the key into the ignition and start the
engine.
7. Replace the shift-lock release slot cover.
8. Apply and hold the regular brake fully and release
the parking brake.
9. Shift to the gear you want.
10. Have the system fixed as soon as you can.
Parking Your Vehicle
(Manual Transmission)
Before leaving your vehicle, do the following:
1. Hold the brake pedal down and firmly apply the
parking brake.
2. Fully press in the clutch pedal and place the shift
lever into the gear position as stated below:
•When parking on level ground, place the shift
lever into NEUTRAL.
•When parking downhill, place the shift lever in
REVERSE (R).
•When parking uphill, place the shift lever in
FIRST (1).
3. After shifting, turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF,
remove the key and release the clutch.
2-29

Parking Over Things That Burn
{CAUTION:
Things that can burn could touch hot exhaust
parts under your vehicle and ignite. Do not
park over papers, leaves, dry grass, or other
things that can burn.
Engine Exhaust
{CAUTION:
Engine exhaust can kill. It contains the gas
carbon monoxide (CO), which you cannot
see or smell. It can cause unconsciousness
and death.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
You might have exhaust coming in if:
The exhaust system sounds strange or
different.
Your vehicle gets rusty underneath.
Your vehicle was damaged in a collision.
Your vehicle was damaged when driving
over high points on the road or over road
debris.
Repairs were not done correctly.
Your vehicle or the exhaust system has
been modied improperly.
If you ever suspect exhaust is coming into
your vehicle:
Drive it only with all the windows down to
blow out any CO; and
Have your vehicle xed immediately.
2-30

Running the Engine While Parked
It is better not to park with the engine running. But if you
ever have to, here are some things to know.
{CAUTION:
Idling the engine with the climate control
system off could allow dangerous exhaust into
your vehicle. See the earlier caution under
Engine Exhaust on page 2-30.
Also, idling in a closed-in place can let deadly
carbon monoxide (CO) into your vehicle even if
the climate control fan is at the highest setting.
One place this can happen is a garage.
Exhaust — with CO — can come in easily.
NEVER park in a garage with the engine
running.
Another closed-in place can be a blizzard.
SeeWinter Driving on page 4-13.
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle
if the automatic transmission shift lever is not
fully in PARK (P) with the parking brake rmly
set. Your vehicle can roll. Do not 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 will
not move, even when it is on fairly level
ground, always set the parking brake and
move the automatic transmission shift lever
to PARK (P), or the manual transmission shift
lever to NEUTRAL.
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle will
not move. If you have an automatic transmission,
seeShifting Into PARK (P) (Automatic Transmission)
on page 2-27.
2-31

Mirrors
Manual Rearview Mirror
When you are sitting in a comfortable driving position,
adjust the mirror so you can see clearly behind your
vehicle. Hold the mirror in the center to move it up or
down and side to side. The day/night adjustment allows
you to adjust the mirror to avoid glare from the lamps
behind you. Push the tab forward for daytime use
and pull it for nighttime use.
Outside Manual Mirrors
The outside rearview mirrors should be adjusted so you
can see a little of the side of your vehicle when you
are sitting in a comfortable driving position.Adjust the outside manual mirrors using the control
lever located next to the mirror.
The outside rearview mirrors can be folded flat against
the side of the vehicle by pushing them toward the
vehicle’s doors.
2-32