light CHEVROLET CAVALIER 2000 3.G User Guide

2-13
Theft
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. However, there are ways you
can help.
Key in the Ignition
If you leave your vehicle with the keys inside, it's an
easy target for joy riders or professional thieves
-- so
don't do it.
When you park your vehicle and open the driver's door,
you'll hear a chime reminding you to remove your key
from the ignition and take it with you. Always do this.
Your steering wheel will be locked, and so will your
ignition. If you take the key with you, and you have an
automatic transaxle, it will be locked. And remember to
lock the doors.
Parking at Night
Park in a lighted spot, close all windows and lock your
vehicle. Remember to keep your valuables out of sight.
Put them in a storage area, or take them with you.
Parking Lots
If you park in a lot where someone will be watching
your vehicle, it's best to lock it up and take your keys.
But what if you have to leave your key?

If possible, park in a busy, well lit area.

Put your valuables in a storage area, like your
trunk or glove box. Be sure to close and lock the
storage area.

Close all windows.

Lock all the doors except the driver's.

If your vehicle has a remote keyless entry system,
take the transmitter with you.

2-14
Passlock

Your vehicle is equipped with the Passlock
theft
-deterrent system.
Passlock is a passive theft
-deterrent system. Passlock
enables fuel if the ignition lock cylinder is turned with a
valid key. If a correct key is not used or the ignition lock
cylinder is tampered with, fuel is disabled.
During normal operation, the THEFT SYSTEM light
will go off approximately five seconds after the key is
turned to the ON ignition position.
If the engine stalls and the THEFT SYSTEM light
flashes, wait until the light stops flashing before trying
to restart the engine. Remember to release the key from
START as soon as the engine starts.
If the engine is running and the THEFT SYSTEM light
comes on, you will be able to restart the engine if you
turn the engine off. However, your Passlock system is not
working properly and must be serviced by your dealer.
Your vehicle is not protected by Passlock at this time.
You may also want to check the fuses (see ªFuses and
Circuit Breakersº in the Index). See your dealer for service.
In an emergency, call the Chevrolet Roadside Assistance
Center at 1
-800-ROADSIDE (1-800-762-3743).
In Canada call 1
-800-268-6800.
New Vehicle ªBreak-Inº
NOTICE:
Your vehicle doesn't need an elaborate
ªbreak
-in.º But it will perform better in the
long run if you follow these guidelines:

Don't drive at any one speed -- fast or
slow
-- for the first 500 miles (805 km).
Don't make full
-throttle starts.

Avoid making hard stops for the first
200 miles (322 km) or so. During this time
your new brake linings aren't yet broken
in. Hard stops with new linings can mean
premature wear and earlier replacement.
Follow this breaking
-in guideline every
time you get new brake linings.

Don't tow a trailer during break
-in.
See ªTowing a Trailerº in the Index for
more information.

2-15
Ignition Positions
With the ignition key in the ignition, you can turn the
switch to five positions.
ACCESSORY (A): In this position, you can operate
your electrical power accessories. Press in the ignition
switch as you turn it toward you.LOCK (B): This is the only position in which you can
remove the key. This locks your steering wheel, ignition,
shift lever and transaxle.
OFF (C): This position unlocks the steering wheel,
ignition and transaxle, but does not send electrical
power to any accessories. Use this position if your
vehicle must be pushed or towed, but never try to
push
-start your vehicle. A warning chime will sound
if you open the driver's door when the ignition is off
and the key is in the ignition.
RUN (D): This is the position the switch returns to,
after you start your engine and release the switch.
The switch stays in RUN when the engine is running.
But even when the engine is not running, you can use
RUN to operate your electrical power accessories, and
to display some instrument panel warning lights.
START (E): This position starts the engine. When
the engine starts, release the key. The ignition switch
will return to RUN for normal driving.
Even if the engine is not running, the positions
ACCESSORY and RUN allow you to operate
electrical accessories, such as the radio.

2-26
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:
Shift to REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle is
stopped. Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your
vehicle is moving could damage your transaxle.
Also, use REVERSE (R), along with the parking brake,
for parking your vehicle.
Shift Speeds
CAUTION:
If you skip a gear when you downshift, you could
lose control of your vehicle. You could injure
yourself or others. Don't shift down more than
one gear at a time when you downshift.
Up-Shift Light (Manual Transaxle)
If you have a manual
transaxle, you have a
SHIFT light. This light
will show you when to
shift to the next higher gear
for the best fuel economy.
When this light comes on, you can shift to the next
higher gear if weather, road and traffic conditions let
you. For the best fuel economy, accelerate slowly and
shift when the light comes on.
While you accelerate, it is normal for the light to go
on and off if you quickly change the position of the
accelerator. Ignore the SHIFT light when you downshift.

2-27
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.
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.
If you forget to release your parking brake prior to
driving away, a chime will sound to remind you to
release the parking brake.
NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause
your rear brakes to overheat. You may have to
replace them, and you could also damage other
parts of your vehicle.

2-35
If a bulb is burned out, replace it to help avoid an
accident. If the arrows don't go on at all when you
signal a turn, check the fuse (see ªFuses and Circuit
Breakersº in the Index) and for burned
-out bulbs.
Headlamp High/Low Beam Changer
To change the headlamps from low beam to high or
high beam to low, pull the turn signal lever all the way
toward you. Then release it.
When the high beams
are on, this light on the
instrument panel cluster
will also be on.
Flash-to-Pass
This feature lets you use your high-beam headlamps to
signal a driver in front of you that you want to pass.
To use it, pull the turn signal/multifunction lever toward
you until the high
-beam headlamps come on, then
release the lever to turn them off.
Windshield Wipers
You control the windshield wipers by moving the stalk
with the windshield wiper symbol on it up or down.
For a single wiper cycle, push the stalk down to MIST,
then release it. The wipers will stop after one cycle.
For more cycles, hold the wiper stalk down longer.
For steady wiping at low speed, move the wiper stalk up
to the (1). For high
-speed wiping, move the stalk up to
(2). To stop the wipers, move the stalk to OFF.

2-39

Move the cruise control switch from ON to R/A.
Hold it there until you get up to the speed you want,
and then release the switch. To increase your speed
in very small amounts, move the switch to R/A then
release it. Each time you do this, your vehicle will go
about 1 mph (1.6 km/h) faster.
Reducing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to reduce your speed while using
cruise control:

Push in the button at the end of the lever until you
reach the lower speed you want, then release it.

To slow down in very small amounts, briefly press
the button. Each time you do this, you'll go about
1 mph (1.6 km/h) slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While Using Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase your speed. When
you take your foot off the pedal, your vehicle will slow
down to the cruise control speed you set earlier.Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on hills depends
upon your speed, load and the steepness of the hills.
When going up a steep hill, you may have to step on the
accelerator pedal to maintain your speed. When going
downhill, you may have to brake or shift to a lower gear
to keep your speed down. Of course, applying the brake
or clutch pedal takes you out of cruise control. Many
drivers find this to be too much trouble and don't use
cruise control on steep hills.
Ending Cruise Control
There are several ways to turn off the cruise control:

Step lightly on the brake pedal, or push the clutch
pedal, if you have a manual transaxle, or

move the cruise switch to OFF.
Erasing Cruise Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition,
your cruise control set speed memory is erased.

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Exterior Lamps
The band on the turn signal/multifunction lever controls
your vehicle's lamps.
Parking Lamps
This position will turn on the following:

Parking Lamps

Sidemarker Lamps

Taillamps

Instrument Panel Lights
Headlamps
This position will turn on the following:

Headlamps

Parking Lamps

Sidemarker Lamps

Taillamps

Instrument Panel Lights
Turn the band rearward to turn the lamps off.
Lamps On Reminder
If you open the driver's door with the ignition off and
the lamps on, you will hear a warning chime.

2-41 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.
The DRL system will make your high and low
-beam
headlamps come on at a reduced brightness in
daylight when:

The ignition is on with the engine running,

the headlamp switch is OFF,

the parking brake is released, and

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 flashing DRL telltale indicates a possible burned out
headlamp, or that the vehicle may need service to repair
a stuck DRL relay.
When the DRL are on, your high and low
-beam
headlamps will be on at a reduced brightness. The
taillamps, sidemarker and other lamps won't be on.
Your instrument panel won't be lit up either.
When you turn on the headlamp switch, your high and
low
-beam headlamps will go out, and your low-beam
headlamps will come on. The other lamps that come
on with your headlamps will also come on.
When you turn off the headlamp switch, the regular
lamps will go off, and your high and low
-beam
headlamps will come on to the reduced brightness.
To idle your vehicle with the DRL off, set the parking
brake. The DRL will stay off until you release the
parking brake.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.

2-42 Fog Lamps (If Equipped)
Use your fog lamps for
better vision in foggy or
misty conditions. The
switch for your fog lamps
is next to the instrument
panel intensity control.
Push the top of the switch to turn the fog lamps on.
Push the top of the switch again to turn the fog
lamps off.
When using fog lamps, the parking lamps or low
-beam
headlamps must be on.
A light on the switch will come on when the fog lamps
are actually on. Fog lamps will go off whenever the
high
-beam headlamps come on. When the high beams
go off, the fog lamps will come on again.
Interior Lamps
Instrument Panel Intensity Control
You can brighten or dim
the instrument panel lights
by turning the thumbwheel
up or down.
Turn the thumbwheel up all the way to turn on the
interior courtesy lamps.
Illuminated Entry
When you open either front door or open a rear door, the
lamps inside your vehicle will go on. In addition, if your
vehicle is equipped with remote keyless entry, the light
will come on when the remote keyless entry UNLOCK
button is pressed.