towing CHEVROLET CITATION 1980 1.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine CAUTION: For safety's s~ke, always lock the doors and any hatchback when driving. Along with using the seat belts properly, locking the doors, etc. helps prevent occupants from being thrown from the vehicl~ during accidents. It also helps prevent unintended opening of the doors and helps keep out intruders when stopped.
STOWING THINGS IN (OR ON) THE CAR
CAUTION: luggage or other cargo should not be piled higher than the seatbacks. When at all possible. luggage or cargo should be carried in the trunk area. The filler panel or cargo cover, betWeen the rear seatback and the rear window should not be used to carry objects-.even those that are small and light. All items should be secured in place. This will help keep such things from being thrown about and iniurying people in the car during an accident. Cargo weight. whether inside or on the roof, should be positioned as evenly as possible from front to rear.
INSIDE REARVIEW MIRROR
The mirror can be adjusted up, down, or sideways to obtain the best view to the
front
and rear. Move the optional mirror lever to the night position to reduce glare
from headlights of vehicles behind you.
OUTSIDE REARVIEW MIRROR
Adjust the outside mirror so you can just see the side of your vehicle in the portion of the mirror closest to the vehicle; This helps you determine your relation to
objects seen
in the mirror.
CONVEX MIRROR
Your vehicle may have an optional convex outside rearview mirror. (A convex
mirror has a curved surface.) Adjust the convex mirror so you can
just see the
side of your vehicle in the portion of the mirror closest to the vehicle. This type
of mirror is designed to give a much wider view to the rear, and especially of the
lane next to your vehicle. This
may· be most helpful when you want to change
lanes, or in some cases when you want to back up. However, cars and other objects
seen in a convex mirror
willLOOK smaller and farther away than when seen in
a flat mirror. Therefore, use care when Judging the size or distance of a car or
object seen in this convex
.. mirror. Use your inside mirror. (or ·glance .rearward)
to determine the size and distance of objects seen in the convex mirror.
1-3

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine L Infants who cannot sit up by themselves should be restr~ined b y placing them
in a bassinet, preferably cove~ed and padded .- Pl ace il crossways in the car
(widthwise) on-the rear seat.
The bassi net should bi!.secure ly restrained with
the car's reg ular seat belt
s. Another method is to pla ce the bassinet so that
it rests aga,inst the back of the driver's seat, again crossways in the car.
2. Never let a child sta~d or kneel on any seat. Children who can sit up by
them selves should be placed on a seat and restrained with the seat belts
provided. When children ride in a rear se:at, they should be restrained with
a lap
belt. When children ride in the fronf seat, they . ,should wear both lap
and
shou'lder belt. If the shoulder bell irritates the neck or face due to th e
child's size, this may be reduced by placing the child closer to the center of the car. If irritation is not red uced, place the child in the rear seat.
3. General Motors advises that children should be restr ained properly when
riding . However, unusual'~conditions 'may prevent use of restraints, and
requir e that a small child,
sland. If that happens, the c hild should stand on
the floo r behind the driver's seat. This will help reduce the chance of being
hurt
by a frontal force impact in case of an accident.
TRAILER TOWING
This car is designed and intended to be used mainly to car ry people. Towing a
trailer will affect handling, durability and economy_ Your'"safcty and satisfaction
depend upon,proper use
of correct equipment. Also. you should avoid overloads
and other abusive use.
The maximum loaded trailer weight you can pull with your car depends
on what special equipment has-been inst alled o n it. We do-n o t recommend towing any
trailer more than 450
kilograms (1,000 pounds) -gross trailer weight unless your
'car ha s .he required equipment.
CAUTION: Do not try to tow any trailer more than 900 kilograms (2.000 pounds)
gross trailer weight (450 kilograms (' .000 pounds) for California emission equipped
cars with air conditioning) no matter what trailer towing equipment is installed. ;This ,could .eriously affect your car'S performance. durability or handling. which could
result in personel injury.
Infonnati on on trailer towing ability, special equipment requir ed, and optional
equipm e
nfavailable should be o~lained from your dea ler . (Ask for the trailering
brochur e.)
Or, write: Consumer Relat ions Department , Chevrolet Motor Division ,
Detroit , Mi chigan
48202. (In Canada, write to General Motors of Canada Limited .
Custom
er Services Department, Oshawa. Ontario LlJ 5Z6.)

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Tir,s
When lowing trailers using a dead-weight hitch, inflate tires to the "Cold Tire
Pressure" for ·'Max . Load" show n on the Tire Placard on the left front door.
The allowable passenger and cargo load for this car,
also sh o wn on· the Tire
Placard, is reduced by the trailer tongue weight whenever the trailer is attached
t o the car.
Maintenance
More frequen.t servic e is requi red when using your car to pull a trailer. See Section
A of the Maint enance Schedule folder for Tran saxle Fluid and Engine Oil chang e
requirement~ for traitering.
Now and then. check that all trailer hitch bolts an d nuts are tight. Also see
"the Maintenance Schedule rol_def, and the Index in this manual , for important facts
o n
belts, coo ling system care and brake adjustment.
Break-In Schedule
See the new car break~in instru ctions in this manual. Also,. we recommend you
drive your new car for
500 mil es (800 kilometer s) before trailer tOwing. At the
" end
of this 500 mile (800 kilome te r) break-in period, avoid speeds over 50 mph (80 km/h) and full throttl e start s during the first 500 miles (800 kilometers) of
trailer towing.
If a new engine or transaxle is ins talled in you r car, observe the
same
care.
CAUTIONS:
Brakes -To help avoid personal injury due to poor braking action:
• Trailer brakes of adequate size are required on trailer s over 450 kilograms
(1,000 pounds) loaded weight.
• If you use trailer brakes with this car, follow the installation and balan ce
instructi ons
of the trailer brake maker.
• Do nol lap into the car's brake system if the trailer brake system uses more than 0.3 cubic centimeter (0.02 cubic inch) of nuid from the ca r's master
cylinder. In this case, the car's brake fluid capacity will not be enough to
operate
both the car and trailer brakes under all kind s, of use.
• All brak e fluid parts must be able to stand 20 685 kPa (3,000 psi). The brake
fluid tap must be made al th e upper rear master cylinder port. Copper tubing is subject to fatigue failure and must no t be used.
• Before going down a sleep or long grade , reduce speed and shift the tran saxle
into a lower gear to control your car's speed.
Try not to hold the brake pedal
down too long or too often. This could cause the brake s to get hot and not
work
as well.
Hitches -To help avoid personal injury due to sway caused by such things as
c rosswind
s, big trucks passing or road roughn ess, or due to sepa ration of the
trailer :
• Keep the trailer tongue load at 10% of the loaded trailer weight for
dead-w eight hitches. Tongue loads can be adjusted by proper distribution of the load in the trailer. This can be checked by weighing separately the loaded
trailer and then the tongue,
• When you remove a frailer hitch, be sure to seal any mountin g h'oles in the
body . This will help prevent entry of exhaust fumes, dirt or water. (See
"Engine Exhaust Gas Caution (Carbon Monoxide) " at the beginning of "Starting and Operating," Section 2 of this manual.)
1-12

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine NOTICE: Use only trailer hitches which permit normal operation of the Energy Absorbing Bumper System. if so equipped. For example. a rigid fore and .iUt connection between the bumper and any other part.of. the car may increase .damage in the event of II collision.
TRAILER TOWING TIPS
Getting Started
Before entering traffic with a frailer that has electric brakes, start the car and
trailer moving and apply the trailer brakes
by hand to be sure the trailer brakes
are working and the trailer electrical system
is connected .
. Engine Cooling
: long \.Jphill Grades
When going up long grades, you, can reduce the chance 'of engine overheating by
turning
off the air conditioner, if so equipped.
Transaxle
,See the method for checking the transaxle fluid le ve l. in "Service and
,.;.Maintenance," Section 5 of this manual .
Parking
You should not park cars with trailers on a grade (hill). However, if you must
park on a grade, these steps must be followed:
1. Apply the regular brakes.
2. Have someone place wheel' chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the regular brakes until the
chocks absorb the load .
4; Apply Ihe parking brake.
S. Shift Ihe transaxle 10 ··P"(Park).
If the car is parked on a grade. don't shift the transaxle 10 "P"(Park) until the
trailer wheels
are chocked and the parkinghrake, is set~ If you do, the weight of . the car and trailer may put so much force on the parking pawl in the transaxle
.
that it may be hard to shift oul of "P"(Park).
When starting , after being parked ' on a grade:
(; Apply the regular brakes and hold.
2 .
Stan th e engine in ··P"(Park) .
-3. Shift into gear and release the parking brake.
4. Release the regular brakes and drive until the chock s are free.
5. Apply the regular brakes and have your helper remove the chocks.
J.]3

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine • Adjust the heating or cooling system to force outside air into the car as . d esc ribed abo ve bUI set the fan to high speed .
• On cars with outside air vents in or under the instrument panel, open the vents fully.
New. Car "Break-In" Period
You can drive your new car from its very first mile/kilometer without following .
a
formal"break~in" schedule. However, there'are things you can do during the
fir st few hundred miles/kilometers of driving that will add to the future
perf orm ance and econ omy of your car.
We recommend you limit your speed during the first 500 miles (800 kiJomet ers) ~
to a maximum of 55 mph (90 km/h) ; but do not drive for long period s al any'
one constant speed, either Jast
or slow. During this time , avoid fulllhronJe start s _ and, if possible, avoid h"ard stops especially during the first 200 miles (320
kilometers) of driving.
Always drive at moderate speed until the engine has completely warmed
up.
If yo u plan to use your new car for trailer towing, see additional information in Section 1 under "Trailer Towing."
GUARD AGAINST THEFT
Your new Citation has many features to help prevent theft of the car itself, its
equ ipment, and its content s. But these ami-theft features depend upon you to
work .
THE TIME TO BE MOST ON GUARD IS WHEN LEAVING THE CAR ...
• PARK IN A LIGHTED SPOT WHEN YOU CAN.
• LOCK THE STEERING COLUMN AND TAKE THE KEYS,
•
Turn the key to "Lock," and remove the key. This locks the igniti on and
both steering and shift connols unless your car has a manual transaxle.
In that case, the shift control- is not locked .
• If you must leave a key with the car, leave the square-head key .only .
Take the oval-Read key with you. This will help prevent unwanted entry into your car at a later date, or into your -trunk.
•
FULLY CLOSE ALL WINDOWS AND ANY ROOF PANELS. AND LOCK ALL DOORS.
•
KEEP COSTLY ITEMS OUT OF SIGHT AND LOCKED UP,
•
Never leave things of value in plain sight on seats or noor.
• The glove box offers a place -to hide small items.
• Lock larger items in the trunk or place them in the rear storage .
FUEL REQUIREMENTS
Your engine is designed to use only unleaded gasoline. Unleaded gasoline must
be' used for the emission control $ystem to operate properly. Its use will also reduce
s park plug fouling , -exhaust system corrosion and engine oil deterionition .
Using leaded gasoline can damage the emiS5ion control system and could result
in loss of warranty coverage. This is especially true on cars that have the C-4
System . Leaded gasoline will damage tbe oxygen sensor, which may affect
emission control, fuel economy
and drivabiJity . See "C-4 (Computer Controlled
Catalytic Converter) System" in "Service and Maintenance" Section 5 of this
manual for more information.
2-2

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine • Off· You can turn off the engine without loc king the steering ,wheel and shirt control s o'n aut omatic tranSaxle models. or steering -wh eel only on
mariual transaxle models.
• Run· Normal operating position.
• Start -Cranks the engine:
If you have trouble turning the key to unlock the ignition. first be sure the key
i s pushed in all the way. Then try to turn the ste ering wheel as hard as you can
in the _di rec tion the Wheels are turned. At th e same time, turn the ignition key
with
as mu ch effort as you can apply with your ha nd. Do not try to use a tool
of any kind to
a_pply more force on 'the lock knob. as this could bre ak the kn.ob.
CAUTION: .on manual tranS8xle cars. if you need to turn off the engina while the car is moving. turn the key onlv to ".off." DO NOT press down on the key release lever while turning the ignition off. This will result in locking the steering wheel and If'S8 of steering control.
NOTICE: Do_.oot drive through . idle or park your vehicle over combustible materials. such as grass or lC!'aves. They could touch the hot exhaust system and Ignite.
Parking
When leaving your car unatte nded :
• Firml y appl y the park ing brake. Do n o t use th e tran saxle a 's a substitut e for (he parking brake.
• Mov e the automatic transaxle shift lever to "P"(Park) ("Rever se" for man ual
tran saxle ).
• 'Turn the key to "Lock ," On manualtransaxle cars, press,down the key release
lever a
nd turn the key to "Lock. "
•
Close all windows.
• Remove the key (the buzzer is designed to remind you).
• Lock ,,'n doors.
TURN SIGNAL AND MULTI-FUNCTION LEVER
The I urn signa l-lever on th e left side of the ste erin g column also co ntr ols headlight
l ow -beam
or high·beam. and the windshield wiper/washer .
• Turn Signal -Move the lever up to t he second stop to signal a right tum.
Move it do wn 10 the seco nd stop to sig nal a left turn . When the turn is
compleled, the signal will cancel and the lever will return to' h o rizont al.
• Lane Change Signal. In some turns. such as ch an ging lanes, the steering wheel is not turned far enou gh 10 ca nce l th e turn signal. Fo r convenience.
you
can flash Ihe turn signal by moving the lever part way (to t-he first stop) and h olding it there. The lever will re turn to horizo ntal when 'You release it.
Tw o green lights_ o n the instrum ent panel are des igned to nas h 10 tell you that
th e front and rear turn
sign al light s are working. If the light stays on, but does
not flash, check for bur ned- out turn signal bulbs. If Ihe green light does not com e
all when yo u m ove the leve r. c _h ec k the fuse and indicator . bulb. However, iryou
ordered a ,tra iler towing optio n in which extra wiring waS added to attach the
trailer lighting, a different type
of flasher was installed . In this case , the gree n light will co ntinu e 10 flas h even if a turn sig nal bulb burns out. Therefore, you must
regularly look at the front and
rear turn signal light s 10 be sure they are working.
2-6

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine • Rem ove yo ur foo t f rom the accelerat or ped al and desir ed speed will
auto matically ,be, maintained .
• To increase autom atic speed setting , depress the a' ccelerator pedal.,until the
desi re d speed .i s atta ined , then full y depres s and slo wly releas e the co ntrol butt on. If co nlr oi 6 ullon is no t fully depressed , when ch angin g speed se tting.
the ca r will resum e yo ur previ ously selected speed.
• To decrease aut omatic speed se llin ·g. press the control button until it
b o tt oms and ho ld until vehicle slo w s' to the desir ed speed, then slowly release
t h e c ontrol button.
T o dise n
gage system, lightly depr ess brak epedal.
.NOT.ICE: To help k~p thlt~f}.~C.,! under controf, do not use the Cruise Controf when It may not be wise to keep the vehier.· at'. constant speed . A constant speed may not be advisable 'in conditions such as heavy or varying traffic, or on winding or slippery roads. With the Cruise Control engaged, taking yOur foot off the accelerator ,pedal does not let the yahicla slow down. 'Touching. the b rake pedal will disengage the Cru ise Controf and allow the vehicle to slow down.
When going up or down steep h ills fpa"~ularly when towing a tr ailer) , it is possible for the vehicle·to ga in o r lose speed .• ven though. the Cruise Control is engaged. In that case , you may need to disengage the Cruise Control'~.nd resume manual speed control.
HORN
The ho rn on your vehicl e is ac tuated by firml y pressing o n the pad in the c ent er
of th e stee ring wheel. As a good m otorist. use .of the ho rn should be k ept 'at a
minimum . However, ac quaint yourself as soon as possible with this f u nct io n of
you r ve hicle, should it ever becom e necess ary to give a warning to a pede strian
or anot her motorist.
HAZARD WARNING FLASHER
Th e haza rd fla sher is covered on P age 3-1 in the "In Cas e of Emerg ency·~section.
FLOOR CONTROLS
BRAKING SYSTEM
The reg ular brake syste m i s desig ned fo r bra king perfonnanc e und er a wide range
o f
driving conditi ons even when the vehicle is load ed to its full rated veh icl e lo ad
capac ity.
2-13

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Insta"ation
To install the cargo cover:
1. Insert the left hinge pin in the bracket attached to the body of the car.
2. Slide the release lever to the right to engage hinge pin in the 'bracket. See figure
B.
3. Move the lever up to lock the cover in place.
4. Reconnect the rubber 'lifting cords.
STOWING THINGS IN (OR ON) THE CAR
CAUTION: luggage or other cergo should not be piled higher than the seatbacks, When at all possible, luggage or cargo should be C8rrifHj in the trunk area. The filler panel or cargo cover, between the rear 88atback and the rear window should not be used to carry objects-even those that are small and light. All nems should be secured in place. This will help keep such things from being thrown about and Injurying people in the car during an accident. Cargo weight whether inside or on the roof, should be positioned as evenly as possible from front to rear.
ROOF LUGGAGE CARRIER
The optional roof luggage carrier is designed to allow loading of items onto the
roof
of your car. The roof luggage carrier does not increase the total load carrying
capacity of th e car , as shown opposite "Max Load" on the Tire Placard located
on the left front door. Be sure the total weight of the cargo on the roof, plus the
weight
of the cargo and passe ngers inside the car, plus the tongue load of any
trailer you are towing does
,1;10t exc_eed this "Max Load" vehicle capacity weight. See Section 5, page "5-11 for more information on Vehicle Loading . Also see the
infonnation on Trailer Towing
in Section 1 of this manual . if needed .
NOTICE:To helpayoid pOSSible damage, do not exceed 70 kilograms (1 50 pounds), cargo weight on the roof. Position the cargo in the luggage carrier as evenly as: pOssible. If carrying long items, never exceed car length and fasten such loads securely at the front and rear of the car, as well as to the luggage rack.
The roof luggage carrier consists of: five roof slats bolted to the top of the car,
two crossrails with knobs at each end th~t allow the crossrails to be adjusted or removed, and six' adjustable tie-downs.
The operation
of each item is as follows: the crossrails are easily adjusted forward
or rearward in order to help position your load. To move the crossrails , rotate
the large adjustable knob, ··No. 3" in the figure above. counterclockwise to loosen
(or remove) the crossrails and 'clockwise to tighten down the cros srails. Attached
to the top
of the crossrails are two adjustable tie-downs, "No.4" in the figure.
Ther e is also one adjustable lie-down located in the center of each outer roof slat
assembly (also called
"No.4" in the figure) . The tie-downs may be easily moved
forward and rearward within the outer slat assembly and across the top
of the
crossrails to the desired position.
To move the tie-down . rotate it countetclockwise
to loosen and clockwise to tighten down. If needed to sec ure a certain type of lead,
the tie-downs on the
crossratls may be removed and repos itioned on the outer roof
slat assemblies. While underway, periodically check to make sure that
the crossrails and the tie-downs are securely fastened to help
prevent loss of cargo, or the roof rack equipment itself.
The crossrails may be removed when not in use and stowed in the trunk or behind
the second seat on the rear load floor (with the carg o cover installed) in hatchback
style
s. When stowing the cressrails, al5..1 attach the tie-downs from the outer roof
2-29

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Make Connections In Numerical Order
First Jumper Cable
Discharged
Battery
Make Last
onnectlon on
Engine. Away
from Battery
Battery in Vehicle
with Charged Battery LC"""=-
5. Start the engine of the vehicle that has the discharged battery.
6. Remove the battery cables by reversing the above sequence exactly. Begin
by removing the last clamp first; that is, remove the jumper cable· from the engine of the vehicle with the' discha:r,g:edbatTery as the' first step.
ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM
Your cooling system may temporarily overheat during severe operating
conditions, such as:
• climbing a long hilLon a hot qay,
•
stopping after high speed driving,
• idling for long periods' in' traffic, or
• towing a trailer.
If theUTEMP" light comes on (or if you have a coolant temperature gage, the
needle goes
into the warning zone) and your air conditioner is on, tum it off. If
the. 'ITEMP" light (gage) comes on while you are stopped in traffic, move the
transaxle shift lever to UN" (Neutral). If the "TBMP" light doesn't go off (or the
gage
needle doesn't start to drop) within a minute or two:
3-3

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine • The compact spare .tire and wheel are design ed for use with each
other. The compact spare tire should not be mounted on any other
type of wheel, and the compact spare wheel should not have any
other type of tire mounted on it. Also, do not try to use wheel covers or trim rings on the compact spare wheel since they will not fif" If
s u ch u se is attempted, damage to these items or other vehicle compo~
nent s may occur.
• Do 1I0t use tire chains with your compact spar e tir e. Because of .the smaller lire size, a tire chain will no t fit properly . This could cause damage to the car and result in loss of the cha,in.
Towing
Prop er equipment must be used 10 prevent damage to ve hicle s during any towing .
State ,(.,rovincial in Canada) ,and l~~l laws which apply to Cars in tow must be
followed '. Get detailed towing instructions from your deale r.
Your
vehicle may be towed on all fo ur wheels, at speeds less than 35 mph (60
km /h) , for distances u'p 1O 50 miles ( 8 0 kilometer s). pro vided the driveline and
steering are normally operabl
e. For such towing the steering must be unlocked ,
tran saxle in neutral , and the parking brake released . Co
nnec t to main structural
part s of th~ car; Do NOT attach to , bumpers or brackets . Remember also that power assist for brakes and steering will not beavailable ' when the, engine is ofl
If the car' is to be towed by a 'wrecker, use only equipm~nt designed for this
purpos
e, following the instru ction s of the wrecker manufacturer.
A safety chain system must
be used forall towing .
Freeing Vehicle from Sand. Mud. Snow or Ice
If your car gets stuck in sa nd , mud , snow or ice , move the s hift lever on aut om atic
tr ans ax le models from "D"(Orive) to "R"(Reverse) in a repeat pattern. (On
manual transaxle models, move the shift lever from First or Second to Rever se.)
Apply a
light pressure to the acce lerator pedal while the transaxle is in gear.
Remove your
foot from the;: accelerator while shifting . Do not race the engine.
For best traction, avoid spinnin g the wheels. Incorrect rocking of your car while it is stuc k may result in damage to vehicle components.
CAUTION: 00 not spin the wh •• ls faster than 20 mph (35 km/ h) . Personal injury end damage (including tire and/Of transexle failure) rna)' result from excessive wheal spinning.
If vehide re mains stuck after several roc king attempt s, s eek other assistan ce.
Also 'see the Notice under
"Automatic Transaxles" i,n "Steering Column
Contro ls" Section 2 of this manu al.
. 3-7