
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine SECTION 1 
BEFORE DRIVING YOUR 
CHEVROLET 
DRIVER DAILY CHECKLIST 
Be sure  you know  your vehicle and its, equipment  and how  to use  it safely. 
Before Entering the Vehicle 
1. See that  windows,  mirrors, and lights are clean and unobstructed. 
2. Check  whether  any tire is low or flat. (If any  tire looks  different  from nonnal, 
we  recommend  you check 
it with  a tire  pressure  gage.) 
3. Check that all lights  work. 
4. Look for fluid  leaks. 
5. Be sure  everything is properly  stowed. 
6. Check the area  behind  the vehicle if you  are about  to back  up. 
Before Driving Off 
1. Lock  all doors. 
2. Adjust  seat. 
3. Adjust  inside and outside  mirrors. 
4. Fasten seat belts. 
5. Check  that all the  warning  lights work as the  key is turned  to "'Start." 
6. Check all gages  (including  the fuel  gage). 
7. Release  the parking  brake (and see that  the "Brake" light  turns om. 
Seerelated topics  in this  manual, or the Maintenance Schedule folder, if problems 
are  found. 
Guard Against Theft 
For tips on how to protect your vehicle and its contents, see "Starting and 
Operating" in section 2 of this manuaL 
KEYS 
Two  different  keys are· provided  for the  locks  on your  vehicle.  The key code is 
stamped  on the "knock out" plug  in each key head. 
• Key with square  head (letter "A" or "e") -for ignition lock only. 
• Key with oval head (letter "8" or "0") ~ for all other locks., 
For vehicle  security: 
• Record  the key  code  numbers;  then knock  the plugs  out of the keys. 
• Keep  the key  codes  in a safe  place  (such  as your  wallet), NOT IN THE 
VEHICLE. 
If  the  original  keys are lost,  duplicates  can 
be made using the key  codes.  Contact 
any 
OM dealer  or a locksmith. 
If yO~i park  in an  attended  lot, leave  only your  square-head  ignition key. 
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine frontal collision, the chance and/or severity of injury may increase with increasing 
recline of the saatbeck. The -lap belt is d .. ignad to spread the force of a collision over the strong hlp bone instead of across the abdomen. However, if the hips are 
reclined, the lap  bett may slide past the hips  and ilpply restraint forceS directly to the abdominal region. 
Front Seatback Latches 
Vehicles  with folding  front seats have inertial  seatback  latches. The latches are 
designed  to prevent  forward  movement of the front  seatback only during  a sudden 
slowing 
of the  vehicle.  Normally,  the seatback  can be tilted forward  without 
unlatching,  to get  in 
or out of the  rear  seat.  But when  the vehicle is ""nose down" 
such as on  a very  steep  hill, the inertial  latch may keep the seat back  from  being 
moved  forward. If this happens,  there is a latch  release  lever at the  bottom,  in 
the  center  rear 
of each front  seatback. pun rearward  slightly on the seat back while 
pulling  up on the seatback  latch release  lever .. This will release  the latch and alJow 
the  seat back  to be  moved  forward. 
The  latch  release  lever must. 
be in the "down" position  for the  inertial  latch to 
work  properly  during a sudden  slowing of the vehicle. Checkrtow and  then  to 
see 
if each  seatback  latch release  lever moves up and down  freely. If the lever  does 
not  move  freely,  take the vehicle  to your  dealer  for service.  There is no convenient 
owner  test of the  inertial  seatback  latch. 
If you suspect  the latch is not  working, 
ask  the dealer  to inspect 
it. 
Keep  seat belt webbing and hardware  clear of seat parts  when  you tilt folding  seats 
forward  or rearward.  This helps  prevent  damage  to these  belt systems. 
Manual Window Controls 
Crank  type handles  located in the  door  panels  anow the side  windows  to be 
manually  raised or lowered. 
Power Windows (Optional) 
Power windows  have an ignition  interlock  so the  windows  cannot be operated 
unless  the ignition  switch is in  the "run" position. 
A  master  control  for all windows 
is provided  at the  driver's  position.  Individual 
switches  are provided  under each window  for passenger  use. 
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Air Conditioner 
If your vehicle  has an optional  air cOnditioner , use the "Economy;' (" Vent" or 
"Heater") position s whenever possible,  The air conditioner compr essor is not on in these positions  and the reduced  engine  load can improve  fuel eco nomy. 
Engine Maintenance 
An  engine that is properly  maintained wjJl provide better fuel economy than .one 
thai is not . One misfirin g spa rk plu g will cut  fuel  economy  quite a bit , and will 
make  a difference  in the  amount of pollution _emitted fro m  your  vehicle . 
Excess Weight 
Fuel economy is related  to the  work  the engine  must do. The  heavier the load, 
the  more  fuel 
it takes to  run  your  vehicle. Keep  weight  to a minimum  by taking o~t any  luggage  or cargo  when  it is not needed.  . 
Tire Inflation 
Underinflation not only causes needLess wear of the tires,  but can  also  waste  fuel. It's a good  idea to check  tire pressures  often and, for the  best  fuel econ omy,  keep 
your  tires inflated  to  the  highest 
pr~suresshown on the  Tire Placard on'the  left 
front  doo r of your  car. 
Wheel Alignment 
Improper  toe alignment will cause the tires  to roll  at an  angle,  which will result 
in  faster  tire wear. 
It takes  power  to ove rcome  this improper  alignment which, 
in tum, wastes  fuel. 
STEERING COLUMN CONTROLS 
ANTI-THEFT STEERING COLUMN LOCK 
The  anti-theft  lock (ignition)  on the right  side of the  steering  column  has five 
positi on
s: 
TO REMOVE KEY, DEPRESS KEY \&!;;>. RELEASE LEVER 
-~ I 
~~~ --WHILE TURNING KEY TO LOCK  POSITION 
.. ~'-KEY RELEASE "..~ LEVER 
• Accessory -You ca n use some  elec trical a ccessories when  the e ngin e is not 
running. 
To engage  this position,  push  in  the  square-head  key and tum the 
top  of the  key  towards  you. 
• Lock -Norm al  parking  position. It 'locks  the ignition and prev en ts  normal 
use 
of the  steering  wheel on all models,  and the shift  controls  on automatic 
transaxl e model
s. The  ignition  key canno t be turned  to "Lock" and removed 
until  the shift  lever  is mo ved to "P "( Park) on  automatic  transaxle  mode1s . 
If you have  a manual transaxle model,  the ignition key cannot be turned  to 
"Lock" without  pressing  down  the key  release  leve r. 
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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   
![CHEVROLET CITATION 1980 1.G Owners Manual Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine SINGLE WIPE 
LOW SPEED (PULSE  WIPER) 
HIGH 
SPEED 
• Check  the washer  fluid levelregu]arly.  Do it often when  the weather 
is bad. 
• U CHEVROLET CITATION 1980 1.G Owners Manual Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine SINGLE WIPE 
LOW SPEED (PULSE  WIPER) 
HIGH 
SPEED 
• Check  the washer  fluid levelregu]arly.  Do it often when  the weather 
is bad. 
• U](/manual-img/24/8083/w960_8083-24.png)
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine SINGLE WIPE 
LOW SPEED (PULSE  WIPER) 
HIGH 
SPEED 
• Check  the washer  fluid levelregu]arly.  Do it often when  the weather 
is bad. 
• Use a nuid such as OM Optikleen  to  help  prevent  freezing  damage, and for better  cleaning. 
• Do not use radiator antifreeze in the 'windshield  washer; ifcould cause 
paint damage . 
• In cold weather, warm the windshield with the defroster before using the washer-to help prevent Icing that my block 
the driver's vision. 
STARTING THE ENGINE 
I. 
2. 
Apply the parking brake. . . 
Automatic Trl!nsaxl..: Move the transaxle shift lever to "P"(Park) or "N" (Neutral) "P" Preferred). A starter safety device is 
designed  to keep  the starter  from operating if the shift  lever is in any  drive position. (If you  need to fe-start  the  engine  while the car is moving . move 
the  shift  lever  to "N.") 
Manuel Transaxle· Press the clutch pedal to the floor and shift the transaxle to Neutral. Hold the clutch pedal to the floor while you are s tarting ,the engine. A  starter  safety  device l,s d esigned to keep  the starter 
from  operating if the clutch  pedal is not fully  depres sed. 
3. Sta'rt  the  engine  as outlined  below for different  conditions. 
NOTICE: 00 not crenk the engil'. for more than 15 seconds at e time. Walt 10 to 15 seconds before trYiog  agein. 
• COLD ENGINE: 
• 
L·4 Engine Press the accelerator pedal to the floor and ·i slowly release It. With your foot off the pedal; crank the engine 
by turning  the ignition  key to "Start ."  Release the  key  when  the engine 
sta rts. 
If the  engine  starts, but  fails  to run,  repeat  this procedure. • 
•  V-6 Engine: Press the accelerator pedal to the floor twice and slowly release it. With your foot off the pedal. crank the engine  by turning  the ignition  key to 'Stan". Release  key when  engine 
s tarts. 
If the  engine  starts, but fails  to run,  repeat this procedure but press 
the  accelerat or  pedal  only 
ONCE to the  floor . :When the e ngine is 
running  smoothly  (about 30 seconds), you_ can  reduce  the engine  idle speecf by press ing  down  slightly  on the  accelerator  pedal. then slowly 
releasing  it. 
2-8   

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine NOTICE: If the engine runs for a long time (5 minute. or more) without pressing down the accelerator pedal. overheeting cOuld calise damage to the engine end exhaust system. 
Do not INve your car unattend4Mt with the engine running . If the engine shoukt overheat you would not be there to react to the temperature warning light or gage. This could r.sult in costly damage to your car and its contents. 
• WARM ENGINE -Be ,sur e to  follow  the instructi ons  which  apply to your engine . (The  Engine  Code is 'th e 5th digit  on the  YIN  plate  at the  lower  left 
sid e  o f yo
ur windshield . (See  "Specifications,"  Secti o n 7  for  more  details .) 
• Engine Code 5 • Press down the accelerator pedal to 1/3 of 
its travel and hold. Crank  the engine by turnin g the igniti on  ke y to "Star  .. " Rel ease  the  key  and  accelerator  pedal when the _ engine s tart s. 
• Engine Code 7 . Do not press down the accelerator pedal. 
With your foot off the pedal. crank th e  engine by turning the 
ignition  key to ·'Start." If  t he  engine  does no t start after  3 seconds  ,o f 
.  c ranking,  press' 
down the accelerator  pedal to 1/3 of its  travel  while 
c ranking.  Release the key ,(ap.d accelerator  pedal) when the  engine  starts . 
• Very Cold Weather (Below·' B OC or O °F Or After Car Has Been 
Standing Idle Several Days) - Befor e crankin g th e en gine , fully  depress 
and  release  the acce le rat or  pedal  one  or  two  times more  than  slated  fo r  your 
engine  under "Cold  Engine" s ta rt ing . Then . with your foot off the accelerator pedal,-cra nk the  engine -b y-turnin g the  ig nit io n key to  "St art ." 
Rdease the key  when  the  e ngin e  s tarts. 
4 .  Appl y th e regular  brakes  and  shift  into  the prop
er g~r. Release  the parkin g 
b ra k e  a nd  drive  off. 
," '. ." 
If Engine Fails To Start 
t. Fully depr ess  and  release  the acce le rat or pedal severa l times~ then tak e your 
foo t ofT th e peda _' and  cra nk  the  e ngine  by  turnin g the key to  ··St art." 
2. If th e  e ng in e still does not  sta rt,  press  the  accele ra to r  peda l to the floo r an d 
h old it ther e while  cra nkin g the· e ng ine. -Thi s sh ould clear  the  eng in e  i f it is 
floode d. 
3. If th e  en gine has been floode d' with too  much  fuel ,  it  m ay  start  to run  but 
n ot  h ave  enough  power to  keep  running. 
In that case,  continue  cranking  with 
th e accel erator  pedal  all th e  way  to the  floor  until  t he  e ngin e clears itsel f of 
excess ' gaso line an d  run s sm oo thly. 
TRANSAXlE 
CAUTION: Before going down ,e steep of'long grade . reduce speed and shift the transa.xle into a lower gear or lower g.ar range to control vehicle speed . (Do this with either 8n automatic or a manual  ,transaxle).Try not to hold the brakcl pedal down too long or too often. This could,cause the brakes to get hO,t  and not work as well. 
Driving on Slippery Surfaces 
Take  ca re  w he n  speedin g up . or  when  shiftin g  into  a  l ower  gear,  or  lower  gea r 
r a n
ge w hile  drivin g  o n slippe ry  surf aces.  Sudde n acce le ra tio n or en gine bra kin g 
a c tion  (du e to  shifting 
to a  lower  gear)  could -ca use the  f ron t wheels  to  s kid . 
N orm al 
skid  correction  and cautio us :dr iving are  call ed for  at  these times . 
2·9   

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine CAUTION: Driving thr~gh water deep enough to wet the brakes may cause the brakes not to work as well. As 8 result the vehicle will not slow down at the usual 
rate ; and it may pull to the right or left. After checking to the rear for other vehicle., apply the brakes lightly to check whether this has happened. To dry them quickly, lightly apply the brakes. At the-same time, k .. p a safe forward speed, with plenty of clear space ahead, to the rear, and to the side •. 00 this until the brakes return to normal. 
The  brake  system  warning light is covered  in the "Instrument  Panel" section. 
Power Brakes 
• If optional  power  assis t is lost  because of a stalled  engine or other  reasons . 
the  brakes can normally  still be applied with power  assist at leas t two  times 
u sing  reserv e power. 
• Th e system is designed  to bring  the vehicle  to a full  stop  on reserve  power if the brake  pedal is applied  once and held  down . However . the reserve power 
is partly used  up  each  time the brake  pedal is applied  and rele ased.  Do  not 
pump  the brakes  when ,brake  power  assist has been  lost, except  when needed 
to  maintain  steering  control  on slippery  surfaces. 
• Without  power assist, the  vehicle  can still be stopped by pushing  much harder 
o n  the brake  pedal.  However,  the stopping  distance may be longer. even 
though  the brakes  themselves  remain fully operational. 
Self-Adjusting Brakes 
• The brakes  on  this  vehicle  (exc,ept for  the  parking  brake) are self-adjusting. 
They  have been design ed so 
that periodic  brake adjustment is not required. 
• The drum brakes adjust themselves when  the brakes  are  firml y applied  while 
the  vehicle is moving backwards. 
• The  disc  brakes  adjust  themselve s each  time the brakes are  used. 
• If the brak e pedal  goes down  farther  than nonnal. it may be due to a lack 
of  adjustment.  To find  out if this is the case, drive backward  and forward 
a few times , applying  the brakes  firmly when going each  way. 
• See yo ur  dealer  if pedal  height  does not return  to normal,  or if there is a rapid 
increase in pedal  travel, which  could be a sign  of other  brake  trouble . 
• Also see your dealer if the parking  brake needs  adjustment' . 
NOTICE: "Riding the brake" by resting your foot on the brake pedal when not intending to brake can cause overheated brakes. This can waar out the brake linings faster and damage the brakas thamselvas, 85 well 8S waste fuel. 
DIMMER SWITCH 
The dimmer  switch that controls  the headlight  high/lo w  beam is built  into the 
turn  signal  control. See the "Steering  Column Controls" Section 2 of this manual. 
PARKING BRAKE 
• To set the  parking  brake, fully depress  the foot  pedal at the far left side. 
• For  better  holding  power, first  press  down  the regular  brake pedal with your 
right  foot. Then  hold it while  setting  the parking  brake with your lefl foo[. 
• 
To  release  the parking  brake, pull the "Brake Release" handle located  at the 
lower  left of the instrument  panel. 
• To help remind you. the brake system warning  light is  designed  to come on if the  parking brake control is not  fully  released  and the ignition  key is  on. 
2-14   

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine • Never drive-the vehicle _with the  parking  brake set as this  -may  overheat  the 
reaf brakes reducing  their effectiveness  and causing  excessive  wear or damage, 
DISC BRAKE WEAR INDICATORS 
Front disc brakes  have built-in  wear indicators  that are designed  to make  a 
high-pitched 
squealing or cricket-like  warning sound when the brake linings  are 
worn 10 where -new  linings  are needed. The sound  will come  and go, or be heard 
all  the  time 
when the  wheels  are rolling,  and when  the brake  pedal is pu~hed down 
firmly . Expensive  damage can result 
if linings  are not  replaced  when needed. 
See also the brake  checks  listed in the  Maintenance  Schedule folder. 
CLUTCH .PEDAL 
On models equiPPed with a manual  transaxle,  a clutch  pedal is used to engage 
or  disengage  the clutch,  thereby  connecting 
or disconnecting  the engine  from the 
transaxle  and drive1ine  to the  front  wheels. -When  the pedal is fully  extended  the 
clutch 
is engaged,  driving the transaxle  arid the front  wheels. 
INSTRUMENT PANEL P.ND CONTROLS 
INSTRUMENTS 
The instruments,  gages and indicator  lights conveniently  grouped in the 
instrument  cluster are des igned  to 
tell you at a glance  many important  things about 
_the perfonnance of your vehicle _, _ The following  information will enable you to 
more  quickly -understand and properly it';:rerpretthese instruments. 
Speedometer 
The  speedometer chand  ·indicatt:5 vehicle  speed in miles  per hour  and kilometers 
per  hour. 
Odometer 
The  group  of six figures . in the  speedometer  lower center  section  indicates  the 
accumulated  mileage. 
Fuel Gage 
The fuel gagewiH register the_APPROXIMATE fuel level in the tank,  when  the 
ignition 
is in  the RUN position. 
When  the gage  registers 
EMPTY, some fuel is still available as a reserve.  When 
the  gage  registers 
FULL. some additional" fuel can"still be added  to the  tank.  The 
following  conditiqns  may be considered  normal: 
• Gas station _pump may  shut  off before  fuel gage  indicates FULL.  • 
• 
Amount of gasoline  required  for fill-up  may not exactly  correspond  to gage. 
• Needle  may not move  away  from FULL until some time after fill·up. 
• Needle  may !Dove during turns. stops and-accelerations. 
When  the ignition  switch 
is turned to the OFF position,  the needle  will not 
necessarily 
retiJrn · all the  way  to the  EMPTY  mark. 
2-15