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
:
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 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.
2-5
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 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 AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLES
Automatic transaxles replace the standard clutch and transaxlc. After starting the
engine with the selector lever in
uN" (Neutral) or "P" (Park) position, select the
rang e desired (see table) and depress the accelerator. A gradual start with a steady
increase in accelerator pressure will resuh in best possible fuel economy. Rapid
acceleration for fast starts will result in greater fuel consumption.
Automatic transaxle
. shift quadrants of all· GM vehicles continue the' u nifo rm sequence of selector positions. Shift indicators are arranged with "P"(Park)
position at one end . "followed in sequen ce by "R"(Reverse . "N"(Neutral) and the
forward driving ranges. All automatic transaxles are equipped with a starter safety
s witch designed to permit
starting -the engine only when the transaxle selector is in the "P"(Park) or "N"(Neutral) posiiion. For additional engine braking effect,
as sometimes needed in mountainous driving, place the transaxle in an
intermediate
or low range.
"Afll(
REVf.AU
N NEUT.AAl
D _ DRIVE
l' lOW'
Notice
AUTOMATIC TRAHSA XlE TIoit PMitIotn Is ..... to> Iudc ... 11...-10 _ ... _ is ....-....... ~II'e..,.;.,a.'""'·_ ... tItif ...... "' ........ 1iI _ \@ Is .... v """""",. IJM Ito;, pooition .......... "';111 Oo to«-ope...ud "'hp<>n~ pMkiftll br .....
Th .. ,....ltIon i ...... for bocl\lft. III. Clr. Sring y .... r elf to. complnl mop bel .... mifting 1" 1'1,,"_ Thi.o;' die _"' __ paoi'I ..... V .... ..., .... W1 •.......... wItiIo .... "" 10 ,till _irlti ..... !he ....... in ",,",II. TN ...--. is _ uMCI_.--. .... _. s.. .... ',,",c.. "I E~~ Oect;oa ..... owW>e , ......
U .. thl . ~OII for III""nnai f{orwud driYinl. Foroecl do...w.ifto _ .. ith.1'>o III ........ in "D" you ....... ' ."au_ic ......... "'111 ... pcodo undw 35 mpIo (60 konlll) try P .... inl .... _01· ... 101' peOoI _-V Io.fI"...., to .... n_. V .... wiN aloo go! o fur-.cl "-shit! till .-IlooooI 3S .-ph 160 """"'. Iry ......... "",..... .... .....,. ....... ,'-.n.n ..... pyoui __ ,,"Iiooo ............ "'-'"". This ,_ I, u"" .. hili Ixtr. PtrfDfrnonce it roqui red lothill dimbin, .,.. I. _ 01'0 bo U"" '0 pro.l ... "'''IIio& mking" to .Iow tho Clr ~n.r.!rt~~;::: =~':.~::~. ~:~::.::"!=I=.~O_ frDIW
TIl. ~ is ........... 00i6t....,.;,-. ....... ""' ..... _ ....... ...... ...., ... _..-. ... _ --..... .... '.,.._ ir. __ "' ..... _ ....... ""' .............. ..-... .-d. Yow_ ""if! iftlO L' It....,"-" kI' .... -'e "'""..o! .... ionD ~ ___ ~ it """', "I) mph 1110 .... ", •.
The following practices could result in automatic transaxle failure:
• Shifting ' between forward and reverse driving range while operating the
engine at high speed or heav y throttle . such as when the driving wheels are
on
snOw or ice-
• Shifting to "R"(Reverse) or any forwa rd range while operating the engin e
al high speed in "N"(Neulral) .
• Shifting to "P"(Park) while the vehicle wheels are still turning.
• Oper ating the transaxle at or near "stall condition" for periods of more than 10 seconds. ("Stall condition" is when the engine is runnin g at high speed
while the
trailsaxle is in a driving range and the drive wheels aren't moving,
such
as when stuck in deep sand or when the car is against a fixed barrier.)
2-10
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Proper Shift Points for Manual Transaxle
For the best compromise between vehicle performance and fuel economy . the Iransaxle should be upshifted as recommended in the following chart.
TRANSAXLE ENGINE TYPE
V6 4 SPEED
TRANSAXlE TVPE .
ACCELER · 4 ;PEED:" AnON
MANUAL TRANSAXLE SHIFT SPEED ACCELERATION SHIFT
FIRST TO
SECOND TO SECOND THIRD
16 mph" ('24 km/h) 25 mph (40 km/h)
MANUAL TAANSAXLE SHIFT SPEED L4 ENGINE ONL Y
FIRST TO SECQNOTO SECOND THIRD
16 mph (24 km/h) 28 mph (45 k m/h)
SECOND THIRD
THIRD TO FOURTH
30-40 mph (48·64 11m/h)
THIRD TO FOURTH
39 mph (63 km/h)
FOURTH CRUIS E 4 SPEED ... 12·16 mph (19-26 km/h) 21 ·28 mph (3445 km/h) 34·39 mph (55·63 km/h)
... All except California
Shift at the highest vehicle speed listed unless you have reached cruising speed.
(Cruising speed is a relatively steady speed which includes minor variations in
speed
to allow for road and traffic conditions.) For cruise. use the highest gear
for that speed. This may mean skipping one or more gears when changing from
an acceleration to a cruise.
If vehicle speed drops below 20 mph (30km/h). pr if the engine islugging,'you
should downshift to the next lowest ,gear.
You may need to downshift two or more
gears to k~p the engine from lugging or for satisfactory performance.
POWER STEERING
If the power steering system goes out becalj,se the engine has stalled or due to a
failure . the vehicle can still
be steered. However, much greater effort is needed.
especially in sharp
turns or at low speeds.
TILT STEERING WHEEL
The optional tilt steering wheel can be tilted up above normal position to provide
additional room for entrance and exit as well as selected driving positions below
normal height. The tilt mechanism
is located on the left side of the steering column
just behind the directional signal. To operate pull the lever towards you and move
the sleering wheel to your desired position then release the level". This permits
individual selection
of the most comfortable positions for all driving conditions. On longer trips the steering wheel position may be changed to help minimize
tension and fatigue.
CRUISE CONTROL
The optional Cruise Control System provides automatic speed control for your
comfort when driving on freeways, turnpikes.
or other non-congested highways.
The system is designed to function above speeds of approximately 30 mph (SO
km/h).
To engage the Cruise Control, proceed as follows:
• Accelerate to desired cruising speed and partially depress and release the
control button on the end
of the automatic transaxle: column shift lever.
2-12
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 • 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