1980 CHEVROLET CITATION 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.
• 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 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- Case of Emergency," Section ' 3 of this manu al.
• 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 • Holding. vehicle on an upgrade with the accelerator pedal. (Use the regular
brakes to hold car on an uphill grade.)
Column Shift Lever
The PRNDL1L1 pattern is located within the instrument cluster below the
speedometer.
The heavy line in the figure indicates the movement of the shift lever
as it
is lifted to shift into Reverse or Low and into or out of Park position.
4·SPEED MANUAL TRANSAXLE
The standard 4-speed manual transaxle shift pattern is shown in the figure. This
transaxle
is designed to be cOinpletely sypchronized in all forward gears and may
be downshifted into "1st" gear at any speed below 20 mph (30 km/h.) Always
depress the clutch pedal
fully before attempting to shift into any gear. In "1st"
and "Reverse " gear --slowly release the clutch pedal while at the same time
pressing down· on the accelerator pedal. In all other gears the clutch may be
released a little faster. This helps to reduce clutch wear.
When shifting into
"Reverse" gear, push clutch pedal in then press in on the
button located on the top of the gearshift lever keeping thehutton depressed until
you have moved the shift
lever into "Reverse" gear.
DRIVING PRECAUTIONS· MANUAL
TRANSAXLES
• Do not ride the dutch pedal; this produces a partly disengaged condition that may result in damage to the clutch.
• Use third gear at slow speeds (less than 30 mph (50 km/h)) when driving
in stop-and-go traffic for improved
car performance during acceleration and
when descending steep grades.
• Shift to the next lowest gear for extremely hard pulls at low road speeds.
• Shift the gears with a moderate effort to allow time for the transaxle
synchronizers to coordinate.
• When stopped on an upgrade, do not hold car with engine. Use your regular
brake.
• Do not coast in "Neutral" (i1legal in many states).
• Set parking brake firmly before leaving the car.

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 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