
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. 
1-1   

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 • 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 • 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 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   

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine '" 0; 
o STANDARD 
o OPTIONAL 
1. AIC Outlet 2. Warning Lights 
Standard I.P.-Gen, Fasten  Belts. 
Oil/Choke,  Temp. 
Optionall.P.-Fasten Belts, Brake, 
Check  Engine  (Calif. Only), Choke. 3. Rear Defog  Switch 
4. Brake Light 
5. Turn Signals 
6. Speedometer,  Odometer & Hi Beam Indicator 
7. Clock 
8. Chack Engine (Calif. Only) 
9. Radio 10. Heater & Opt. Ale Controls 
11. Glove Box 
12. Ash Tray with Lighter 13. Shift Quandrant, Auto. Tr~ns_. 
14. Vent Levers 15. Fuel Gage 
16. Parking Brake  Release 
17. Light Switch 
18. Delay Wiper Control Knob 19. Clock or Tach (OptJ 
20. Warning Gages 
21. "Emission" Indicator Flag