1993 CHEVROLET CAVALIER Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If you get the overheat warning with no
sign
of steam, try this for a minute or so:
1. If you have an air conditioner, turn it
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the
off.
highest fan speed and open the window as necessary.
3. Try to keep your engine under load
(in a drive gear where the engine
runs slower).
If
you no longer have the overheat
warning, you can drive. Just to be safe,
drive slower for about ten minutes. If
the warning doesn’t come back on, you
can drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your vehicle right away. If there’s
still no sign of steam, you can
idle the engine for two or three minutes
while you’re parked, to see
if the
warning stops. But then, if you still have
the warning, TURN
OFF THE
ENGINE AND
GET EVERYONE
OUT OF THE VEHICLE until it cools
down.
You may decide not to
lift the hood but
to get service help right away.
If you have
a 2.2L L4 engine, your
engine coolant system
will have a
coolant recovery
tank. If you have a 3.1L
V6 engine, your engine coolant system
will have a coolant surge tank.
There are important differences between
these two cooling systems. Read this section carefully.
Cooling System-2.2L LA Engine
When you decide it’s safe to lift the
hood, here’s what you’ll see:
(A) Coolant recovery tank
(B) Radiator pressure cap
(C) Electric engine fan
a An electric fan under the hood
engine
is not running and can injure
you. Keep hands, clothing and tools
away
from any underhood electric h.
L can start up even when the
If the coolant inside the coolant
recovery tank
is boiling, don’t do
anything else until it cools down.
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Engine Overheating (CONT.)
The coolant level should be at or above
FULL COLD. If it isn't, you may have
a leak
in the radiator hoses, heater
hoses, radiator, water pump
or
somewhere else in the cooling system.
II Heater and radiator hoses, and
L other engine parts, can be
very hot. Don't touch them. If you
do, you can be burned.
Don't run the engine if there is a
leak. If you run the engine, it
could
lose all coolant. That could
cause
an engine fire, and you could
be burned. Get any leak fixed
before you drive the vehicle.
Engine damage from running
your
engine without coolant isn't
covered by your warranty.
I
Cooling System-3.1L V6 Engine
When you decide it's safe to lift the
hood, here's what you'll see:
(A) Coolant surge tank with pressure cap
(B) Electric engine fan
An electric fan under the hood
L can start up even when the
engine
is not running and can injl
you. Keep hands, clothing and tows
away hm any underhood electric f8n. I
If the coolant inside the coolant surge
tank is boiling, don't do anything else
until it cools down.
I.. I76

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The coolant level should be at or above
FULL COLD. If it isn’t, you may have
a leak
in the radiator hoses, heater
hoses, radiator, water pump
or ’
somewhere else in the cooling system.
, Heater and radiator hoses, and
- b other engine parts, can be
very hot. Don’t touch them.
If you
do,
you can be burned.
Don’t run the engine
if there is a
leak.
If you run the engine, it
could lose all coolant. That could
cause
an engine fire, and you could
be burned. Get any leak
fixed
before you drive the vehicle.
Both Engines:
If there seems to be no leak, check to
see
if the electric engine fan is running.
If the engine is overheating, the fan
should be running. If it isn’t, your
vehicle needs service.
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Engine Overheating (CONT.)
How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery Tank
(or the Coolant Surge
Tank):
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but
the coolant level isn’t at or above FULL
COLD,
add a 50/50 mixture of clean
water
(preferably distilled) and a proper
antifreeze at the coolant recovery
tank
(or coolant surge tank). If you have the
coolant surge tank, be sure
the cooling
system, including the coolant surge
tank
pressure cap, is cool before you do it.
See How To Add Coolant to the 2.2L L4
Engirze at the Radiator or How to Add
Coolant
to the 3.1L V4 Engine ut the
Coolant
Surge Tank later in this section.
A
Adding only plain water to
your cooling system can be
dangerous. Plain water, or some
other liquid like alcohol, can boil
before the proper coolant mix will.
Your vehicle’s coolant warning
system
is set for the proper cool an^
mix. With plain water or the
wrong
mix, your engine could get
too hot but you wouldn’t get
the
overheat warning, Your engine
could catch fire and you or others
could be burned. Use a 50150 mix
of clean water and a proper
antifreeze. In cold weather, water can freezt
and crack the engine, radiator,
heater core and other parts Ise
the recommended coolant.
mmm I 78

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A You can be burned if you spill
coolant on hot engine parts.
Coolant contains ethylene glycol
and
it will burn if the engine parts
are hot enough. Don't spill coolant
on a hot engine. When
the coolant
in the coolant
recovery
tank (or coolant surge tank) is
at or above
FULL COLD, start your
vehicle.
If the overheat warning continues,
there's one more thing you can
try if you
have a
2.2L L4 engine. You can add the
proper coolant mix directly to the
radiator, but be sure the cooling system
is cool before you do
it.
I
A
Steam and scalding liquids
from a hot cooling system can
blow out and burn you badly. They
are under pressure, and
if you turn
the radiator (or coolant surge
tank)
pressure cap-even a little-they
can come out at high speed. Never
turn the cap when the cooling
system, including the radiator (or
coolant surge tank) pressure cap, is
hot. Wait for the cooling system
and radiator (or coolant surge
tank)
pressure cap to cool if you ever
have to turn the pressure cap.
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Engine Overheating (CONE)
How to Add Coolant to the 2.2L LA
Engine at the Radiator: .
1. You can remove the radiator pressure
cap when
the cooling system,
including the radiator pressure cap
and upper radiator hose, is no longer
hot. Turn the pressure cap slowly to
the left until it first stops. (Don’t
press down while turning the
pressure cap.)
If you hear a hiss, wait for that to stop.
A hiss means there is still some pressure
left.
2. Then keep turning the pressure cap, 3. Fill the radiator with the proper mix,
but now push down as
you turn it. up to the base of the filler neck.
Remove the pressure cap.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 4. Then fill the coolant recovery tank to
FULL COLD.
5. Put the cap back on the coolant
recovery tank, but leave the radiator
pressure cap off. 6. Start the engine and let it run until
you can feel the upper radiator hose
getting hot. Watch
out for the engine
fan.
7. By this time, the coolant level inside
the radiator filler neck may be lower.
If the level is lower, add more of the
proper mix through
the filler neck
until the level reaches the base
of the
filler neck.
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Engine Overheating (CONT)
8. Then replace the pressure cap. Be
sure the arrows
on the pressure cap
line up like this.
How to Add Coolant to the 3.lL V6
Engine at the Coolant Surge Tank:
1. You can remove the coolant surge
tank pressure cap when the cooling
system, including the coolant surge
tank pressure cap and upper radiator
hose, is
no longer hot. Turn the
pressure cap slowly
to the left until it
first stops. (Don’t press down while
turning the pressure cap.)
If you hear a hiss, wait for that to stop.
A hiss means there is still some pressure
left.
2. Then keep turning the pressure cap,
but now push down
as you turn it.
Remove the pressure cap.