Page 5 of 340
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The Heritage of Chevrolet ......................
I
The dynamic William C. “Billy”
Durant shifted gears
from making
carriages to making cars,
forming half the team that gave
I birth to Chevrolet. I
Lauis Chevrolet, the other half of the team,
at the wheel
of his experimental “Classic
Six, ” which entered production in 1912.
That year 2999 vehicles were produced.
Page 16 of 340
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your vehicle has a light that
comes on as
a reminder to
buckle
up. (See "Safety Belt
Reminder Light"
in the
Index.)
In many states and Canadian provinces, the law says
to
wear safety belts. Here's why: They wo~k.
You never know if you'll be in a crash. If you do have a
crash,
you don't know if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up a person wouldn't survive.
But most crashes are in between. In many of them,
people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk
away. Without belts
they could have been badly hurt
or killed.
After more than
25 years of safety belts in vehicles, the
facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter
... a lot!
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as it
goes.
Take
the simplest vehicle. Suppose it's just a seat on
wheels.
1-6
Page 30 of 340
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine There is an air bag readiness
light on the instrument
panel, which
shows AIR
AIR
BAG
BAG.
How the Air Bag System Works
The system checks the air bag’s electrical system for
malfunctions.
The light tells you if there is an electrical
problem. See “Air
Bag Readiness Light” in the Index
for more information.
Where is the air bag?
The driver’s air bag is in the middle of the steering
wheel.
1-20
Page 32 of 340

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine It is possible that in a crash only one of the two air bags
in your Cavalier will deploy. This is rare, but can happen
in a crash just severe enough
to make an air bag inflate.
In any particular crash,
no one can say whether an air
bag should have inflated simply because of the damage
to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs were.
Inflation
is determined by the angle of the impact and
the vehicle’s deceleration. Vehicle damage
is only one
indication of this.
What makes an air bag inflate?
In a frontal or near-frontal impact of sufficient severity,
the air bag sensing system detects that the vehicle is
suddenly stopping as a result
of a crash. The sensing
system triggers a chemical reaction of
the sodium azide
sealed in the inflator. The reaction produces nitrogen
gas, which inflates the air bag. The inflator, air bag, and
related hardware are all part
of the air bag modules
packed inside the steering wheel and in the instrument
panel in front
of the right front passenger.
How does an air bag restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions,
even belted occupants
can contact the steering wheel or
the instrument panel. The air bag supplements
the
protection provided by safety belts. Air bags distribute
the force
of the impact more evenly over the occupant’s
upper body, stopping the occupant more gradually. But
air bags would not help
you in many types of collisions,
including rollovers and rear and side impacts, primarily
because an occupant’s motion is
not toward the air bag.
Air bags should never be regarded as anything more
than a supplement to safety belts, and then only in
moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions,
What will you see after an air bag inflates?
After the air bag inflates, it quickly deflates. This occurs
so quickly that some people may not even realize the air
bag inflated. Some components of the air bag module
in
the steering wheel hub for the driver’s air bag, or the
instrument panel for the right front passenger’s bag, will
be
hot for a short time, but the part of the bag that comes
into contact with you will
not be hot to the touch. There
will be some smoke and dust coming from vents in the
deflated air bags. Air bag inflation will
not prevent the
driver from seeing or from being able
to steer the
vehicle, nor will it stop people from leaving the vehicle.
1-22
Page 33 of 340

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine In many crashes severe enough to inflate an air bag,
windshields are broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage may also occur from the
right front passenger air bag.
0 The air bags are designed to inflate only once. After
they inflate, you’ll need some new parts for your air
bag system. If you don’t get them, the air bag system
won’t be there
to help protect you in another crash.
A new system will include air bag modules and
possibly other parts. The service manual for your
vehicle covers the need
to replace other parts.
Your vehicle is equipped with a diagnostic module,
which records information about the air bag system.
The module records information about the readiness
of the system, when the sensors are activated and
driver’s safety belt usage at deployment.
Let only qualified technicians work on your air bag
system. Improper service can mean that your
air bag
system won’t work properly. See your dealer for
service.
NOTICE:
If you damage the cover for the driver’s or the
right front passenger’s
air bag, they may not
work properly. You may have to replace the air
bag module in the steering wheel
or both the air
bag module and the instrument panel for the
right front passenger’s air bag.
Do not open or
break the air bag covers.
1-23
Page 62 of 340

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Theft Parking at Night
Vehicle theft is big business, especially in some cities.
Although your Chevrolet has a number
of theft-deterrent
features, we know that nothing we put on it can make it
impossible to steal. However, there are ways
you can
help.
Key in the Ignition
If you walk away from your vehicle with the keys
inside, it’s an easy target for
joy riders or professional
thieves
-- so don’t do it.
When
you park your Chevrolet and open the driver’s
door,
you’ll hear a chime reminding you to remove your
key
from the ignition and take it with you. Always do
this. Your steering wheel will be locked, and so will
your ignition.
If you have an automatic transaxle, taking
your key out also locks your transaxle. And remember
to lock the doors. Park
in a
lighted spot, close all windows and lock your
vehicle. Remember to keep your valuables out
of sight.
Put them in
a storage area, or take them with you.
Parking Lots
If you park in a lot where someone will be watching
your vehicle, it’s best to lock it up and take your keys.
But what
if you have to leave your ignition key? What if
you have to leave something valuable in your vehicle?
Put your valuables in a storage area, like your trunk
or glove box.
Lock all the doors except the driver’s.
Then take the door key with you.
Page 64 of 340

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Ignition Switch
E
With the ignition key in the ignition switch, you can turn
the switch to five positions:
ACCESSORY (A): An “on” position in which you can
operate your electrical power accessories. Press in the
ignition switch as
you turn the top of it toward you.
LOCK (B): The only position in which you can remove
the key. This locks your steering wheel, ignition and
transaxle.
OFF (C): Unlocks the steering wheel, ignition and
transaxle, but does not send electrical power
to any
accessories. In the
OFF position, the instrument cluster
and the automatic transaxle gear shift indicator have
electrical power. Use this position if your vehicle must
be pushed or towed, but never try
to push-start your
vehicle. A warning chime will sound if
you open the
driver’s door when the ignition is
off and the key is in
the ignition.
RUN (D): An “on7’ position to which the switch returns
after
you start your engine and release the switch. The
switch stays
in the RUN position when the engine is
running. But
even when the engine is not running, you
can use
RUN to operate your electrical power
accessories,
and to display some instrument panel
warning lights.
START (E): Starts the engine. When the engine starts,
release the key. The ignition switch will return
to RUN
for normal driving.
Note that even if
the engine is not running, the positions
ACCESSORY and RUN are
“on” positions that allow
you
to operate your electrical accessories, such as the
radio.
Page 65 of 340
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine NOTICE:
If your key seems stuck in LOCK and you can’t
turn it, be sure it is all the
way in. If it is, then
turn the steering wheel left and right while you
turn the key hard. But turn the key only with
your hand. Using
a tool to force it could break
the key or the ignition switch.
If none of this
works, then your vehicle needs service.
Key Release Button (Manual Transaxle)
The ignition key cannot be
removed from the ignition
unless the key release
button is used.
10 remove the key, turn the key to the OFF position.
Press
the key release button while turning the key from
OFF
to LOCK. Keeping your finger on the button, pull
the key straight out.
2-9