1996 CHEVROLET CAVALIER service indicator

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Check Engine Light)
Your Chevrolet is equipped
with a computer which
monitors operation of the
fuel, ignition and emission
CHECK
control systems.
This system is called OBD
I1 (On-Board
Diagnostics-Second Generation) and is intended
to
assure that emissions are at acceptable levels for the life
of the vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner
environment. (In Canada, OBD
I1 is replaced by
Enhanced Diagnostics.) The CHECK ENGINE light
comes on to indicate that there is a problem and service
is required. Malfunctions often will be indicated by the
system before any problem is apparent, which may
prevent more serious damage to your vehicle. This
system is also designed to assist your service technician
in correctly diagnosing any malfunction.
NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle with this light
on, after a while, your emission controls may not
work as well, your fuel economy may not be as
good and your engine may not run as smoothly.
This could lead to costly repairs that may not be
covered by your warranty.
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is not
running. If the light doesn’t come on, have it repaired.
This light will also come
on during a malfunction in one
af two ways:
Light Flashing -- A misfire condition has been
detected.
A misfire increases vehicle emissions and
may damage the emission control system on your
vehicle. Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis
and service is required.
Light On Steady -- An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle. Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis and service may be required.
2-71

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Fuel Gage
When the ignition is on,
your fuel gage tells you
about how much fuel
you
have left.
When the indicator nears
EMPTY (E), you still have a
little fuel left, but
you should get more soon. Here are
four things that some owners ask about. None
of these show a problem with your fuel gage:
At the service station, the gas pump shuts off before
It takes a little more or less fuel to fill up than the
the gage reads FULL
(F).
gage indicated. For example, the gage may have
indicated
the tank was half
full, but it actually took a
little more or less than half the tank’s capacity to fill
the tank.
The gage moves a little when you turn a corner or
The gage doesn’t go back to EMPTY (E) when you
For your fuel tank capacity, see “Capacities and
Specifications” in the Index. speed up.
turn off’ the ignition.
2-76

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine You can be injured and your vehicle could be
damaged if you try to do service work on a
vehicle without knowing enough about it.
0 Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, and the proper replacement
parts and tools before you attempt any
vehicle maintenance task.
0 Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts and
other fasteners. “English” and “metric”
fasteners can be easily confused.
If you use
the wrong fasteners, parts can later break or fall off.
You could be hurt.
Fuel
Use regular unleaded gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher.
At a
minimum, it should meet specifications ASTM D4814
in the United States and CGSB 3.5-M93 in Canada.
Improved gasoline specifications have been developed by
the American Automobile Manufacturers Association
(AAMA) for better vehicle performance and engine ,
protection. Gasolines meeting the AAMA specification could provide improved driveability and emission control
system protection compared to other gasolines.
Be sure the posted octane is at least 87.
If the octane is
less than 87, you may get
a heavy knocking noise when
you drive.
If it’s bad enough, it can damage your engine.
If you’re using fuel rated at
87 octane or higher and you
still hear heavy knocking, your engine needs service.
But don’t worry
if you hear a little pinging noise when
you’re accelerating or driving up a hill. That’s normal,
and you don’t have to buy a higher octane fuel to get rid
of pinging. It’s the heavy, constant knock that means
you have a problem.
If your vehicle is certified to meet California Emission
Standards (indicated on the underhood tune-up label), it
is designed to operate on fuels that meet California
specifications. If such fuels
are not available in states
adopting California emissions standards, your vehicle
will operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting federal
specifications, but ‘emission control system performance
may be affected. The malfunction indicator lamp on
your instrument panel may
turn on and/or your vehicle
may fail a smog-check test.
If this occurs, return to your
authorized Chevrolet dealer for diagnosis to determine
the cause of failure.
In the event it is determined that the;
cause of the condition is the type of fuels used, repairs
may not be covered by your warranty.
6-2

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine In Canada, some gasolines contain an octane-enhancing
additive called
MMT. If you use such fuels, your
emission control system performance may deteriorate
and the malfunction indicator lamp on your instrument
panel may turn on.
If this happens, return to your
authorized Chevrolet dealer for service.
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines are now required to
contain additives that will help prevent deposits from
forming in your engine and fuel system, allowing your
emission control system to function properly. Therefore,
you should not have to add anything to the fuel. In
addition, gasolines containing oxygenates, such as ethers
and ethanol, and reformulated gasolines may be
available in your area to help clean the air. General
Motors recommends that you use these gasolines if they
c~ lply with the specifications described earlier.
7- I
I NOTICE:
Your vehicle was not designed for fuel that
contains methanol. Don’t use it. It can corrode
metal parts in your fuel system and
also damage
plastic and rubber parts. That damage wouldn’t
be covered under your warranty.
Fuels in Foreign Countries
If you plan on driving in another country outside the
United States or Canada, the proper fuel may be hard to
find. Never use leaded gasoline or any other fuel not
recommended in the previous text on fuel. Costly repairs
caused by use of improper fuel wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
To check on fuel availability, ask an auto club, or
contact a major oil company that does business in the
country where you’ll be driving.
You can also write us at the following address for
advice. Just tell us where you’re going and give your
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
General Motors Overseas Distribution Corporation,
North American Export Sales (NAES)
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario
LlH 8P7
6-3

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Brake Wear
Your Chevrolet has front disc brakes and rear
drum brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that make a
high-pitched warning sound when the brake pads are
worn and new pads
are needed. The sound may come and
go or be heard all the time your vehicle is moving (except
when you
are pushing on the brake pedal fiily).
L
The brake wear warning sound means that
sooner or later your brakes won’t work well.
That could lead to an accident. When you hear
the brake wear warning sound, have your
vehicle serviced.
NOTICE:
Continuing to drive with worn-out brake pads
could result in costly brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are first applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean something is wrong with
your brakes.
Free movement of brake calipers and properly torqued
wheel nuts are necessary to help prevent brake
pulsation.
When tires are rotated, inspect brake calipers
for movement, brake pads for wear, and evenly torque
wheel nuts in proper sequence to
GM specifications.
Your rear drum brakes don’t have wear indicators, but if
you ever hear a rear brake rubbing noise, have the rear
brake linings inspected. Also, the rear brake drums
should be removed and inspected each time the tires are
removed for rotation
or changing. When you have the
front brakes replaced, have the rear brakes inspected, too.
Brake linings should always be replaced
as complete
axle sets.
6-30

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When It’s Time for New Tires
One way to tell when it’s
time for new tires is to
check the treadwear
indicators, which will
appear when your tires have
only
1/16 inch (1.6 mm) or
less of tread remaining.
Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires you need, look at
the Tire-Loading Information label.
The tires installed on your vehicle when it was new had
a Tire Performance Criteria Specification (TPC Spec)
number on each tire’s sidewall. When you get new tires,
get ones with that same TPC Spec number. That way
your vehicle will continue to have tires that are designed
to give proper endurance, handling, speed rating,
traction, ride and other things during normal service on
your vehicle. If your tires have an all-season tread
design, the TPC number will be followed by an
“MS”
(for mud and snow).
If you ever replace your tires with those not having a
TPC Spec number, make sure they are the same size,
load range, speed rating and construction type (bias,
bias-belted or radial) as your original tires.
You
need a new tire if any of the following statements
are true:
0 You can see the indicators at three or more places
0 You can see cord or fabric showing through the tire’s
around the tire.
rubber.
0 The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut or snagged deep
enough to show cord or fabric.
The tire has a bump, bulge or split.
0 The tire has a puncture, cut or other damage that can’t be
repaired well because of the size or location of the damage.
6-39

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Oil Pressure Warning .......................... 2-73
Passlock Warning
........................... 2-75
Safety Belt Reminder
...................... 1.6. 2.65
Loading Your Vehicle
........................... 4-31
Cylinders
................................... 7-39
Door
........................................ 2-3
PowerDoor
.................................. 2-4
Rear Door Security
............................. 2-4
Steering Column Lock Check
................... 7-40
Tr~nk
....................................... 2-7
Low Coolant Warning Light
...................... 2-70
Lowering the Convertible Top Manually
............. 2-57
Lowering Your Convertible Top
................... 2-49
Lubricants and Fluids
............................ 7-43
Lubrication Service. Body
........................ 7-39
Up-Shift
.................................... 2-75
Locks
......................................... 2-3
Key Lock Cylinder Service
..................... 7-39
Maintenance. Normal Replacement
parts ........... 6-60
Maintenance Record ............................ 7-45
Maintenance Schedule
............................ 7- 1
Long Tripmighway Definition ................... 7-5
Long Tripmighway Intervals
..................... 7-5
Owner Checks and Services
..................... 7-38
Periodic Maintenance Inspections
................ 7-42
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants
............. 7-43 Scheduled Maintenance Services
.................. 7-3
Short Trip/City Definition
....................... 7-4
Short Trip/City Intervals
........................ 7-4
Maintenance. Underbody
......................... 6-50
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
................. 4-40
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
...................... 2-71
Manual Front Seat
............................... 1 . 1
Manual Lumbar Support .......................... 1-2
Manual Remote Control Mirror
.................... 2-44
Manual Transaxle
............................... 2-12
Check
...................................... 7-39
Fluid
....................................... 6-19
Shifting
..................................... 2-20
Starting Your Engine
.......................... 2-12
Methanol
...................................... 6-2
Mirrors
....................................... 2-44
Convex Outside
.............................. 2-45
Inside Daymight Rearview
..................... 2-43
Manual Remote Control
........................ 2-44
Power Remote Control
......................... 2-44
MountainRoads
................................ 4-23
Multifunction Lever
............................. 2-30
Neutral. Automatic Transaxle
.................... 2-17
Neutral. Manual Transaxle
........................ 2-21
New Vehicle “Break-In”
.......................... 2-9
Nightvision
................................... 4-16
9- /

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Transmitters. Keyless Entry ........................ 2-5
Transportation. Courtesy .......................... 8-6
Trip Odometer ................................. 2-64
Trunk Lock ..................................... 2-7
TTYUsers ...................................... 8-3
Turn Signal and Lane Change Signals ............... 2-3 1
Turn SignaVMultifunction Lever ................... 2-30
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer ................ 4-39
Underbody Flushing Service ..................... 7-41
Underbody Maintenance ......................... 6-50
Up-Shift Light ................................. 2-75
Vehicle
Control
...................................... 4-5
Damage Warnings .............................. vii
Dimensions
................................. 6-60
Identification Number ......................... 6-52
Loading .................................... 4-31
Storage ..................................... 6-32
Ventilation System ............................... 3-5
Visors. Sun .................................... 2-48
warning Devices ; .............................. 5-2
Warning Lights. Gages and Indicators ............... 2-65
Washer Fluid. Windshield ........................ 6-27
Washing Your Vehicle ........................... 6-47
Wheel Weatherstrips
.................................. 6-47
Alignment .................................. 6-41
Nut Torque ............................. 5-29. 6-58
Replacement ................................. 6-41
Used Replacement ............................ 6-42
Wrench ..................................... 5-21
Windows ..................................... 2-29
Auto-Down ................................. 2-29
Power ...................................... 2-29
Windshield Washer ............................. 2-34
Fluid ................................... 2-34. 6-27
FluidLevelCheck ............................ 7-38
Windshield Wiper .............................. 2-32
Blade Replacement ........................... 6-35
Fuse ....................................... 6-53
Winter Driving ................................. 4-25
Wiring. Headlamp .............................. 6-53
WreckerTowing ................................. 5-7
Wrench. Wheel ................................. 5-21
9-12