1997 CHEVROLET CAVALIER Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Starting Your 2.2 Liter Engine
1. Without pushing the accelerator pedal, turn your
ignition key
to START. When the engine starts, let
go of the key. The idle speed will go down as your
engine gets warm.
r
I NOTICE:
Holding your key in START for longer than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to be
drained much sooner. And the excessive heat can
damage your starter motor.
2. If your engine still won’t start (or starts but then
stops), it could be flooded with too much gasoline.
Try pushing your accelerator pedal all the way to the
floor and holding
it there as you hold the key in
START for about three seconds. If the vehicle starts
briefly but then stops again, do the same thing, but
this time keep the pedal down for five or six seconds.
This clears the extra gasoline from the engine.
NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle.
If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the way
the engine operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your dealer.
If you don’t,
your engine might not perform properly.
If you ever have to have your vehicle towed, see
the part of this manual that tells how to do it
without damaging your vehicle. See “Towing
Your Vehicle’’ in the Index.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Starting Your 2.4 Liter Engine
1. Without pushing the accelerator pedal, turn your
ignition key to START. When the engine starts, let
go of the key. The idle speed will go down as your
engine gets warm.
NOTICE:
I
Holding your key in START for lon&!r than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to be
drained much sooner. And the excessive heat can
damage your starter motor.
2. If it doesn’t start right away, and if the weather is
very cold (below
-20” F or -29” C), push the
accelerator pedal about one-quarter of the way down
while you turn the key
to START. Do this until the
engine starts.
As soon as it does, let go of the key.
stops),
it could be flooded with too much gasoline.
3. If your engine still won’t start (or starts but then Try pushing
your accelerator pedal all
the way to the
floor and holding it there as
you hold the key in
START for about three seconds. This clears the extra
gasoline from the engine. If the vehicle starts briefly
but then stops again, do the same thing, but this time
keep the pedal about one-quarter
of the way down
for five
or six seconds.
I
NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle.
If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the way
the engine operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your dealer.
If you don’t,
your engine might not perform properly.
If you ever have to have your vehicle towed, see
the part of this manual that tells how to do it
without damaging your vehicle. See “Towing
Your Vehicle” in the Index.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Engine Coolant Heater (If Equipped)
2.4L Engine
2.2L Engine
In very cold weather, 0°F (-18°C) or colder, the engine
coolant heater can help. You'll get easier starting
and
better fuel economy during engine warm-up. Usually,
the coolant heater should be plugged in
a minimum of
four hours prior to starting your vehicle.
2-17

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine To Use the Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded
1 10-volt AC outlet.
I
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause an electrical shock. Also, the wrong kind
of extension cord could overheat and cause
a fire. You could be seriously injured. Plug the
cord into a properly grounded three-prong
110-volt
AC outlet. If the cord won’t reach, use a
heavy-duty three-prong extension cord rated for
at least
15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and store
the cord
as it was before to keep it away from moving
engine parts.
If you don’t, it could be damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends on the outside temperature, the
kind of oil you have, and some other things. Instead of trying
to list everything here, we ask that you contact
your Chevrolet dealer in the area where you’ll be
parking your vehicle. The dealer can give you the best
advice for that particular area.
Automatic Transaxle Operation
Your Chevrolet may be equipped with a three-speed
automatic
or a four-speed automatic transaxle. The
shift lever is located on the console between the seats.
There are six different positions for the shift lever on the
three-speed automatic and seven positions for the
four-speed automatic transaxles. While PARK
(P),
REVERSE (R) and NEUTRAL (N) operate identically
for both transaxles, the forward gear positions represent
different gearing and operation.
See “Forward Gears
(3-Speed)” or “Forward-Gears (4-Speed)” later in
this section.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine P
8
Three-Speed Automatic Transaxle Four-Speed Automatic Transaxle
8
ND321
88888
PARK (P): This locks your front wheels. It’s the best
position to use when you
start your engine because your
vehicle can’t move easily.
A CAUTION:
It is dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the
shift lever
is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have
to. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be sure your
vehicle won’t move, even when you’re on fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to PARK
(P).
See “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in the Index. If
you’re pulling a trailer, see “Towing a Trailer” in
the Index.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Ensure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P) range before
starting the engine. Your Chevrolet has
a brake-transaxle
shift interlock. You have to fully apply your regular
brakes
before you can shift from PARK (P) when the
ignition key is in the
RUN position. If you cannot shift
out of PARK
(P), ease pressure on the shift lever -- push
the
shift lever all the way into PARK (P) and also release
the shift lever button on floor shift console models
as you
maintain brake application. Then move the shift lever
into the gear you wish. (Press the shift lever button before
moving the shift lever.) See “Shifting Out
of PARK (P)”
in the Index.
REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.
I NOTICE:
Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle is
moving forward could damage your transaxle.
Shift to REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle
is stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice or sand without damaging your transaxle, see
“If
You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow” in the Index. NEUTRAL
(N):
In this position, your engine doesn’t
connect with the wheels.
To restart when you’re
already moving, use
NEUTRAL (N) only. Also, use
NEUTRAL (N) when your vehicle is being towed.
Shifting out of PARK
(P) or NEUTRAL (N) while
your engine is “racing” (running at high speed) is
dangerous. Unless your foot is firmly on the
brake pedal, your vehicle could move very
rapidly. You could lose control
and hit people or
objects. Don’t shift out of PARK
(P) or
NEUTRAL
(N) while your engine is racing.
I NOTICE:
Damage to your transaxle caused by shifting out
of
PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) with the engine
racing isn’t covered
by your warranty.
2-20

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Forward Gears (3-Speed)
DRIVE (D): This position is for normal driving.
SECOND
(2): This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy. You can use SECOND
(2) on hills.
It can help control your speed as you go down steep
mountain roads, but then you would also want to use
your brakes
off and on.
NOTICE:
Don’t drive in SECOND (2) for more than
25 miles (41 km), or at speeds over 55 mph
(88 kdh), or you can damage your transaxle.
Use DRIVE (D)
as much as possible. Don’t shift
into SECOND
(2) unless you are going slower
than
65 mph (105 km/h), or you can damage
your engine. FIRST
(1): This position gives you even more power (but
lower
fuel economy) than SECOND (2). You can use it on
very steep
hills, or in deep snow or mud. lf the selector
lever is put in
F’IRST (l), the transaxle won’t shift into
fist gear until the vehicle is going slowly enough.
NOTICE:
If your front wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might happen if you were stuck in
very deep sand
or mud or were up against a solid
object.
You could damage your transaxle. Also,
if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold your
vehicle there with only the accelerator pedal. This
could overheat and damage the transaxle. Use
your brakes or shift into PARK
(P) to hold your
vehicle in position on a
hill.
2-21

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Forward Gears (4-Speed)
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D): This position is for
normal driving with the four-speed automatic transaxle.
If you need more power for passing, and you’re:
Going less than about 35 mph (56 km/h), push your
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (56 h/h), push your
THIRD (3): This position is also used for normal
driving, however, it offers more power and lower fuel
economy than AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D). Here
are some times you might choose THIRD (3) instead of
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D):
accelerator all the way down.
0 When driving on hilly, winding roads.
0 When going down a steep hill.
SECOND (2): This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy. You can use SECOND
(2) on hills.
It can help control your speed as you go down steep
mountain roads, but then you would also want to use
your brakes
off and on.
I
NOTICE:
Don’t drive in SECOND (2) for more than
25 miles (41 km), or at speeds over 55 mph
(88 km/h), or you can damage your transaxle.
Use AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D) or
THIRD (3) as much as possible. Don’t shift into
SECOND
(2) unless you are going slower than
65 mph (105 km/h),
or you can damage
your engine.