1997 CHEVROLET CAVALIER Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow
What you don’t want to do when your vehicle is stuck is
to spin your wheels too fast. The method known as
“rocking” can help you get
out when you’re stuck, but
you must use caution.
If you let your tires spin at high speed, they can
explode, and you or others could be injured.
And, the transaxle or other parts of the vehicle
can overheat. That could cause an engine
compartment fire or other damage. When you’re
stuck, spin the wheels
as little as possible. Don’t
spin the wheels above
35 mph (55 km/h) as shown
on the speedometer.
I NOTICE:
Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of your
vehicle as well as the tires.
If you spin the wheels
too fast while shifting your transaxle back and
forth, you can destroy your transaxle.
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle,
see “Tire Chains” in the Index.
Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your front wheels. Then shift back
and forth between REVERSE
(R) and a forward gear
(or with a manual transaxle, between FIRST
(1) or
SECOND
(2) and REVERSE (R)), spinning the wheels
as little as possible.
(If your vehicle has the Enhanced
Traction System, shift back and forth between
REVERSE (R) and FIRST
(1) or SECOND (2),
spinning the wheels as little as possible.) Release the
accelerator pedal while you shift, and press lightly on
the accelerator pedal when the transaxle is in gear. If
that doesn’t get you out after a few tries, you may need
to be towed out. If you do need to be towed out, see
“Towing Your Vehicle” in
the Index.
5-35

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine b% NOTES

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Here you will find information about the care of your Chevrolet. This section begins with service and fuel
information, and then it shows how to check important fluid and lubricant levels. There is also technical information
about your vehicle, and a part devoted to its appearance care.
6-3
6-6
6-8
6-12
6-17
6-18
6-2
1
6-22
6-24
6-25
6-28 Fuel
Filling
Your Tank
Checking Things Under the Hood
Engine Oil
Air Cleaner
Automatic Transaxle Fluid
(Except 2.4L Code T Engine)
Automatic Transaxle Fluid
(2.4L Code T Engine Only)
Manual Transaxle Fluid
Hydraulic Clutch
Engine Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap 6-29
6-30
6-3
1
6-35
6-35
6-40
6-52
6-55
6-56
6-56
6-58
6-58
6-64 Power Steering Fluid
Windshield Washer Fluid
Brakes
Battery
Halogen Bulbs Tires
Care of Safety Belts
Cleaning Tires
Finish Damage Underbody Maintenance Service Parts Identification Label
Electrical System Air Conditioning Refrigerants

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Service
Your Chevrolet dealer knows your vehicle best and
wants you to be happy with it. We hope you’ll
go to
your dealer for all your service needs. You’ll get
genuine GM parts and GM-trained and supported
service people.
We hope you’ll want to keep your GM vehicle
all GM.
Genuine GM parts have one of these marks:
Delco
Doing Your Own Service ,. . Work
If you want to do some of your own service work, you’ll
want to use the proper Chevrolet Service Manual.
It tells
you much more about how to service your Chevrolet
than this manual can.
To order the proper service
manual, see “Service and Owner hblications” in
the Index.
Your vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting to
do your own service work, see “Servicing Your
Air
Bag-Equipped Chevrolet” in the Index.
You should keep a record with all
parts receipts and list
the mileage qnd the date of any service work you
perform. See “Maintenance Record’’ in the Index.
6-2

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, 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.
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle
Things you might add to the outside of your vehicle can
affect the aifflow around it. This may cause wind noise
and affect windshield washer performance. Check with
your Chevrolet dealer before adding equipment
to the
outside of your vehicle.
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.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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
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.
Some gasolines that are not reformulated for
low
emissions contain an octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl
(MMT);
ask your service station operator whether or not his fuel
contains MMT, General Motors does not recommend
the
use of such gasolines. If fuels containing MMT are used,
spark plug life may be reduced and your emission
control system performance may be affected.
The
malfunction indicator lamp on your instrument panel
may
turn on. If this occurs, return to your authorized
Chevrolet dealer for service.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine To provide cleaner air, all gasolines in the United States
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 comply with the
specifications described earlier.
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 International Product Center
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario
LlH 8P7

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Filling Your Tank
A CA, JON:
Gasoline vapor is highly flammable. It burns
violently, and that can cause very bad injuries.
Don’t smoke if you’re near gasoline or refueling
your vehicle. Keep sparks, flames and smoking materials away from gasoline.
The cap is behind a hinged door on the right side of
your vehicle.
While refueling, hang the tethered cap inside the fuel
door by placing the fuel cap strap
in the strap hanger.
To take off the cap, turn it slowly to the left
(counterclockwise). The cap has a spring
in it; if you let
go of the cap too
soon, it will spring back to the right.