1997 CHEVROLET CAVALIER ignition

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Safety Belt Reminder Light
When the key is turned to RUN or START, a chime will
come on for about eight seconds to remind people to
fasten their safety belts, unless the driver’s safety belt is
already buckled.
I The safety belt light will
also come on and stay on
for about
20 seconds, then it
will flash for about
55
seconds. If the driver’s belt
is already buckled, neither
the chime nor the light will
come on.
Air Bag Readiness Light
There is an air bag readiness light on the instrument
panel, which shows AIR BAG. The system checks the
air bag’s electrical system for malfunctions. The light
tells you if there
is an electrical problem. The system check includes
the air bag sensor, the
air bag modules,
the wiring and the crash sensing and diagnostic module.
For more information on the
air bag system, see “Air
Bag” in the Index.
AIR
BAG
This light will come on
when you start your engine,
and it will flash for a few
seconds. Then the light
should go out. This means
the system is ready.
~~~~
If the air bag readiness light stays on after you start the
engine
or comes on when you are driving, your air bag
system may not work properly. Have your vehicle
serviced right away.
The air bag readiness light should flash for a few
seconds when you turn the ignition key to RUN. If the
light doesn’t come on then, have it fixed
so it will be
ready to warn you if there
is a problem.
2-68

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Charging System Light
The charging system light
will come on briefly when
you turn on the ignition, and
the engine is not running, as
a check to show you it is
working. Then
it should
go out when the engine
is started.
If it stays on, or comes on while you are driving, you
may have a problem with the electrical charging system.
It could indicate that you have a loose generator drive
belt, or another electrical problem. Have
it checked
right away. Driving while this light is on could drain
your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with the light on, be
certain to turn
off all your accessories, such as the radio
and air conditioner.
Brake System Warning Light
Your Chevrolet’s hydraulic brake system is divided into
two parts.
If one part isn’t working, the other part can
still work and stop you. For good braking, though, you
need both parts working well.
If the warning light comes on, there could be a brake
problem. Have your brake system inspected right away.
BRAKE
This light should come on
briefly when you turn the
ignition key to
RUN.
If it doesn’t come on then,
have it fixed
so it will be
ready to warn you if there’s
a problem.
2-69

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the
road and stop carefully.
You may notice that the pedal is
harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer to the floor.
It may take longer to stop. If the light is still on, have the
vehicle towed for service. (See “Towing Your Vehicle’’
il he
- *)
Your brake system may not be working propc--y
if the brake system warning light
is on. Driving
with the brake system warning light on can lead
to an accident.
If the light is still on after you’ve
pulled
off the road and stopped carefully, have
the vehicle towed for service.
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will also
come on when you set your parking brake. The
light will stay on if your parking brake doesn’t release
fully. If it stays on after your parking brake is fully
released, it means you have
a brake problem.
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
With the anti-lock brake
system, this light will come
on when you start your
engine and it will stay
on for three seconds.
That’s normal.
If the light stays on, turn the ignition to OFF. Or, if the
light comes on when you’re driving, stop as soon as
possible and turn the ignition
off. Then start the engine
again to reset the system.
If the light still stays on, or
comes on again while you’re driving, your Chevrolet
needs service. If the regular brake system warning light
isn’t on, you still have brakes, but you don’t have
anti-lock brakes.
If the regular brake system warning
light is also on, you don’t have anti-lock brakes and
there’s
a problem with your regular brakes. See “Brake
System Warning Light” earlier in this section.
The anti-lock brake system warning light should come
on briefly when
you turn the ignition key to RUN. If the
light doesn’t come on then, have it fixed
so it will be
ready to warn you if there is a problem.
2-70

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Enhanced Traction System Active Light
LOW
TRAC
When your Enhanced
Traction System is limiting
wheel spin, this light will
come on. Slippery road
conditions may exist if the
Enhanced Traction System active light comes on,
so
adjust your driving
accordingly.
The light will stay
on for a few seconds after the
Enhanced Traction System stops limiting wheel spin.
The Enhanced Traction System active light also comes
on briefly when you turn the ignition key to
RUN. If the
light doesn’t come
on then, have it fixed so it will be
there
to tell you when the system is active.
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
9
H
TEMP
Your vehicle is equipped with one of these gages. With
the ignition in the
RUN position, this gage shows the
engine coolant temperature.
If the gage pointer moves into the red
area, your engine
is too hot! It means that your engine coolant has
overheated.
If you have been operating your vehicle
under normal driving conditions,
you should pull off the
road, stop your vehicle and turn off the engine as soon
as possible.
In “Problems on the Road,” this manual shows what to
do. See “Engine Overheating” in the Index.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Low Coolant Warning Light
If this light comes on and
stays on, your system is low
on coolant and the engine
may overheat.
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Check Engine Light)
CHECK
Your Chevrolet is equipped
with a computer which
monitors operation of the
fuel, ignition
and emission
control systems.
See the Index under “Engine Coolant’’ and have your
vehicle serviced as soon as
you can.
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. This may
prevent more serious damage to your vehicle. This
system is also designed to assist your service technician
in correctly diagnosing any malfunction.
2-73

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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
of 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.
If the Light Is Fla+lng
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
Reducing vehicle speed.
Avoiding hard accelerations.
Avoiding steep uphill grades.
If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled
as soon as it is possible.
If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see “If
the Light
Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to flash, when it
is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart the
engine. If the light remains on steady, see “If the Light
Is On Steady” following. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your
dealer or qualified service center for service.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Oil Pressure Warning Light
If you have a low engine oil
pressure problem, this light
will
stay on after you start
your engine, or
conze 012
when you are driving. This
indicates that your engine is
not receiving enough oil.
The engine could be low on oil, or could have some
other oil problem. Have it fixed immediately.
The oil light could also come on in three other situations:
0 When the ignition is on but the engine is not running,
the light
will come on as a test to show you it is
working, but the light will
go out when you turn the
ignition to START. If it doesn’t come on with the
ignition
on, you may have a problem with the fuse or
bulb. Have it fixed right away.
If you’re idling at a stop sign, the light may blink on
If you make a hard stop, the light may come on for a
and then
off.
moment. This is normal.
Don’t keep driving if the oil pressure is low.
If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches fire. You or others could
be burned.
Check your oil
as soon as possible and have your
vehicle serviced.
I NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and
is not covered by
your warranty.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Fuel Gage
E‘
I
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
0 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
speed up.
turn off the ignition.
For your fuel tank capacity, see “Capacities and Specifications” in the Index.