1997 CHEVROLET CAVALIER instrument panel

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine or the instrument panel ... or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance,
and your strongest bones take the forces. That’s why
safety belts make such good sense.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A CAUTION:
Air bags inflate with great force, faster than the
blink of an eye. If you’re too close to an inflating
air bag, it could seriously injure you. Safety belts
help keep you in position before and during
a
crash. Always wear your safety belt, even with air
bags. The driver should sit as
far back as possible
while still maintaining control of the vehicle.
A CAUTION:
An inflating air bag can seriously injure small
children. Always secure children properly in your
vehicle.
To read how, see the part of this manual
called ‘cChildren” and the caution label on the
right front passenger’s safety belt.
AIR
BAG
There is an air bag readiness
light on the instrument
panel, which shows
AIR BAG.
The system checks the air bag 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine How the Air Bag System Works
I
I
The right front passenger’s air bag is in the instrument
panel
on the passenger’s side.
Where are the air bags?
The driver’s air bag is in the middle of the steering wheel.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If something is between an occupant and an air
bag, the bag might not inflate properly or it
might force the object into that person. The path
of an inflating air bag must be kept clear. Don’t
put anything between an occupant and an air
bag, and don’t attach
or put anything on the
steering wheel hub or
on or near any other air
bag covering.
When should an air bag inflate?
An air bag is designed to inflate in a moderate to severe
frontal or near-frontal crash. The air bag will inflate
only if the impact speed
is above the system’s designed
“threshold level.” If your vehicle goes straight into a
wall that doesn’t move or deform, the threshold level is
about
9 to 15 mph (14 to 24 km/h). The threshold level
can vary, however, with specific vehicle design,
so that it can
be somewhat above or below this range.
If your
vehicle strikes something that will move or deform, such
as a parked car, the threshold level will be higher. The
air bag
is not designed to inflate in rollovers, side
impacts or rear impacts, because inflation would not
help the occupant.
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
how quickly the vehicle slows down in frontal or
near-frontal impacts.
What makes an air bag inflate?
In an impact of sufficient severity, the air bag sensing
system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. The sensing
system triggers
a release of gas from the inflator, which
inflates the air bag. The inflator, air bag and related
hardware
are all part of the air bag modules inside the
steering wheel and in the instrument panel in front
of
the right front passenger.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
Air bags supplement 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,
rear impacts and side impacts, primarily because
an occupant’s motion
is not toward those air bags. 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 an air bag inflates, it quickly deflates, 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. The parts of the bag that come
into contact with you may be warm, but not too hot to
touch. There will be some smoke and dust coming from
vents in the deflated air bags. Air bag inflation doesn’t
prevent the driver from seeing or from being able to
steer the vehicle, nor does
it stop people from leaving
the vehicle.
When an air bag inflates, there is dust in the air.
This dust could cause breathing problems
for people with a history of asthma
or other
breathing trouble.
To avoid this, everyone in the
vehicle should get out as soon as it is safe to do
so.
If you have breathing problems but can’t get out
of the vehicle after an air bag inflates, then get
fresh air by opening a window or door.
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.
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.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0
0 Your vehicle is equipped with a crash sensing and
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. Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped
Chevrolet
Air bags affect how your Chevrolet should be serviced.
There are parts of the air bag system in several places
around your vehicle.
You don’t want the system to
inflate while someone is working on your vehicle. Your
Chevrolet dealer and the Cavalier Service Manual have
information about servicing your vehicle and the air bag
system. To purchase a service manual, see “Service and
Owner Publications’’ in the Index.
NOTICE:
If you damage the covering for the driver’s or the
right front passenger’s air bag, the bag 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 coverings.
A C.” UTION:
For up to 10 minutes after the ignition key is
turned off and the battery
is disconnected, an air
bag can still inflate during improper service. You
can be injured
if you are close to an air bag when
it inflates. Avoid wires wrapped with yellow tape
or yellow connectors. They are probably part of
the air bag system. Be sure to follow proper
service procedures, and make sure the person performing work for you is qualified to do
so.
The air bag system does nor need regular maintenance.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0 Section 2 Features and Controls
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2-67 Parking Over Things That
Bum
Engine Exhaust
Running Your Engine While You’re Parked
(Automatic Transaxle)
Windows
Turn Signalhlultifunction Lever
Exterior Lamps
Interior Lamps
Mirrors Storage Compartments
Sunroof
(If Equipped)
Convertible Top
(If Equipped)
The Instrument Panel
-- Your
Information System
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
Here
you can learn about the many standard and optional features on your Chevrolet, and information
on starting,
shifting and braking. Also explained are the instrument panel and the warning systems that tell you
if everything is
working properly
-- and what to do if you have a problem.
Keys
Door Locks
Keyless Entry System (If Equipped)
Trunk
Theft
Passlock
New Vehicle “Break-In”
Ignition Positions Starting Your Engine
Engine Coolant Heater
(If Equipped)
Automatic Transaxle Operation
Manual Transaxle Operation
Parking Brake
Shifting Into PARK (P) (Automatic
Transaxle Models Only)
Shifting Out
of PARK (P)
(Automatic Transaxle)
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Trunk
It can be dangerous to drive with the trunk lid
open because carbon monoxide (CO) gas can
come into
your vehicle. You can’t see or smell
CO. It can cause unconsciousness and even death.
If you must drive with the trunk lid open or if
electrical wiring or other cable connections must
pass through the seal between the body and the
trunk
lid:
Make sure all windows are shut.
Turn the fan on your heating or cooling
system
to its highest speed with the setting
on any airflow selection except
MAX. That
will force outside air into your vehicle. See
“Comfort Controls”
in the Index.
instrument panel, open them all the way.
If you have air outlets on or under the
See “Engine Exhaust” in the Index.
Remote Trunk Release (If Equipped)
Pull upward on the remote
release handle, located on
the floor near the
left side of
the driver’s seat, to release
the trunk lid.
Theft
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.