1998 CHEVROLET CAVALIER Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine New Vehicle “Break-In” Ignition
Positions
NOTICE:
Your vehicle doesn’t need an elaborate
“break-in.” But
it will perform better in the long
run
if you follow these guidelines:
a
a
0
Don’t drive at any one speed -- fast or
slow
-- for the first 500 miles (805 km).
Don’t make full-throttle starts.
Avoid making hard stops for the first
200 miles (322 km) or so. During this time
your new brake linings aren’t yet broken
in. Hard stops with new linings can mean
premature wear and earlier replacement.
Follow this breaking-in guideline every
time you get new brake linings.
Don’t tow
a trailer during break-in.
See “Towing
a Trailer” in the Index for
more information.
C
A
AL E
With the ignition key in the ignition switch, you can turn
the switch
to five positions:
ACCESSORY (A): In this position, you can operate
your electrical power accessories. Press in the ignition
switch as you turn it toward you.
LOCK (B): This is the only position in which you can
remove the key. This locks your steering wheel, ignition
and transaxle.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine OFF (C): This position unlocks the steering wheel,
ignition and transaxle, but does not send electrical
power to any accessories. The instrument cluster and the
automatic transaxle gear shift indicator have electrical
power while in
OFF. Use this position if your vehicle
must be pushed or towed, but never try to push-start
your vehicle. A warning chime will sound if you open
the driver’s door when the ignition is
off and the key is
in the ignition.
RUN (D): This is a position to which the switch returns
after you start your engine and release the switch. The
switch stays in
RUN when the engine is running. But
even when the engine is not running, you can use
RUN
to operate your electrical power accessories, and to
display some instrument panel warning lights.
START (E): This position starts the engine. When the
engine starts, release the key. The ignition switch will
return to
RUN for normal driving.
Note that even if the engine is not running, the positions
ACCESSORY and RUN are on positions that allow
you
to operate your electrical accessories, such as the radio.
On manual transaxle vehicles, turning the key to
LOCK will lock the steering column and result in
a loss of ability to steer the vehicle. This could
cause a collision.
If you need to turn the engine
off while the vehicle
is moving, turn the key only
to
OFF. Don’t press the key release button while
the vehicle is moving.
I NOTICE:
If your key seems stuck in LOCK and you can’t
turn
it, be sure you are using the correct key; if
so, is it all the way in? If it is, then turn the
steering wheel left and right while you turn the
key hard. But turn the key only
with your hand.
Using a tool to force it could break the key or the
ignition switch.
If none of this works, then your
vehicle needs service.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Key Release Button (Manual Transaxle)
The ignition key cannot be
removed from the ignition
unless the key release
button
is used.
To remove the key, turn the key to
OFF. While pressing
the key release button in, turn the key to LOCK. Pull the
key straight out.
Starting Your Engine
Automatic Transaxle
Move your shift lever to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N).
Your engine won’t start in any other position
-- that’s a
safety feature. To restart when you’re already moving,
use NEUTRAL
(N) only.
NOTICE:
Don’t try to shift to PARK (P) if your Chevrolet
is moving.
If you do, you could damage the
transaxle. Shift to PARK
(P) only when your
vehicle is stopped.
I
Manual Transaxle
The gear selector should be in NEUTRAL (N) and the
parking brake engaged. Hold the clutch pedal
to the
floor and start the engine. Your vehicle won’t start if
the clutch pedal
is not all the way down -- that’s a
safety feature.
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$

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 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Starting Your 2.4 Liter Engine
1. With your foot off 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 warms
up.
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 the engine 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.
3. 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
a maximurn of 15 seconds. This clears the extra
gasoline
from the engine. If the engine still won’t start
or starts briefly but then stops again, repeat step 1 or 2,
depending on temperature. When the engine starts,
release the key and the accelerator pedal.
NOTICE:
1 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Engine Coolant Heater (If Equipped)
2.4L Engine
2.2L Engine
In very cold weather, 0 OF (- 18 O 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine To Use the Engine Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord. On
vehicles
with a 2.2L engine, the electrical cord is
located near the engine oil dipstick.
On vehicles
with a
2.4L engine, the electrical cord is located in
front of the engine coolant surge tank on the
passenger’s side.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 1 10-volt AC outlet.
Pluggmg me 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 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 vehicle 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine PRND2I
eeeeee
Three-Speed Automatic Transaxle
PRND321
Four-Speed Automatic Transaxle PARK
(P): This position locks your front wheels. It’s
the best position to use when you start your engine
because your
vehicle can’t move easily.
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.
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