1998 CHEVROLET CAVALIER Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Ensure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P) range before
starting the engine. Your vehicle 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 RUN. 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.
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
“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.
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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:
I
Don’t drive in SECOND (2) for more than
25 miles (40 km), or at speeds over 55 mph
(88 km/h), or you can damage your transaxle.
Use DRIVE
@) 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. If
the selector lever is put in FIRST (l), the transaxle
won’t shift into first 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Forward Gears ($-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 (55 km/h), push your
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (55 km/h), push your
accelerator all the way down.
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):
0 When driving on hilly, winding roads.
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.
NOTICE:
Don’t drive in SECOND (2) for more than
25 miles (40 km), or at speeds over 55 mph
(90 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 damape
your engine.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search 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. If
the selector lever is put in FIRST (l), the transaxle
won’t shift into first 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.
Manual Transaxle Operation
I
This is your shift pattern.
1 3 5
2 4 R

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Here’s how to operate your transaxle:
FIRST (1): Press the clutch pedal and shift into
FIRST
(1). Then, slowly let up on the clutch pedal as
you press the accelerator pedal.
You can shift into FIRST
(1) when you’re going less
than
20 mph (32 km/h). If you’ve come to a complete
stop and it’s hard to shift into FIRST
(I), put the shift
lever in NEUTRAL
(N) and let up on the clutch. Press
the clutch pedal back down. Then shift into FIRST
(1).
SECOND (2): Press the clutch pedal as you let up on
the accelerator pedal and shift into SECOND
(2). Then,
slowly let up on the clutch pedal
as you press the
accelerator pedal.
THIRD (3), FOURTH (4) and FIFTH (5): Shift into
THIRD
(3), FOURTH (4) AND FIFTH (3, the same
way you do for
SECOND (2). Slowly let up on the
clutch pedal as you press the accelerator pedal.
To stop, let up on the accelerator pedal and press the
brake pedal. Just before the vehicle stops, press the
clutch pedal and the brake pedal, and shift to
NEUTRAL (N).
REVERSE (R): To back up, press down the clutch
pedal and shift into REVERSE
(R). Let up on the clutch
pedal slowly while pressing the accelerator pedal.
I I
NOTICE:
Shift to REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle is
stopped. Shifting to REVERSE
(R) while your
vehicle
is moving could damage your transaxle.
NEUTRAL (N):
Use this position when you start or
idle your engine. Also,
use REVERSE (R), along with
the parking brake,
for parking your vehicle.
Shift Speeds
If you skip more than one gear when you
downshift, you could lose control of your vehicle.
And you could injure yourself or others. Don’t
shift from FIFTH
(5) to SECOND (2) or
FOURTH
(4) to FIRST (1).
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Up Shift Light (Manual Transaxle)
I SHIFT 1
If you have a manual
transaxle, you
have an
SHIFT light. This light
will show you when to shift
to the next higher gear for
the best fuel economy.
When this light comes on, you can shift to the next
higher gear if weather, road and traffic conditions let
you. For the best fuel economy, accelerate slowly and
shift when the light comes on.
While you accelerate, it i! ~ ormal for the light to
go
on and off if you quickly change the position
of the accelerator. Ignore the SHIFT light when
you downshift.
Parking Brake
The parking brake lever is located between the
bucket seats.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine To set the parking brake, hold the brake pedal down and
pull up
on the parhng brake lever. If the ignition is on,
the brake system warning light will come on.
To release the parking brake, hold the brake pedal down.
Pull the parking brake lever up until you can press the
release button. Hold the release button
in as you move
the brake lever all the way down.
NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause
your rear brakes to overheat. You may have to
replace them, and you could also damage other
parts of your vehicle.
Shifting Into PARK (P)
(Automatic Transaxle Only)
It can be 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. 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, use the
steps that
follow.
If you’re pulling a trailer, see “Towing a
Trailer” in the Index.
1. Hold the brake pedal down and set the
parking brake.
.
2-27

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 2. Move the shift lever into the PARK (P) position like
this: Hold in the button on the lever, and push the
lever all the way toward the front
of your vehicle.
3. Move the ignition key to LOCK.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
leave your vehicle with the ignition key in your
hand, your vehicle
is in PARK (P).
Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running (Automatic Transaxle Only)
L
I
AUTION:
--
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with the
engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever
is not fully in PARK (P)
with the parking brake firmly set. And, if you
leave the vehicle with the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch fire. You or others could
be injured. Don’t leave your vehicle with the
engine running unless you have to.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle
is in PARK (P) and your
parking brake is firmly set before you leave it. After
you’ve moved the shift lever into PARK
(P), hold the
regular brake pedal down. Then, see if you can move the
shift lever away from PARK
(P) without first pushing
the button. If you can,
it means that the shift lever
wasn’t fully locked into PARK
(P).
2-28