1999 CHEVROLET CAVALIER light

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2-70 Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
Standard Cluster Optional Cluster
Your vehicle is equipped with one of these gages. With
the ignition in RUN, 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 ªProblems on the Road,º this manual shows what to
do. See ªEngine Overheatingº in the Index.
Low Coolant Warning Light
If this light comes on and
stays on, your system is low
on coolant and the engine
may overheat.
See ªEngine Coolantº in the Index and have your
vehicle serviced as soon as you can.
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Service Engine Soon Light)
Your vehicle is equipped
with a computer which
monitors operation of the
fuel, ignition and emission
control systems.

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This system is called OBD II (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. 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.
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.
NOTICE:
Modifications made to the engine, transaxle,
exhaust or fuel system of your vehicle or the
replacement of the original tires with other than
those of the same Tire Performance Criteria
(TPC) can affect your vehicle's emission controls
and may cause the CHECK ENGINE light to
come on. Modifications to these systems could
lead to costly repairs not covered by your
warranty. This may also result in a failure to pass
a required Emission Inspection/Maintenance test.

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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 may be 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 Flashing
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 ªIf
the Light Is On Steadyº 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 ªIf the Light
Is On Steadyº following. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your
dealer or qualified service center for service.
If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. See ªFilling Your Tankº in the Index. The
diagnostic system can determine if the fuel cap has been
left off or improperly installed. A loose or missing fuel
cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere. A
few driving trips with the cap properly installed should
turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?

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If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.
Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel (see
ªFuelº in the Index). Poor fuel quality will cause your
engine not to run as efficiently as designed. You may
notice this as stalling after start
-up, stalling when you
put the vehicle into gear, misfiring, hesitation on
acceleration or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditions may go away once the engine is warmed up.)
This will be detected by the system and cause the light
to turn on.
If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use. It will require at least one
full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
have your dealer or qualified service center check the
vehicle. Your dealer has the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to fix any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.
Oil Pressure Light
If you have a low engine oil
pressure problem, this light
will stay on after you start
your engine, or come on
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:

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
and then off.

If you make a hard stop, the light may come on for a
moment. This is normal.

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CAUTION:
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.
NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and is not covered by
your warranty.
Passlock
Warning Light
This light will come on
briefly when you turn the
key toward START.
If the light flashes, the Passlock system has entered a
tamper mode. If the vehicle fails to start, see ªPasslockº
in the Index.
If the light comes on continuously while driving and
stays on, there may be a problem with the Passlock
system. Your vehicle will not be protected by Passlock,
and you should see your dealer.
Up-Shift Light (Manual Transaxle)
This light comes on when
you need to shift to the next
higher gear. See ªManual
Transaxleº in the Index.

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2-75 Check Gages Light
This light will come on
briefly when you are
starting the engine.
If the light comes on and stays on while you are driving,
check your various gages to see if they are in the
warning zones or if you are low on fuel.
Fuel Gage
When the ignition is on,
your fuel gage tells you
about how much fuel you
have left.When the indicator nears E (empty), 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
the gage reads F (full).

It takes a little more or less fuel to fill up than the
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
speed up.

The gage doesn't go back to E (empty) when you
turn off the ignition.
For your fuel tank capacity, see ªCapacities and
Specificationsº in the Index.

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VENT: This setting brings in outside air and
directs it through the instrument panel outlets.
BI-LEVEL: This setting brings in outside air and
directs it two ways. Some air is directed through the
instrument panel outlets. Most of the air is directed
through the floor ducts and a little to the defrost and side
window vents.
FLOOR: This setting sends most of the air
through the ducts near the floor. The rest comes out of
the defroster and side window vents.
DEFOG: This setting allows half of the air to go to the
floor ducts and half to the defroster and side window vents.
DEFROST: This setting directs most of the air
through the defroster and side window vents. Some of the air
goes to the floor ducts. The air conditioning compressor will
run automatically in this setting when it is needed to help dry
the air in the vehicle.
Air Conditioning Compressor Button
Press the A/C button to operate the air conditioner
compressor. The indicator light above the button will
glow when the air conditioning compressor is running.
You don't have to press the button to run the compressor
in MAX or DEFROST.
Air Conditioning (If Equipped)
On very hot days, open the windows long enough to let hot,
inside air escape. This reduces the time it takes for your
vehicle to cool down, which should help fuel economy.
For quick cool
-down on very hot days, use MAX with
the temperature knob all the way in the blue area. If this
setting is used for long periods of time, the air in your
vehicle may become too dry.
For normal cooling on hot days, use VENT with the
temperature knob in the blue area and the A/C button
pushed in. The system will bring in outside air and cool it.
On cool, but sunny days, the sun may warm your upper
body, but your lower body may not be warm enough.
You can use BI
-LEVEL with the temperature knob in
the middle and the A/C button pushed in. The system
will bring in outside air and direct slightly warmer air to
your lower body. You may notice this temperature
difference more at some times than others.

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In addition to the four stations already set, up to three
more stations may be preset on each band by pressing
two adjoining buttons at the same time. Just:
1. Tune in the desired station.
2. Press SET. (SET will appear on the display.)
3. Press any two adjoining pushbuttons at the same
time, within five seconds. Whenever you press the
same buttons, the station you set will return.
4. Repeat the steps for each pair of pushbuttons.
P.SCAN: Press both SEEK arrows and P.SCAN will
appear on the display. Use P.SCAN to listen to each of
your preset stations for a few seconds. The radio will go
to the first preset station stored on your pushbuttons,
stop for a few seconds, then go on to the next preset
station. (If a preset station has weak reception, it will
not stop.) Press either SEEK arrow or the upper knob to
stop scanning.
Setting the Tone
BASS: Slide the lever up or down to increase or
decrease bass.
TREB: Slide the lever up or down to increase or
decrease treble. If a station is weak or noisy, you may
want to decrease the treble.Adjusting the Speakers
BAL: Turn the control behind the upper knob to move
the sound to the left or right speakers. The middle
position balances the sound between the speakers.
FADE: Turn the control behind the lower knob to move
the sound to the front or rear speakers. The middle
position balances the sound between the speakers.
Playing a Cassette Tape
Your tape player is built to work best with tapes that
are up to 30 to 45 minutes long on each side. Tapes
longer than that are so thin they may not work well in
this player.
If you hear nothing or hear just a garbled sound, it may
not be in squarely. Press EJECT to remove the tape and
start over.
While the tape is playing, use the VOL, FADE, BAL,
BASS and TREB controls just as you do for the radio.
Other controls may have different functions when a tape
is inserted. The display will show an arrow to show
which side of the tape is playing.
REV: Press the SEEK arrow pointing to the left and
the tape will reverse rapidly until you press this button
again lightly.