2000 CHEVROLET CAVALIER Owners Manual

4-27 Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your tires meet the
road probably have good traction.
However, if there is snow or ice between your tires and
the road, you can have a very slippery situation. You'll
have a lot less traction or ªgripº and will need to be
very careful.
What's the worst time for this? ªWet ice.º Very cold
snow or ice can be slick and hard to drive on. But wet
ice can be even more trouble because it may offer the
least traction of all. You can get wet ice when it's about
freezing (32
F; 0
C) and freezing rain begins to fall.
Try to avoid driving on wet ice until salt and sand crews
can get there.
Whatever the condition
-- smooth ice, packed, blowing
or loose snow
-- drive with caution.
If you have the Enhanced Traction System, keep the
transaxle shift lever in the OVERDRIVE (
) position
so the system will be able to operate. It will improve
your ability to accelerate when driving on a slippery road.
Even though your vehicle has this system, you'll want to
slow down and adjust your driving to the road conditions.
See ªEnhanced Traction Systemº in the Index.
If you don't have the Enhanced Traction System,
accelerate gently. Try not to break the fragile traction.
If you accelerate too fast, the drive wheels will spin and
polish the surface under the tires even more.

4-28
Your anti-lock brakes improve your vehicle's stability
when you make a hard stop on a slippery road. Even
though you have the anti
-lock braking system, you'll
want to begin stopping sooner than you would on dry
pavement. See ªAnti
-Lockº in the Index.

Allow greater following distance on any
slippery road.

Watch for slippery spots. The road might be fine
until you hit a spot that's covered with ice. On an
otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in
shaded areas where the sun can't reach: around
clumps of trees, behind buildings or under bridges.
Sometimes the surface of a curve or an overpass
may remain icy when the surrounding roads are
clear. If you see a patch of ice ahead of you,
brake before you are on it. Try not to brake while
you're actually on the ice, and avoid sudden
steering maneuvers.
If You're Caught in a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a
serious situation. You should probably stay with your
vehicle unless you know for sure that you are near help
and you can hike through the snow. Here are some
things to do to summon help and keep yourself and
your passengers safe:

Turn on your hazard flashers.

4-29

Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you've been stopped by the snow.

Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you.
If you have no blankets or extra clothing, make body
insulators from newspapers, burlap bags, rags, floor
mats
-- anything you can wrap around yourself or
tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
CAUTION:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle.
This can cause deadly CO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get inside. CO could overcome you and kill
you. You can't see it or smell it, so you might not
know it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle, especially any
that is blocking your exhaust pipe. And check
around again from time to time to be sure snow
doesn't collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that's away from the wind. This will
help keep CO out.
Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little faster
than just idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly. This
uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the
battery charged. You will need a well
-charged battery to
restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on
with your headlamps. Let the heater run for a while.

4-30
Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again
and repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortable
from the cold. But do it as little as possible. Preserve the
fuel as long as you can. To help keep warm, you can get
out of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or so until help comes.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
You can tow your vehicle behind another vehicle for use
at your destination. Be sure to use the proper towing
equipment designed for recreational towing. Follow the
instructions for towing equipment.
Towing Your Vehicle from the Front 3-Speed
Automatic Transaxle (With a Dolly)
You may tow your vehicle using a towing dolly if you have a
three
-speed automatic transaxle. Follow these steps:
1. Put the front wheels on a dolly.
2. Set the parking brake.
3. Turn the ignition key to OFF to unlock the steering
wheel. See ªIgnition Positionsº in the Index.
4. Clamp the steering wheel in a straight
-ahead position
with a clamping device designed for towing.
5. Release the parking brake.

4-31 Towing Your Vehicle From the Front
4-Speed Automatic and 5-Speed Manual
Transaxle (Without a Dolly)
You may tow your vehicle with all four wheels on the
ground if you have a four
-speed automatic or a
five
-speed manual transaxle. Follow these steps:
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Turn the ignition key to OFF to unlock the
steering wheel.
3. Shift your transaxle to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Release the parking brake.
NOTICE:
Make sure that the towing speed does not exceed
65 mph (110 km/h), or your vehicle could be
badly damaged.

4-32 Towing Your Vehicle from the Rear
All Transaxles
NOTICE:
Do not tow your vehicle from the rear. Your
vehicle could be badly damaged and the repairs
would not be covered by your warranty.
Loading Your Vehicle
Two labels on your vehicle show how much weight it
may properly carry. The Tire
-Loading Information label
found on the rear edge of the driver's door tells you the
proper size, speed rating and recommended inflation
pressures for the tires on your vehicle. It also gives you
important information about the number of people that
can be in your vehicle and the total weight that you can
carry. This weight is called the Vehicle Capacity Weight,
and includes the weight of all occupants, cargo and all
nonfactory
-installed options.

4-33
The other label is the Certification label, found on
the rear edge of the driver's door. It tells you the
gross weight capacity of your vehicle, called the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR). The GVWR includes
the weight of the vehicle, all occupants, fuel and cargo.
Never exceed the GVWR for your vehicle, or the Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for either the front or
rear axle.
And, if you do have a heavy load, you should spread it
out. Don't carry more than 132 lbs. (60 kg) in your trunk.
CAUTION:
Do not load your vehicle any heavier than the
GVWR, or either the maximum front or rear
GAWR. If you do, parts on your vehicle can
break, and it can change the way your vehicle
handles. These could cause you to lose control
and crash. Also, overloading can shorten the life
of your vehicle.
If you put things inside your vehicle -- like suitcases,
tools, packages, or anything else
-- they will go as fast
as the vehicle goes. If you have to stop or turn quickly,
or if there is a crash, they'll keep going.

4-34
CAUTION:
Things you put inside your vehicle can strike
and injure people in a sudden stop or turn, or
in a crash.

Put things in the trunk or rear area of your
vehicle. In a trunk, put them as far forward
as you can. Try to spread the weight evenly.
If you have fold
-down rear seats, you'll find
four anchors on the back wall of your trunk.
You can use these anchors to tie down lighter
loads. They're not strong enough for heavy
things, however, so put them as far forward
as you can in the trunk or rear area.

Never stack heavier things, like suitcases,
inside the vehicle so that some of them are
above the tops of the seats.

Don't leave an unsecured child restraint in
your vehicle.

When you carry something inside the vehicle,
secure it whenever you can.

Don't leave a seat folded down unless you
need to.
Towing a Trailer (Models with
2.4L L4 Engine and 4
-Speed
Automatic Transaxle)
CAUTION:
If you don't use the correct equipment and drive
properly, you can lose control when you pull a
trailer. For example, if the trailer is too heavy,
the brakes may not work well
-- or even at all.
You and your passengers could be seriously
injured. You may also damage your vehicle; the
resulting repairs would not be covered by your
warranty. Pull a trailer only if you have followed
all the steps in this section. Ask your dealer for
advice and information about towing a trailer
with your vehicle.
If your vehicle is not a convertible, your vehicle can
tow a trailer if it is equipped with a 2.4L L4 engine
and 4 speed automatic transaxle and the proper trailer
towing equipment. If your vehicle is a convertible or
is not equipped as stated above, do not tow a trailer.