
Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running
{CAUTION:
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 ®rmly set.
And, if you leave the vehicle with the engine
running, it could overheat and even catch ®re.
You or others could be injured. Don't leave
your vehicle with the engine running.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and your
parking brake is ®rmly 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 ®rst
pushing the button. If you can, it means that the
shift lever wasn't fully locked into PARK (P).
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don't shift your
transaxle into PARK (P) properly, the weight of
the vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl
in the transaxle. You may ®nd it difficult to pull the
shift lever out of PARK (P). This is called ªtorque lock.º
To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and
then shift into PARK (P) properly before you leave the
driver's seat. To ®nd out how, see
Shifting Into Park (P)
(Automatic Transaxle) on page 2-27.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK (P)
beforeyou release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another
vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of the
pressure from the parking pawl in the transaxle, so you
can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).
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Convenience Net
Your vehicle may have a convenience net. You'll see it
inside the back wall of the trunk. Put small loads,
like grocery bags, behind the net. It can help keep them
from falling over during sharp turns or quick starts
and stops.
Unclip a corner of the convenience net to ®t larger
objects behind the net, then reclip it to secure them in
place. The net isn't for larger, heavier loads. Store them
in the trunk as far forward as you can.
You can unhook the net so that it will lie ¯at when
you're not using it.
Sunroof
Your vehicle may have a
sunroof. With the ignition
on, press and hold the rear
of the switch and the
glass panel will open to
the vent position.
Open the sunshade by hand when using the vent
position.
Press and hold the rear of the switch again to open the
glass panel and the sunshade. Release the switch to
stop the panel in any position.
Press and hold the front of the switch to close the glass
panel. The sunshade can only be closed by hand.
The sunroof glass panel cannot be opened or closed if
your vehicle has an electrical failure.
2-36

Climate Controls
Climate Control System
With this system you can control the heating, cooling
and ventilation for your vehicle.
Operation
To change the current mode, select one of the following:
H(Vent):This mode directs air to the instrument
panel outlets.
)(Bi-Level):This mode directs approximately half of
the air to the instrument panel outlets, and then
directs the remaining air to the ¯oor outlets. Cooler air is
directed to the upper outlets and warmer air to the
¯oor outlets.
6(Floor):This mode directs most of the air to the
¯oor outlets and outboard outlets (for the side windows)
with some air directed to the windshield.
The right knob can also be used to select defrost mode.
Information on defogging and defrosting can be found
later in this section.
9(Fan):Turn the left knob clockwise or
counterclockwise to increase or decrease the fan speed.
In any setting other than off, the fan will run continuously
with the ignition on. The fan must be turned on to run
the air conditioning compressor.
9(Off):To turn the fan off, turn the knob all the way
counterclockwise to the off position.
h(Recirculate):This mode keeps outside air from
coming in the vehicle. It can be used to prevent
outside air and odors from entering your vehicle or to
help heat or cool the air inside your vehicle more quickly.
An indicator light will come on in this mode. The
air-conditioning compressor also comes on. Operation in
this mode during periods of high humidity and cool
outside temperatures may result in increased window
fogging. If window fogging is experienced, select
the defrost mode.
3-17

Temperature Control:Turn the center knob clockwise
or counterclockwise to manually increase or decrease
the temperature inside your vehicle.
#(Air Conditioning):Press this button to turn the
air-conditioning system on or off. When this button
is pressed, an indicator light above the button will come
on to let you know the air conditioning is activated.
On hot days, open the windows to let hot inside
air escape; then close them. This helps to reduce the
time it takes for your vehicle to cool down. It also helps
the system to operate more efficiently.
For quick cool down on hot days:
1. Select the recirculation mode.
2. Select air conditioning.
3. Select the coolest temperature.
4. Select the highest fan speed.
Using these settings together for long periods of time
may cause the air inside of your vehicle to become too
dry. To prevent this from happening, after the air in
your vehicle has cooled, switch from recirculation
to vent, bi-level or ¯oor.
The air-conditioning system removes moisture from the
air, so you may sometimes notice a small amount of
water dripping underneath your vehicle while idling
or after turning off the engine. This is normal.
Defogging and Defrosting
Fog on the inside of windows is a result of high humidity
(moisture) condensing on the cool window glass. This
can be minimized if the climate control system is
used properly. There are two modes to clear fog or frost
from your windshield and side windows. Use the
defog mode to clear the windows of fog or moisture and
warm the passengers. Use the defrost mode to
remove fog or frost from the windshield more quickly.
For best results, clear all snow and ice from the
windshield before defrosting.
Turn the right knob to select the defog or defrost mode.
-(Defog):This mode directs half of the air to the
windshield and the side window outlets and half to the
¯oor outlets. When you select this mode, the system
runs the air-conditioning compressor unless the outside
temperature is at or below freezing. The air-conditioning
indicator light will also be on in this setting. To defog
the windows faster, turn the temperature control
knob clockwise to the warmest setting.
3-18

Low Coolant Warning Light
This light comes on brie¯y
when you turn your
ignition on.
If this light comes on and stays on, the coolant level in
your vehicle is low. If the light is on along with an
overheat warning, you may have a serious overheating
problem. See
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage on
page 3-29.
Notice:Damage to your engine from neglected
coolant problems can be costly and is not covered
by your warranty.
See
Engine Coolant on page 5-22for information on
what to do. Your vehicle should be serviced as soon as
possible.
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
Check Engine Light
Your vehicle is equipped with a computer which
monitors operation of the fuel, ignition and emission
control systems.
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.
United StatesCanada
3-30

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:Modi®cations made to the engine,
transaxle, exhaust, intake 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 this light to come on.
Modi®cations 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.
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 FlashingÐ A mis®re condition has been
detected. A mis®re increases vehicle emissions and
may damage the emission control system on your
vehicle. Diagnosis and service may be required.
·Light On SteadyÐ An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
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 ¯ashing and remains on steady, see ªIf
the Light Is On Steadyº following.
If the light continues to ¯ash, 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 ¯ashing, follow the
previous steps, and see your dealer for service as soon
as possible.
3-31

If the Light Is on Steady
You also 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
Filling Your Tank on page 5-7. 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?
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
Gasoline Octane on page 5-4. 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, mis®ring, 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,
your dealer can check the vehicle. Your dealer has the
proper test equipment and diagnostic tools to ®x any
mechanical or electrical problems that may have
developed.
Emissions Inspection and Maintenance
Programs
Some state/provincial and local governments have or
may begin programs to inspect the emission control
equipment on your vehicle. Failure to pass this inspection
could prevent you from getting a vehicle registration.
Here are some things you need to know to help your
vehicle pass an inspection:
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the Check
Engine light is on or not working properly.
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the OBD
(on-board diagnostic) system determines that critical
emission control systems have not been completely
diagnosed by the system. The vehicle would be
considered not ready for inspection. This can happen if
you have recently replaced your battery or if your battery
has run down. The diagnostic system is designed to
evaluate critical emission control systems during normal
driving. This may take several days of routine driving. If
you have done this and your vehicle still does not pass
the inspection for lack of OBD system readiness, your
GM dealer can prepare the vehicle for inspection.
3-32

4 FWD (Forward):Press this pushbutton to advance
quickly. Press this pushbutton again to return to playing
speed. The radio will play while the tape advances.
The station frequency and FWD will appear on
the display. You may select stations during forward
operation by using TUNE, SEEK or PSCAN.
5
XSIDE:Press this pushbutton to play the other side
of the tape.
qSEEKr:The right arrow is the same as the
NEXT pushbutton, and the left arrow is the same as the
PREV pushbutton. If the arrows are held or pressed
more than once, the player will continue moving forward
or backward through the tape. SEEK and a positive
or a negative number will appear on the display.
BAND:Press this button to listen to the radio when a
tape is playing. The tape will stop but remain in the
player.
TAPE CD:Press this button to play a tape when
listening to the radio. Press TAPE CD to switch between
the tape and compact disc if both are loaded. The
inactive tape or CD will remain safely inside the radio
for future listening.
ZEJT (Eject):Press this button, located to the right
of the cassette tape slot, to eject a tape. Eject may
be activated with the radio off. Cassette tapes may be
loaded with the radio off if this button is pressed ®rst.
Cassette Tape Messages
CHK TAPE (Check Tape):If this message appears on
the radio display, the tape won't play because of one
of the following errors.
·The tape is tight and the player can't turn the tape
hubs. Remove the tape. Hold the tape with the
open end down and try to turn the right hub
counterclockwise with a pencil. Turn the tape over
and repeat. If the hubs do not turn easily, your
tape may be damaged and should not be used in
the player. Try a new tape to make sure your player
is working properly.
·The tape is broken. Try a new tape.
·The tape is wrapped around the tape head. Attempt
to get the cassette out. Try a new tape.
CLEAN:If this message appears on the display, the
cassette tape player needs to be cleaned. It will still play
tapes, but you should clean it as soon as possible to
prevent damage to the tapes and player. See
Care
of Your Cassette Tape Player on page 3-77.
If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error can't be
corrected, contact your dealer.
3-72