2003 CHEVROLET CAVALIER check engine

How to Turn Off the System Alarm
If the system alarm is active, it can be deactivated by:
·Pressing the transmitter LOCK or panic button to
turn off the alarm. The system will also re-arm if
all doors and trunk are later closed, or
·pressing the transmitter UNLOCK or trunk button to
turn off the alarm and disarm the system, or
·putting the key in the ignition and turning it to
START to turn off the alarm and disarm the system.
How to Detect a Tamper Condition
If you hear three horn chirps when you press the
UNLOCK, LOCK or trunk buttons on your transmitter,
that means the content theft security system alarm was
triggered while you were away.
Your dealer can change the settings to disable the
headlamp ¯ash and horn chirp features. Your dealer can
also change the settings to allow the horn to chirp
twice on the ®rst press of the UNLOCK button. See your
dealer for more information.
Passlockž
Your vehicle is equipped with the
Passlockžtheft-deterrent system.
Passlock
žis a passive theft-deterrent system.
Passlockženables fuel if the ignition lock cylinder is
turned with a valid key. If a correct key is not used or the
ignition lock cylinder is tampered with, fuel is disabled.
During normal operation, the THEFT SYSTEM light
will go off approximately ®ve seconds after the key is
turned to the RUN ignition position following an
engine start.
If the engine stalls and the THEFT SYSTEM light
¯ashes, wait until the light stops ¯ashing before trying to
restart the engine. Remember to release the key from
START as soon as the engine starts.
If the engine is running and the THEFT SYSTEM light
comes on, you will be able to restart the engine if
you turn the engine off. However, your
Passlock
žsystem is not working properly and must be
serviced by your dealer. Your vehicle is not protected
by Passlock
žat this time. You may also want to check
the fuses, seeFuses and Circuit Breakers on
page 5-81. See your dealer for service. Also, seeRoadside Assistance Program on page 7-6for more
information.
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Starting Your 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 gets warm.
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. Wait about
15 seconds between each try to help avoid draining
your battery or damaging your starter.
2. If it doesn't start, wait about 15 seconds and try
again to start the engine by turning the ignition
key to START. Wait about 15 seconds between
each try.
When your engine has run about 10 seconds to
warm up, your vehicle is ready to be driven. Don't
ªraceº your engine when it's cold.
If the weather is below freezing (32ÉF or 0ÉC), let
the engine run for a few minutes to warm up.3. If your engine still won't start (or starts but then
stops), it could be ¯ooded with too much gasoline.
Try pushing your accelerator pedal all the way to the
¯oor and holding it there as you hold the key in
START for about three seconds. If the vehicle starts
brie¯y but then stops again, do the same thing,
but this time keep the pedal down for ®ve 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.
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Instrument Panel Overview...............................3-2
Hazard Warning Flashers................................3-3
Other Warning Devices...................................3-4
Horn.............................................................3-4
Tilt Wheel.....................................................3-5
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever.........................3-5
Exterior Lamps.............................................3-12
Interior Lamps..............................................3-14
Accessory Power Outlets...............................3-16
Ashtrays and Cigarette Lighter........................3-16
Climate Controls............................................3-17
Climate Control System.................................3-17
Outlet Adjustment.........................................3-20
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators.............3-21
Instrument Panel Cluster................................3-22
Speedometer and Odometer...........................3-23
Tachometer.................................................3-23
Safety Belt Reminder Light.............................3-24
Air Bag Readiness Light................................3-24
Charging System Light..................................3-25
Up-Shift Light...............................................3-26
Brake System Warning Light..........................3-26
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light.............3-27
Enhanced Traction System Warning Light.........3-28
Enhanced Traction System Active Light............3-29
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage..................3-29
Low Coolant Warning Light............................3-30Malfunction Indicator Lamp.............................3-30
Oil Pressure Light.........................................3-33
Passlock
žWarning Light................................3-34
Check Gages Warning Light...........................3-34
Service Vehicle Soon Light............................3-35
Fuel Gage...................................................3-35
Audio System(s).............................................3-36
Setting the Time for Radios without Radio
Data Systems (RDS)..................................3-36
Setting the Time for Radios with Radio Data
Systems (RDS).........................................3-36
AM-FM Radio...............................................3-37
Radio with CD (Base Level)...........................3-39
Radio with CD (MP3)....................................3-49
Radio with Cassette and CD..........................3-63
Personal Choice Radio Controls......................3-75
Theft-Deterrent Feature (Non RDS Radios).......3-76
Theft-Deterrent Feature (RDS Radios).............3-76
Understanding Radio Reception......................3-76
Care of Your Cassette Tape Player.................3-77
Care of Your CDs.........................................3-78
Care of Your CD Player................................3-78
Fixed Mast Antenna......................................3-78
XMŸ Satellite Radio Antenna System
(United States Only)..................................3-79
Chime Level Adjustment................................3-79
Section 3 Instrument Panel
3-1

Warning Lights, Gages and
Indicators
This part describes the warning lights and gages that
may be on your vehicle. The pictures will help you locate
them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that something is
wrong before it becomes serious enough to cause
an expensive repair or replacement. Paying attention to
your warning lights and gages could also save you
or others from injury.
Warning lights come on when there may be or is a
problem with one of your vehicle's functions. As you will
see in the details on the next few pages, some
warning lights come on brie¯y when you start the
engine just to let you know they're working. If you are
familiar with this section, you should not be alarmed
when this happens.Gages can indicate when there may be or is a problem
with one of your vehicle's functions. Often gages
and warning lights work together to let you know when
there's a problem with your vehicle.
When one of the warning lights comes on and stays on
when you are driving, or when one of the gages
shows there may be a problem, check the section that
tells you what to do about it. Please follow this
manual's advice. Waiting to do repairs can be
costly Ð and even dangerous. So please get to know
your warning lights and gages. They're a big help.
3-21

{CAUTION:
If the air bag readiness light stays on after you
start your vehicle, it means the air bag system
may not be working properly. The air bags in
your vehicle may not in¯ate in a crash, or they
could even in¯ate without a crash. To help
avoid injury to yourself or others, have your
vehicle serviced right away if the air bag
readiness light stays on after you start your
vehicle.
The air bag readiness light should ¯ash for a few
seconds when you turn the ignition key to RUN. If the
light doesn't come on then, have it ®xed so it will
be ready to warn you if there is a problem.
Charging System Light
The charging system light
will come on brie¯y when
you turn on the ignition,
and the engine is not
running, as a check
to show you it is working.
Then it should go out when the engine is started.
If it stays on, or comes on while you are driving, you
may have a problem with the electrical charging system.
It could indicate that you have a loose generator drive
belt, or another electrical problem. Have it checked right
away. Driving while this light is on could drain your
battery.
If you must drive a short distance with the light on, be
certain to turn off all your accessories, such as the radio
and air conditioner.
3-25

Enhanced Traction System
Active Light
When your Enhanced Traction System is limiting wheel
spin, this light will come on. Slippery road conditions
may exist if the Enhanced Traction System active light
comes on, so adjust your driving accordingly.
This light may also come on when the anti-lock brake
system is active.
The light will stay on for a few seconds after the
Enhanced Traction System stops limiting wheel spin.
The Enhanced Traction System active light also comes
on brie¯y when you turn the ignition key to RUN. If
the light doesn't come on then, have it ®xed so it will be
there to tell you when the system is active.
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
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. The CHECK GAGES light should come on
if this condition exists. See
Check Gages Warning
Light on page 3-34for more information. If you have
been operating your vehicle under normal conditions,
you should pull off the road, stop your vehicle and turn
off the engine as soon as possible.
See
Engine Overheating on page 5-25. United States
Canada
United StatesCanada
3-29

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