2003 CHEVROLET CAVALIER checking oil

Service............................................................5-3
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-3
Adding Equipment to the Outside of Your
Vehicle......................................................5-4
Fuel................................................................5-4
Gasoline Octane............................................5-4
Gasoline Speci®cations....................................5-5
California Fuel...............................................5-5
Additives.......................................................5-5
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-6
Filling Your Tank............................................5-7
Filling a Portable Fuel Container.......................5-9
Checking Things Under
the Hood....................................................5-10
Hood Release..............................................5-10
Engine Compartment Overview.......................5-12
Engine Oil...................................................5-14
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-18
Automatic Transaxle Fluid..............................5-20
Manual Transaxle Fluid..................................5-20
Hydraulic Clutch...........................................5-21
Engine Coolant.............................................5-22
Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap..................5-24
Engine Overheating.......................................5-25
Cooling System............................................5-27Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-33
Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-34
Brakes........................................................5-35
Battery........................................................5-39
Jump Starting...............................................5-40
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-45
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-45
Headlamps..................................................5-45
Front Turn Signal and Parking Lamps..............5-47
Taillamps and Turn Signal Lamps...................5-48
Back-Up Lamps............................................5-49
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-49
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-50
Tires..............................................................5-51
In¯ation -- Tire Pressure................................5-52
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-53
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-54
Buying New Tires.........................................5-55
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-56
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-57
Wheel Replacement......................................5-57
Tire Chains..................................................5-59
If a Tire Goes Flat........................................5-60
Changing a Flat Tire.....................................5-61
Compact Spare Tire......................................5-70
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

Checking Things Under
the Hood
{CAUTION:
An electric fan under the hood can start up
and injure you even when the engine is not
running. Keep hands, clothing and tools away
from any underhood electric fan.
{CAUTION:
Things that burn can get on hot engine parts
and start a ®re. These include liquids like fuel,
oil, coolant, brake ¯uid, windshield washer and
other ¯uids, and plastic or rubber. You or
others could be burned. Be careful not to drop
or spill things that will burn onto a hot engine.
Hood Release
To open the hood, do the following.
1. Pull the handle located
inside the vehicle on
the driver's side under
the instrument panel.
5-10

Engine Oil
If the oil pressure light
appears on the instrument
cluster, it means you
need to check your engine
oil level right away.
For more information, see
Oil Pressure Light on
page 3-33.
You should check your engine oil level regularly; this is
an added reminder.
Checking Engine Oil
It's a good idea to check your engine oil every time you
get fuel. In order to get an accurate reading, the oil
must be warm and the vehicle must be on level ground.
Check the oil here. The
dipstick's handle will be a
yellow ring. See
Engine
Compartment Overview on
page 5-12
for more
information.
Turn off the engine and give the oil several minutes to
drain back into the oil pan. If you don't, the oil
dipstick might not show the actual level.
Pull out the dipstick and clean it with a paper towel or
cloth, then push it back in all the way. Remove it again,
keeping the tip down, and check the level.
5-14

Checking Coolant............................................5-23
Checking Engine Oil........................................5-14
Checking Things Under the Hood......................5-10
Checking Your Restraint Systems......................1-58
Check...........................................................3-30
Engine Light...............................................3-30
Gages Warning Light...................................3-34
Chemical Paint Spotting...................................5-77
Child Restraints..............................................1-35
Child Restraint Systems...............................1-35
Infants and Young Children...........................1-32
Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System)..........................1-41
Older Children.............................................1-29
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for
the LATCH System...................................1-43
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear
Seat Position...........................................1-43
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right
Front Seat Position...................................1-46
Top Strap Anchor Location............................1-40
Top Strap...................................................1-39
Where to Put the Restraint...........................1-38
Chime Level Adjustment..................................3-79
Cigarette Lighter.............................................3-16
Cleaning Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels.....5-76
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses.......................5-75
Cleaning Fabric/Carpet....................................5-71
Cleaning Glass Surfaces..................................5-73Cleaning Interior Plastic Components.................5-73
Cleaning the Top of the
Instrument Panel.........................................5-73
Cleaning Tires................................................5-77
Cleaning Vinyl................................................5-73
Cleaning Windshield and Wiper Blades..............5-76
Cleaning........................................................5-71
Inside of Your Vehicle..................................5-71
Outside of Your Vehicle................................5-74
Underbody Maintenance...............................5-77
Weatherstrips..............................................5-74
Climate Control System...................................3-17
Outlet Adjustment........................................3-20
Clutch, Hydraulic.............................................5-21
Compact Disc Messages.................3-48, 3-63, 3-75
Compact Spare Tire........................................5-70
Content Theft-Deferrent....................................2-15
Control of a Vehicle.......................................... 4-5
Convenience Net............................................2-36
Coolant.........................................................3-29
Engine Temperature Gage............................3-29
Heater, Engine............................................2-21
Low Warning Light.......................................3-30
Surge Tank Pressure Cap.............................5-24
Cooling System..............................................5-27
Cruise Control.................................................. 3-8
Cupholder(s)..................................................2-35
Current and Past Model Order Forms................7-11
3