Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats
............................................... 1-7
Safety Belts
.............................................. 1-8
Child Restraints
.......................................1-29
Air Bag Systems
......................................1-47
Restraint System Check
............................1-56
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-2
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-7
Windows
.................................................2-12
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-14
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-16
Mirrors
....................................................2-30
OnStar
®System
......................................2-32
Storage Areas
.........................................2-33
Sunroof
..................................................2-34
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-2
Climate Controls
......................................3-16
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
........3-20
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-35Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-29
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-4
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-10
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-41
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-45
Tires
......................................................5-46
Appearance Care
.....................................5-72
Vehicle Identi cation
.................................5-79
Electrical System
......................................5-80
Capacities and Speci cations
.....................5-85
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
......5-86
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance and Information.............. 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information
........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
...........................7-10
Index.................................................................1
2004 Chevrolet Cavalier Owner ManualM
Keys...............................................................2-2
Remote Keyless Entry System.........................2-3
Remote Keyless Entry System Operation...........2-4
Doors and Locks.............................................2-7
Door Locks....................................................2-7
Power Door Locks..........................................2-8
Rear Door Security Locks................................2-9
Lockout Protection........................................2-10
Leaving Your Vehicle....................................2-10
Trunk..........................................................2-10
Windows........................................................2-12
Manual Windows..........................................2-12
Power Windows............................................2-13
Sun Visors...................................................2-13
Theft-Deterrent Systems..................................2-14
Content Theft-Deterrent.................................2-14
Passlock
®....................................................2-15
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle................2-16
New Vehicle Break-In....................................2-16
Ignition Positions..........................................2-16
Starting Your Engine.....................................2-18
Engine Coolant Heater..................................2-19Automatic Transaxle Operation.......................2-20
Manual Transaxle Operation...........................2-23
Parking Brake..............................................2-25
Shifting Into Park (P) (Automatic Transaxle)......2-26
Shifting Out of Park (P)
(Automatic Transaxle)................................2-27
Parking Your Vehicle (Manual Transaxle).........2-27
Parking Over Things That Burn.......................2-28
Engine Exhaust............................................2-28
Running Your Engine While You Are Parked. . . .2-29
Mirrors...........................................................2-30
Manual Rearview Mirror.................................2-30
Outside Remote Control Mirror.......................2-30
Outside Power Mirrors...................................2-30
Outside Convex Mirror...................................2-31
Outside Breakaway Mirror..............................2-31
OnStar®System.............................................2-32
Storage Areas................................................2-33
Cupholder(s)................................................2-33
Center Console Storage Area.........................2-34
Convenience Net..........................................2-34
Sunroof.........................................................2-34
Section 2 Features and Controls
2-1
Mirrors
Manual Rearview Mirror
To reduce glare from lamps behind you, move the lever
toward you to the night position.
Outside Remote Control Mirror
The outside rearview mirror should be adjusted so you
can see a little of the side of your vehicle when you
are sitting in a comfortable driving position.
Adjust the driver’s outside
mirror with the control
lever located on the
driver’s door.
To adjust your passenger’s outside mirror, sit in the driver’s
seat and have a passenger adjust the mirror for you.
The mirror is a spring-loaded breakaway design.
Outside Power Mirrors
If your vehicle has this
feature, the power mirror
control is located on
the driver’s door.
Turn the control clockwise or counterclockwise to
choose the mirror you want to adjust. Then move the
control in the direction you want the mirror to move.
Adjust each mirror so you can see a little of the side of
your vehicle when you are sitting in a comfortable
driving position.
The mirror has a spring-loaded breakaway design.
2-30
Interior Lamps
Instrument Panel Brightness
The thumbwheel for this
feature is located on the
instrument panel to the left
of the steering column.
Turn the thumbwheel up to brighten the lights or down
to dim them. Turn the thumbwheel all the way up to
turn on the interior courtesy lamps.
Entry Lighting
When you open either a front door or a rear door, the
lamps inside your vehicle will go on. In addition, if
your vehicle is equipped with remote keyless entry, the
light will come on when the remote keyless entry
UNLOCK button is pressed.
After you exit the vehicle and all of the doors have been
closed, the lamps will stay on for an additional
20 seconds before fading off. The lamps will also fade
to off when the key is inserted and turned to RUN
or ACCESSORY, or the LOCK button on the remote
keyless entry transmitter is pressed.
Front Reading Lamps
If your vehicle has this feature, these lamps are located
on the rearview mirror. Turn each one on and off by
pressing its button.
Map Lamps
If your vehicle has this feature, these lamps are located
in front of the dome lamp. To turn the lamps on and
off, press the button.
3-14
Here are some tips on night driving.
Drive defensively.
Do not drink and drive.
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind you.
Since you can not see as well, you may need to
slow down and keep more space between you
and other vehicles.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light up only so much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you are tired, pull off the road in a safe place
and rest.
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But
as we get older these differences increase. A
50-year-old driver may require at least twice as much
light to see the same thing at night as a 20-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also affect your
night vision. For example, if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your
eyes will have less trouble adjusting to night. But if you
are driving, do not wear sunglasses at night. They
may cut down on glare from headlamps, but they also
make a lot of things invisible.You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps. It can take a second or two, or even several
seconds, for your eyes to readjust to the dark. When
you are faced with severe glare (as from a driver
who does not lower the high beams, or a vehicle with
misaimed headlamps), slow down a little. Avoid
staring directly into the approaching headlamps.
Keep your windshield and all the glass on your vehicle
clean — inside and out. Glare at night is made much
worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside of the glass
can build up a lm caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and ash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that your headlamps light up far less of a
roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep
your eyes moving; that way, it is easier to pick out dimly
lighted objects. Just as your headlamps should be
checked regularly for proper aim, so should your eyes
be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from
night blindness — the inability to see in dim light — and
are not even aware of it.
4-15
Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as “highway
hypnosis”? Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel?
Call it highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or
whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch of road with
the same scenery, along with the hum of the tires on the
road, the drone of the engine, and the rush of the
wind against the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Do
not let it happen to you! If it does, your vehicle can
leave the road inless than a second,and you could
crash and be injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be
aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:
Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and
to the sides. Check your rearview mirrors and your
instruments frequently.
If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest,
service or parking area and take a nap, get some
exercise, or both. For safety, treat drowsiness
on the highway as an emergency.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving in at or rolling terrain.
If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you are
planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable.
Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all uid
levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system
and transaxle. These parts can work hard on
mountain roads.
4-22
Manual Transaxle Check..................................6-19
Manual Windows............................................2-12
Map Lamps....................................................3-14
Matching Transmitter(s) to Your Vehicle............... 2-6
Mexico, Central America and Caribbean Islands/
Countries (Except Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin
Islands) – Customer Assistance....................... 7-5
Mirrors
Manual Rearview Mirror................................2-30
Outside Breakaway Mirror.............................2-31
Outside Convex Mirror.................................2-31
Outside Power Mirrors..................................2-30
Outside Remote Control Mirror......................2-30
MyGMLink.com................................................ 7-3
N
New Vehicle Break-In......................................2-16
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts............5-86
O
Odometer......................................................3-22
Off-Road Recovery..........................................4-11
Oil
Engine.......................................................5-13
Pressure Light.............................................3-32Older Children, Restraints................................1-29
Online Owner Center........................................ 7-3
OnStar
®Personal Calling.................................2-33
OnStar®Services............................................2-32
OnStar®System.............................................2-32
OnStar®Virtual Advisor....................................2-33
Opening a Rear Door When the Security
Lock is On................................................... 2-9
Operation......................................................3-16
Other Warning Devices...................................... 3-5
Outlet Adjustment............................................3-19
Outside
Breakaway Mirrors.......................................2-31
Convex Mirror.............................................2-31
Power Mirrors.............................................2-30
Remote Control Mirror..................................2-30
Overseas – Customer Assistance........................ 7-4
Owners, Canadian............................................... ii
Owner’s Information........................................7-12
P
Park (P)
Shifting Into................................................2-26
Shifting Out of............................................2-27
Parking
Brake........................................................2-25
Over Things That Burn.................................2-28
10
Parking Brake and Automatic Transaxle Park (P)
Mechanism Check.......................................6-22
Parking on Hills..............................................4-42
Parking Your Vehicle.......................................2-27
Part A - Scheduled Maintenance Services............ 6-4
Part B - Owner Checks and Services................6-18
Part C - Periodic Maintenance Inspections..........6-23
Part D - Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants..................................................6-25
Part E - Maintenance Record...........................6-27
Passing.................................................4-12, 4-41
Passlock
®......................................................2-15
Personal Choice Radio Controls........................3-66
Plan Ahead When Possible................................ 7-7
Playing a CD.................................3-41, 3-50, 3-60
Playing the Radio...................3-36, 3-39, 3-44, 3-53
Power
Accessory Outlets........................................3-15
Door Locks.................................................. 2-8
Electrical System.........................................5-81
Steering Fluid.............................................5-30
Windows....................................................2-13
Power Steering................................................ 4-9
Q
Questions and Answers About Safety Belts.........1-12
R
Radio Data System (RDS).......................3-43, 3-52
Radio Messages.....................3-38, 3-41, 3-47, 3-57
Radio Personalization........................................ 2-5
Radios..........................................................3-35
AM-FM Radio.............................................3-36
Care of Your CD Player...............................3-68
Care of Your CDs........................................3-68
Personal Choice Radio Controls....................3-66
Radio with CD............................3-39, 3-43, 3-52
Setting the Time for Radios with
Radio Data Systems (RDS).......................3-36
Setting the Time for Radios without
Radio Data Systems (RDS).......................3-35
Theft-Deterrent............................................3-67
Understanding Reception..............................3-67
RDS Messages......................................3-46, 3-56
Rear Door Security Locks.................................. 2-9
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides......................1-26
Rear Seat Operation......................................... 1-7
Rear Seat Passengers, Safety Belts..................1-23
Rear Window Defogger....................................3-19
Rearview Mirrors.............................................2-30
Reclining Seatbacks.......................................... 1-4
Recreational Vehicle Towing.............................4-29
Remote Keyless Entry System............................ 2-3
11