Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats
............................................... 1-7
Safety Belts
.............................................. 1-8
Child Restraints
.......................................1-27
Airbag System
.........................................1-46
Restraint System Check
............................1-55
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-2
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-8
Windows
.................................................2-12
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-14
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-16
Mirrors
....................................................2-31
OnStar
®System
......................................2-33
Storage Areas
.........................................2-35
Sunroof
..................................................2-35
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-18
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
........3-21
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-36Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
........ 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-35
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-10
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-41
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-46
Tires
......................................................5-47
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
2005 Chevrolet Cavalier Owner ManualM
Front Seats......................................................1-2
Manual Seats................................................1-2
Reclining Seatbacks........................................1-4
Head Restraints.............................................1-5
Seatback Latches...........................................1-6
Easy Entry Seat.............................................1-6
Rear Seats.......................................................1-7
Rear Seat Operation.......................................1-7
Safety Belts.....................................................1-8
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone.................1-8
Questions and Answers About Safety Belts......1-12
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly.................1-13
Driver Position..............................................1-13
Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment (Four Door
Models)....................................................1-19
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy..................1-20
Right Front Passenger Position.......................1-20
Rear Seat Passengers..................................1-20
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children
and Small Adults.......................................1-24
Safety Belt Extender.....................................1-26
Child Restraints.............................................1-27
Older Children..............................................1-27
Infants and Young Children............................1-30Child Restraint Systems.................................1-33
Where to Put the Restraint.............................1-36
Top Strap....................................................1-37
Top Strap Anchor Location.............................1-38
Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System)...........................1-39
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the
LATCH System.........................................1-41
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Seat
Position...................................................1-41
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front
Seat Position............................................1-43
Airbag System...............................................1-46
Where Are the Airbags?................................1-49
When Should an Airbag In ate?.....................1-51
What Makes an Airbag In ate?.......................1-52
How Does an Airbag Restrain?.......................1-52
What Will You See After an Airbag In ates?.....1-53
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle...........1-55
Restraint System Check..................................1-55
Checking Your Restraint Systems...................1-55
Replacing Restraint System Parts After
a Crash...................................................1-56
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
1-1
Q:If I am a good driver, and I never drive far from
home, why should I wear safety belts?
A:You may be an excellent driver, but if you are in an
accident — even one that is not your fault — you
and your passengers can be hurt. Being a good
driver does not protect you from things beyond your
control, such as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within 25 miles (40 km) of
home. And the greatest number of serious injuries
and deaths occur at speeds of less than
40 mph (65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
This part is only for people of adult size.
Be aware that there are special things to know about
safety belts and children. And there are different
rules for smaller children and babies. If a child will be
riding in your vehicle, seeOlder Children on page 1-27
orInfants and Young Children on page 1-30. Follow
those rules for everyone’s protection.
First, you will want to know which restraint systems your
vehicle has.
We will start with the driver position.
Driver Position
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here is how to wear
it properly.
1. Close and lock the door.
2. Adjust the seat so you can sit up straight. To see
how, see “Seats” in the Index.
3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Do not let it get twisted.
The shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt
across you very quickly. If this happens, let the belt
go back slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt
across you more slowly.
1-13
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy
Safety belts work for everyone, including pregnant
women. Like all occupants, they are more likely to be
seriously injured if they do not wear safety belts.
A pregnant woman should wear a lap-shoulder belt, and
the lap portion should be worn as low as possible,
below the rounding, throughout the pregnancy.
The best way to protect the fetus is to protect the
mother. When a safety belt is worn properly, it is more
likely that the fetus will not be hurt in a crash. For
pregnant women, as for anyone, the key to making
safety belts effective is wearing them properly.
Right Front Passenger Position
To learn how to wear the right front passenger’s safety
belt properly, seeDriver Position on page 1-13.
The right front passenger’s safety belt works the same
way as the driver’s safety belt – except for one thing.
If you ever pull the shoulder portion of the belt out all the
way, you will engage the child restraint locking feature.
If this happens, just let the belt go back all the way
and start again.
Rear Seat Passengers
It is very important for rear seat passengers to buckle
up! Accident statistics show that unbelted people in
the rear seat are hurt more often in crashes than those
who are wearing safety belts.
Rear passengers who are not safety belted can be
thrown out of the vehicle in a crash. And they can strike
others in the vehicle who are wearing safety belts.
1-20
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for
Children and Small Adults
Rear shoulder belt comfort guides will provide added
safety belt comfort for older children who have outgrown
booster seats and for small adults. When installed on
a shoulder belt, the comfort guide better positions
the belt away from the neck and head.
There is one guide for each outside passenger position
in the rear seat. To provide added safety belt comfort
for children who have outgrown child restraints and
booster seats and for smaller adults, the comfort guides
may be installed on the shoulder belts.Here is how to install a comfort guide and use the
safety belt:
1. Pull the elastic cord out from between the edge of
the seatback and the interior body to remove the
guide from its storage clip.
1-24
Child Restraints
Older Children
Older children who have outgrown booster seats should
wear the vehicle’s safety belts.
Q:What is the proper way to wear safety belts?
A:If possible, an older child should wear a
lap-shoulder belt and get the additional restraint a
shoulder belt can provide. The shoulder belt
should not cross the face or neck. The lap belt
should t snugly below the hips, just touching the
top of the thighs. It should never be worn over
the abdomen, which could cause severe or even
fatal internal injuries in a crash.
Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained in the rear seat.
In a crash, children who are not buckled up can strike
other people who are buckled up, or can be thrown
out of the vehicle. Older children need to use safety
belts properly.
1-27
{CAUTION:
Never do this.
Here two children are wearing the same belt.
The belt can not properly spread the impact
forces. In a crash, the two children can be
crushed together and seriously injured. A belt
must be used by only one person at a time.
Q:What if a child is wearing a lap-shoulder belt,
but the child is so small that the shoulder belt
is very close to the child’s face or neck?
A:If the child is sitting in a seat next to a window, move
the child toward the center of the vehicle. If the child
is sitting in the center rear seat passenger position,
move the child toward the safety belt buckle. In either
case, be sure that the shoulder belt still is on the
child’s shoulder, so that in a crash the child’s upper
body would have the restraint that belts provide. If
the child is so small that the shoulder belt is still very
close to the child’s face or neck, you might want to
place the child in a seat that has a lap belt, if your
vehicle has one.
1-28
Infants and Young Children
Everyone in a vehicle needs protection! This includes
infants and all other children. Neither the distance
traveled nor the age and size of the traveler changes
the need, for everyone, to use safety restraints. In fact,
the law in every state in the United States and in
every Canadian province says children up to some age
must be restrained while in a vehicle.
Every time infants and young children ride in vehicles,
they should have the protection provided by appropriate
restraints. Young children should not use the vehicle’s
adult safety belts alone, unless there is no other choice.
Instead, they need to use a child restraint.{CAUTION:
People should never hold a baby in their arms
while riding in a vehicle. A baby does not
weigh much — until a crash. During a crash a
baby will become so heavy it is not possible to
hold it. For example, in a crash at only 25 mph
(40 km/h), a 12-lb (5.5 kg) baby will suddenly
become a 240-lb (110 kg) force on a person’s
arms. A baby should be secured in an
appropriate restraint.
1-30