Chevrolet PRIZM 1999 User Manual

The 1999 Chevrolet Prizm Owner’s Manual

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1-1 Seats and Restraint Systems

This section tells you how to use your seats and safety belts properly. It also explains the air bag system.

2-1 Features and Controls

This section explains how to start and operate your vehicle.

3-1 Comfort Controls and Audio Systems

This section tells you how to adjust the ventilation and comfort controls and how to operate your audio system.

4-1 Your Driving and the Road

Here you’ll find helpful information and tips about the road and how to drive under different conditions.

5-1 Problems on the Road

This section tells you what to do if you have a problem while driving, such as a flat tire or overheated engine, etc.

6-1 Service and Appearance Care

Here the manual tells you how to keep your vehicle running properly and looking good.

7-1 Maintenance Schedule

This section tells you when to perform vehicle maintenance and what fluids and lubricants to use.

8-1 Customer Assistance Information

This section tells you how to contact Chevrolet for assistance and how to get service and owner publications. It also gives you information on “Reporting Safety Defects” on page 8

9-1 Index

Here’s an alphabetical listing of almost every subject in this manual. You can use it to quickly find something you want to read.

-10.

GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, CHEVROLET, the CHEVROLET Emblem and the name PRIZM are registered trademarks of General Motors Corporation.

This manual includes the latest information at the time it was printed. We reserve the right to make changes in the product after that time without further notice. For vehicles first sold in Canada, substitute the name “General Motors of Canada Limited” for Chevrolet Motor Division whenever it appears in this manual.

Please keep this manual in your vehicle, so it will be there if you ever need it when you’re on the road. If you sell the vehicle, please leave this manual in it so the new owner can use it.

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We support voluntary technician certification.

The Heritage of Chevrolet

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The dynamic William C. “Billy” Durant shifted gears from making carriages to making cars, forming half the team that gave birth to Chevrolet.

Welcome to the largest

automotive family in the world -- the family of Chevrolet owners. You have selected a vehicle designed, engineered and crafted by teamwork, a

Louis Chevrolet, the other half of the team, at the wheel of his experimental “Classic Six,” which entered production in 1912. That year 2999 vehicles were produced.

vehicle backed by a proud history of performance and value. Since the first “Classic Six” rolled off the line in 1912, more than 110 million Chevrolet cars and trucks have

worn the Chevrolet marque. That kind of reception from auto owners is unmatched by any other car manufacturer in the world.

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The Chevrolet blend of value and performance has become an American tradition -- whether bred for the racetrack like the legendary Corvette and Camaro, or

In 1932 Chevrolet introduced the

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Synchro transmission and offered a host of accessories -- including such niceties as a clock!

created for the pleasure of the open road.

Every decade, Chevrolet has reinforced its heritage of affordable performance with quality and value crafted

into each vehicle. It’s not surprising that for 80 years “Genuine Chevrolet” has been America’s automobile.

We’re proud to continue that

heritage in your Chevrolet,

The legacy of America’s favorite sportscar began in 1953, when 319 hand

-assembled

white Corvettes launched the first use of a fiberglass body in a production car.

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and we are pledged to make ownership of your Chevrolet an enjoyable and rewarding experience.

60’s automotive excitement included Chevrolet landmarks like the Corvette Sting Ray, the sporty Camaro, and powerplants like the legendary 327 V8.

The 1957 Chevy started a romance with the American public -- and was powered by an available fuel

Your new Chevrolet continues a tradition of quality and value.

-injected V8.

How to Use this Manual

Many people read their owner’s manual from beginning to end when they first receive their new vehicle. If you do this, it will help you learn about the features and controls for your vehicle. In this manual, you’ll find that pictures and words work together to explain things quickly.

Index

A good place to look for what you need is the Index in back of the manual. It’s an alphabetical list of what’s in the manual, and the page number where you’ll find it.

Safety Warnings and Symbols

You will find a number of safety cautions in this book. We use a box and the word CAUTION to tell you about things that could hurt you if you were to ignore the warning.

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CAUTION:

These mean there is something that could hurt you or other people.

In the caution area, we tell you what the hazard is. Then we tell you what to do to help avoid or reduce the hazard. Please read these cautions. If you don’t, you or others could be hurt.

You will also find a circle with a slash through it in this book. This safety symbol means “Don’t,” “Don’t do this” or “Don’t let this happen.”

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Vehicle Damage Warnings

Also, in this book you will find these notices:

NOTICE:

These mean there is something that could damage your vehicle.

In the notice area, we tell you about something that can damage your vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be covered by your warranty, and it could be costly . But the notice will tell you what to do to help avoid the damage.

When you read other manuals, you might see CAUTION and NOTICE warnings in different colors or in different words.

You’ll also see warning labels on your vehicle. They use the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.

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Vehicle Symbols

These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle.

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For example, these symbols are used on an original battery:

CAUTION

POSSIBLE

INJURY

PROTECT

EYES BY

SHIELDING

CAUSTIC BATTERY

ACID COULD

CAUSE

BURNS

AVOID

SPARKS OR

FLAMES

SPARK OR

FLAME

COULD

EXPLODE

BATTERY

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These symbols are important for you and your passengers whenever your vehicle is driven:

DOOR LOCK

UNLOCK

FASTEN

SEAT

BELTS

POWER

WINDOW

AIR BAG

These symbols have to do with your lamps:

MASTER

LIGHTING

SWITCH

TURN

SIGNALS

PARKING

LAMPS

HAZARD WARNING FLASHER

DAYTIME

RUNNING

LAMPS

FOG LAMPS

These symbols are on some of your controls:

WINDSHIELD

WIPER

WINDSHIELD

WASHER

WINDSHIELD

DEFROSTER

REAR

WINDOW

DEFOGGER

VENTILATING

FAN

These symbols are used on warning and indicator lights:

ENGINE

COOLANT

TEMP

BATTERY

CHARGING

SYSTEM

BRAKE

COOLANT

ENGINE OIL

PRESSURE

ANTI-LOCK

BRAKES

Here are some other symbols you may see:

FUSE

LIGHTER

HORN

SPEAKER

FUEL

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Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems

Here you’ll find information about the seats in your vehicle and how to use your safety belts properly. You can also learn about some things you should not do with air bags and safety belts.

-2 Seats and Seat Controls

-7 Safety Belts: They’re for Everyone

-12 Here Are Questions Many People Ask About

Safety Belts

-13 How to Wear Safety Belts Properly

1 1

-13 Driver Position

-20 Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy

-21 Right Front Passenger Position

1 1

-21 Air Bag Systems

-30 Safety Belt Pretensioners

-- and the Answers

-30 Rear Seat Passengers

1 1

-33 Children

-35 Built-in Child Restraint (Option)

1 1

-47 Child Restraints

-57 Larger Children

1 1

-60 Safety Belt Extender

-60 Checking Your Restraint Systems

-61 Replacing Restraint System Parts After

a Crash

1-1

Seats and Seat Controls

This part tells you about the seats -- how to adjust them, and also about reclining front seatbacks, head restraints and rear folding seatbacks.

Manual Front Seats

CAUTION:

You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to adjust a manual driver’s seat while the vehicle is moving. The sudden movement could startle and confuse you, or make you push a pedal when you don’t want to. Adjust the driver’s seat only when the vehicle is not moving.

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Lift the lever under the front seat to unlock it. Slide the seat to where you want it. Release the lever and try to move the seat with your body, to make sure the seat is locked into place.

Don’t put anything under the front seats. Items under the seats could keep the seats from locking into place properly.

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Reclining Front Seatbacks

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T o adjust the seatback, lift the lever on the outer side of the seat. Release the lever to lock the seatback where you want it. Push on the seat to make sure it’s locked into position. Pull up on the lever, and the seat will go to its original upright position.

But don’t have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is moving.

CAUTION:

Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle is in motion can be dangerous. Even if you buckle

CAUTION: (Continued)

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CAUTION: (Continued)

up, your safety belts can’t do their job when you’re reclined like this.

The shoulder belt can’t do its job because it won’t be against your body. Instead, it will be in front of you. In a crash you could go into it, receiving neck or other injuries.

The lap belt can’t do its job either. In a crash the belt could go up over your abdomen. The belt forces would be there, not at your pelvic bones. This could cause serious internal injuries.

For proper protection when the vehicle is in motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit well back in the seat and wear your safety belt properly.

Head Restraints

Slide the head restraint up or down so that the top of the restraint is closest to the top of your ears. This position reduces the chance of a neck injury in a crash.

Pull up to raise the restraint. T o lower it, push the release button and push down.

Make sure the head restraint is locked in place after you adjust it.

Rear Seats

CAUTION:

If a head restraint is not installed on the seatback or stored in the vehicle properly, it could be thrown about the vehicle in a crash or sudden maneuver. People in the vehicle could be injured. Remove the head restraints only when you need to fold the seat, and be sure that the head restraints are stored securely in the trunk. When the seat is returned to the passenger position, be sure the head restraints are installed properly.

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Rear Head Restraint Removal

T o remove the rear head restraints:

1. Press the release button located under the left side of the head restraint.

2. Lift the head restraint upward.

3. Secure the head restraints in the trunk using the tie-down straps located on each side of the trunk floor.

T o reinstall the rear head restraints:

1. Remove the head restraints from the trunk.

2. Press and hold the release button on the seat back while inserting the head restraint.

3. Push the head restraint down. After releasing the button, pull on the head restraint to make sure it is secure.

Rear Folding Seatback (If Equipped)

You can fold either side of the seatback down in your vehicle for more cargo space. On vehicles with a built child restraint system, only the driver’s side rear passenger seatback can be folded down. Make sure the front seat isn’t reclined. If it is, the rear seatback won’t fold down all the way.

CAUTION:

A safety belt that is twisted or not properly attached won’t provide the protection needed in a crash. A person wearing a twisted or not properly attached belt could be seriously injured. After raising the rear seatback, always check to be sure that the safety belt is not twisted and is properly attached.

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T o fold either seatback down:

1. Remove the head restraints. See “Rear Head Restraint Removal” earlier in this section.

2. Remove the rear center lap-shoulder belt latch by using a key to press the release button.

3. Pull the release on the driver’s side in the trunk. (Repeat the procedure for the other side if you do not have a built

-in child restraint.)

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4. Fold the seatback down.

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T o raise the seatback:

1. Pull the seatback up and push it back to lock it into place. Make sure the safety belts are not twisted or caught in the seatback.

2. Push and pull the top of the seatback to be sure it is locked into position.

3. Reconnect the center seat belt.

Safety Belts: They’re for Everyone

This part of the manual tells you how to use safety belts properly. It also tells you some things you should not do with safety belts.

And it explains the air bag system.

CAUTION:

Don’t let anyone ride where he or she can’t wear a safety belt properly. If you are in a crash and you’re not wearing a safety belt, your injuries can be much worse. You can hit things inside the vehicle or be ejected from it. You can be seriously injured or killed. In the same crash, you might not be if you are buckled up. Always fasten your safety belt, and check that your passengers’ belts are fastened properly too.

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CAUTION:

It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision, people riding in these areas are more likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not allow people to ride in any area of your vehicle that is not equipped with seats and safety belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and using a safety belt properly.

Your vehicle has a light that comes on as a reminder to buckle up. (See “Safety Belt Reminder Light” in the Index.)

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In most states and Canadian provinces, the law says to wear safety belts. Here’s why: They work.

You never know if you’ll be in a crash. If you do have a crash, you don’t know if it will be a bad one.

A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so serious that even buckled up a person wouldn’t survive. But most crashes are in between. In many of them, people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk away . Without belts they could have been badly hurt or killed.

After more than 30 years of safety belts in vehicles, the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does matter ... a lot!

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Why Safety Belts Work

When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as it goes.

T ake the simplest vehicle. Suppose it’s just a seat on wheels.

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Put someone on it.

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Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider doesn’t stop.

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The person keeps going until stopped by something. In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield ...

or the instrument panel ... or the safety belts!

With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does. You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance, and your strongest bones take the forces. That’s why safety belts make such good sense.

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Here Are Questions Many People Ask About Safety Belts

Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an

accident if I’m wearing a safety belt?

-- and the Answers

A: You could be -- whether you’re wearing a safety

belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt, even if you’re upside down. And your chance of being conscious during and after an accident, so you can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if you are belted.

Q: If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to

wear safety belts?

A: Air bags are in many vehicles today and will be in

most of them in the future. But they are supplemental systems only; so they work with safety belts system ever offered for sale has required the use of safety belts. Even if you’re in a vehicle that has air bags, you still have to buckle up to get the most protection. That’s true not only in frontal collisions, but especially in side and other collisions.

-- not instead of them. Every air bag

Q: If I’m 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’re in an

accident your passengers can be hurt. Being a good driver doesn’t 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.

-- even one that isn’t your fault -- you and

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How to Wear Safety Belts Properly

Adults

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, see the part of this manual called “Children.” Follow those rules for everyone’s protection.

First, you’ll want to know which restraint systems your vehicle has.

We’ll start with the driver position.

Driver Position

This part describes the driver’s restraint system.

Lap-Shoulder Belt

The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here’s how to wear it properly.

1. Close and lock the door.

2. Adjust the seat (to see how, see “Seats” in the Index) so you can sit up straight.

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3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you. Don’t 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.

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4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks. Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.

If the belt isn’t long enough, see “Safety Belt Extender” at the end of this section.

Make sure the release button on the buckle is positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly if you ever had to.

5. T o make the lap part tight, pull down on the buckle end of the belt as you pull up on the shoulder belt.

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The lap part of the belt should be worn low and snug on the hips, just touching the thighs. In a crash, this applies force to the strong pelvic bones. And you’d be less likely to slide under the lap belt. If you slid under it, the belt would apply force at your abdomen. This could cause serious or even fatal injuries. The shoulder belt should go over the shoulder and across the chest. These parts of the body are best able to take belt restraining forces.

The safety belt locks if there’s a sudden stop or crash, or if you pull the belt very quickly out of the retractor.

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Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster

Before you begin to drive, move the shoulder belt adjuster to the height that is right for you.

T o move it down, squeeze the release button and move the height adjuster to the desired position. You can move the adjuster up just by pushing up on the shoulder belt guide. After you move the adjuster to where you want it, try to move it down without squeezing the release button to make sure it has locked into position.

Adjust the height so that the shoulder portion of the belt is centered on your shoulder. The belt should be away from your face and neck, but not falling off your shoulder.

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Q: What’s wrong with this?

A: The shoulder belt is too loose. It won’t give nearly

as much protection this way.

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CAUTION:

You can be seriously hurt if your shoulder belt is too loose. In a crash, you would move forward too much, which could increase injury. The shoulder belt should fit against your body.

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Q: What’s wrong with this?

A: The belt is buckled in the wrong place.

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CAUTION:

You can be seriously injured if your belt is buckled in the wrong place like this. In a crash, the belt would go up over your abdomen. The belt forces would be there, not at the pelvic bones. This could cause serious internal injuries. Always buckle your belt into the buckle nearest you.

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Q: What’s wrong with this?

A: The shoulder belt is worn under the arm. It should

be worn over the shoulder at all times.

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CAUTION:

You can be seriously injured if you wear the shoulder belt under your arm. In a crash, your body would move too far forward, which would increase the chance of head and neck injury. Also, the belt would apply too much force to the ribs, which aren’t as strong as shoulder bones. You could also severely injure internal organs like your liver or spleen.

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Q: What’s wrong with this?

A: The belt is twisted across the body.

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CAUTION:

You can be seriously injured by a twisted belt. In a crash, you wouldn’t have the full width of the belt to spread impact forces. If a belt is twisted, make it straight so it can work properly, or ask your dealer to fix it.

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T o unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle. The belt should go back out of the way.

Before you close the door, be sure the belt is out of the way . If you slam the door on it, you can damage both the belt and your vehicle.

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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 don’t 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.

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The best way to protect the fetus is to protect the mother. When a safety belt is worn properly, it’s more likely that the fetus won’t 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, see “Driver Position” earlier in this section.

The right front passenger’s safety belt works the same way as the driver’s safety belt 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.

-- except for one thing.

Air Bag Systems

This part explains the frontal and side impact air bag systems.

Your vehicle has air bags -- a “Next Generation” frontal air bag for the driver and another “Next Generation” frontal air bag for the right front passenger. Your vehicle may also have side impact air bags bag for the driver and another side impact air bag for the right front passenger.

-- a side impact air

If your vehicle has side impact air bags, it will say SRS

- SIDE AIRBAG on a label on the side of the

driver’s and right front passenger’s seat closest to the door.

Next Generation frontal air bags are designed to help reduce the risk of injury from the force of an inflating frontal air bag. But even these air bags must inflate very quickly if they are to do their job and comply with federal regulations.

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Here are the most important things to know about the air bag systems:

CAUTION:

You can be severely injured or killed in a crash if you aren’t wearing your safety belt have air bags. Wearing your safety belt during a crash helps reduce your chance of hitting things inside the vehicle or being ejected from it. Air bags are “supplemental restraints” to the safety belts. All air bags bags

-- are designed to work with safety belts but

don’t replace them.

-- even Next Generation air

CAUTION: (Continued)

-- even if you

CAUTION: (Continued)

Next Generation frontal air bags for the driver and right front passenger are designed to work only in moderate to severe crashes where the front of your vehicle hits something. They aren’t designed to inflate at all in rollover, rear, side or low

-speed frontal crashes. And, for unrestrained

occupants, Next Generation frontal air bags may provide less protection in frontal crashes than more forceful air bags have provided in the past. The side impact air bags for the driver and right front passenger are designed to inflate only in moderate to severe crashes where something hits the side of your vehicle. They aren’t designed to inflate in frontal, in rollover or in rear crashes. Everyone in your vehicle should wear a safety belt properly for that person.

-- whether or not there’s an air bag

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