1996 Chevrolet Cavalier Owner's Manual - Page 218

If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine If you get the overheat warning but or hear no see steam, the problem may not too serious. Sometimes be the enginecan get alittle too hot when you: Climb a long hill ona hot day. Stop after high-speed driving. Idle for long periods in traffic. Tow a trailer. If there's stillno slgn of steam, you can idle the engine for two or three minutes while you're parked, to see if the warning stops. But then, if you still have the warning, turn o f t h e engine and get everyone out of the vehicle until it cools down. You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service help right away. When you decide it'ssafe to lift the hood, here's what you'll see: If you get the overhear warn J wlm no sign of steam, try thisfor a.minute or so: 1. If you have anair conditioner, turn it off. 2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan speed and open the window necessary. as 3. If you're in a trafficjam, shift to NEUTRAL (N); otherwise, shift to the highest gear while driving -- AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D) or THIRD (3) for automatic transaxles. If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about minutes. If the 10 warning doesn't come back on, you can drive normally. If the warning continues,pull over, stop, and park your vehicle right away. 2.2L Engine 5-14