2004 Chevrolet Cavalier Owner's Manual - Page 90

Shifting Into Park (P) (Automatic Transaxle) 4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can leave your vehicle with the ignition key in your hand, your vehicle is in PARK (P). {CAUTION: It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll. If you have left the engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly. You or others could be injured. To be sure your vehicle will not move, even when you are on fairly level ground, use the steps that follow. If you are pulling a trailer, see Towing a Trailer (Automatic Transaxle) on page 4-37 or Towing a Trailer (Manual Transaxle) on page 4-43. 1. Hold the brake pedal down and set the parking brake. 2. Move the shift lever into the PARK (P) position like this: • Hold in the button on the shift lever. • Push the lever all the way toward the front of your vehicle. 3. Turn the ignition key to LOCK. 2-26 Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine Running {CAUTION: It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with the engine running. Your vehicle could move suddenly if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the parking brake firmly set. And, if you leave the vehicle with the engine running, it could overheat and even catch fire. You or others could be injured. Do not leave your vehicle with the engine running. If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and your parking brake is firmly set before you leave it. After you've moved the shift lever into PARK (P), hold the regular brake pedal down. Then, see if you can move the shift lever away from PARK (P) without first pushing the button. If you can, it means that the shift lever wasn't fully locked into PARK (P).