2004 Chevrolet Cavalier Owner's Manual - Page 91
2004 Chevrolet Cavalier Manual
Page 91 highlights
Torque Lock If you are parking on a hill and you don't shift your transaxle into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl in the transaxle. You may find it difficult to pull the shift lever out of PARK (P). This is called "torque lock." To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then shift into PARK (P) properly before you leave the driver's seat. To find out how, see Shifting Into Park (P) (Automatic Transaxle) on page 2-26. When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of PARK (P) before you release the parking brake. If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of the pressure from the parking pawl in the transaxle, so you can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P). If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on the shift lever and push the shift lever all the way up into PARK (P) as you maintain brake application. Then, move the shift lever into the gear you want. Press the shift lever button before moving the shift lever. If you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can't shift out of PARK (P), try this: 1. Turn the key to OFF. (There is no shift interlock in this key position.) 2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4. 3. Shift the transaxle to NEUTRAL (N). 4. Start the vehicle and then shift to the gear you want. 5. Have the system fixed as soon as you can. Shifting Out of Park (P) (Automatic Transaxle) Your vehicle has an automatic transaxle shift lock control system which locks the shift lever in PARK (P) when the ignition is in the LOCK position. In addition, you have to fully apply your regular brakes before you can shift from PARK (P) when the ignition is in RUN. See Automatic Transaxle Operation on page 2-20. Parking Your Vehicle (Manual Transaxle) Before leaving your vehicle, fully press the clutch pedal in, move the shift lever into REVERSE (R), and firmly apply the parking brake. Once the shift lever has been placed in REVERSE (R) with the clutch pedal pressed in, you can turn the ignition key to OFF, remove the key and release the clutch. See Manual Transaxle Operation on page 2-23. 2-27