Chevrolet 1997 Cavalier Owner's Manual page 117

Lowering the Top Manually
NOTICE:
I
Do not attempt to lower the top manually
as
damage to the vehicle will occur. If the top fails to
raise or lower completely, see "Raising the Top
Manually" following.
Raising the Top Manually
If your vehicle loses power, or something else happens
that prevents you from raising the top electrically, you
may need to raise the top manually. This will allow you
to safely drive the vehicle until you can get the top
repaired. Raising the convertible top manually should
only be done in an emergency and requires two people.
Before you do these steps, check to make sure that
the bypass switch in the trunk is switched up to the
NORMAL OPERATION position. If it is not, switch it
to the NORMAL OPERATION position and see if the
power top works.
1. Set the parking brake and shift your automatic
transaxle to PARK
(p)
or your manual transaxle to
NEUTRAL (N). Turn the engine off.
2. Push the button in the latch handle and rotate the
handle down.
3. Open the trunk.