Starting Your Engine - Chevrolet 1998 Prizm Owner's Manual

Starting Your Engine
Automatic Transaxle
Move your shift lever to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N).
Your engine won't start in any other position
--
that's a
safety feature. To restart when you're already moving,
use NEUTRAL (N) only.
I
NOTICE:
Don't try to shift to PARK
(P)
if your Chevrolet
is moving. If you do, you could damage the
transaxle, Shift to PARK (P) only when your
vehicle is stopped.
Manual Transaxle
The gear selector should be in NEUTRAL (N) and the
parking brake engaged. Hold the clutch pedal to the
floor and start the engine. Your vehicle won't start if
the clutch pedal is not all the way down
--
that's a
safety feature.
Starting Your 1.8 Liter Engine
1. Without pushing the accelerator pedal, turn your
ignition key to START. When the engine starts, let
go of the key. The idle speed will go down as your
engine gets warm.
NOTICE:
Holding your key in START for longer than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to
be drained much sooner. And the excessive heat
can damage your starter motor.
2. If it doesn't start in three seconds, wait about
15 seconds and try again to start the engine by
turning the ignition key to START. Wait about
15 seconds between each try to help avoid draining
your battery or damaging your starter.
When your engine has run about 10 seconds to warm
up, your vehicle is ready to be driven. Don't "race"
your engine when it's cold.
If the weather is below freezing (32" F or O'C), let
the engine run for a few minutes to warm up.
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