coolant CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO 2003 6.G Owners Manual

Keys...............................................................2-2
Remote Keyless Entry System.........................2-3
Remote Keyless Entry System Operation...........2-4
Doors and Locks.............................................2-8
Door Locks....................................................2-8
Power Door Locks..........................................2-9
Programmable Automatic Door Locks................2-9
Lockout Protection........................................2-10
Leaving Your Vehicle....................................2-10
Trunk..........................................................2-10
Windows........................................................2-12
Power Windows............................................2-13
Sun Visors...................................................2-14
Theft-Deterrent Systems..................................2-14
Content Theft-Deterrent.................................2-14
Passlock
ž....................................................2-16
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle................2-16
New Vehicle Break-In....................................2-16
Ignition Positions..........................................2-17
Starting Your Engine.....................................2-18
Engine Coolant Heater..................................2-20
Automatic Transaxle Operation.......................2-21
Parking Brake..............................................2-24
Shifting Into Park (P).....................................2-25
Shifting Out of Park (P).................................2-27Parking Over Things That Burn.......................2-27
Engine Exhaust............................................2-28
Running Your Engine While You
Are Parked...............................................2-28
Mirrors...........................................................2-29
Manual Rearview Mirror.................................2-29
Manual Rearview Mirror with OnStar
ž..............2-30
Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror................2-31
Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror with
OnStar
ž...................................................2-32
Outside Power Mirrors...................................2-33
Outside Convex Mirror...................................2-33
Outside Heated Mirrors..................................2-34
OnStar
žSystem.............................................2-34
HomeLinkžTransmitter...................................2-35
Programming the HomeLinkžTransmitter.........2-36
Storage Areas................................................2-39
Glove Box...................................................2-39
Center Console Storage Area.........................2-39
Rear Storage Area........................................2-39
Convenience Net..........................................2-40
Sunroof.........................................................2-40
Vehicle Personalization...................................2-41
Section 2 Features and Controls
2-1

Engine Coolant Heater
Your vehicle may be equipped with this feature. In very
cold weather, 0ÉF (-18ÉC) or colder, the engine
coolant heater can help. You'll get easier starting and
better fuel economy during engine warm-up. Usually, the
coolant heater should be plugged in a minimum of
four hours prior to starting your vehicle. At temperatures
above 32ÉF (0ÉC), use of the coolant heater is not
required.
To Use the Engine Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord. The
cord is attached to the underside of the diagonal
brace, which is located above the engine air
cleaner/®lter assembly.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-volt AC outlet.
{CAUTION:
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause an electrical shock. Also, the
wrong kind of extension cord could overheat
and cause a ®re. You could be seriously
injured. Plug the cord into a properly grounded
three-prong 110-volt AC outlet. If the cord
won't reach, use a heavy-duty three-prong
extension cord rated for at least 15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and
store the cord as it was before to keep it away
from moving engine parts. If you don't, it could be
damaged.
2-20

How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends on the outside temperature, the
kind of oil you have, and some other things. Instead
of trying to list everything here, we ask that you contact
your dealer in the area where you'll be parking your
vehicle. The dealer can give you the best advice for that
particular area.
Automatic Transaxle Operation
Your automatic transaxle has a shift lever located on
the console between the front seats.
The above graphic is displayed on your instrument
panel cluster.
Maximum engine speed is limited on automatic transaxle
vehicles while you're in PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) to
protect driveline components from improper operation.
2-21

Instrument Panel Overview...............................3-4
Hazard Warning Flashers................................3-6
Other Warning Devices...................................3-6
Horn.............................................................3-7
Tilt Wheel.....................................................3-7
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever.........................3-7
Exterior Lamps.............................................3-15
Interior Lamps..............................................3-17
Accessory Power Outlets...............................3-20
Auxiliary Power Connection (Power Drop).........3-21
Ashtrays and Cigarette Lighter........................3-21
Climate Controls............................................3-22
Dual Climate Control System..........................3-22
Passenger Compartment Air Filter...................3-28
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators.............3-30
Instrument Panel Cluster................................3-31
Speedometer and Odometer...........................3-33
Tachometer.................................................3-33
Safety Belt Reminder Light.............................3-34
Air Bag Readiness Light................................3-34
Voltmeter Gage............................................3-35
Brake System Warning Light..........................3-36
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light.............3-37Traction Control System (TCS)
Warning Light...........................................3-37
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage..................3-38
Malfunction Indicator Lamp.............................3-38
Oil Pressure Indicator Light............................3-42
Cruise Control Light......................................3-43
Fuel Gage...................................................3-43
Message Center.............................................3-44
Service Traction System Warning Message......3-44
Traction Active Message................................3-45
Battery Warning Message..............................3-45
Hot Coolant Temperature Warning Message.....3-46
Low Oil Pressure Message............................3-46
Low Engine Oil Level Message.......................3-47
Change Engine Oil Message..........................3-47
Low Tire Message........................................3-48
Door Ajar Warning Message...........................3-48
Trunk Ajar Warning Message.........................3-49
Security Message.........................................3-49
Low Washer Fluid Warning Message...............3-50
Low Fuel Warning Message...........................3-50
Low Brake Fluid Warning Message.................3-51
Service Vehicle Soon Message.......................3-51
Highbeam Out Warning Message....................3-52
Section 3 Instrument Panel
3-1

?(Recirculation):Press this button to turn the
recirculation mode on. When this mode is on, inside air
and a small percentage of outside air will recirculate
throughout your vehicle. This selection will reduce
the entry of outside air and odors from entering your
vehicle, it may also help heat or cool your vehicle more
quickly. When this button is pressed, an indicator
light in the button will also come on to let you know that
it is activated. During daylight hours, you may have
to adjust the instrument panel brightness control to the
highest setting in order to see the indicator light.
See
Interior Lamps on page 3-17for more information.
The recirculation mode can be used with vent and
bi-level modes, but it cannot be used with ¯oor, defog,
defrost or outside air modes.
This system will default back to the outside air setting,
so you will have to re-select this setting every time
that you start the vehicle.
If the weather is cold and damp, the system may cause
the windows to fog while using the recirculation
mode. If the windows do start to fog, do the following:
1. Select the defog or defrost mode.
2. Select the temperature.
3. Select the highest fan speed.
4. Operate the system in the outside air mode, to help
prevent a recurrence.
Heating
Adjust the air temperature by using the following levers:
D (Driver):Slide this lever up or down to raise or
lower the temperature on the driver's side of the vehicle.
P (Passenger):Slide this lever up or down to raise
or lower the temperature on the passenger's side of the
vehicle.
To warm your vehicle on cold days, do the following:
1. Select the ¯oor mode.
2. Select the warmest temperature.
3. Select the fan speed.
4. Select outside air mode, after the air has warmed,
to prevent it from becoming too stale.
When it's cold outside 0ÉF (-18ÉC) or lower, use the
engine coolant heater, if equipped, to provide warmer air
faster to your vehicle. An engine coolant heater warms
the coolant that the engine uses to provide heat to
warm the inside of your vehicle. For more information,
see
Engine Coolant Heater on page 2-20.
3-24

Engine Coolant Temperature GageThis gage shows the engine coolant temperature.
It also provides an indicator of how hard your vehicle is
working. During the majority of the operation, the
gage will read 210ÉF (100ÉC) or less.
If you are pulling a load or going up hills, it is normal for
the temperature to ¯uctuate and approach the 250ÉF
(122ÉC) mark. When the gage reads greater than 250ÉF
(122ÉC), the HOT COOLANT TEMP light will be
illuminated in the message center and a chime will
sound continuously. If the gage reaches the 260ÉF
(125ÉC) mark, it indicates that the cooling system is
working beyond its capacity.
See
Engine Overheating on page 5-29.
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
Check Engine Light
United States-3400 V6
Engine ClusterUnited States-3800 V6
Engine Cluster
Canada-3400 V6 Engine
ClusterCanada-3800 V6 Engine
ClusterUnited StatesCanada
3-38

Hot Coolant Temperature Warning
Message
This message is displayed when the cooling
system temperature gets hot. A chime will sound
continuously, also.
Check the coolant temperature gage and the coolant
level. See
Engine Coolant on page 5-26,Engine Coolant
Temperature Gage on page 3-38andEngine
Overheating on page 5-29for further information.
Low Oil Pressure Message
This message is displayed when the engine oil pressure
is low. A chime will sound continuously, also. See Oil
Pressure Indicator Light on page 3-42. United States
Canada
United StatesCanada
3-46

Service............................................................5-3
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-3
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle..............................................5-4
Fuel................................................................5-4
Gasoline Octane............................................5-4
Gasoline Speci®cations....................................5-5
California Fuel...............................................5-5
Additives.......................................................5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-6
Filling Your Tank............................................5-7
Filling a Portable Fuel Container.......................5-9
Checking Things Under
the Hood....................................................5-10
Hood Release..............................................5-10
Engine Compartment Overview.......................5-12
Engine Oil...................................................5-16
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-22
Automatic Transaxle Fluid..............................5-24
Engine Coolant.............................................5-26
Radiator Pressure Cap..................................5-29
Engine Overheating.......................................5-29
Cooling System............................................5-32
Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-42
Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-43
Brakes........................................................5-44Battery........................................................5-47
Jump Starting...............................................5-48
Headlamp Aiming...........................................5-53
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-54
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-54
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker,
and Parking Lamps....................................5-54
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps and
Sidemarker Lamps.....................................5-56
Back-Up Lamps............................................5-57
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-57
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-58
Tires..............................................................5-59
In¯ation -- Tire Pressure................................5-60
Tire Pressure Monitor System.........................5-61
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-63
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-64
Buying New Tires.........................................5-65
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-66
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-67
Wheel Replacement......................................5-67
Tire Chains..................................................5-69
If a Tire Goes Flat........................................5-69
Changing a Flat Tire.....................................5-70
Compact Spare Tire......................................5-81
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

Checking Things Under
the Hood
{CAUTION:
An electric fan under the hood can start up
and injure you even when the engine is not
running. Keep hands, clothing and tools away
from any underhood electric fan.
{CAUTION:
Things that burn can get on hot engine parts
and start a ®re. These include liquids like fuel,
oil, coolant, brake ¯uid, windshield washer and
other ¯uids, and plastic or rubber. You or
others could be burned. Be careful not to drop
or spill things that will burn onto a hot engine.
Hood Release
To open the hood do the following:
1. Pull the handle located
inside the vehicle near
the parking brake
pedal.
5-10

A. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. SeeWindshield
Washer Fluid on page 5-43.
B. Battery. See
Battery on page 5-47.
C. Remote Positive (+) Terminal. See
Jump Starting on
page 5-48.
D. Upper Underhood Fuse Block. See ªUpperhood
Fuse Block (Upper)º under
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers on page 5-91.
E. Lower Underhood Fuse Block. See ªUnderhood
Fuse Block (Lower)º under
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers on page 5-91.
F. Radiator Pressure Cap. See
Radiator Pressure Cap
on page 5-29.
G. Engine Coolant Recovery Tank. See
Cooling System
on page 5-32.
H. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir. See
Power Steering
Fluid on page 5-42.I. Electric Cooling Fan. See
Cooling System on
page 5-32.
J. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See ªChecking Engine Oilº
under
Engine Oil on page 5-16.
K. Engine Oil Dipstick. See ªChecking Engine Oilº
under
Engine Oil on page 5-16.
L. Bleed Valves (underneath engine shield). See ªHow
to Add Coolant to the Radiatorº under
Cooling
System on page 5-32.
M. Transaxle Fluid Dipstick. See
Automatic Transaxle
Fluid on page 5-24.
N. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir. See
Brakes on
page 5-44.
O. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. See
Engine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 5-22.
5-13