CHEVROLET CAMARO 1993 Owners Manual

Here are some rules to follow:
0
Will you have to make any holes in
the body of your vehicle when you
install a trailer hitch?
If you do, then
be sure to seal the holes later when
you remove the
hitch. If you don't
seal them, deadly carbon monoxide
(CO) from your exhaust can get into
your vehicle (see "Carbon Monoxide"
in the Index). Dirt and water can, too.
The bumpers on your vehicle are not
intended for hitches.
Do not attach
rental hitches or other bumper-type
hitches
to them. Use only a
frame-mounted hitch that does not
attach
to the bumper.
Safety Chains
You should always attach chains between
your vehicle and your trailer. Cross the
safety chains under the tongue
of the
trailer
so that the tongue will not drop to
the road
if it becomes separated from the
hitch. Instructions about safety chains
may be provided by the hitch
manufacturer or by the trailer
manufacturer. Follow the manufacturer's
recommendation for attaching safety
chains. Always leave just enough slack
so
you can turn with your rig. And, never
a Jlow safety chains to drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
If your trailer weighs more than 1,000
pounds (450 kg) loaded, then it needs its
own brakes
- and they must be adequate.
Be sure
to read and follow the instructions
for the trailer brakes
so you'll be able to
install, adjust and maintain them properly.
Because you have anti-lock brakes, do
not
try to tap into your vehicle's brake
system. If you
do, both brake systems
won't
work well, or at all.
Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount
of experience. Before setting out for the
open road, you'll want to get to know
your rig. Acquaint yourself
with the feel
of handling and braking with the added
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Your Driving and the Road
178
weight of the trailer. And always keep in
mind that the vehicle you are driving is
now a good deal longer and not nearly so
responsive as your vehicle is by itself,
Before you start, check the trailer hitch
and platform, safety chains, electrical
connector, lights, tires and mirror
adjustment. If the trailer has electric
brakes, start your vehicle and trailer
moving and then apply the trailer brake
controller by hand
to be sure the brakes
are working. This lets you check your
electrical connection
at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be
sure that the load is secure, and that the
lights and any trailer brakes are still
working.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the
vehicle ahead as you would when driving
your vehicle without a trailer. This can
help you avoid situations that require
heavy braking and sudden turns.
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up
ahead when you’re towing a trailer. And,
because you’re a good deal longer, you’ll
need to go much farther beyond the
passed vehicle before you can return
to
your lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel
with one hand. Then, to move the trailer
to the left, just move that hand
to the left.
To move the trailer to the right, move
your hand
to the right. Always back up
slowly and,
if possible, have someone
guide you.
Making Turns
When you’re turning with a trailer, make
wider turns than normal.
Do this so your
trailer won’t strike
soft shoulders, curbs,
road signs, trees, or other objects. Avoid
jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well
in
advance.
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Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has to
have a different turn signal flasher and
extra wiring. The green arrows on your
instrument panel will flash whenever you
signal a turn or lane change. Properly
hooked up, the trailer lights will also flash,
telling other drivers you’re about to
turn,
change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green arrows on
your instrument panel will flash for turns
even if the bulbs on the trailer are burned
out. Thus,
you may think drivers behind
you are seeing your signal when they are
not. It’s important to check occasionally to
be sure the trailer bulbs are still working.
Driving on Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear
before you start down a long or steep
downgrade. If
you don’t shift down, you
might have to use your brakes
so much
that they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and
reduce your speed to around
45 mph
(70 km/h) to reduce the possibility of
engine and transmission overheating. If you
are towing a trailer and you
have an automatic transmission with
Overdrive, you may prefer to drive
in D
instead of Overdrive (or, as you need to,
a lower gear). Or, if you have a manual
transmission
with fifth (or sixth) gear
and you are towing a trailer, it’s better
not to use
fifth (or sixth) gear. Just drive
in fourth gear (fifth gear
if you have
a six-speed manual transmission)
(or, as you need to, a lower gear.
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Your Driving and the Road
I
180
Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle,
with a trailer attached, on a hill. If
something goes wrong, your rig could
start to move. People can be injured, and
both your vehicle and the trailer can be
damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on a
hill, here's how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don't
shift into
P (Park) yet, or into gear for
a manual transmission.
2. Have someone place chocks under the
trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place,
release the regular brakes-until the
chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then
apply your parking brake, and then shift to
P (Park), or R (Reverse) for
a manual transmission.
5. Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave after
Parking on
a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold
the pedal down while you:
0 Start your engine;
0 Shift into a gear; and
0 Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear
4. Stop and have someone pick up and
of the chocks.
store the chocks.
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Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often
when you're pulling a trailer. See the
Maintenance Schedule for more on this.
Things that are especially important
in
trailer operation are automatic
transmission
fluid (don't overfill), engine
oil, axle lubricant. belts. cooling system,
and brake adjustment. Each of these is
covered
in this manual, and the Index will
help you find them quickly. If you're
trailering, it's
a good idea to review these
sections before
you start your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch
nuts
and bolts are tight.
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' Notes
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Part 5
P
Here you’ll find what to do about
some problems that can occur on
the road.
rroblems on the Road
Hazard Warning Flashers ............................................. 184
Jump Starting ...................................................... 185
Towing Your Vehicle ................................................ 190
Engine Overheating ................................................. 193
If a Tire Goes Flat .................................................. 204
If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow .............................. 215
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Problems on the Road
1
A
... 184
Hazard Warning
Flashers
Your hazard warning flashers let you
warn others. They also let police know
you have a problem. Your front and rear
turn signal lights
will flash on and off.
Press the button in to make your fronl and
rear
turn signal lights flash on and off.
Your hazard warning flashers work no
matter what position your key
is in, and
even
if the key isn‘t in.
To turn off the flashers. pull out on the
collar.
When the hazard warning tlashers are on,
your turn signals won’t work.
Other Warning Devices
If you carry retlective triangles, you can
set one
up at the side of the road about
300 feet (100 m> behind your vehicle.
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Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may
want to use another vehicle and some
jumper
cables to start your Chevrolet. But
please follow the steps below to do it
safely.
A Batteries can hurt you. They
0 They contain acid that can
cm be dangerous because:
burn you.
They contain gas that can
explode or ignite.
They contain enough
electricity to burn you.
you don’t follow these steps
taclly, some or all of these things
cm hurl you.
Ignoring these steps could result in
cosily damage to your vehicle that
wouldn’l : covered by your
warrant)
Trying
to start your Chevrolet bl
pushing or pulling it could dama
your vehicle. even
if you have a
manual transmission. And if you
have an automatic transmission,
it
won’t slart that way.
.
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Problems an the Road
To Jump Start Your Chevrolet:
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have
a 12-volt battery
with a negative
ground system.
11 NOTICE:
... 186
2.
lr tne otner system Isn’t a lz-vo~t
--/stem
with a negative ground, botn
Yzhicles can be damaged.
r
Get the vehicles close enough so the
jumper cables can reach,
but be sure
the vehicles aren’t touching each
other.
If they are, it could cause a
ground connection you don’t want.
You wouldn’t be able to start your
Chevrolet, and the bad grounding
could damage the electrical systems.
I
’WTION: II ~____
rou cows De rnJurea if the
4 vehicles roll. Set the parking
,,ake firmly on each vehicle. Put
an automatic transmission
in
P (Park) or a manual transmission
in Neutral.
‘I
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles,
Turn
off all lights that aren’t needed,
and radios. This
will avoid sparks and
help save both batteries.
And it could
save your radio!
be badly damaged. The repairs
wouldn’t be covered
1 your
NOTICE:
warrar
I
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