check engine light CHEVROLET CAMARO 1997 4.G User Guide

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Low Oil Light
This warning light should
come on while
you are
starting your engine.
If the
light doesn’t come on, have
LOW OIL it repaired.
If the light stays on after starting your engine, your
engine oil level may be
too low. You may need to add
oil. See “Engine Oil” in the Index.
NOTICE:
The oil level monitoring system only checks the
oil level when you are starting your engine.
It
does not keep monitoring the level once the
engine is running. Also, the oil level check only
works when the engine has been turned
off long
enough for the oil to drain back into the oil pan.
Check Gages Light
CHECK
GAGES
This warning light will
come
on briefly when you
are starting the engine. If
the light comes on and stays
on while
you are driving,
check your gages to
see if they are
in the
warning areas.
2-88

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Care of Your Compact Discs
Handle discs carefully. Store them in their original cases
or other protective cases and away from direct sunlight
and dust. If the surface of a disc is soiled, dampen a
clean,
soft cloth in a mild, neutral detergent solution and
clean it, wiping from the center
to the edge.
Be sure never
to touch the signal surface when handling
discs. Pick
up discs by grasping the outer edges or the
edge
of the hole and the outer edge.
Fixed Mast Antenna
The fixed mast antenna can withstand most car washes
without being damaged.
If the mast should ever become
slightly bent,
you can straighten it out by hand. If the
mast is badly bent, as it might be by vandals, you should
replace it.
Check every once in a while to be sure the mast is still
tightened to the rear quarter panel.
3-24

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
When you start your engine, or when you begin to drive
away, your anti-lock brake system will check itself. You
may hear
a momentary motor or clicking noise while
this test is going on, and
you may even notice that your
brake pedal moves a little. This
is normal.
ABS
INOP
If there’s a problem with the
anti-lock brake system, this
warning light will stay
on or
flash. See “Anti-Lock
Brake System Warning
Light” in the Index.
Here’s how anti-lock works. Let’s say the road is wet.
You’re driving safely. Suddenly an animal jumps out in
front of you.
You slam on the brakes. Here’s what happens with ABS.
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If one
of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer will
separately work the brakes at each front wheel and at the
rear wheels.
4-7

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Night Vision
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as
we get older these differences increase.
A 50-year-old
driver may require at least twice as much light to see the
same thing at night as a 20-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also affect your night
vision. For example, if
you spend the day in bright
sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes
will have less trouble adjusting to night. But if you’re
driving, don’t wear sunglasses at night. They may cut
down on glare from headlamps, but they also make a
lot of things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps. It can take a second or two, or even several
seconds, for your eyes
to readjust to the dark. When
you are faced with severe glare (as from a driver who
doesn’t lower the high beams, or a vehicle with
misaimed headlamps),
slow down a little. Avoid
staring directly into the approaching headlamps. Keep your windshield and
all the glass
on your vehicle
clean
-- inside and out. Glare at night is made much
worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside
of the glass
can build up a film caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and flash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils
of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that your headlamps light up far less of a
roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep your
eyes moving; that way, it’s easier
to pick out dimly
lighted objects. Just as your headlamps should be
checked regularly for proper aim,
so should your eyes
be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from night
blindness
-- the inability to see in dim light -- and
aren’t even aware of
it.
4-17

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine City Driving
One of the biggest problems with city streets is the
amount
of traffic on them. You’ll want to watch out
for what the other drivers are doing and pay attention
to traffic signals. Here
are ways to increase your safety
in city driving:
0
0
Know the best way to get to where you are
going. Get a city map and plan your trip into an
unknown part
of the city just as you would for a
cross-country trip.
Try to use the freeways
that rim and crisscross most
large cities. You’ll save time and energy. (See the
next part, “Freeway Driving.”)
Treat a green light as a warning signal.
A traffic
light is there because the corner is busy enough to
need it. When a light turns green, and just before
you start
to move, check both ways for vehicles that
have not cleared the intersection or may be running
the red light.
4-21

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Freeway Driving
Mile for mile, freeways (also called thruways, parkways,
expressways, turnpikes or superhighways) are the safest
of all roads. But they have their own special rules.
The most important advice on freeway driving is: Keep
up with traffic and keep to
the right. Drive at the same
speed most of the other drivers are driving. Too-fast or
too-slow driving breaks a smooth traffic
flow. Treat the
left lane
on a freeway as a passing lane. At
the entrance, there is usually
a ramp that leads to the
freeway. If
you have a clear view of the freeway as you
drive along the entrance ramp,
you should begin to
check traffic. Try
to determine where you expect to
blend with the flow. Try to merge into the gap at close to
the prevailing speed. Switch on your turn signal, check
your mirrors and glance over your shoulder
as often as
necessary. Try to blend smoothly with the traffic flow.
Once you are on the freeway, adjust your speed to the
posted limit or to the prevailing rate if it’s slower. Stay
in the right lane unless you want to pass.
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then use
your turn signal.
Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your
shoulder
to make sure there isn’t another vehicle in your
“blind” spot.
Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to move
slightly slower at night.
When you want to leave the freeway, move to the proper
lane well
in advance. If you miss your exit, do not,
under any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive on to
the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
4-22

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine NOTICE:
Ignoring these steps could result in costly damage
to your vehicle that wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
Trying to start your Chevrolet by pushing
or
pulling it could damage your vehicle, even if you
have a manual transmission. And if you have an
automatic transmission,
it won’t start that way.
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with a negative ground system.
NOTICE:
If the other system isn’t a 12-volt system with a
negative ground, both vehicles can be damaged.
2.
3.
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.
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!
I NOTICE:
If you leave your radio on, it could be badly
damaged. The repairs wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries.
Find
the positive (+) and negative (-) terminals on
each battery.
5-4

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A CAUTIOR-
Using a match near a battery can cause battery
gas to explode. People have been hurt doing this,
and some have been blinded. Use
a flashlight if
you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water. You don’t
need to add water to the Delco Freedom@ battery
installed in every new
GM vehicle. But if a
battery has filler caps, be sure the right amount
of fluid is there. If it is low, add water to take care
of that
first. If you don’t, explosive gas could
be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn you.
Don’t get it on you.
If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or on your skin, flush the place with
water and get medical help immediately.
5. Check that the jumper cables don’t have loose or
missing insulation.
If they do, you could get a shock.
The vehicles could be damaged,
too.
Before you connect the cables, here are some basic
things
you should know. Positive (+) will go to
positive
(+) and negative (-) will go to negative (-)
or a metal engine part. Don’t connect (+) to (-) or
you’ll get a short that would damage the battery and
maybe other parts,
too.
r
I
ms or other moving engine parts can injure you
badly. Keep your hands away from moving parts
once the engines are running.
5-5

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Before closing the hood, be sure all the filler caps
are on.
Then just pull the hood down and close it firmly.
Engine Oil
If the LOW OIL light
on the instrument panel
comes on, it means you
need
to check your engine
oil level right away.
LOW OIL
For more information, see “Low Oil Light” in the Index.
You should check your engine oil level regularly; this is
an added reminder.
It’s a good idea
to check your engine oil every time you
get fuel. In order
to get an accurate reading, the oil must
be warm and the vehicle must be on level ground.
3800 Engine Oil Dipstick
The engine oil dipstick is the yellow loop near the back
of the engine
6-12

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Checking Coolant
5.7L Engine Only
When your engine is cold, check the dipstick on the cap
of the coolant recovery tank. The coolant level should
be at
COLD, or a little higher. When your engine is
warm, the level on the dipstick should be up to HOT,
or a little higher.
If this light comes on, it
means you’re low on
engine coolant.
Adding Coolant to the Recovery Tank
If you need more coolant, add the proper DEX-COOL’
coolant mixture at the coolant recovery tank, but only
when your engine is cool.
If the tank is very low or
empty, also add coolant to the radiator. See “Engine
Overheating” in the Index for information.