light CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO 1973 2.G Owners Manual
[x] Cancel search | Manufacturer: CHEVROLET, Model Year: 1973, Model line: MONTE CARLO, Model: CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO 1973 2.GPages: 86, PDF Size: 33.46 MB
Page 5 of 86

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine BEFORE DRIVING YOUR MONTE  CARLO 
DRIVER CHECKLIST 
Before  Entering  Car 
1. See that windows , mirrors  and 
lights  are clean. 
2 . Visually  note inflation  condition 
of  tires. 
3. Check  that area  to rear is clear 
if  about  to back  up. 
Before  Driving Off 
1. Lock all doors. 
2.  Position  seat and adjust  head 
restraints. 
3.  Adjust  inside and outside  mir
rors. 
4 . Fasten  seat belts. 
5.  Check  that warning  bulbs light 
when  key 
is turned  to start  posi
tion. 
6 . Release  parking  brake (and see 
that  brake  warning  light turns 
off).  7
. Be  sure  you understand  your 
car  and  how  to operate  it safely. 
Keys 
Two  separate  keys are provided 
for  your  car. Each  key has a differ
ent  cross  section  so that  it can  be 
inserted  only 
in certain locks. 
• Key with square head 
(stamped "E") -for ignition 
switch  and door  locks. 
• Key with oval head  (stamped 
"H") -for  all other  locks. 
fib 
~ ALL  OTHER LOCKS 
3 
The code  number  of each  key is 
stamped  on the "knock  out" plug 
in  the  key  head.  Your Chevrolet 
dealer  removed  these plugs  and 
placed  them with the spare  set of 
keys  in the  special  key envelope 
that  was given  to you  at time  of 
delivery.  For your  protection: 
• Record  the numbers  on the  key 
envelope  and discard  the key 
plugs. 
• Keep  the key  envelope  in a safe 
place  such 
as your wallet,  Not 
In  The  Car. 
In  the  event  the original  keys are 
lost,  duplicates  can be made  by 
your  dealer  or a locksmith  using 
the  key  code  information. 
Be  sure  to lock  the glove  box or 
console  compartments  and remove 
the  key  from  the car  whenever  it 
is 
necessary  to leave  the ignition  key 
with  an attendant.   
Page 6 of 86

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Door Locks 
Front  side doors  can be locked 
from  the inside  by depressing  the 
passenger  guard door lock buttons 
located  on the  upper  door panel. 
All  doors  can be locked  from the 
outside  by first  depressing  the door 
lock  button  and closing  the door. 
The  front  doors  can also  be 
locked  by using  the key. 
All  models  have 
as a standard 
safety  feature  overriding  door locks. 
When  the doors  are locked,  the 
door  latch  mechanism 
is inopera
tive,  preventing  inadvertent  open
ing  of the  door  by movement  of the 
inside  handle. 
REMINDER:  Avoid hanging  ob
jects  on the  right  hand  coat hook 
in  such  a way  that you block  the 
driver's  vision to the  right  rear 
quarter. 
REMINDER: Always lock the 
doors  when driving,  for greater se
curity  in the  event  of an  accident 
and  for security  against entry by 
unwelcome  persons while momen
tarily  stopped. 
Seats 
Folding  seatbacks  are equipped 
with  self-latching  mechanisms  and 
release  controls  designed  for the 
convenience  of entering  and exit
ing  passengers. 
Manually  Operated  Front Seats 
-The  front  seat can be moved 
forward  or rearward  by moving  the 
control  lever on the  driver's  side 
of  the  seat  forward  and exerting 
slight  body pressure  in the  direc
tion  desired.  Release the lever 
so 
the  seat  will  lock  in the  desired 
position. 
Back  Locks-For  your safety  each 
folding  front seatback  has a lock 
4 
which  must be released  before the 
seatback  can be folded  forward. 
The  release  lever 
is located  at the 
lower  side of each  backrest  nearest 
the  door.  Move  the lever  upward, 
then  pull the seatback  forward. 
Keep  seat belts  and 
bu.c~les 
clear of mechanism  when tlltmg 
folding seats  forward or backwards, 
to  prevent  damage  to these  belt 
restraints. 
Bucket Seats 
The  front  seats may be adjusted 
to  suit  an individual's  preference. 
Simply  release the seat  lock  mech
anism  located  at the  front  of the 
seat. 
Once released,  exert slight 
body  pressure  in the  direction  de
sired.  Release  the lever  so the  seat 
will  lock  in the  desired  position. 
Swivel Bucket Seats 
The swivel  bucket  seat can be 
turned  towards  the door  opening   
Page 8 of 86

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Inside Rearview Mirrors 
Switch mirror to night  position  to 
reduce  glare from  following 
headlights. 
To raise or lower,  grasp mirror 
and  exert  sufficient  pressure by 
pushing 
or pulling  to move  mirror 
up 
or down. 
Occupant  Restraint Belts 
Lap and shoulder  belts provide 
added  security  and comfort  for you 
and  your  passengers. 
Proper use 
and  care  of these  belts 
will assure 
continuance  of this  security. 
lap Belts 
• Adjust  front seat to satisfaction 
of  driver  and sit erect  and well 
back  in seat. 
• In a single  motion,  pull webbing 
across  lap far enough  to permit 
inserting  metal latch plate  end 
of  lap  belt  into  the buckle,  until 
a  snap 
is heard. If not  pulled 
out  far enough  to reach,  let belt 
rewind  into the retractor  to re
lease  lock mechanism , 
so belt 
6 
can be pulled  out to the  proper 
length. 
• Position  belt across  lap as LOW 
ON  HIPS 
as possible.  To reduce 
the  risk  of sliding  under belt 
during  an accident,  adjust to a 
SNUG FIT by pulling  belt firm
ly  across  lap in direction  of re
tractor 
so it  can  take  up slack.   
Page 10 of 86

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Seat Belt Buzzer/Light 
Reminder 
• The  front  outboard  lap belts 
(those  next to side  windows) 
are  linked  to a buzzer  and light 
which  remind  occupants  to 
fas
ten seat  belts. 
• On cars  with  automatic  trans
missions,  or manual  transmis
sions  with steering  column
mounted  shift levers , the  buzzer 
and  light  are designed  to come 
on  when  the ignition  switch 
is 
on, the  transmission  selector is 
in a forward  drive position,  and 
the  driver's  or right  front  pas
senger's  lap belt 
is not  fastened. 
• On manual  transmission  cars 
with  floor  mounted  shift controls 
the  reminders  are designed  to 
come  on when  the ignition  switch 
is on, the driver's or right  front 
passenger's  lap belt 
is not  fas
tened  and the transmission 
is in 
any  gear  position,  except that 
NOTE: The right  front  seat con
tains  a weight  detector  which 
is de
signed  to activate  the buzzer  and 
light  whenever  a nominal  weight 
is placed on the  seat.  The weight 
detector  cannot distinguish  be
tween  a passenger  and any item 
of  luggage  or cargo,  therefore  such 
items  should  be placed  elsewhere 
in  the  car,  preferably 
in the trunk. 
they  do not  come  on when 
t~e 
parking  brake is engaged. 
If seat belt system  or reminder 
system  does not work 
as described, 
see your  dealer  for information 
and  assistance. 
Shoulder  Belts 
• When properly  worn with a lap 
belt,  a shoulder  belt can pro
vide . important  additional  pro
tection  against  impact with the 
car  interior 
by restraining  for
ward  motion  of the  upper  torso 
8 
in a collision.  This is particu
larly  true in the  case  of a frontal 
impact,  which 
is the most  fre
quent  type of accident.   
Page 18 of 86

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 2. Place transmission selector 
in uP" or uN" (UP" preferred). 
A  starter  safety switch  prevents 
starter  operation  while the trans
mission  selector 
is in any  drive 
position. 
(If it is necessary  to 
re-start  the engine  with the car 
moving,  place the selector  lever 
in 
"N".) 
3.  Depress  accelerator  pedal and 
activate  starter 
as outlined  be
low  for different  conditions. 
• Cold Engine  -Fully de
press 
accelerator  pedal and 
slowly  release. 
With foot off 
the pedal, crank  the engine 
by  turning  the ignition  key 
to  the  Start  position-release 
when  engine  starts. 
If engine  starts, but fails to 
run,  repeat  this procedure. 
When engine is running 
smoothly  (approximately 30 
seconds), the idle  speed  may 
be  reduced  by slightly  de- pressing 
the accelerator  pedal 
and  then  slowly  releasing. 
• Warm Engine  -Depress  ac
celerator 
pedal  about halfway 
and hold  while  cranking  the 
engine. 
•  Extremely  Cold Weather 
(Below 0° F.) Or After Car 
Has  Been  Standing 
Idle 
Several 
Oays-
Fully  depress  and release 
accelerator  pedal two or three 
times  before  cranking  the 
engine. 
With foot off the  ac
celerator  pedal, 
crank the 
engine  by turning  the key  to 
the  Start  position  and release 
when  engine  starts. 
Manual Transmission Models 
1. Apply parking  brake and shift 
16 
transmission  to neutral. 
2. 
Hold clutch pedal to floor 
throughout  the starting  proce
dure. 
A starter  interlock  pre
vents  starter  operation  when 
clutch 
is not  fully  depressed. 
(Select  the proper  gear position 
before  releasing  the clutch  pedal.) 
3. Operate accelerator  pedal and 
starter 
as outlined  in step  3 
(under  Automatic  Transmission 
Models). 
Engine  Flooded 
Depress  accelerator  pedal aJ;ld 
hold to floor  while  starting  until 
engine 
is cleared  of excess  fuel 
and 
is running  smoothly.  Never 
"pump" the accelerator  pedal. 
Warm-Up 
Always let the  engine  idle for 
20 to 30 seconds  after starting 
and  drive  at moderate  speeds for 
several  miles, especially  during 
cold  weather.   
Page 22 of 86

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Turn Signal and Lane 
. Change  Features 
The tum signal lever is located 
on  the  left  side  of the  steering 
column  immediately  under the 
steering  wheel. The lever 
is moved 
upward  to signal  a right 
tum and 
downward  to signal  a left  tum. 
Lamps  on the  front  and rear  of 
the  car  transmit  this signal  to 
other  motorists  and pedestrians. 
The  ignition  switch must be in the 
"ON" position  in order  for the 
turn  signals  to be  operational.  This 
feature  prevents  battery drain if 
the  lever 
is left  in an "ON" posi
tion  when  your car 
is not in use. 
In  a normal  turning  situation 
such 
as turning  a comer,  the 
signal 
is cancelled  automatically 
after  the tum 
is completed.  How
ever,  in some  driving  maneuvers 
such 
as changing  lanes on an 
expressway,  the steering  wheel 
is 
not turned  back sufficiently  after completing 
the 
tum to automatic
ally  cancel  the turn  signal. 
For 
convenience  in such  maneuvers, 
the  driver  can  flash the 
tum 
signals  by moving  the tum signal 
lever  part way  (to the  first  stop) 
and  holding  it there.  The lever 
returns  to the  neutral 
or cancelled 
position  when the driver  releases 
his  hold  on the  lever. 
20 
A green  light on the  instrument 
cluster  flashes  to indicate  proper 
operation  of the  front  and rear 
tum signal  lamps. If the indicator 
lamp  remains  on and  does  not 
flash,  check  for a defective  lamp 
bulb. 
If the  indicator  fails to light 
when  the lever 
is moved,  check 
the  fuse  and indicator  bulb.   
Page 24 of 86

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine your foot from  the accelerator. 
If control  button is not fully  de
pressed,  when changing  speed 
setting, 
. the  car  will  resume  your 
previously  selected speed. 
To  disengage  system, lightly de
press  brake  pedal or fully  de
press  the control  button. 
Horn 
The hom on your  Monte  Carlo 
is actuated · by  firmly  pressing  on 
the  pad  in the  center  of the  steering 
wheel.  As  a good  motorist,  use of the 
horn  should  be kept  at a minimum. 
However,  acquaint yourself 
as soon 
as possible  with this function  of 
your  car, should  it ever  become 
necessary  to give  a warning  to a 
pedestrian 
or another  motorist. 
Holding Car on an Upgrade 
When  stopped  on an upgrade, 
maintain  your position  by apply
ing  the brakes.  Never hold the 
car  in place  by accelerating  en-gine 
with  transmission  in gear. 
This  could  cause damage  by over
heating  the transmission  (auto
matic) 
or clutch  (manual). 
Parking  Your Car 
Always  engage the parking 
brake and place  the automatic 
transmission  selector lever in 
"Park" position when leaving  your 
car  unattended.  Also with auto
matic  transmissions,  never park 
for  prolonged  periods with engine 
idling  and transmission  in gear, 
especially  if your  car 
is equipped 
with  air conditioning.  This prac
tice 
is detrimental  to the  trans
mission,  due to overheating. 
NOTE: For  operation  of hazard  flasher,  see page  41, in Section "In Case  of Emergency." 
22   
Page 25 of 86

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine FLOOR CONTROLS 
Braking System 
The service  brake system is de
signed  for braking  performance 
under  a wide  range  of driving  con
ditions  even when  the vehicle 
is 
loaded  to its  full  rated  vehicle  load. 
Power  Brakes 
• On cars with  power  brakes  if 
power  assist to the  brakes 
is 
interrupted  due to a stalled  en
gine 
or some  malfunction,  two 
or  more  brake  applications  can 
be  made  using reverse  power. 
• If the brake  pedal is held down , 
the  system 
is designed  to bring 
the  car  to a full  stop  on reserve 
power.  However,  the reserve 
power 
is partially  depleted each 
time  the brake  pedal 
is applied 
and  released. 
• When reserve power is ex- hausted, 
the vehicle  can still  be 
stopped  by applying  greater 
force  to the  pedal. 
Parking  Brake 
• To set parking  brake, fully de
press  foot pedal  at far  left  side. 
• For maximum  holding power, 
depress  regular brake pedal with 
the  other  foot at the  same  time. 
• To release  parking  brake, pull 
"BRAKE RELEASE" lever on 
lower  left instrument  panel. 
• As a reminder,  the brake  system 
warning  light 
is designed  to glow 
whenever  the parking  brake con
trol 
is not  fully  released,  and the 
ignition 
is on. 
• Never  drive car with  parking 
brake  set 
as this may  overheat 
or  otherwise  damage rear brakes. 
23 
Clutch  Adjustment 
Clut8h adjustment  should be 
checked  and adjusted  periodically 
as necessary  to compensate  for 
clutch  facing  wear. 
To check,  de
press  pedal  by hand  until resist
ance 
is felt.  Free  travel  of pedal 
should  be approximately  one inch; 
if  very  little 
or no free  travel is 
evident,  clutch adjustment is re
quired.   
Page 26 of 86

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine NOTE: "Riding the brake" by rest
ing  your  foot on the  brake  pedal 
when  not intending  to brake  can 
cause  abnormally  high brake  tem
peratures,  excessive lining wear 
and  possible  damage to the  brakes. 
REMINDER: Brake  linings  should 
be  inspected  for wear  by a quali
fied  mechanic  at least  once  a year 
or every 12 ,000 miles,  whichever 
occurs  first. (Disc  brake  pads 
should 
be visually  inspected  for 
wear  each time the wheels  and 
tires  are rotated  at 
6,000 mile in
tervals.)  More frequent  inspec
tions  should  be made  if driving 
conditions  in your  area,  such as a 
traffic  or terrain,  or techniques  of 
individual  drivers result in  frequent 
brake  applications.  Your Chevro
let  dealer 
is best  qualified  to advise 
you  as to how  often  this inspection 
should  be performed.  When brakes  require 
relining,  use those  Genuine 
General  Motors 
Parts specified 
for  your  car, and  Delco  Brake fluid 
as required . 
Automatic  Brake Adjusters 
• Brakes  on this  car (except  for 
the  parking  brake) are self
adjusting,  designed to eliminate 
periodic  brake adjustments. 
• Drum  brake adjustment is made 
automatically 
as the  brakes  are 
applied  while 
car is moving 
backwards. 
• Disc  brake  adjustment is made 
automatically  with each  brake 
application. 
• If excess  brake pedal travel  de
velops,  drive alternately  back
ward and forward several 
times and apply  brakes  firmly 
in  each  direction. 
• See your  dealer  if normal  pedal 
24 
travel is not restored, or if there 
is a  rapid  increase  in pedal 
travel,  which could be a sign  of 
other  brake  trouble. 
Headlight Beam Switch 
"High" and "low" headlight 
beams  are controlled  by the  floor 
button  at your  left foot.  The indi
cator,  located  between  the fuel 
gauge  and the speedometer  dial 
will  light 
up when  the high beam~ 
are in use.   
Page 27 of 86

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS 
o STANDARD 
o OPTIONAL 
1. Fuel Gauge  7. GloveBox 13.  Cigarette  Lighter 
2.  Warn ing  Lights 8. Windshield Wiper-Washer Control 
14. Radio  and Controls 3. Speedometer  9. Light  Switch 15. Vent Control 4. Hi Beam  Indicator 10. Rear Window  Defogger Switch 16. Parking  Brake Release 5. Odometer  11. Heater or optional  Air Conditioner Control 6. Clock  12. Ash Tray 
25