CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO 1996 5.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Air Bag Readiness Light
There is an air bag readiness light on the instrument
panel, which shows AIR BAG or
the air bag symbol.
The system checks the air bag’s electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells you
if there is an electrical
problem. The system check includes the air bag sensors,
the air bag modules, the wiring and the crash sensing
and diagnostic module. For more information on
the
air bag system, see “Air Bag” in the Index.
AIR BAG
You will see this light flash
for
a few seconds when you
turn your ignition to
RUN
or START. Then the light
should go out. This means
the system is ready.
If the air bag readiness light doesn’t come on when you
start your vehicle, or stays on, or comes
on when you
are driving, your air bag system may
not work properly.
Have your vehicle serviced right away.
Charging System Light
VOLTS
The charging system light
will come on briefly when
you turn on the ignition,
as
a check to show you it’s
working. Then it should
go out.
If it stays on, or comes on while you are driving, you
may have
a problem with the charging system. It could
indicate that you have a loose drive belt or another
electrical problem. Have
it checked right away. Driving
while this light is on could drain your battery.
If you must drive
a short distance with the light on, be
certain to turn off all your accessories, such as the radio
and air conditioner.
2-43

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Brake System Warning Light
Your Chevrolet’s hydraulic brake system is divided into
two parts. If one part isn’t working, the other part can
still work and stop you. For good braking, though, you
need both parts working well.
If the warning light comes on, there could be
a brake
problem. Have your brake system inspected right away.
BRAKE
This light should come on
briefly when you turn the
ignition key
to RUN. If it
doesn’t come on then, have
it fixed so it will be ready
to warn you
if there’s a
problem.
If the light comes on while you are driving, pull
off the
road and stop carefully.
You may notice that the pedal is
harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer to the floor.
It may take longer to stop.
If the light is still on, or if the anti-lock brake system warning light
is flashing, have
the vehicle towed for service. (See “Anti-Lock Brake
System Warning Light” and “Towing Your Vehicle” in
the Index.)
A
I
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake system warning light is on. Driving with the brake system warning light on can lead
to an accident. If the light is still on or if the
anti-lock brake system warning light is flashing
after you’ve pulled off the road and stopped
carefully, have the vehicle towed for service.
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will also come on when you set your parking brake. The
light will stay on if your parking brake doesn’t release
fully. If it stays on after your parking brake is fully
released, it means you have a brake problem.
2-44

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
ANTI -
LOCK
With the anti-lock brake
system, this light will come
on when you start your
engine and
it will stay
on for three seconds.
That’s normal.
If the light flashes when you’re driving, you don’t have
anti-lock brakes and there could be
a problem with your
regular brakes. Pull off the road and stop carefully. You
may notice that the pedal is harder to push. Or, the pedal
may go closer to the floor. It may take longer to stop.
Have the vehicle towed for service. (See “Towing Your
Vehicle”
in the Index.)
Your regular brake system may not be working
properly if the anti-lock brake system warning light
is flashing. Driving with the anti-lock brake system warning light flashing can lead to an accident. After
you’ve pulled
off the road and stopped carefully,
have the vehicle towed for service.
If the anti-lock brake system warning light stays on
longer than normal after you’ve started your engine, turn
the ignition
off. Or, if the light comes on and stays on
when you’re driving, stop
as soon as possible and turn
the ignition off. Then start the engine again
to reset the
system. If the light still stays on, or comes
on again
while you’re driving, your Chevrolet needs service.
If
the light is on but not flashing and the regular brake
system warning light isn’t
on, you still have brakes, but
you don’t have anti-lock brakes.
The anti-lock brake system warning light should come
on briefly when you turn the ignition
key to RUN. If the
light doesn’t come on then, have
it fixed so it will be
ready to warn you
if there is a problem.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Anti-Lock Brake System Active Light
LOW
TRAC
When your anti-lock system
is adjusting brake pressure
to help avoid a braking skid,
the anti-lock brake system
active light will come on.
Engine Coolant Temperature Light
This light tells you that
your engine coolant has
overheated or your radiator
HOT
cooling fan is not working.
Slippery road conditions may exist if this light comes
on, so adjust your driving accordingly. The light will
stay on for a few seconds after the system stops
adjusting brake pressure.
The anti-lock brake system active light also comes on
briefly when you turn the ignition key to RUN. If the
light doesn’t come on then, have it fixed
so it will be
there
to tell you when the system is active. If
you have been operating your vehicle under normal
driving conditions,
you should pull off the road, stop
your vehicle and turn off the engine as soon
as possible.
In “Problems on the Road,” this manual shows what to
do. See “Engine Overheating”
in the Index.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
-loo @ 260
You have a gage that
shows the engine coolant
temperature.
If the gage
pointer moves into the red area, your engine is too hot!
That reading means the same thing as the warning light.
It means that your engine coolant has overheated.
If you
have been operating your vehicle under normal driving
conditions, you should pull
off the road, stop your
vehicle and
turn off the engine as soon as possible.
In “Problems on the Road”, this manual shows what to
do. See “Engine Overheating” in the Index.
Low Coolant Warning Light
LOW
If this light comes on, your
system is low on coolant
and the engine
may
overheat. See “Engine
Coolant” in the Index and
have your vehicle serviced
as soon as
you can.
2-47

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Service Engine Soon Light)
I
SERVICE
ENGINE
SOON
Your Chevrolet is equipped
with
a computer which
monitors operation
of the
fuel, ignition and emission
control systems.
This system is called OBD I1 (On-Board
Diagnostics-Second Generation) and is intended
to assure that emissions are at acceptable levels .for
the
life of the vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner
environment. (In Canada, OBD
I1 is replaced by
Enhanced Diagnostics.) The
SERVICE ENGINE SOON
light comes on to indicate that there is a problem and
service is required. Malfunctions often
will be indicated
by
the system before any problem is apparent, which
may prevent more serious damage to your vehicle. This
system is also designed to assist your service technician
in correctly diagnosing any malfunction.
0
0
NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle with this light
on, after a while, your emission controls may not
work as well, your fuel economy may not
be as
good and your engine may not run as smoothly.
This could lead to costly repairs that may not be
covered by your warranty.
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition
is on and the engine is not
running.
If the light doesn’t come on, have it repaired.
This light
will also come on during a malfunction in one
of two ways:
Light Flashing -- A misfire condition has been
detected.
A misfire increases vehicle emissions and
may damage the emission control system on your
vehicle. Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis
and service is required.
Light On Steady -- An emission control system
malfunction
has been detected on your vehicle.
Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis and
service may be required.
2-48

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If the Light Is Flashing If the Light Is On Steady
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
Reduce vehicle speed.
0 Avoid hard accelerations.
0 Avoid steep uphill grades.
If towing a trailer, reduce the amount of cargo being
hauled as soon as it is possible.
If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see
“If
the Light Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do
so,
stop the vehicle. Put your vehicle in PARK (P). Turn the %
key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart the engine.
If
the light remains on steady, see “If the Light Is On
Steady’’ following.
If the light is still flashing follow the
previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your dealer or qualified service center for service. You
may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you just put fuel into your vehicle?
If
so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. The diagnostic system can determine if the fuel
cap has been left
off or improperly installed. This will
allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere. A few
driving trips should turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If
so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should
turn the light off.
m-e you low on fuel?
As your engine starts to run out of fuel, your engine may
not run as efficiently as designed since small amounts of
air
are sucked into the fuel line causing a misfire. The
system can detect this. Adding fuel should correct this
condition. Make sure to install the fuel cap properly. It
will take a few driving trips to turn the light
off.
2-49

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Have you recently changed brandsl’of fuel? Oil Warning Light
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel (see
“Fuel” in the Index). Poor fuel quality will cause your
engine not to run as efficiently as designed. You may
notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling when
you put the vehicle into gear, misfiring, hesitation
on acceleration or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditions may go away once the engine is warmed up.)
This will be detected by the system and cause the light
to turn on.
If you experience this condition, change the fuel brand
you use. It will require at least one full tank of the
proper
fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
have your dealer or qualified service center check the
vehicle. Your dealer has the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to fix any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.
OIL
If you have a problem with
your oil,
this light may stay
on after
you start your
engine, or come on when
you are driving.
.
This indicates that oil is not going through your engine
quickly enough to keep it lubricated. The engine could
be low on oil or could have some other oil problem.
Have it fixed right away.
The oil light could also come on in two other situations:
0 When the ignition is on but the engine is not running,
the light will come on as ,a test.to show you it is
working, but the light will go out when you turn the
ignition to START.
If it doesn’t come on with the
ignition on, you may have a problem with
the fuse
or bulb. Have
it fixed right away.
2-50

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0 If you make a hard stop, the light may come on for a
moment. This is normal.
Low Oil Level Light
Don’t keep driving if the oil pressure is low. If
you do, your engine can become
so hot that it
catches fire. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon as possible and have your
vehicle serviced.
I NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and
is not covered by your
warranty.
LOW
OIL
Your engine is equipped
with an oil level monitoring
system. When the ignition
key
is turned on, the LOW
OIL light will briefly flash.
If the light does not flash,
have
it fixed so it will be
ready to warn you if there’s
a problem.
If the light stays on, stop the vehicle on a level surface
and turn
the engine off. Check the oil level using the
engine oil dipstick. (See “Engine Oil”
in the Index.)
If the light does not flash, have the low oil level sensor
system repaired
so it will be ready to warn you if there’s
a problem.
The oil level monitoring system only checks oil level
during the brief period between key
on and engine
crank. It does not monitor engine oil level when the
engine is running. Additionally, an oil level check
is
only performed if the engine has been turned off for a
considerable period of time, allowing the oil normally in
circulation to drain back into the oil pan.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Security Light
SECURITY
This light will come on
when you turn the key to
START and stay on until the
vehicle starts. It will also
come on and stay on if your
key is too dirty or wet for
the PASS-Key
I1 system to
read the resistor pellet.
Fuel Gage
"/@9 I/
E
If the resistor pellet is damaged or missing, the light
will flash.
If you're driving and the light comes on and remains on,
your PASS-Key
I1 system is not working properly. Your
vehicle is not protected by PASS-Key
11, and you should
see your dealer. Here are some
things owners ask about. All these
situations are normal and do not show a problem with
your fuel gage:
At the service station, the pump shuts off before the
gage reads
FULL (F).
It takes a little more or less fuel to fill up than the
gage indicated. For example, the gage may have
indicated the tank was half full, but it actually took
a little more or less than half the tank's capacity to
fill it.
The gage moves a little when you turn a corner or
speed up. Your
fuel gage tells you
about how much fuel you
have left when the ignition
is on. When the indicator
nears EMPTY (E), you still
have a little fuel left, but
you should get more soon.
2-52 7. I
....