CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO 1997 5.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Storing the Spare Tire and Tools
A CAUTION:
Storing a jack, a tire or other equipment in the
passenger compartment
of the vehicle could
cause injury. In a sudden stop or collision, loose
equipment could strike someone. Store all these
in the proper place.
I I 1. Nut
2. Cover
3. Wing Nut
4. Spacer
5. Compact Spare Tire
6. Wrench
7. Nut
8. Retainer
9. Jack
10. Bolt
5-34

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Compact Spare Tire
Although the compact spare tire was fully inflated when
your vehicle was new, it can lose air after a time. Check
the inflation pressure regularly. It should be
60 psi
(420 Wa).
After installing the compact spare on your vehicle,
you
should stop as soon as possible and make sure your spare
tire is correctly inflated. The compact spare is made to
perform well at speeds
up to 65 mph ( 105 km/h) for
distances up to
3,000 miles (5 000 km), so you can finish
your trip and have your full-size tire repaired or replaced
where
you want. Of course, it’s best to replace your
spare with a full-size tire as soon as you can. Your
spare will last longer and be in good shape in case you
need it again.
NOTICE:
When the compact spare is installed, don’t take
your vehicle through an automatic car wash with
guide rails. The compact spare can get caught on
the rails. That can damage the tire and wheel,
and maybe other parts
of your vehicle.
Don’t
use your compact spare on other vehicles.
And don’t mix your compact spare tire
or wheel with
other wheels or tires. They won’t fit. Keep your spare
tire and its wheel together.
NOTICE:
Tire chains won’t fit your compact spare. Using
them can damage your vehicle and can damage
the chains too. Don’t use tire chains on your
compact spare.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow
What you don’t want to do when your vehicle is stuck is
to spin your wheels too fast. The method known as
“rocking” can help you get out when you’re stuck, but
you must use caution.
If you let your tires spin at high speed, they can
explode, and you
or others could be injured. And,
the transaxle or other parts of the vehicle
can
overheat. That could cause an engine
compartment fire or other damage. When you’re
stuck, spin the wheels as little as possible. Don’t
spin the wheels above
35 mph (55 kmh) as shown
on the speedometer.
I
NOTICE:
Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of your
vehicle
as well as the tires. If you spin the wheels
too fast while shifting your transaxle back and
forth, you can destroy your transaxle.
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle,
see “Tire Chains” in the Index.
Rockinq Your Vehicle To Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your front wheels. Then shift back
and forth between
REVERSE (R) and a forward gear,
spinning the wheels as little as possible. Release the
accelerator pedal while you shift, and press lightly on
the accelerator pedal when the transaxle
is in gear. If
that doesn’t get you out after a few tries, you may need
to be towed out. If you do need to be towed out, see
“Towing Your Vehicle”
in the Index.

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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine fi NOTES
5-38

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0 Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Here you will find information about the care of your Chevrolet. This section begins with service and fuel
information, and then
it shows how to check important fluid and lubricant levels. There is also technical information
about your vehicle, and a part devoted to its appearance care.
6-2
6-3
6-4 6-5
6-7 6- 10
6-16
6- 17
6-20
, 6-24 6-25
6-27
6-30
6-3
1
6-3 1
6-37 6-37 6-45
Service
Fuel
Fuels in Foreign Countries
Filling Your Tank
Checking Things Under the Hood
Engine Oil
Air Cleaner
Automatic Transaxle Fluid
Engine Coolant
Power Steering Fluid
Windshield Washer Fluid
Brakes Battery
Bulb Replacement
Halogen Bulbs
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
Tires
Appearance Care 6-46
6-50
6-50
6-50
6-50 6-5 1
6-52 6-52
6-5
2
6-5 3 6-5 3
6-53 6-54
6-55
6-55
6-56
6-65
Cleaning the Inside of Your Chevrolet
Care
of Safety Belts
Cleaning Glass Surfaces
Cleaning the Outside of
the Windshield and
Wiper Blades
Weatherstrips
Cleaning the Outside of Your Chevrolet
Cleaning Aluminum Wheels (If Equipped)
Cleaning Tires Sheet Metal Damage
Finish Damage
Underbody Maintenance
Chemical Paint Spotting
Appearance Care Materials Chart
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
Service Parts Identification Label
Electrical System
Air Conditioning Refrigerants
6-1

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Service
Your Chevrolet dealer knows your vehicle best and
wants you
to be happy with it. We hope you’ll go to
your dealer for all your service needs. You’ll get
genuine GM parts and GM-trained and supported
service people.
We hope you’ll want to keep your GM vehicle all GM.
Genuine GM parts have one
of these marks:
Delco
Doing Your Own Service Work
If you want to do some of your own service work, you’ll
want
to get the proper Chevrolet Service Manual. It tells
you much more about how
to service your Chevrolet
than this manual can.
To order the proper service
manual, see “Service and Owner Publications” in
the Index. Your
vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting to
do your own service work, see “Servicing Your Air
Bag-Equipped Chevrolet” in the Index.
You should keep a record with all parts receipts and list
the mileage and the date of any service work you
perform.
See “Maintenance Record” in the Index.
You can be injured and your vehicle could be
damaged if you try to do service work on a
vehicle without knowing enough about it.
Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, the proper replacement parts
and tools before you attempt any vehicle
maintenance
task.
Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts and
other fasteners. 44English” and “metric”
fasteners can be easily confused.
If you use
the wrong fasteners, parts can later break
or fall off.
You could be hurt.
6-2

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle
Things you might add to the outside of your vehicle can
affect the airflow around it. This may cause wind noise
and affect windshield washer performance. Check with
your Chevrolet dealer before adding equipment to the
outside of your vehicle.
Fuel
Use regular unleaded gasoline rated at 87 octane or
higher. At a minimum, it should meet specifications
ASTM D4814 in the United States and CGSB 3.5-M93
in Canada. Improved gasoline specifications have been
developed
by the American Automobile Manufacturers
Association (AAMA) for better vehicle performance
and engine protection. Gasolines meeting the AAMA
specification could provide improved driveability and
emission control system protection compared to
other gasolines.
Be sure the posted octane is at least
87. If the octane is
less than 87, you may get a heavy knocking noise when
you drive. If it’s bad enough, it can damage your engine.
If you’re using fuel rated at
87 octane or higher and you
hear heavy knocking, your engine needs service. But
don’t worry
if you hear a little pinging noise when
you’re accelerating or driving up a hill. That’s normal, and you don’t
have to buy a higher octane fuel to get rid
of pinging. It’s the heavy, constant knock that means
you have a problem.
If your vehicle is certified to meet California Emission
Standards (indicated
on the underhood tune-up label), it
is designed to operate
on fuels that meet California
specifications. If such fuels
are not available in states
adopting California emissions standards, your vehicle will operate satisfactorily on
fuels meeting federal
specifications, but emission control system performance
may be affected. The malfunction indicator lamp on
your instrument panel may turn on and/or your vehicle
may fail a smog-check
test. If this occurs, return to your
authorized Chevrolet dealer for diagnosis to determine
the cause of failure. In the event it is determined that the
cause
of the condition is the type of fuels used, repairs
may not
be covered by your warranty.
Some gasolines that are not reformulated for low
emissions contain an octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT);
ask your service station operator whether or not his fuel
contains MMT. General Motors does not recommend the
use of such gasolines. If fuels containing MMT are used,
spark plug life may be reduced and your emission
control system performance may be affected. The
malfunction indicator lamp on your instrument panel

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine may turn on. If this occurs, return to your authorized
Chevrolet dealer for service.
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines in the United States
are now required to contain additives that will help
prevent deposits from forming in your engine and fuel
system, allowing your emission control system to
function properly. Therefore, you should not have to add
anything to the fuel. In addition, gasolines containing
oxygenates, such as ethers and ethanol, and
reformulated gasolines may be available in your area to
help clean the air. General Motors recommends that you
use these gasolines if
they comply with the
specifications described earlier.
NOTICE:
Your vehicle was not designed for fuel that
contains methanol. Don’t use it. It can corrode
metal parts in your fuel system and also damage plastic and rubber parts. That damage wouldn’t be covered under your warranty.
Fuels in Foreign Countries
If you plan on driving in another country outside the
United States or Canada, the proper fuel may be hard to
find. Never use leaded gasoline or any other fuel not
recommended in the previous text
on fuel. Costly repairs
caused by use of improper fuel wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
To check on fuel availability, ask an auto club, or
contact a major oil company that does business in the
country where you’ll be driving.
You can also
write us at the following address for
advice. Just tell us where you’re going and give your
Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN).
General Motors International Product Center
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario
L1H 8P7

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Filling Your Tank The tethered cap is behind a hinged door on the left side
of your vehicle.
I
/r CAULON:
I
Gasoline vapor is highly flammable. It burns
violently, and that can cause very bad injuries.
Don’t smoke if you’re near gasoline
or refueling
your vehicle. Keep sparks, flames and smoking
materials away from gasoline.
While refueling, let the cap hang by the tether below the
fuel
fill opening.
To take off the cap, turn it slowly to the left
(counterclockwise). The cap has a spring in it; if you let
go
of the cap too soon, it will spring back to the right.