CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO 2002 6.G Owners Manual

2-37
Parking Brake
The parking brake is
located to the left of the
brake pedal, near the
driver's door.
To set the parking brake, hold the brake pedal down
with your right foot. Push down the parking brake
pedal with your left foot.To release the parking brake, hold the brake pedal down
with your right foot and push the parking brake pedal with
your left foot. When you lift your left foot, the parking
brake pedal will follow it to the released position.
A warning chime will sound if the parking brake is set,
the ignition is on and the shift lever is not in PARK (P).
NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause
your rear brakes to overheat. You may have to
replace them, and you could also damage other
parts of your vehicle.
If you are towing a trailer and parking on any hill, see
ªTowing a Trailerº in the Index. That section shows
what to do first to keep the trailer from moving.

2-38
Shifting Into PARK (P)
CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
If you have left the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others could be
injured. To be sure your vehicle won't move,
even when you're on fairly level ground, use
the steps that follow. If you're pulling a trailer,
see ªTowing a Trailerº in the Index.
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) like this:

Press and hold in the shift lever button located on
the left side of the shift lever.

Push the shift lever all the way toward the front
of the vehicle.
3. Turn the ignition key to OFF.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
leave your vehicle with the ignition key in your
hand, your vehicle is in PARK (P).

2-39
Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Engine Running
CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with
the engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P)
with the parking brake firmly set. And, if you
leave the vehicle with the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch fire. You or others could
be injured. Don't leave your vehicle with the
engine running unless you have to.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and
your parking brake is firmly set before you leave it.
After you've moved the shift lever into the PARK (P)
position, hold the regular brake pedal down. Then,
see if you can move the shift lever away from PARK (P)
without first pulling it toward you (or, if you have the
console shift lever, without first pushing the button).
If you can, it means that the shift lever wasn't fully
locked into PARK (P).
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don't shift your
transaxle into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl in
the transaxle. You may find it difficult to pull the shift
lever out of PARK (P). This is called ªtorque lock.º
To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then
shift into PARK (P) properly before you leave the
driver's seat. To find out how, see ªShifting Into
PARK (P)º in the Index.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out
of PARK (P) before you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have
another vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some
of the pressure from the parking pawl in the transaxle,
so you can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).

2-40
Shifting Out of Park (P)
Your vehicle has an automatic transaxle shift lock
control system. You must fully apply your regular
brakes before you can shift from PARK (P) when the
ignition is in ON. See ªAutomatic Transaxle Operationº
in the Index.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever by pushing it all the way into PARK (P)
while keeping the brake pedal pushed down. Then move
the shift lever out of PARK (P), being sure to press the
shift lever button.
If you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can't
shift out of PARK (P), try this:
1. Turn the ignition key to ACC.
2. Apply and hold the brake pedal until the end
of Step 4.
3. Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the engine and shift to the drive gear you want.
5. Have the vehicle fixed as soon as you can.
Parking Over Things That Burn
CAUTION:
Things that can burn could touch hot exhaust
parts under your vehicle and ignite. Don't park
over papers, leaves, dry grass or other things that
can burn.

2-41
Engine Exhaust
CAUTION:
Engine exhaust can kill. It contains the gas
carbon monoxide (CO), which you can't see or
smell. It can cause unconsciousness and death.
You might have exhaust coming in if:

Your exhaust system sounds strange
or different.

Your vehicle gets rusty underneath.

Your vehicle was damaged in a collision.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)

Your vehicle was damaged when driving
over high points on the road or over
road debris.

Repairs weren't done correctly.

Your vehicle or exhaust system had been
modified improperly.
If you ever suspect exhaust is coming into
your vehicle:

Drive it only with all the windows down to
blow out any CO; and

Have your vehicle fixed immediately.

2-42
Running Your Engine While
You're Parked
It's better not to park with the engine running. But if you
ever have to, here are some things to know.
CAUTION:
Idling the engine with the climate control
system off could allow dangerous exhaust into
your vehicle. See the earlier Caution under
ªEngine Exhaust.º
Also, idling in a closed-in place can let deadly
carbon monoxide (CO) into your vehicle even
if the fan is at the highest setting. One place
this can happen is a garage. Exhaust
-- with
CO
-- can come in easily. NEVER park in a
garage with the engine running.
Another closed-in place can be a blizzard.
See ªBlizzardº in the Index.
CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don't leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to. If you've left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be sure your
vehicle won't move, even when you're on fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to PARK (P).
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle won't
move. See ªShifting Into PARK (P)º in the Index.
If you are parking on a hill and if you're pulling a
trailer, also see ªTowing a Trailerº in the Index.

2-43
Horn
Press at or near the horn symbols on your steering wheel
pad to sound the horn.
Tilt Wheel
A tilt steering wheel allows you to adjust the steering
wheel before you drive. You can raise it to the highest
level to give your legs more room when you exit and
enter. The lever to adjust it is located on the left side of
the steering column.
To adjust the wheel, hold
the steering wheel and
pull the lever. Move the
steering wheel to a
comfortable position,
and release the lever to
lock the wheel into place.
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
The lever located on the left side of the steering column
includes the following:

Turn Signal and Lane
-Change Signals

Headlamp High/Low
-Beam Changer

Flash
-to-Pass Feature

Windshield Wipers

Windshield Washer
For information on the exterior lamps, see ªExterior
Lampsº later in this section.

2-44 Turn Signal and Lane-Change Signals
The turn signal has two upward (for right) and two
downward (for left) positions. These positions allow
you to signal a turn or a lane change.
To signal a turn, move the lever all the way up or
down. When the turn is finished, the lever will
return automatically.
An arrow on the instrument
panel cluster will flash in
the direction of the turn or
lane change.
To signal a lane change, raise or lower the lever until the
arrow starts to flash. Hold it there until you complete
your lane change. The lever will return by itself when
you release it.
If the arrow flashes faster than normal as you signal a
turn or a lane change, a signal bulb may be burned out
and other drivers won't see your turn signal.If a bulb is burned out, replace it to help avoid an
accident. If the arrows don't go on at all when you
signal a turn, check for burned
-out bulbs and then check
the fuse. See ªFuses and Circuit Breakersº in the Index.
Turn Signal On Chime
If you leave either one of your turn signals on and
drive more than 3/4 mile (1.2 km), a chime will sound
to alert you.
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer
To change your headlamps from low beams to high
beams, or from high to low, pull the multifunction lever
all the way toward you. Then release it.
When the high beams are
on, this light will appear on
the instrument panel cluster.
This light works only when the key is in ON. The fog
lamps (if equipped) are not illuminated when the high
beams are on.

2-45
Flash-to-Pass Feature
With the turn signal lever in the low-beam position,
pull the lever toward you momentarily to switch to
high
-beam, (to signal you are going to pass).
If the headlamps are on, they will return to low
-beam
when the lever is released. This feature operates even if
the headlamps are off.
Windshield Wipers
The windshield wipers will operate when the ignition is
in ACC or ON.WIPER: To operate the windshield wipers, turn the
band labeled WIPER, located on the multifunction lever,
upward or downward.
OFF: To stop the wipers, turn the band to OFF.
The five marks between OFF and LO are delay settings.
For a longer delay between wiping cycles, turn the band
downward. For a shorter delay between wiping cycles
turn the band upward.
LO (Low Speed): Turn the band upward to LO for
steady wiping at a low speed.
Hi (High Speed): Turn the band upward to HI for
steady wiping at high speed.
MIST: Turn the band downward to MIST for a single
wiping cycle. Hold the band at this setting until the
windshield wipers start, then release it. The windshield
wipers will stop after one wipe. If additional cycles are
needed, hold the band on MIST longer.
Be sure to clear ice and snow from the wiper blades
before using them. If they're frozen to the windshield,
carefully loosen or thaw them. If your blades become
damaged, get new blades or blade inserts.
Heavy snow or ice can overload your wipers. A circuit
breaker will stop them until the motor cools. Clear away
snow or ice to prevent an overload. If your blades
become damaged, get new blades or blade inserts.

2-46 Windshield Washer
At the top of the multifunction lever, there's a paddle
with the windshield washer symbol and the word PUSH
on it. To spray washer fluid on the windshield, push the
paddle. The wipers will run for several sweeps and then
either stop or return to your preset speed. The ignition
key must be in ACC or ON for this to work. See
ªWindshield Washer Fluidº in the Index.
CAUTION:
In freezing weather, don't use your washer until
the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can form ice on the windshield, blocking
your vision.
United States Canada
The LOW WASHER FLUID message in the message
center will appear when the fluid level is low.
When you are low on washer fluid, the LOW WASHER
FLUID message will be illuminated in the message
center for 60 seconds. After 60 seconds, it will go out.
When the ignition is turned off, this message will appear
again for three seconds as a reminder that the fluid level
is low.
Until the fluid tank is refilled, every time you start your
vehicle, the LOW WASHER FLUID message will be
illuminated in the message center for 60 seconds and
then go out. Be sure to check the fluid level and refill
the tank right away.