gas mileage CHEVROLET VEGA 1976 1.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine YOUR VEGA'S FIRST
FEW HUNDRED MILES OF DRIVING
You can operate your new car
from its very first mile without ad­
hering to a formal
"break-in" sched­
ule. However, during the first
few
hundred miles of driving you can,
by observing a few simple precau­
tions , add to the future performance
and economy of your car.
It is recommended that your speed
during the first
500 miles
be confined to a maximum of 55
M.P.H., but do not drive for ex­
tended periods at
anyone constant
speed, either fast
or slow. Dur­
ing this period , avoid full throttle
starts and, if possible, avoid hard
stops especially during the first
200
miles of operation since brake mis- use
during this period will destroy
much future brake efficiency.
Always drive at moderate speed
until the engine has completely
warmed up.
If you plan to use your new
car for trailer hauling see additional
information on page 1-9.
SEE PAGE 5-21 FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
ON HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR GAS MILEAGE.
ii

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine SERVICE AND MAINTENANCE
The time or mileage intervals on
the following pages are intended
as a guide for establishing regular
maintenance and lubrication per­
iods for your car. Sustained heavy
duty or high speed operations
or
operation under adverse conditions
may necessitate more frequent ser­
vicing .
To determine specific rec­
ommendations for conditions un-
Fuel
Requirements
Your Chevrolet engine is de­
signed to operate only on unleaded
gasoline. Unleaded gasoline
is essen­
tial for proper emission control
system operation, and it will mini­
mize spark plug fouling. The
use of der
which you
.use your car, con­
sult your authorized Chevrolet
Dealer.
Maintenance Schedule
For owner convenience, a sepa­
rate maintenance folder has been
provided with your car which con­
tains a complete schedule
and brief
explanation of the safety , emission
"-leaded gasoline can damage or
severely reduce the effectiveness of
the emission control system and
re­
sult in loss of warranty coverage.
Use unleaded gasoline meeting
the minimum octane specifications
established
by the Federal govern­
ment. In compliance with Federal
regulations, pumps dispensing such
gasoline are labeled with the word
5-1
control, lubrication and general
maintenance it requires. The main­
tenance folder information
is sup­
plemented
by this section of the
Owner's Manual, as well as a
Warranty Information folder also
furnished with your car. Read all
three publications for a full under­
standing of vehicle maintenance
requirements.
UNLEADED and are equipped
with dispensing nozzles which
fit
the filler neck of your car's gaso­
line tank.
Supplementary gasoline addi­
tives which contain lead and or
phosphorus should not
be used
under any circumstances: Such
additives can severely reduce the
effectiveness of your catalytic con­
verter.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine IMPORTANT FACTS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT GASOLINE MILEAGE
How you drive, where you drive,
and when you drive all have an
effect on how many miles you can
get from a gallon of gasoline. The
careful attention you give your car
as far as maintenance and repairs
are concerned will also contribute
importantly to fuel economy.
Fuel Selection
Your vehicle is designed to op­
erate
only on unleaded gasoline of
at least 87 average octane num­
ber (Research octane plus Motor
octane divided by two). This gaso­
line should have a Research octane
number of at least 91, and a
Motor octane number of
at least
83. Unleaded gasoline
is essential
for proper emission control system
operation, and it will minimize
spark plug fouling. The use of
... AND HOW TO IMPROVE IT
leaded gasoline can damage or
severely reduce the effectiveness of
the emission control system and re­
sult in loss of warranty coverage.
"Jackrabbit" Starts
Gasoline can be conserved (and
engine and tire life prolonged) by
avoiding unnecessarily rapid accel­
eration away from lights and stop
signs.
Stop-And-Start Driving
Frequent stops and starts during
a trip really cut down on your miles
per gallon.
Plan even your short
shopping trips to take advantage of
through streets to avoid traffic
lights.
Pace your driving like the
professional drivers to avoid
un­
necessary stops.
5-21
Excessive Idling
An idling engine uses gasoline,
too.
If you're faced with more than
a
few minutes wait and you're not
in traffic, it may be better to
"turn
off"
and start again later.
Sudden Stops
Sudden stops themselves don't
waste gasoline , but energy
is
wasted as heat in braking . Energy
in the form of gasoline
is also
needed to accelerate back to driv­
ing speed.
Lubricants
A properly lubricated vehicle
means less friction between moving
parts. Consult this manual and the
maintenance schedule for the
proper lubricants to use and the
lubrication intervals.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Air Cleaner
Your car receives its power from
a mixture of gasoline and air. The
air
is taken in to the system through
the air cleaner
so it's important to
replace the air cleaner at required
intervals. A dirty air cleaner re­
duces engine efficiency.
Properly Tuned Engine
Overall tuning (a check on tim­
ing, spark plugs, emission control
devices, etc.) can improve your
car's gas mileage. You just can't
expect an
"out-of-tune" engine to
give you good gas mileage and
cleaner air.
Excess Weight
Fuel economy is related to the
work the engine must do. The
heavier the load, the more power it
takes. Keep excess weight to a
minimum by removing any per­
sonal effects or luggage from the
car or trunk when they are not
needed.
Tire Inflation
Underinfiation not only causes
needless wear of the tires, but can
also waste gasoline. It's a good
idea to check tire pressures
regularly.
Wheel Alignment
Incorrect "toe in" or "toe out" can
have the effect
of dragging your
front tires sideways and may cause
premature tire wear.
It takes power
to carry this extra load and that
takes gas from your tank.
Catalytic Converter
The catalytic converter IS an
emission control device added to
5-22
the exhaust system to reduce hy­
drocarbon and carbon monoxide
pollutants from the exhaust gas
stream.
The converter contains
beads which are coated with a cata­
lytic material containing platinum
and palladium.
Use of the catalytic converter
has the advantage of allowing the
engine to be re-tuned for improved
fuel economy and driveability.
The catalytic converter requires
the use
of unleaded fuel only.
Unleaded gasoline is used to re­
duce combustion chamber deposits,
corrosion and
to prevent lead con­
tamination of the catalyst that
would render it ineffective.
The use
of leaded fuel will cause the cata­
lytic converter to
become ineffec­
tive as an emission control device.