maintenance CHEVROLET VEGA 1976 1.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I IAtI I 1976 Chevrolet· Important operating, safety and maintenance ins tructions
.. ~

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A WORD TO VEGA OWNERS ...
This manual has been prepared to acquaint you with the operation and maintenance of your 1976 Vega, and to provide
important safety information. It is supplemented by two convenient folders which provide additional information on
vehicle maintenance and warranties. We urge you to read these publications carefully and follow the recommenda­
tions to help assure the most enjoyable and troublefree operation of your vehicle.
When it comes to service, remember that your Chevrolet dealer knows your vehicle best and is interested in your complete satisfaction. Return to him for Guardian Maintenance Service and any other assistance you may require.
To assist dealers in handling your needs, Chevrolet maintains a number of Zone Offices throughout the country. Should you have a problem that cannot be handled through normal channels, follow the procedure presented in
Section 6 of this manual under the heading, "Owner Assistance".
We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for choosing a Chevrolet product-and assure you of our con­
tinuing interest in your motoring pleasure and satisfaction.
FOR CONTINUING SATISFACTION, KEEP YOUR
GM CAR ALL GM. GENERAL MOTORS PARTS ARE
IDENTIFIED BY ONE OF THESE TRADEMARKS:
"NOTE TO CANADIAN OWNERS :
If preferred, a French Owner's Manual can be obtained from either your Dealer or by writing to General Motors of Canada Limited, Owner Rela­tions Department, Oshawa, Ontario L1J 5Z6."
Chevrolet Motor Division
GM
"
" '"
-nelCO
Aux proprietaires canadiens
On peut se procurer un exemplaire de ce Guide en francais aupres du concessionnaire ou du service
des relations avec la clientele, General Motors of
Canada Limited, Oshawa, Ontario L1J 5Z6.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine ------------------------:----------~ ... --,;,.._J,,; ......,.-~ ....
1976 VEGA 2'300
OWNER'S
MANUAL
This manual should be considered a perma­
nent part of the vehicle, and must remain
with the vehicle at time of resale.
CHEVROLET MOTOR
DIVISION
GENERAL MOTORS
CORPORATION
DETROIT, MICHIGAN 48202
All information, illustrations and specifications con­
tained in this manual are based on the latest product
information available at the time of publication. The right is reserved to make changes at any time without
notice.
For vehicles sold in Canada, substitute the name
General Motors of Canada Limited, wherever the name
Chevrolet Motor Car Division appears in this manual.
ST 303-76
"'General Motors Corporation 1976
Section
1
2
3
4
5
Table of Contents
Page
Before Driving Your Vega ............................. 1-1
Starting and Operating .. ;-............................ 2-1
Steering
Column Controls .......................... , 2-2
Floor Controls ...................................... 2-10
Instrument PaneL .................................. 2-13
Other Controls and Features ........................ , 2-27
In Case of Emergency ................................. 3-1
Appearance
Care... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 4-1 I
Service and Maintenance....... ...... . . . . ............ 5-1
6 Specifications,
Owner Assistance, Service
Manuals, Index, Gas Station
Information
........................................ 6-1
Applicable to CALIFORNIA Sales Only This vehicle as delivered by ,6 M Chevrolet Division is equipped with a bumper energy
absorption system meeting California S.B.42 (1971) as set forth in Sec. 34715 Vehicle Code.
Applicable to FLORIDA Sales Only This vehicle as delivered by GM Chevrolet Division is equipped with a bumper energy
absorption system meeting section 501.125, Florida Statutes, as amended June 10, 1974.
i

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Maintenance
More frequent vehicle mainte­
nance
is required when using your
car to pull a trailer. Change the:
• Automatic transmission fluid
and filter each
15,000 miles,
(see Trailering brochure for addi­
tional information).
• Rear axle fluid each 15,000
miles,
• Engine oil each 90 days or 3,000
miles, whichever occurs first,
• Positive crankcase ventilation
valve each
12 months or 15,000
miles, whichever occurs first.
• See index for important informa­
tion on belts, cooling system care
and automatic brake adjustment.
Break-in Schedule
In addition to the new car preak-in
instructions in this manual, it is
recommended that your new car
be operated for
500 miles before
trailer towing.
If it is necessary to
tow during this period, avoid speeds
over
50 MPH and full throttle
starts. The same precautions should
be observed whenever a new en­
gine, transmission or axle
is in­
stalled in your car.
1-10

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Operation Foreign Countries • In
Your car is designed to operate
on unleaded fuel of approximately
91 research octane number.
If you plan to operate your car
outside the Continental limits of
the United
States or Canada, there
is a possibility that the best fuels
available in some countries are so
low in octane rating that excessive
knocking and serious engine
dam­
age may result from their use. Also ,
if leaded fuels are used in vehicles
designed for unleaded fuels, it may result
in the deactivation of the
catalytic converter, if the vehicle
is
so equipped, and possibly other
related problems.
The use of leaded
fuel in a vehicle designed
for un­
leaded fuel will require different
maintenance intervals.
To obtain in­
formation on the octane rating and
availability of non-leaded fuels
available in the countries in which
you plan to travel, and a mainte­
nance schedule to be used when
operating on leaded fuel, write to
Chevrolet Motor Division,
Service
Department, Detroit, Michigan
48202, (or in Canada write to
General Motors of Canada Limited,
Owner Relations Department,
Oshawa, Ontario LlJ 5Z6), giving:
1-11
• The vehicle identification num­
ber (on plate on instrument
panel ahead of the steering wheel
and visible through the wind­
shield,
or from registration slip
or title),.
• The country or countries in which
you plan to travel.
It is recommended that you not
operate your car in any country not
having fuels meeting the require­
ments of your car's engine
as these
may cause engine damage for which
Chevrolet
is not responsible under
the terms of the Chevrolet New
Vehicle Warranty or Emission
Control Systems Warranty.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine STARTING AND OPERATING
Engine Exhaust Gas Caution (Carbon Monoxide)
AvoId Inhaling exhaust gases because
they contaIn carbon monoxide, which by
Itselt is colorless and odorless. Carbon
monoxide Is a dangerous gas that can
cause unconsciousness and is potentially
lethal.
If at any time you suspect that exhaust
fumes are entering the passenger com­partment, have the cause determined and
corrected as soon as possible. If you must
drIve under these conditions, drive only
with
all windows fully open.
The best protection agaInst carbon
monoxide entry Into the car body Is a
properly maIntaIned engine exhaust sys­tem, car body and body ventilatIon system, It Is recommended that the exhaust system
and body be Inspected by a competent
mechanIc.
• Each time the vehIcle Is raised for an 011 change.
• Whenever 8 change Is noticed In the
sound Of the exhaust system.
• Whenever the exhaust system, under­body or rear of the vehicle Is damaged.
See your MaIntenance Schedule folder
for inspection procedure.
To allow proper operation of the car's
ventilation system, keep aIr Inlet grille
forward of windshield and rear ventilation
grille on station wagon quarter. panels
clear ot snow or other
obstruction at all times, and prevent cargo from blocking
the inside vent holes on the underside of the quarter panels.
SITTING IN A PARKED CAR WITH EN­GINE RUNNING FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD IS NOT RECOMMENDED.
Do not run engine In confined areas
such as garages any more than needed
to move vehIcle In
or out of area. When vehIcle Is stopped In an UNCONFINED area with the engine runnIng for any more
than a short perIod, adjust heating or cooling system to force outsIde aIr into
car as follows:
2-1
1. On cars not equipped with air con­ditioning, set fan to medium or high
speed and upper control lever to any
position except OFF.
2. On cars equipped with air conditIon­ing, set fan to medium or high speed
and upper control lever to any position
except
OFF or MAX.
The trunk lid should be closed while drIving to help prevent inadvertently drawing exhaust gases into the car. It is
unwise to drIve at high speeds for long
durations with the trunk lid open. However, it tor some reason the trunk must remain
open for a period while moving, or elec­trical wiring or other cable connections to
a trailer must pass through the seal be­
tween trunk
lid and body, the following
precautions should be observed:
• Close all windows.
• Adjust heating or cooling system to
force outsIde air into car as described In Items 1 and 2 above but with fan set
at hIgh speed.
• On cars equIpped with outside aIr vents In or under Instrument panel, open vents
fully.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Parking Brake
• To set parking brake, pull up
the handle located between the
seats.
• For maximum holding power,
depress regular brake pedal at
the same time.
• To release parking brake, de­
press the button in the handle
tip and push the handle down.
• As a reminder, the brake system warning
light
is designed to come
on whenever the parking brake
control
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.
NOTE: "Riding the brake" by
resting 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:
Front disc brakes
have a built-in wear indicator that
is designed to make a high fre­
quency, squealing,
or cricket-like
warning sound when the linings are
2-11
worn where replacement is required.
The sound will occur intermittently
or continuously when wheels are
rolling, but will disappear when the
brake pedal
is applied firmly. See
also the various brake checks listed
in the Chevrolet maintenance sched­
ule folder.
Clutch Adjustment
Clutch adjustment should be
checked and adjusted periodically
as necessary to compensate for
clutch facing wear.
To check,
depress 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.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Generator Indicator Light
The red light will go on when
the ignition key
is in the "on" posi­
tion, but before the engine
is started.
After the engine starts, the light
should go out and remain out.
If
the light remains on when engine
is running, have your Authorized
Chevrolet Dealer locate and correct
the trouble
as soon as possible.
Temp. Pressure Indicator
Light
This indicator light is provided
in the instrument cluster to quickly
warn of an overheated engine
and/or extreme low oil pressure
or oil supply. This light will be on
when the ignition switch is turned
"ON" and should go out after the
engine
is started. Occasionally the
light may be seen to flicker momen­
tarily, but this will do no harm. Ex­
treme low oil pressure or oil supply
will prevent the electric fuel pump from
operating and under this con­
dition the engine will not run.
If the light comes on during ex­
treme driving conditions, such
as an
extended idle, turn off the air con­
ditioner (if used) and run the en­
gine slightly faster than idle speed
with the transmission in
neutral
gear. If the light does not go off
within a short period of time (1-2
minutes), then turn the engine off
until the cause of
the overheating is
corrected. Glance at the instrument
cluster frequently
as you drive to
see if this light is on.
Add Coolant Indicator Light
This indicator light is provided to
warn of a low coolant condition in
the radiator.
If coolant level is low
the yellow
"Add Coolant" warning
light will glow. Coolant level in the
coolant recovery tank, and radiator,
should be checked at the first oppor­
tunity.
If necessary add sufficient
2-15
coolant to both the radiator and
coolant recovery tank.
(See Service
and Maintenance, Section 5, for
proper procedure) .
If frequent
additions are required, see your
dealer for a complete cooling sys­
tem check.
Brake System Warning
Light
The service brake system is a dual
system designed so that one part will
provide some braking action in the
event of loss of hydraulic pressure
in the other part of the system.
If the
warning light labeled
"Brake" lo­
cated in the speedometer face comes
on and stays
on when the ignition is
on and after the brakes have been
firmly applied
it may indicate that
there
is a malfunction in one part of
the brake system.
• As a reminder, the light is de­
signed to come
on with the park­
ing brake applied and the igni­
tion on.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine • The light is also designed to come
on during engine starting to
verify that the bulb
is operating
properly.
• Have system repaired if light does
not come
on during check.
• This warning light is not a substi­
tute for the visual check of brake
fluid level required
as part of
normal maintenance.
If the light comes on:
• The parking brake control is not
fully released, or,
• The service brake system is par­
tially inoperative.
What to do:
1. Check that parking brake is re­
leased.
If it is . . .
2.
Pull off the road and stop, care­
fully-remembering that:
• Stopping distances may be
greater.
• Greater pedal effort may be re­
quired.
• Pedal travel may be greater. 3.
Try out brake operation by start­
ing and s,topping on road shoul­
der-then:
• If you judge such operation to
be safe, proceed cautiously at
a safe speed to nearest dealer
for repair.
• Or have car towed to dealer for
repair.
Continued operation of the car in this
condition
is dangerous.
Headlight Beam Indicator
Light
The headlights of your car have
high and
low beams to provide you
with proper night-time visibility
for most driving conditions. The
"low" beams are used during most
city driving. The
"high" beams are
PARKING LAMPS MARKER LAMPS TAIL AND INSTRUMENT LIGHTS
TURN KNOB TO VARY INSTRUMENT LIGHTS FULLY COUNTER CLOCKWISE FOR DOME LIGHTS
2-16
HEADLIGHTS PARKING LAMPS MARKER LAMPS

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine APPEARANCE CARE AND MAINTENANCE MATERIALS • Available from your Chevrolet Dealer
Part Number Size Description Usage
1050001 16 oz. Washer Solvent and
Gas Prevents windshield solvent and
Line
De-leer gas lines from freezing
1050017 32 oz. Power
Steering Fluid Power Steering Pump
1050019 16 oz. Spray-A-Squeak Stops metal-to-metal squeaks and
metal-to-rubber squeaks
1050027 32 oz. Permanent
Type Coolant Year-around coolant and anti-freeze
and Anti-Freeze
for your radiator
1050028 1 gal. Permanent Type Coolant Same as above
and Anti-Freeze
1050172 16 oz. Tar and Road Oil Remover Removes old wax, polish, tar and road oil
1050173
16 oz. Chrome Cleaner and Polish Removes rust and corrosion from
chrome
or stainless steel
1050174
16 oz.
White Sidewall Tire Cleaner Cleans whitewall and blackwall tires
1050223 16 oz. Finish Guard Cleaner One-step cleaner and wax
1050422 12 oz. Heat Valve Lubricant
Frees up sticky heat risers;
general-purpose penetrating oil
1050427 23 oz. Glass Cleaner
Cleans glass and vinyl
4 -7