1971 CHEVROLET CAMARO Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Driving with the Chevrolet Automatic Transmissions
The Powerglide and the Turbo
Hydra-matic 350 and 400 are com­
pletely automatic transmissions.
All replace the standard clutch
and
transmission.
Powerglide, Turbo Hydra­
Malic
350 and Turbo Hydra­
Matic
400
After starting the engine with the
selector lever in N (Neutral)
or P
(Park) position select the range de- sired
(see tables)
and depress the
accelerator.
All Automatic Transmissions
A gradual start with a steady in­
crease in accelerator pressure will
result in best possible fuel economy.
Rapid acceleration for fast starts
will result in greater fuel consump­
tion.
Automatic transmission shift
quadrants of all OM cars continue
the uniform sequence of selector positions.
This particularly benefits
multicar families
and those who
occasionally drive other cars.
Shift
indicators are arranged with "Park"
position at one end, followed in se­
quence by
"Reverse", "Neutral"
and the forward driving ranges.
All automatic transmission are
POWERGLIDE
P-PARK Use only when car Is stopped.
R-REVERSE
N-NEUTRAL
D-DRIVE
L-LOW
For backing car-from stop.
For standing (Brakes Applied)
For forward driving.
Depress accelerator
to floor for extra acceleration at speeds
(depending on engine, axle and tire combinations) as high as 40 to 60 mph.
For hard pulling through sand, snow or mud, and for climbing or descending steep grades. Do not shift to Labove 40 mph.
14

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine equipped with a starter safety
switch designed to permit starting
the engine only when the trans­
mission
is in the "Park" or "Neu­
tral"
position. For additional
engine braking effect,
as sometimes
needed in mountainous driving,
place the transmission in an inter­
mediate or low range.
Column Shifl Lever
The heavy line in the illustrations
indicates the movement of the shift
lever
as it is lifted to shift into Re- verse
or Low (Low on the Turbo
Hydra-Matic
350 and 400) and
into or out of Park position.
Floor Console Shift Lever
The floor console shift lever may
be moved freely between Neutral
and Drive and ( on the Turbo
Hydra-Matic
350 and 400) be­
tween 1 and 2. Squeeze shift lever
button under handle as you shift
into Reverse or Low
(2 on Turbo
Hydra-Matic 350 and 400).
Squeeze the button under the
Turbo Hydra-Malic 350 and 400
P-PARK
R-REVERSE
Console N-NEUTRAL
3 D-DRIVE
2 L.-LOW.
1 L.-LOW.
Use only when car is stopped.
For backing car-from stop.
For standing (Brakes Applied)
For forward driving. Depress accelerator to floor for extra accelerator below 65 mph; depress accelerator
half-way at speeds below 30 mph.
For driving in heavy traffic or on hilly terrain. Shift into L. or 2 at any vehicle speed.
For
hard pulling through sand, snow or mud, for climb­ing or descending steep grades_
15
handle fully when shifting into or
out of the Park position. Exercise
care when squeezing button to
prevent unintentional shifts to
Park, Low (or
2) or Reverse.
NOTE: Shift quadrant for all
Automatic Transmissions
is located
on the instrument cluster.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Driving with Manual Transmissions
The 3-speed manual transmis­
sion shift positions follow the
stan­
dard pattern shown on the illustra­
tion. The 4-speed transmission shift
lever, extending from the floor,has
its special shift pattern diagram
lo­
cated on the knob or floor plate.
Depress the clutch pedal fully
be­
fore attempting to shift to a differ­
ent gear, then release the pedal to
move in that gear. Shifting into 2nd
and 3rd gear
as soon as possible
will add appreciably to your fuel
economy.
Both transmissions, being fully
synchronized, may be downshifted
into 1st gear at any speed below
20
m.p.h. Shift into Reverse gear only
after the car has stopped. Always depress
and release the clutch pedal
fully when shifting.
On Four-Speed
transmission the shift linkage may
be adjusted to allow
"short stroke"
shift lever operation. See your
Chevrolet Dealer.
Also, shift into
"Reverse" before
shutting
off engine. This will permit
the ignition key to be turned to the
"Lock" position.
REMINDER: Before descending a
steep or long grade, down a moun­
tain or hillside, reduce speed and
shift into a lower gear (for either
automatic or manual transmission
cars).
Use the brakes sparingly to
prevent them from overheating and
thus reducing brake effectiveness.
16
Turn Signals and Lane
Change Feature
The turn signal lever is located
on the left side of the steering
col­
umn immediately under the steer­
ing wheel. The lever is moved up­
ward to signal a right turn and '
downward to signal a left turn.
Lamps on the front and rear of the
car transmit this signal to other

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine motorists and pedestrians. The ig­
nition switch must be in the "ON"
position in order for the turn sig­
nals to be operational. This feature
prevents battery drain if the lever
is left in an "ON" position when
your car
is not in use.
In a normal turning situation
such
as turning a corner, the turn
signal is cancelled automatically
after the turn
is completed. How­
ever, in some driving maneuvers
such
as changing lanes on an ex­
pressway, the steering wheel
is not
turned back sufficiently after com­
pleting the turn to automatically
cancel the turn signal. For con­
venience in such maneuvers, the
driver can flash the turn signals by
moving the turn signal lever part
way (to the first stop) and holding
it there. The lever returns to the neutral
or cancelled position when
the driver releases his hold on the
lever.
A green light on the instrument
cluster flashes to indicate proper
operation of the front and rear
tum
signal lamps. If the indicator lamp
remains on and does not flash,
check for a defective lamp bulb.
If
the indicator fails to light when the
17
lever is moved, check the fuse and
indicator bulb.
Power Steering
Power steering assist is provided
by a hydraulic pump driven by the
engine. When the engine
is not run­
ning
or if the power steering pump
drive belt breaks, the car can still
be steered, but much greater steer­
ing effort will be required.
Holding Car on an Upgrade
When stopped on an upgrade,
maintain your position by applying
the brakes. Never hold the car in
place by accelerating engine with
transmission in gear. This could
cause damage by overheating the
transmission (automatic) or clutch
(manual).

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Parking Your Car
Always engage the parking brake
.and place the automatic transmis­
sion selector lever in
"Park" posi­
tion when leaving your car unat­
tended. Also with automatic trans­
missions, never park for prolonged
periods with engine idling and
transmission in gear, especially if
your car
is equipped with air con­
ditioning. This practice
is detri­
mental to the transmission, due to
overheating.
Tilt Steering Wheel
The optional tilt steering wheel
can be tilted up above normal posi­
tion to provide additional room for
entrance and exit
as well as selected
driving positions below normal
height. This permits individual
se­
lection of the most natural position
for all driving conditions.
On long
trips the steering wheel position can
be changed
to minimize tension and
fatigue.
The
tilt mechanism is operated
by lifting up on the small control
18
lever on the left side of the steering
column just below the directional
signal, moving the steering wheel
to
the selected position, and releasing
the lever.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine INSTRUMENT PANEL
LEFT OUTLET
OPTIONAL
AIR CONDITIONING LAP COOLER OUTLET HEATER CONTROLS (OPTIONAL AIR CONDITIONING CONTROLS)
LIGHTER
OPTIONAL REAR WINDOW DEFOGGER SWITCH
19
AIR CONDITIONING LAP COOLER OUTLET RIGHT OUTLET

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Instruments
The instruments, gauges and in­
dicator lights conveniently grouped
in the instrument cluster are de­
signed to tell you at a glance many
important things about the per­
formance of your car. The follow­
ing information will enable you to
more quickly understand and prop­
erly interpret these instruments.
Fuel Gauge
This electrically operated gauge
registers correctly when the igni­
tion switch
is in the "on" position.
When the ignition switch
is turned
BRAKE WARNING liGHT
"off", the needle will not necessar­
ily return to the empty mark but
may stop at any point on the dial.
Oil Pressure Indicator Light
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 momentarily, but
this will do no harm. However, if
the light remains on during normal
driving speeds the engine should be
stopped until the cause of the trou­
ble can be located and corrected.
20
Driving the car with low oil pres­
sure can cause serious engine
damage.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Generator Indicator Light
This light provides a quick check
on the generating system of your
car. 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.
Engine Temperature
Indicator Light
This indicator light is provided
in the instrument cluster to quickly
warn of an overheated engine. With
the ignition
switGh in the START
position, the red TEMP indicator
will light to let you know that it
is
operating properly.
When the engine
is started, the
red light will go out immediately.
It will light up at no other time
unless for some reason the engine
reaches a dangerously high
oper­
ating temperature. If the red light
should come on, the engine must be
stopped until the cause of the
over­
heating is corrected. Glance at in­
strument cluster frequently as you
drive to see if this light
is on.
Brake System Warning
Light
The service brake system is de­
signed so that half of the brake sys­
tem will provide some braking ac­
tion in the event of a hydraulic leak
in the other half of the system.
When the brake apply system
is not
operating properly, a warning light
located at lower left of instrument
cluster (speedometer face) will
glow continuously when the
igni­
tion is on after the brakes have been
firmly applied.
On cars equipped
with drum brakes, the light will go
21
out when foot is removed from
brake pedal.
• As a check on bulb condition the
light should glow with the
park­
ing brake applied and the igni­
tion on. (Light is also a reminder
to release parking brake.)
• Have system repaired if light
does not come on during check.
• This warning light is nota sub­
stitute for the visual check of
brake fluid level required
as part
of normal maintenance.
If the light glows red:
• The parking brake is not fully re­
leased or,
• The service brake system is par­
tially inoperative.
What to do:
1. Check that the parking brake is
released.
2. Pull off the road and stop, care­
fully-remembering that: