1973 CHEVROLET CAMARO Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine • Position belt across lap as
LOW ON HIPS as possible. To
reduce the risk of sliding under
belt during an accident, adjust
to a
SNUG FIT by pulling belt
firmly across lap in direction
of
retractor so it can take up slack. • Seating posItIOns next to side
windows have retractors which
are designed to automatically
take up excess webbing and
maintain tension on the lap
belt.
• Lap belts at center seating posi­
tions should be positioned and
secured as above, and adjusted
to a
SNUG FIT by pulling on
the end of the belt extending
from the adjustable latch plate.
• To lengthen lap belt at center
seating positions place adjust­
able latch plate at right angles
to the belt webbing and pull on
latch plate; belt should then
slide easily through the adjust­
able latch plate.
6
• To unfasten lap belts, depress
push button
in center of buckle.
NOTE: Take care not to let the
lap belt twist while it
is being re­
wound into the retractor.
The bulk
of the twisted belt may cause the
retractor to jam so it will not re­
wind further while at the same time
the retractor's locking mechanism
prevents the belt from being with­
drawn.
If a belt should become
jammed, you may be able to re­
lease
it by pulling the belt out far
enough to untwist it. Otherwise,
the retractor will require servicing.
Seat Belt Buzzer/Light
Reminder
• The front outboard lap belts

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine (those next to side windows)
are linked to a buzzer and light
which remind occupants to fas­
ten seat belts.
• On cars with automatic trans­
missions, or manual transmis­
sions with steering column­
mounted shift levers, the buzzer
and light are designed to come
on when the ignition switch
is
on, the transmission selector is
in a forward drive position, and
the driver's or right front pas­
senger's lap belt
is not fastened.
• On manual transmission cars
with floor mounted shift con­
trols the reminders are designed
to come on when the ignition
switch
is on, the driver's or
right front passenger's lap belt
is not fastened and the transmis­
sion
is in any gear position, ex­
cept that they do not come
on
when the parking brake is en­
gaged.
NOTE: The right front seat con­
tains a weight detector which
is
designed to activate the buzzer
and light whenever
a. nominal
weight
is placed on the seat. The
weight detector cannot distinguish
between a passenger and any item
of luggage or cargo, therefore such
items should be placed elsewhere
in the car, preferably
in the trunk.
If seat belt system or reminder
system does not work
as described,
see your dealer for information
and assistance.
Shoulder Belts
• When properly worn with a lap
belt, a shoulder belt can provide
important additional protection
against impact with the car in­
terior by restraining forward
motion of the upper torso in a
collision. This
is particularly
true in the case of a frontal im­
pact, which
is the most frequent
7 type
of accident.
• To fasten the shoulder belt, un­
stow it and place the knob on
the shoulder belt end in the key-

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine hole on the lap belt latch plate.
(The latch is designed so that
this attachment
can only be com­
pleted before fastening the lap
belt.) Tilt the knob
as neces­
sary, to pass it through the slot.
Pull the knob firmly upward to
seat it at the narrow end of the
keyhole, then fasten the lap
belt.
• Shoulder belts are lengthened
and shortened
in the same man­
ner
as center seat lap belts.
• Shoulder belt should have suffi­
cient slack to insert a fist's
width between your chest and
the belt. This can be checked
by inserting a clenched
fist be­
tween the belt and your chest
with thumb against chest and
back of hand facing upward.
• When not in use, the shoulder
belt may be stowed by leaving
it attached to the lap belt and
allowing the lap belt to rewind into
its retractor. Take up re­
maining slack using the shoul­
der belt adjustment feature.
• To completely restow the shoul­
der belt, .remove the belt knob
from the keyhole (tilting knob
as necessary). Then restow belt
along roof rail in accord with
illustration. .
When not in use, all loose lap
and shoulder belts should be se­
cured to reduce the danger of
the
metal ends striking an occupant in
an accident. When special stowage
provisions are not provided, the
8 loose
ends should be attached to
each other and adjustment
made
to remove the slack in the belt sys­
tem. Be sure that belts are not left
in a position where the webbing
or
hardware can be pinched in the
seat structure
or door, and thus
become damaged.
Seat Belt Inspection
• Periodically inspect belts, buc­
kles, retractors, and anchors for
damage that could lessen the ef­
fectiveness
of the restraint sys­
tem.
SHOULDER BELT
STOWAGE

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine • Keep sharp edges and damaging
objects away from belts.
• Replace belts if cut, weakened,
frayed, or subjected to collision
loads.
• Check that anchor mounting
bolts are tight.
• Have questionable parts re­
placed.
• Keep seat belts clean and dry.
• Clean only with mild soap solu­
tion and lukewarm water.
• Do not bleach or dye belts since
this may severely weaken belts.
Child Restraint
Children in automobiles · should
be restrained to lessen the risk of
injury in accidents, sudden stops
or other hazardous situations.
General Motors dealers offer re­
straint systems designed specific­
ally for use with infants. In using
any infant or child restraint
sys­
tem, read and comply with all in- stallation
and usage instructions.
All unused seat belts near the
child should be stowed properly to
help prevent them from striking
him in the event of an accident.
Lap belts and shoulder belts with­
out storage provisions should have
buckles latched and belts adjusted
to remove slack.
Cars Not Equipped With
Special Child Restraints
If a child is traveling in a vehi­
cle not equipped with a General
Motors
inf~mt restraint or other
safe infant or child restraint
sys­
tem, . the following precautions
should be taken:
1. Infants unable to sit up by
themselves should be restrained
by placing them in a covered,
padded bassinet which
is placed
crossways in the vehicle (width­
wise) on the rear seat. The bas­
sinet should be securely re­
strained with the regular vehi-
9
cle seat belts. An alternate me­
thod
is to position the bassinet
so that it rests against the back
of the front seat, again cross­
ways in the vehicle.
2. Children able to sit up by them­
selves should be placed on a
seat and lap belted, preferably
in the rear seat. Never allow a
child to stand or kneel on any
seat.
If the child cannot see out
the car windows he should sit
on a firm cushion with the reg­
ular lap belt restraining him at
the hips. The cushion should be
as firm as practical and just
high enough to enable the child
to look horizontally out of the
car windows. The use of the
cushion should be discontinued
as soon as the child is old
enough to see out of the car
windows without it.
3. General Motors recommends
that children be restrained

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine properly when riding. However,
if unusual conditions prohibit
use of restraints and require
Trailer Hauling
Since passenger cars are designed
and intended to be used primarily
as passenger conveyances, towing
a trailer will affect handling, dura­
bility and economy. Maximum
safety and satisfaction depends
upon proper use of correct equip­
ment and· avoiding overloads and
other abusive operation.
The maximum loaded trailer
weight which you can pull with your
Camaro depends on what special
equipment has been installed on
your car. Chevrolet does not rec­
ommend towing any trailer unless
the car
is properly equipped. Infor­
mation
ori trailer hauling capabili­
ties, special equipment required,
and optional equipment offered
by
Chevrolet is available from your that
a child must stand,
he
should stand on the floor direct­
ly behind the front seat. This will
Chevrolet Dealer or by wntmg:
Chevrolet Motor Division, Detroit,
Michigan 48202
(or in Canada
by writing to General Motors of
Canada Limited,
Owner Relations
Department,
Oshawa, Ontario).
To assist
in attaining good han­
dling of the car-trailer combina­
tion, it
is important that the trailer
tongue load be maintained at ap­
proximately 10% of the loaded
trailer weight. Tongue loads can
be
adjusted by proper distribution of
the load in the trailer, and can
be
checked by weighing separately
the loaded trailer and then the
tongue.
When towing trailers, tires should
be inflated to the highest infla­
tion pressures shown on the placard
10
help minimize the possibility of
injury from frontal impacts in
the event of an accident.
affixed to the left front door. The
allowable passenger and cargo
load, also shown on the same plac­
ard,
is reduced by an amount equal
to the trailer tongue load on the
trailer hitch.
Maintenance
More frequent vehicle mainte­
nance
is required when using your
car to pull a trailer. Change the:
• Automatic transmission fluid
each
12,000 miles,
• Rear axle fluid each 12,000
miles,
• Engine oil each 60 days or 3,000
miles, whichever occurs first,
• Positive crankcase ventilation
valve each 12 months or
12,000
miles, whichever occurs first.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Break-in Schedule
In addition to the new car
break-in instructions in this man­
ual, it
is recommended that your
new Camaro 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 precau­
tions should be observed whenever
a new engine, transmission
or axle
is installed in your car.
Operation in Foreign Countries
Your Camaro is designed to op­
erate on fuel of approximately
91
research octane number or higher,
sold in the United
States and Can­
ada.
If you plan to operate your
Camaro outside the continental
limits of the United
States or Can­
ada, there
is a possibility that the
best fuels available in some coun­
tries are
so low in anti-knock
quality that excessive knocking
and serious engine damage may
result from their
use. To minimize
this possibility, write to Chevrolet
Motor Division, Service Depart- ment,
Detroit, Michigan 48202
(or in Canada write to General
Motors of Canada Limited,
Owner
Relations Department, Oshawa,
Ontario),
giving:
• The vehicle identification num­
ber ( on plate on instrument
panel ahead of the steering
wheel and visible through the
windshield, or from registration
slip or title).
• The country or countries in
which you plan to travel.
You
will be furnished informa-
11
tion on the quality of fuels avail­
able in the countries in which you
plan to travel.
It is recommended
that you not operate your Camaro
in any country not having fuels
meeting the requirements
of your
Camaro engine. Engine modifica­
tions are not available to compen­
sate for low anti-knock quality
fuels. Operation of your car under
conditions of continuous
or exces­
sive knocking constitutes misuse
of the engine for which the Chev­
rolet Division
is not responsible
under the terms of the Chevrolet
New Vehicle 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
itsel# is colorless and odorless. Carbon
monoxide
Is a dangerous gas that can
cause unconsciousness and is potentially
lethal.
1# at any time you suspect that exhaust
fumes
are entering the passenger com­
partment, have the cause determined and
corrected
as soon as possible. 1# 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 sys­
tem, car body and body ventilation system.
It is recommended that the exhaust sys­
tem and body Is Inspected by a competent
mechanic:
• Each time the vehicle Is raised for 011
change.
• Whenever a change Is noticed In the
sound
of the exhaust system.
• Whenever the exhaust system, under­
body 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 front ventilation
Inlet grille clear
of snow, leaves or other
obstruction
at all times.
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:
12
1. On cars not equipped with air condi­
tioning, set fan to medium or high
speed and upper control lever to any
position except OFF.
2. On cars equipped with air condition­Ing, set tan 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 tor long
durations with the trunk
lid open. How­
ever, if for some reason the trunk must
remain open
tor a period while moving,
or electrical wiring or other cable con­
nections to a trailer must pass through
the seal between trunk
lid and body, the
tollowing 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 tan set
at high speed.
• On cars equipped with outside air vents
in or under Instrument panel, open
vents tUlly.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine STEERING COLUMN CONTROLS
Anti-Theft Steering
Column Lock
The anti-theft lock, located on the
right side of the steering column,
has
five positions:
• Accessory -Permits operation
of electrical accessories when en­
gine
is not running. To engage,
push key in and turn toward you
( counterclockwise) .
• Lock-Normal parking position.
Locks ignition and provides
added theft protection by pre­
venting normal operation of
steering wheel and shift controls.
Key cannot be returned to
"lock"
position and removed until trans­
mission is placed in "park"
(automatic transmission models)
or in reverse on manual trans­
mission models.
• Off-Permits turning engine off
without locking steering wheel
and shift controls.
13
• Run -Normal operating posi­
tion.
• Start -Permits engagement of
starter.
NOTE: The anti-theft steering column lock Is not a substitute lor the parking brake.
Always set the parking brake when leav­ing the car unattended.
PARKING
When leaving your car unattended,
• Place automatic transmission se­
lector in Park (Reverse for man­
ual transmission).
• Turn key to LOCK position.
• Set Parking brake.
• Remove key (the buzzer will re­
mind you).
• Lock all doors.
Starting Engine
Automatic Transmission
Models
1. Apply the foot brake.
2. Place transmission selector
in "P" or "N" (UP" preferred).