1973 CHEVROLET CAMARO cooling

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 into the car whenever the ignition
switch
is on.
With the side windows closed,
outside air flow into the front
grilles, through the car and out the
rear air exhaust valves.
Basic Operating Tips:
• Always keep front inlet grille
clear of obstructions (leaves,
ice, snow, etc.).
• When heating or air condition­
ing
is desired, best comfort is at­
tained by driving with all the
windows closed.
The following sections of this
manual provide additional operat­
ing tips for obtaining maximum
heating and cooling comfort.
(See
also Engine Exhaust Gas Caution
at beginning of this Section.)
28
Air Vents
The air vents in each kick panel
admit air from the vent grille just
ahead of the windshield. Control
knobs open and close the vents.
The amount of air entering the
car through this system
is depend­
ent upon vehicle speed.
Four Season Air Conditioning
equipped cars have no kick panel
vents since the vents are a part of
the air conditioning system.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine no matter which position the fan
switch
is in.
Temperature (Lower Level)
The temperature lever allows a
selection of air temperature from
Cold at the far left to Hot at the
far right. When the temperature
lever
is in the COLD position the
system will provide the coldest air
possible. When the temperature
lever
is moved to the right (toward
HOT), the system will operate on
outside air.
Selector (Upper Lever)
This lever provides a selection of
systems available to handle various
heating and cooling requirements
throughout the year. The Selector
lever has four
(4) major opera- tiona!
positions-"Off,"
"Air Con­
ditioning," "Vent" and "Heating."
The "Air Conditioning" and "Heat­
ing"
groups have several positions
which improve the effectiveness of
the system for various demands.
OFF-The system. operates on low
blower regardless of fan switch
position with air discharged into
vehicle through heater outlet.
A/C-Air from the passenger com­
partment is recirculated through
the system with some outside air
and discharged from the upper
outlets when the temperature lever
is in Full COLD or extreme left. If
the Temperature lever is moved
right to the first stop or further,
the system will automatically go
on outside air. The
AIC position,
with Temp. lever in Full
COLD,
31
is used when maximum cooling is
required under conditions of high
temperature and humidity. High
fan speed
is automatically attained
in this position.
A/C(with Temp lever right to first
stop
)-Outside air is passed through
the system and discharged through
the upper outlets. This position
is
recommended for most air condi­
tioning situations because of
re­
duced blower noise and reduction
of cigarette smoke within the
vehicle.
Fan speed may be varied
as required.
VENT -Outside air is passed
through the system and discharged
from the upper and lower outlets.
This position
is provided for cool
to moderate weather when refrig­
eration
is not required.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Transmission Fluid) as necessary
to bring level into proper range on
filler cap indicator depending
upon fluid temperature .
"HOT" MARK
"COLD" MARK
t-"f. __ -"AOO"
If at operating temperature (ap­
proximately
150 ° F-hot to the
touch), fluid should be between
"HOT" and "COLD" marks. If at
room temperature (approximately
70° F), fluid should be between
"ADD" and "COLD" marks . Fluid
does not require periodic changing.
Hood Latches
Every 4 months or 6,000 miles,
whichever occurs first, lubricate
hood latch assembly and hood
hinge assembly
as follows:
1. Wipe off any accumulation of
dirt
or contamination on latch
parts.
2. Apply Lubriplate or equivalent
to latch pilot bolts and latch
locking plate.
3. Apply light engine oil to all
pivot points in release mecha­
nism,
as well as primary and
secondary latch mechanisms.
4. Lubricate hood hinges.
5. Make hood hinge and latch
mechanism functional check to
assure the assembly
is working
correctly.
Air Conditioning
Have your Chevrolet Dealer
check your Air Conditioning
sys­
tem at some time during the winter
52
months to be sure there has been
no loss
in cooling output. During
the summer,
see your Chevrolet
Dealer immediately if you suspect
the system
is not performing as it
should.
NOTE: On vehicles equipped
with a Four
Season Air Condi­
tioning
System, the system will not
operate below ambient tempera­
tures of
30°F. regardless of con­
trol position.
Cooling System Care
Checking the coolant level at
each engine oil change. Level
should be
3" below bottom of filler
neck when cold.
Engine Cooling System
The standard and recovery type
cooling systems are designed
to
maintain the engine at proper op­
erating temperatures. The recovery
•

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine type cooling system is used on all
1973 Camaro air conditioned and
heavy duty cooling systems. It has
been filled at the factory with a
high-quality, inhibited, year-around
coolant that meets the standards
of General Motors Specification
1899-M. This coolant solution pro­
vides freezing protection to
-20 0 F
(-32°F in Canada), and it has
been formulated to be used for
two full calendar years
or 24,000
miles, whichever first occurs, of
normal operation without draining,
provided the proper concentration
of coolant
is maintained.
• For Recovery Systems Only­
Check the coolant level visually
at the see-through coolant reser­
voir at each oil change interval
while the engine
is at normal
operating temperature. Do not
remove radiator cap except for
draining and refilling the system.
Coolant level should be at the
"Full Hot" mark on the reservoir.
If system is checked cold, the
coolant level should be at the
"Full Cold" mark on the reser­
voir.
• For Other Than Recovery Sys­
tems-Check the coolant level
only at oil change intervals, un­
less there
is evidence of leaking
or overheating. Do not remove
radiator cap when solution
is
hot and under pressure. Coolant
level should be a maximum of
three inches below the level of
the filler neck when the engine
is cold.
• All Systems-Add a 50/50 mix­
ture of high-quality ethylene
glycol antifreeze and water if
coolant additions are necessary.
Do not overfill.
NOTE: If recommended quality
antifreeze
is used, supplemental
inhibitors or additives claiming to
53
provide increased cooling capabil­
ity are not necessary. They may be
detrimental to the efficient opera­
tion of the system, and represent
an unnecessary operating expense.
Every year, the cooling system
should be serviced
as follows:
1. Wash radiator cap and filler
neck with clean water.
2. Check coolant for proper level
and freeze protection.
3. Pressure test system and radia­
tor cap for proper pressure hold­
ing capacity (15 psi).
If re­
placement
of cap is required,
use the proper AC cap specified
for your car model.
4. Tighten hose clamps and inspect
all hoses. Replace hoses when­
ever checked, swollen
or other­
wise deteriorated.
5. Clean frontal area of radiator
core and air conditioning con­
denser.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Every two years or 24,000 miles,
whichever first occurs, the cooling
system should be drained by si­
phoning
and refilled as follows :
1 . Run engine, with radiator cap
removed , until normal operat­
ing temperature
is reached
and upper radiator
is hot (in­
dicates thermostat
is open).
2. With engine stopped, insert
one end
of a 5-foot length of
¥s inch tubing into the filler
neck until it touches the bot­
tom of the radiator.
3. Insert any type of large sy­
ringe into the open end of the
tubing and initiate the siphon­
ing process by squeezing and
releasing the ball.
4. Completely drain radiator
coolant through the siphon
tube.
(To speed this opera­
. tion the drain plugs in block
can also be removed.)
4A. For recovery systems use
same method to siphon all
coolant from reservoir.
5. Remove tubing (install block
drain plugs, if removed) and
add sufficient water to fill
system.
6. Run engine, drain and refill
the system, as described in
steps
1 thru 5, a sufficient
number of times until the
drained liquid
is nearly color­
less.
7. Allow system to drain com­
pletely and install block drain
plugs, if removed.
8. Coolant Recovery Systems
Only
- Flush reservoir with
clean water,
and drain.
54
9. Add sufficient ethylene glycol
coolant, meeting
GM Specifi­
cation 1899-M, to provide
the required freezing and
corrosion
protection-at least
a
44 percent solution (-200
F). For both standard and
recovery systems, fill radiator
to the cold fill level
(3" be­
low bottom
of filler neck).
For recovery systems, add
sufficient coolant to reservoir
to raise level to
"Full Hot"
mark.
I O. Run engine, with radiator cap
removed, until normal oper­
ating temperature
is reached.
(Radiator upper hose be­
comes
hot.)
11. With engine idling, add cool­
ant to within 1 V:z " below bot­
tom of filler neck and install
radiator cap making certain
arrows line
up with overflow
tube.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine It is the owner's responsibility
to keep the freeze protection at a
level commensurate with the tem­
peratures which may occur
in the
area of vehicle operation.
• Maintain cooling system freeze
protection at
_200 F or below
to ensure protection against cor­
rosion and loss of coolant from
boiling, even though freezing
temperatures are not expected.
• Add ethylene glycol base cool­
ant that meets GM Specification
1899-M when coolant additions
are required because of coolant
loss or to provide additional
protection against freezing at
temperatures lower than
_200
F (_320 F in Canada).
NOTE: Alcohol or methanol base
coolants
or plain water are not
recommended for your Camaro at
any time.
Radiator Pressure Cap
The radiator cap, a 15 lb. pres­
sure type, must be installed tightly,
otherwise coolant may be lost and
damage to engine may result from
overheating. Radiator pressure
caps should be checked periodi­
cally for proper operation.
If re­
placement
is required specify AC.
Thermostat
The cooling system is protected
and controlled by a thennostat
in­
stalled in the engine coolant outlet
to maintain a satisfactory operat­
ing temperature of the engine. This
thermostat
is designed forcontinu­
ous use through both winter and summer
and need not be changed
seasonally . When replacement
is
necessary, Delco parts are recom~
mended.
Tires
The factory installed tires on
your car
as shown in the Tire
Usage chart below are designed to
provide the best all around per­
formance for normal vehicle oper­
ation. When inflated
as recom­
mended on the tire pressure plac­
ard, located
on the left door of
your vehicle, they have the load
carrying capacity to operate satis­
factorily at all normal highway
speeds.
CAMARO TIRE USAGE
ENGINE AND BODY STANDARD OPTIONAL
All (Except Type l T or Z28 Models) E78·14 F70·14 G70·14
Type lT Space Saver Tire E78·14 F70·14
Z28 F60·15 White letters Space Saver Tire -
All standard tires are blackwall with whitewall optional. All tires are bias-belted, load
range B unless otherwise specified. .
55

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine a bobby pin) between the rubber
cup at the end of the spark plug
wire and the tubular metal con­
nector inside of it. If the spark
plug wire is wet or oily, wipe it
dry. Wrap a dry handkerchief or facial tissue, folded several thick.
nesses, around the wire at least three inches back from the end
and grasp the wire at this point.
Hold the bare wire about 1f4 inch
from the
bare tip of the spark
plug from which you removed the Checking Spark
wire. When the engine is "turned over" a spark should jump across
the V" inch space, indicating ample current supply. If no spark
jumps, the difficulty is probably caused by a defective ignition port
and should be corrected by your Authorized Chevrolet Dealer.
COOLING SYSTEM
When the cor will run but evidences serious overheating on the temperature gauge in the instrument panel, there are several items
which may be checked .
(L) Engine overheating will occur when the OIL lEVEL falls danger­ously low. Check the oil level as a matter of course.
(M) Low COOLANT LEVEL will , of course, couse engine over­heating. Determine . the cause of the low coolant level and have
it corrected if necessary.
(N) Check the RADIATOR CORE. Clean it if it is plugged with
bugs, leaves or other foreign material.
65
(0) Condition of the FAN BELT is very important, not only for en­gine cooling but also for proper generator operation. Check the
condition of the belt. Replace it if it is worn or frayed. Loosen the generator toward the engine to remove and replace the belt. Tighten the belt, whether new or old, by loosening the generator bolts, prying with a bar on the generator until the belt is ten­sioned properly, then retighten
the generator bolts.
(PI Another couse of engine ove rheating may be on inopera­
tive COOLING SYSTEM THERMO­STAT. If the thermostat should foil in the closed position, it will not
perm it coolant to circulate through
the system . In such on emergency the thermostat may be removed
but should be replaced with a properly functioning thermostat as soon as possible.
Fan 8.11 Tension
Thermoslal Inslollo/ion