1973 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine • 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 po­
sitions 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
7 latch
plate; belt should then
slide easily through the adjust­
able latch plate.
• 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 rewound
into the retractor. The bulk of the
twisted belt may cause the retractor
to jam so it will not rewind further
while at the same time the retrac­
tor's locking mechanism prevents
the belt from being withdrawn.
If
a belt should become jammed, you
may be able to release it by pulling
the belt out far enough to untwist
it. Otherwise, the retractor will re­
quire servicing.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Seat Belt Buzzer/Light
Reminder
• The front outboard lap belts
(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 controls
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 fas­
tened and the transmission
is in
any gear position, except that
NOTE: The right front seat con­
tains a weight detector which
is de­
signed to activate the buzzer and
light whenever a nominal weight
is placed on the seat. The weight
detector cannot distinguish be­
tween a passenger and any item
of luggage or cargo, therefore such
items should be placed elsewhere
in the car, preferably
in the trunk.
they do not come on when
t~e
parking brake is engaged.
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 pro­
vide . important additional pro­
tection against impact with the
car interior
by restraining for­
ward motion of the upper torso
8
in a collision. This is particu­
larly true in the case of a frontal
impact, which
is the most fre­
quent type of accident.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine • To fasten the shoulder belt, un­
stow it and place the knob on
the shoulder belt end in the
keyhole on the lap belt latch
plate. (The latch
is designed so
that this attachment can only be
completed 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 suf­
ficient 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
SHOULDER BELT
STOWAGE
9
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
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

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine seat structure or door, and thus
become damaged.
Seat Belt Inspection
• Periodically inspect belts, buck­
les, retractors , and anchors for
damage that could lessen the
effectiveness of the restraint
system.
• 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.
Head Restraints
• Head restraints are designed to
help reduce injuries due to
"whiplash ."
• Select
one of the three positions
-full up, intermediate , or full
down-which places the top of
the head restraint closest to the
top of your ears.
• Do not use head restraint above
the full up
"detent" position.
• Head restraint can be raised by
pulling up until you feel it click
into the
"detent" at the inter­
mediate position.
• To raise further, or to lower,
release latch at base of support­
ing rod and push up
or down on
restraint.
• Do not operate vehicle with head
restraints removed, since occu­
pants lose the protection pro­
vided.
10
Child Restraint
Children in automobiles should
be restrained to lessen the risk of
injury in accidents, sudden stops
or other hazardous situations. Gen­
eral motors dealers offer restraint
systems designed specifically for
use with infants.
In using any in­
fant
or child restraint system, read
. and comply with all installation
'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 stowage 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 ve­
hicle not equipped with a General
Motors infant restraint
or other

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine safe infant or child restraint sys­
tem, the following precautions
should be taken:
1. Infants unable to sit up by them­
selves 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
bassinet should be securely
restrained with the regular
ve­
hicle seat belts. An alternate
method
is to position the bas­
sinet so that it rests against the
front seat, again crossways in
Trailer Hauling
Since passenger cars are de­
signed and intended to be used pri­
marily as passenger conveyances,
towing a trailer will affect handling,
durability
and economy. Maximum
safety and satisfaction depends 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 regu­
lar 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 cush-
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 Monte Carlo depends on what
special equipment has been in­
stalled on your car. Chevrolet does
11
ion 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 prop­
erly when riding. However, if
unusual conditions prohibit use
of restraints and require that a
child must stand, he should
stand on the floor directly be­
hind the front seat. This will
help minimize the possibility of
injury from frontal impacts
III
the event of an accident.
not recommend towing any trailer
unless the car
is properly equipped.
Information on trailer hauling
capabilities, special equipment re­
quired, and optional equipment
offered by Chevrolet
is available
from your Chevrolet Dealer
or by
writing Chevrolet Motor Division,

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Detroit, Michigan 48202 (or in
Canada by writing to General
Moto rs 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 inflation
pressures shown on the
placard affixed to the left front
door . The allowable passenger and
cargo load, also shown on the same
placard ,
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
12
miles , whichever occurs first.
• Positive crankcase ventilation
valve each 12 months or
12,000
miles, whichever occurs first.
Break-in Schedule
In addition to the new ca r
break-in instructions in this man­
ual, it
is recommended that your
new Monte Carlo 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 engine, transmis­
sion or axle
is installed in your car.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine •
Operation in Foreign Countries
Your Monte Carlo is designed
to operate on fuel of approximately
91 research octane number or
higher, sold in the United States
and Canada.
If you plan to operate your
Monte Carlo outside the continen­
tal limits of the United States
or
Canada, there is a possibility that
the best fuels available in some
countries 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 Divi-sion,
Service Department, Detroit,
Michigan 48202,
(or in Canada
write to General Motors of Can­
ada Limited,
Owner Relations De­
partment, 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-
13
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 Monte
Carlo in any country not having
fuels meeting the requirements of
your Chevrolet engine. Engine
modifications are not available to
compensate for low anti-knock
quality fuels. Operation of your car
under conditions of continuous
or
excessive knocking constitutes mis­
use of the engine for which the
Chevrolet Division
is not responsi­
ble under the terms of the Chev­
rolet New Vehicle Warranty.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine STARTING AND OPERATING
Engine Exhaust Gas Caution (Carbon Monoxide)
Allold inhaling exhaust gases because
they contain carbon monoxide, which by
Itsell is colorless and odorless. Carbon
monoxide is a dangerous gas that can cause unconsciousness and is potentially
lethal.
II at any time you suspect that exhaust fumes are entering the passenger com­partment, have the cause determined and corrected as soon as possible. II 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 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 IIehicie is raised for oil change. > •
Wheneller a change
is noticed In the
sound of the exhaust system.
• Wheneller 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
IIentilation 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 mOlle IIehicle In or out of area. When IIe­hlcle 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:
14
1. On cars not equipped with air condi­
tioning, set fan to medium or high
speed and upper control leller to any
position except OFF.
2. On cars equipped with manual air conditioning, set fan to medium or high speed, upper control lever to any
position except OFF, and lower con­trol lever to any position except ex­treme left COLD.
The trunk lid should be closed while
drilling to help prellent inadllertently draw­Ing exhaust gases Into the car. If Is unwise to drive at high speeds for long durations
with the trunk lid open. Howeller, If lor some reason the trunk must remain open lor a period while mOiling, or electrical wiring or other cable connections to a trailer must pass through the seal between
trunk lid and body, the lol/owlng precau­
tions should be observed:
• Close all windows.
• Ad/ust heating or cooling system to
force outside air into car as described In items 1 and 2 abolle but with Ian set at high speed.
• On cars equipped with outside aIr IIents In or under Instrument panel, open IIents lully.