1974 CHEVROLET CAMARO Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine To Start Car:
• Seat belts must be properly
buckled around each outboard
front seat occupant , after getting
in the car, before the starter will
operate.
• The reminder buzzer and light
are designed to
go on if seat
belts are unbuckled at occupied
front seats while the vehicle
is
underway (the engine will con­
tinue to
run).
• The engine may be restarted
after a stall without interlock in­
terference if the driver remains
seated.
If Starter Will Not Operate:
• Remove any objects from un­
occupied front seats.
• Re-buckle front seat belts.
NOTE: Front seating positions
contain a weight detector which is
, designed to activate the starter in­
terlock
or the buzzer and light ni-
minder whenever a nominal weight
is placed on the seat and belts are
not buckled. The weight detector
cannot distinguish between a pas­
senger and any object on the seat,
therefore, such items should be
stowed elsewhere in the vehicle.
Leaving something on the front
seat and leaving the front
seat belts
fastened while the
car is parked
creates a current drain which could
result in a discharged battery after
a period of time, which will vary
depending on battery and weather
conditions.
IfStarterSti IIWi II NotOperate:
• Set parking brake firmly, move
transmission lever to
"Park" (re­
verse for manual transmission
cars) .
• TURN IGNITION KEY TO
"ON" ("RUN").
• Open hood and press button on
manual override switch labeled
"START", mounted on bright
6
orange support at side of engine
compartment
on driver's side­
see illustration.
• Close hood, enter car, fasten
seat belt, and follow normal
starting procedures.
NOTE: The reminder buzzer and
Light are also designed to come on
if a malfunction develops in the
starter interlock system.
If the car
will not start and the buzzer/light
reminder did
not come on, the

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine trouble is not likely to be due to
the starter interlock system.
If the
starter will crank, this indicates the
interlock
is not causing interfer­
ence.
Front Seat Lap-Shoulder
Belt
Combination
• Adjust front seat to satisfaction
of driver and sit erect and well
back in seat.
• In a single motion , pull the lap­
shoulder belt webbing across lap
far enough
to permit inserting
metal latch plate end of belt into
the buckle, until a snap
is heard.
If webbing is not pulled out far
enough to reach buckle, let lap
belt rewind into its retractor to
release lock mechanism,
so belt
can be pulled out to the proper
length.
• Position "lap" portion of belt
across lap
as LOW ON HIPS as
possible. To reduce the risk of
sliding under belt during an
ac-
cident, adjust to a SNUG FIT
by pulling belt firmly across lap
in direction of lap belt retractor
so it can take up slack. The belt
retractors are designed to
auto­
matically take up excess webbing
and maintain tension on the belt.
KEEP BELOW HIP BONE
7
• The front seat shoulder belts in
this vehicle are equipped with a
"vehicle sensitive retractor"
which is designed to grip the
belt
only during a sudden stop
or impact. At other times it
is
designed to move freely with the
occupant, regardless of occupant
movement.
• For best restraint the slight ten­
sion on the shoulder caused by
the shoulder belt retractor
is de­
sirable.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine • A comfort clip is provided for
those who
find the shou1der belt
tension a source of discomfort.
If the shoulder belt tension be­
comes uncomfortable,
puB down
on the shoulder belt (not
more
than one inch) to provide the
minimum amount of slack neces­
sary to relieve tension. Then push
the comfort clip snuggly against
the guide loop.
CAUTION: Ex­
cessive slack could result in in­
creased personal injury due to
reduced restraint system effec­
tiveness.
• To unfasten belts, depress push
button in center of buckle.
• When no longer in use, front
seat lap-shoulder belts can be
stowed
by allowing them to re­
wind into their retractors. The
comfort" clip can be adjusted
when removing belts, so shoul­
der belt slack will be fully taken
up by retractor.
NOTE: Take care not to let the
"lap" (portion of the 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 retractor's
locking mechanism prevents the
8
belt from being withdrawn. If a
belt should become jammed, you
may be able to release it by work­
ing the belt in and out until the belt
rewinds far enough to unlock.
If lap
belt (portion) remains jammed,
or other parts of the restraint sys­
tem do not operate properly take
the vehicle
to your dealer for
service.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Seat Belt Buzzer/Light
Reminder
• The front seat belts are linked to
a buzzer and light which remind
occupants to fasten their belts.
• The buzzer and light are de­
signed to come on when any
outboard front seat occupant's
belt
is not fastened, while at­
tempting to start the engine; or
if any front seat belt
is un­
fastened while driving in any
forward gear.
• The reminders do not come on
when the engine
is running and
a front belt
is unbuckled if the
transmission
is in Park or neu­
tral (automatic and column­
shift transmission cars), or if the
parking brake
is engaged (floor
shift transmission cars).
If seat belt system , ignition in­
terlock system, or reminder system
does not work
as described , see
your dealer for information and assistance.
Lap Belts (For
Rear Seat
Passengers)
• Seating positions next to side
windows have retractors which
are designed to automatically
take up excess webbing and
maintain tension on the lap belt.
These belts should be positioned
and secured
as described above
under
"Lap-Shoulder Belt Com­
bination.
"
Seat Belt Inspection
• Periodically inspect belts,
buckles, adjustable latch plates,
retractors, interlock and re­
minder systems, guide loops,
clips, and anchors for damage
that could lessen the effective­
ness of the restraint system.
• Keep sharp edges and damaging
objects away from belts, and
other parts of restraint system.
• Replace belts if cut, weakened,
9
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. Gen­
eral Motors dealers offer restraint
systems designed specifically for
use with infants and with small
children. The GM
"Infant Love
Seat" is designed for babies up to
20 pounds. The GM "Child Love
Seat" is designed for children
weighing 20 to 40 pounds, up to 3

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine feet-4 inches in height, who are
able to sit up alone.
In using any infant or child re­
straint system, read and comply
with all installation and usage in­
structions. All unused seat belts
near the child should be stowed
properly to help prevent them from
striking him
or her in the event of
.an accident.
If a child is traveling in a vehicle
not equipped with a General
Motors infant or child restraint or
other safe infant or child restraint
system, 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-
10
wise) on the rear seat. The
bassinet should be securely re­
strained with the regular vehicle
seat belts. An alternate method
is to position the bassinet so that
it rests against the back of the
front seat, again crossways in
the vehicle .
2. Children able to sit up by them­
selves should be placed on a seat
and restrained with a seat belt.
When children ride in the front
seat , both lap and shoulder belt
should be worn.
If the shoulder
belt causes neck
or face irrita­
tion due to the child's size, this
may be reduced in some cases
by positioning the child further
inboard.
If serious discomfort
continues, the child should be
lap belted in the rear seat. Never
allow a child to stand or kneel
on any seat.
3 .
General Motors recommends
that children be restrained prop-

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine erly when riding. However, if
unusual conditions prohibit use
of restraints
and require that a
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 on trailer hauling capabili­
ties, special equipment required,
and optional equipment offered by child
must stand,
he should
stand
on the floor directly be­
hind the front seat. This will
Chevrolet
is available from your
Chevrolet Dealer
or by writing:
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
affixed to the left front door. The
11
help minimize the possibility of
injury from frontal impacts in
the event of an accident.
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.
• See index for important informa­
tion on belts, cooling system care
and automatic brake adjustment.

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 obtain
information on the quality of fuels available
in the countries in which
you plan to travel , write to Chevro­
let 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
12
which you plan to travel.
It
is recommended that you not
operate your Camaro in any coun­
try not having fuels meeting the
requirements of
your Camaro
engine. Engine modifications are
not available to compensate for
low anti-knock quality fuels. Op­
eration of your car under condi­
tions of continuous
or excessive
knocking constitutes misuse of the
engine and may cause engine dam­
age for which the Chevrolet Divi­
sion
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
itself is colorless and odorless. Carbon
monoxide is
a dangerous gas that can
cause unconsciousness and is potentially
lethal.
" at any time you suspect that exhaust fumes are entering the passenger com­
partment, have the cause determined and
corrected as soon as
possible. If you
must drive under these conditions, drive
only with aU 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 aI/ow proper operation of the car's
ventilation system, keep front ventilation
inlet
grille clear of snow, leaves or other
obstruction at al/ 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:
13
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 condition-• ing, 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, if for some reason the trunk must
remain open for
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
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.