Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 1974 CAMARO
OWNER'S
MANUAL
This manual should be considered a permanent part of the vehicle,
and must remain with the vehicle
at time of resale.
CHEVROLET MOTOR
DIVISION
GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION DETROIT. MICHIGAN 48202
All information. illustrations and specifications contained in this manual are based on the latest product information available at the time of publication. The right is reserved to make changes at any time without notice.
For vehicles
sold in Canada, substitute the name
General Motors of Canada Limited, wherever the name
Chevrolet Motor Division appears in this manual.
ST 309-74
©GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION 1974
Table of Contents
Section
Reprinted with Permission of
General Motors Corporation
1 Before Driving Your Camaro ................................ .
Page
3
2 Starting and Operating. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 13
Steering Column Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 14
Starting Engine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 15
Floor Controls.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 21
Instrument Panel ......................................... , 23
Other Controls and Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 35
3 I n Case of Emergency.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 36
4 Appearance Care ............................................. 41
5 Service and Maintenance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 46
6 Minor Trouble Shooting. . .. . . . . . . . . .. .. . . .. . . . . . . .. . . . . .. .. .. 66
7 Specifications. Owner Assistance. Service Manuals. Index. Gas
Station Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 70
Applicable to CALIFORNIA Sales Only This vehicle as delivered by GM Chevrolet Division is equipped with a bumper energy
absorption system meeting California S.B.42 (1971) as set forth in Sec. 34715 Vehicle Code.
1
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.
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine REMINDER: Cars equipped with
front disc brakes have a built-in
wear indicator that
is designed to
make a high frequency, squealing,
or cricket-like warning sound when
the linings are worn to where re
placement
is required. The sound
will occur intermittently or con
tinuously when wheels are rolling,
but will change or cease completely
when the brake pedal
is applied
firmly.
See also the various brake
checks listed in the Chevrolet main
tenance schedule folder.
Automatic Brake Adjusters
• Brakes on this car (except for
the parking brake) are self
adjusting, designed to eliminate
periodic brake adjustments .
• Drum brake adjustment is made
automatically
as the brakes are
applied while car
is moving
backwards .
• Disc brake adjustment is made
automatically with each brake
application.
• If excess brake pedal travel de
velops, drive alternately back
ward and forward several times
and apply brakes firmly in each
direction.
• See your dealer if normal pedal
travel
is not restored, or if there
is a rapid increase in pedal travel,
which could be a sign of other
brake
trOUble.
Clutch Adjustment
Clutch adjustment should be
checked and adjusted periodically
as necessary to compensate for
22
clutch facing wear. To check, de
press pedal by hand until resistance
is felt. Free travel of pedal should
be approximately one inch; if very
little or no free travel
is evident,
clutch adjustment
is required.
Headlight Beam Switch
"High" and "low" headlight
beams are controlled by the floor
button at your left foot. The indi
cator, located in the speedometer
dial, will light up when the high
beams are in use.
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine "HOT" MARK
"COLD" MARK
>-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
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.
53
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
Check the coolant level at each
engine · oil change.
Engine Cooling System
The recovery type cooling sys
tem is standard on all Chevrolet
passenger cars and
is designed to
maintain the engine at proper op
erating temperatures.
The recovery
tank collects coolant that expands
with rising temperature that would
otherwise overflow from the
sys
tem. When · the system temperature
drops, the coolant
is drawn from
the recovery tank back into the
radiator by the suction created by
coolant contraction. The cooling
system has been filled at the fac-
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine temperatures are not expected.
• Add ethylene glycol base coolant
that meets GM Specification
1899-M when coolant additions
are required because of coolant
loss or to provide additional pro
tection against freezing at tem
peratures lower than
-20°F
(-35°F in Canada).
NOTE: Alcohol or methanol base
coolants or plain water are not
recommended for your Camaro at
any time.
Radi~tor Pressure Cap
The radiator cap, a 15 lb. pres
sure type, must be installed tightly,
9therwise 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 thermostat in
stalled in the engine coolant outlet
to maintain a satisfactory operat
ing temperature of the engine. This
Tires
NOTE: The factory installed tires
on your car are either bias-belted thermostat
is designed
for continu
ous
. use through both winter and
summer and need not be changed
seasonally. When replacement
is
necessary, Delco parts are recom
mended.
or optional steel-belted radial tires.
Additional owner information about
steel-belted radial tires
is contained
in the special steel-belted radial tire
guarantee booklet.
CAMARO TIRE USAGE
ENGINE & BODY STANDARD OPTIONAL
All (Except E78 x 14 E78 x 14, F78 x 14 Space Saver Spare
Type LTand Z28) F70 x 14 White Stripe or White Letters
F78 x 14 Whitewall or White Letters
Type
LT FR78 x 14 F78 x 14 Space Saver Spare F70 x 14 White Stripe or White Letters
FR78 x 14 Whitewall or White Letters
Z28 F60 x 15 White Letters F78 x 14 Space Saver Spare
All standard tires are blackwall with whitewall optional. All tires are bias-belted load range B unless otherwise specified. '
56