1976 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO maintenance

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Maintenance
More frequent vehicle mainte­
nance
is required when using your
car
to pull a trailer. Change. the:
• Automatic transmission fluid
and filter each 15,000 miles,
(see Trai/ering brochure foraddi­
tional information).
.• Rear axle fluid each 15,000
miles,
• Engine oil each 90 days or 3,000
miles , whichever occurs first,
• Positive crankcase ventilation
valve each
12 months or 15,000
miles, whichever occurs first.
• See index for important informa­
tion on belts, cooling system care
and automatic brake
adjuslrilent.
Break·in Schec;!ule
In addition to the new car break-in
instructions in this manual, it
is
recommended that your new car
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
en­
gine , transmission or axle is in­
stalled in your car.
1·11

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Countries
.
In
Your car is designed to operate
on unleaded fuel
of approximately
91 reseljl'ch octane number.
If you plan to' operate your car
outs ide . the Continent al limits of
the
U niled States or Canada, there
is .a possibility that the best fuels
available
in some countries are so
low in oclane rating that excessive
knocking and serious engine dam­
age may result from their
use. Also,
if leaded fuels are used in vehicles
designed for unleaded fuels, it may result
in the
deactivati on of the
catalytic converter, if the vehicle
is
so equipped , and possibly other
related problems.
The use of leaded
fuel
in a vehicle designed for un­
leaded fuel
will require different
maintenance intervals.
To obtain in­
formation on the
octan~ rating and
availability of non-leaded fuels
available in the countries in which
you plan to travel , and a mainte­
nan ce schedule to
be used when
operating on leaded fuel, write to
Chevrolet Motor Division, Service
Department,Detroit, Michigan
48202, (or in Canada write to
General Motors of Canada Limited,
Owner Relations Department,
Oshawa, Ontario LlJ 5Z6), giving:
1-12
• The vehicle identification num­
ber (on plate on instrument
panel ahead of the steering wheel
and vis ible through the wind­
shield , or from registration slip
or title)
,.
• The country or countries in which
you plan
to travel.
It is recommended that you not
operate your car in any country not
having fuels meeting the require­
ments of your car's engine
as these
may cause engine damage for which
Ch evr olet is not respon sible under
the term s of the Chevrolet New
Vehicle Warranty or Emission
Control Systems Warranty .

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine STARTING· AND OPERATING
Engine Exhaust Gas Caution (Carbon Monoxide)
Avoid Inhaling exhaust gases because
thay cont./n carbon mODOxlde, which by
1t'811 Is color/e.. and odor/elS. Carbon
monoxIde Is • dangerous gas fh,t can
caus. uneonsC /ousnftu and Is potentially
lelha/.
It at any time you .,u.pect that exhaust _
tumes ., •• nf.rlng'··the passenger com­
partment , half' the -cause determined and
co".cfed a. soon as possible. II you must
drlv. under these c6ndltions, drive only
with a/l window. luliy open.
-
The best protection .gainst carbon mon­
oxide entry Into the' C81 body Is a properly
maintained' engine exhaust system, car
body and body v.ntllallon syslem. /I Is
recommended tha' the -exhaust system
and body bo Inspecled by a compel"",
mechanic. .
• Each limo rhe vehlcl. I. ralsod lor 011
c"'ng8.
• Whn.If.r " change Is noticed in the
sound 01 IIH1 exhaul' sy~.m.
• Whene"., the ."haust system" 'under­
body or TNr ot the .,ehlele is damaged.
S .. 1.0U1 Maintenance Schedule tolder
furn
shed with your .,ehle/. for Inspec­
tion procedure .
To allow proper operation ot the car's
ventli.t/on system. keep tront ventilation
Inl.t grme e/hr at .now. I."ves or other
obstruction
.t .11 time,.
SITTING IN A PARKED CAR WITH
ENGINE RUNNING FOR
AN EXTENDED
PERIOD IS NOT RECOMMENDED.
Do not run ,.nglne In confined areas
such as ,garage. ",.iny more than needed
to mOlfe"vehic/. In' or' out of are •. When
v.hlc/ol • • 'opped In an UNCONFINED
ar •• with the engine running tor any more
than a 'short period , adJust he.ting or
cooling sy.tem to toree outside aIr into
car .s tollow,:
1. On cars not equipped with air condi­
tioning.
set tan to medium or high
spefKi and upper control lever to any
poslUon oxcepl OFF.
2-1
2. ' On c." equipped with menu.' air call­
dltlonlng, 8.t fIn to m.dium or high
speed. upper control lever to any pos;­
: tlon except OFF, Ind lower contrOl
I.ver to Iny position except .xtrem •
. ,." COLD.
3. On cara equIpped with automatic a"
conditioning , .et control ,-.,e, to HI
except In hot wNther In .""lch cas.,
set lever In AUTO.
The Irunk lid should be closed while
driving to help prevent Inadvertently draw­
Ing exhaust gases Into the car. It I. unwise
to drive .t high speed. for long dUrations
with
the trunk lid open. However, if for
some ,e.son the trunk must remain open
tor a period' whJle moving, or electrical
wiring
or other cabl. connections to a
trailer mu.t PlIS through the seal be­
tween trunk lid and bo,dy, the following
precaut~ons shoUld be observed:
• Close all windows.
• Ad/u.t h •• tlng or cooling system to
force outside aIr Into car as described
In nem. 1, 2 and 3 abo,.e but with f.n
.al ., hIgh speod.
• On cats equipped with outside air vents
In or under Instrument panel, open
vonl. lully.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine NOTE: "Riding the brake" by rest­
ing your foot on the brake pedal
when not intending to brake can
cause abnormally
high brake tem­
peratures, excessive lining wear and
possible damage to the brakes,
in
addition to wasting.gasoline.
Self-AdjustingiBrakes
• Brakes on th(i; ' car (except for ••.
the parking }prake) 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
automatical1y with each brake
application.
• If excess brakep~dal travel de­
velops, drive alternately back-
ward and forward (several
times) and apply brakes firmly
in each direction.
• See )lour 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.
See y6ur dealer also if
adjust­
ment of the parking brake is
required;
REMINDER: The front disc
brakes have a built-in wear indica­
tor that is designed to make a high
frequency squealing,
or cricket-like
warning sound when the linings are
worn to where replacement
is re­
quired. The sound will occur inter­
mittently or continuously when
wheels are rolling, but will
dis­
appear when the brake pedal is ap-
2-9
plied firmly. See also the various
brake checks listed in the
Chevro­
let maintenance schedule folder.
Headlight Beam Switch
"High" and "low" headlight
beams are controlled by the floor
button at your left foot. The
indi­
cator, located next to the speed­
ometer dial, will light up when the
high beams are in use.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine ble'can be located and corrected .
. Driying the car with low oil pillS'
sure can:cause · serious ' engine
damage.
Genera~orlndicator Light
The red light will go on when
the
ignition key is in the "on " posi,
tion, b~f before the engine is
started.'J\fter the engine starts, the
light .
sho'uld go out and remain out.
If the Hght remains on when engine
is runlling, have your Authorized
Chevrolet Dealer locate and cor,
reCI the trouble as soon as possible,
Engine Temperature
Indicator Light
, This indicator light is provided
in the instrument cluster to quickly
warn
of an overheated engine. With
the ignition switch in the
5T AR T
position, the red TEMP indicator
will light to let you know that it is
operating properly. When
the engine
is started , the
red light will go out immediately,
It will light up at no other time
unless for some reason the engine
.
reaches a dangerously high oper,
atingtemperature. If the light
comes on during
extreme driving
conditions, such
as an extended
idle, turn
off the air conditioner (if
used }.and run the engine slightly
faster than
idle. speed with the
transmission in neutral gear .
If the
light does not go
off within a short
period of time
(F2 minutes), then
tum the engine off until the cause
of the.
overheating is corrected;
Glance at the
Ins.trument cluster
frequently as you drive to see if
this light
is on. '
Brake System Warning
Light
.
The service .. brake system is a
dual system designed
so that. one
part will provide some braking
2-12
action in the event of loss of hy'
draulic pressure in the other part of
the system.
If the ,warning light
labeled
"BRAKE," located in the
speedometer face, comes on .and
stays on when the ignition
is on and
'after · the brakes have been firmly
applied, it may indicate that
there
is a malfunction in one part of the
brake system.
'
•
As ~ reminde;, the light is de,
signed:to
come on with the park,
ing brake applied and the ignition
on.
• The light is also designed to
come on, during ;engine starting
to verify that the bulb is operating
. properly.
• Have system repaired '. if light
does not come
on' during check.
• This warning light, is not a sub­
stitute for the visual check of
brake fluid level required
as part
of normal maintenance.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine APPEARANCE CARE AND MAINTENANCE MATERIALS
Available from your Chevrolet Dealer
Part Number Size
Description Usage
1050001 16 oz. Washer Solvent and Gas Prevents windshield solvent and
Line
De-Icer gas lines from freezing
, 1050017 32 oz. Power
Steering Fluid Power Steering Pump
1050019 16 oz. Spray-A-Squeak
Stopsmetal-to-metal squeaks .and
metal-ta-rubber squeaks
1050027 32 oz. Permanent Type Coolant Year-around coolant and anti-freeze
and . Anti-Freeze for your radiator
1050028 1 gal. Permanent Type Coolant . Same as above
and Anti-Freeze
1050172 16 oz. Tar and Road Oil Remover Removes old wax, polish , tar and road oil
1050173 16 oz. Chrome Cleaner and Polish Removes rust and corrosion from
chrome
or stainless steel
1050174 16 oz
.
White Sidewall Tire Cleaner Cleans whitewall and blackwall tires
1050223 16 oz. Finish Guard Cleaner One-step cleaner and wax
1050422 12 oz. Heat Valve Lubricant
Frees up sticky heat risers ;
genera l-purpose penetrating oil
1050427 23 oz. Glass Cleaner Cleans glass and vinyl
4-7

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine SERVICE AND MAINTENANCE
The time or mileage intervals on
the following pages are intended
as a guide for establishing regular
maintenance and lubrication per­
iods for your car. Sustained heavy
duty or high speed operations or
operation under adverse conditions
may necessitate more frequent ser­
vicing.
To determine specific rec­
ommendations for conditions un-
Fuel
Requirements
Your Chevrolet engine is de­
signed to operate
only on unleaded
gasoline. Unleaded gasoline is essen­
tial for proper emission control
system operation, and it will mini­
mize spark plug fouling. The
use of der
which you use your car, con­
sult your authorized Chevrolet
Dealer.
Maintenance Schedule
For owner convenience, a sepa­
rate maintenance folder has been
provided with your car which con­
tains a complete schedule and brief
explanation of the safety, emission
leaded gasoline can damage or
severely reduce the effectiveness of
the emission control system and re­
sult in loss of warranty coverage.
Use unleaded gasoline meeting
the
minimum octane specifications
established by the Federal govern­
ment.
In compliance with Federal
regulations, pumps dispensing such
gasoline are labeled with the word
5-1
control, lubrication and general
maintenance it requires. The main­
tenance folder information
is sup­
plemented by this section of the
Owner's Manual, as well as a
Warranty Information folder also
furnished with your car. Read all
three publications for a full under­
standing of vehicle maintenance
requiremehts.
UNLEADED and are equipped
with dispensing nozzles which
fit
the filler neck of your car's gaso­
line tank.
Supplementary gasoline addi­
tives which contain lead and or
phosphorus should not
be used
under any circumstances. Such
additives can severely reduce the
effectiveness of your catalytic con­
verter.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Front Wheel Bearings
Every 30,000 miles-clean and
repack with
a. high melting point
wheel bearing lubricant.
Use wheel
bearing lubricant GM Part No.
1051344 or equivalent. This
is a
premium high
~elting point lubri­
cant. When replacement is neces­
sary specify Delco parts.
Brakes
Brake linings should be periodi­
cally inspected for wear
by a quali­
fied technician. The frequency of
this inspection depends upon
driv­
ing conditions such as traffic or
terrain, and also the driving tech­
niques of individual owners .. Your
Chevrolet Dealer is best qualified
to advise you
as to how often this
inspection should be performed.
When replacement is required,
specify
GM and Delco parts.
REMINDER: The front disc
brakes have a built-in wear indica­
tor
thatis designed to make a high
frequency , squealing
or cricket-like
warning
sOl!l1d when the linings are
worn to where replacement is re­
quired. The sound will occur inter­
mittently or continuously when
wheels are rolling, but will
dis­
appear when the brake pedal is
firmly applied. Also see the brake
checks listed. in the Maintenance
Schedule folder.
5-11
Master Cylinder-Every 6 months
or
7,500 miles -Check fluid level
in each reservoir and maintain
14" below lowest edge-of each filler
opening with Delco Supreme No.
liar DOT-3 hydraulic brake fluid.
11." BELOW
TOP EDGE .k:::O"',
Parking Brake Pulley, Cables
and Linkage-Every 6 months or
7
,500 miles -Apply water resis­
tant EP Chassis Lubricant which
meets GM Specification 6031M, to
parking brake cahle at cable guides
and at all operating links and levers.