1976 CHEVROLET VEGA Owners Manual

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-leer gas lines from freezing
1050017 32 oz. Power
Steering Fluid Power Steering Pump
1050019 16 oz. Spray-A-Squeak Stops metal-to-metal squeaks and
metal-to-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;
general-purpose penetrating oil
1050427 23 oz. Glass Cleaner
Cleans glass and vinyl
4 -7

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Part Number Size Description Usage
1050520
16 oz. Lubriplate (White Grease) Hood, Trunk and Door Hinges and Latches •
1050729 8 oz. Vinyl Top Cleaner Cleans optional vinyl tops
1050803 1
lb. Multi-Purpose
Powdered
Cleans vinyl and cloth on door trim, Cleaner seats and carpet; also tires and mats
1051055 16 oz.
Preservatone Preserves finish on vinyl fabric
1051186
22112 oz. Gem Glo Quick clean-up and wax; for slightly dirty finishes
1051398 8 oz. Spot Lifter
Spot and stain
removal on cloth and fabric
1051515
32 oz. Optikleen Windshield Washer solvent and anti-freeze
1051516
32 oz. Washer Solvent and
Same as 1050001 Gas Line De-Icer
1051772 20 oz. Presoftened Cleaner/Wax One-step cleaner and wax
1051855
32 oz. Dexron II Automatic Transmission fluid
1051858 16 oz. G.M. Super E.O.S.
(Engine Oil Supplement) Consult your Dealer for usage
4-8

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
requirements.
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 Gas Cap-The fuel tank filler cap
has a
two-step removal and in­
stallation procedure plus a pres­
sure-vacuum safety relief valve. It
is equipped with a double set of
locking tangs. To remove:
• Rotate cap one-half tum counter­
clockwise to clear the first set of
tangs from the slots inside the
filler neck. This will allow any
residual pressure to escape.
• Pull the cap outward and rotate
one-quarter
tum counterclock­
wise to clear second set of tangs
and remove the cap.
• To install, reverse this procedure.
NOTE: If this cap requires a re­
placement, only a cap with these
same features should be used.
Fail­
ure to use the correct cap can result
in a serious malfunction of the
sys­
tem. Correct replacement caps may
be obtained from your authorized
Chevrolet dealer.
ENGINE ITEMS
Engine Oil and Filter
Recommendations'
• Use only SE engine oil.
• Change oil each 6 months or
7,500 miles, whichever occurs
first,
except under the following
conditions:
*
-driving in dusty conditions
-trailer pulling
-extensive idling
-short-trip operation at
freez­
ing temperatures (engine not
thoroughly warmed-up) .
*Under these conditions, change oil
each 3 months
or 3,000 miles,
whichever occurs first.
• Operation in dust storms may
require an immediate oil change.
• Replace the oil filter at the first
oil change, and every second oil
change thereafter. AC oil filters
5-2
provide excellent engine pro­
tection.
See your Chevrolet dealer for
ad­
vice on the frequency of oil and
filter changes under unusual driving
conditions.
The above recommendations
ap­
ply to the first change as well as
subsequent oil changes. The oil
change interval for your Chevrolet
engine
is based on the use of SE
oils and quality oil filters.
Oil
change intervals longer than those
listed above will seriously reduce
engine life and may affect
Chevro­
let obligation under the provisions
of the
New Vehicle Warranty.
NOTE: Non-detergent and other
low quality oils are specifically not
recommended.
Only the use of SE
engine oils and proper oil and filter
change intervals assure you of
con­
tinued proper lubrication of your
Chevrolet engine.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A high quality SE oil was in­
stalled in your engine at the factory.
It is not necessary to change this
factory-installed oil prior to the
recommended normal change pe­
riod. However, check the oil level
more frequently during the break­
in period since higher oil consump­
tion
is normal until the piston rings
become seated.
Recommended Viscosity
To help assure good cold and hot
starting, .
as well as maximum en­
ginelife, fuel economy and oil
economy, select the proper oil
vis­
cosity for the temperature rang¥
anticipated from the following
chart:
RECOMMENDED SAE VISCOSITY GRADES
I I I I 20N 20 lOW-3~ 10N')0 2UN ·;0 20,V sc
lOW 5w 30 lOW 30 lOW 40
TEMPERATURE RANGE ANTICIPATED BEFORE 'NEXT OIL CHANGE
NOTE : SAE 5W-30 oils are recommended for all Seasons in vehi­cles normally operated in Canada. SAE 5W-20 oils are not
recommended for sustained high-speed driving. SAE 30 oils may be used at temperatures above 40°F. (4°C.)
5-3
100 , i 40
Checking Engine Oil Level
The engine oil should be main­
tained at proper level. The best
time to check it
is as the last step in
a fuel stop. This will allow the oil
accumulation in the engine to drain
back in the crankcase. To check the
level, remove the oil gauge rod (dip
stick), wipe it clean and reinsert it
firmly for an accurate reading. The
oil gauge rod is marked "FULL"
and "ADD." The oil level should be
maintained in the safety margin,
neither going above the
"FULL"
line nor below the "ADD" line.
Reseat the gauge firmly after taking
the reading.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Supplemental Engine Oil
Additives
The regular use of supplemental
additives
is specifically not recom­
mended and will increase operat­
ing costs. However, supplemental
additives are available that can
ef­
fectively and economically solve
certain specific problems without
causing other difficulties.
For ex­
ample, if higher detergency is re­
quired to reduce varnish and sludge
deposits resulting from some un­
usual operational difficulty, a thor­
oughly tested and approved addi­
tive-"G.M. Super Engine Oil Sup­
plement" -is available at your Chev­
rolet dealer.
In the event of an
operational problem, consult your
dealer for advice before using sup­
plemental additives.
Air Cleaner
When replacement of Air Cleaner
filter element
is necessary, an AC
ACron air filter element
is recom­
mended.
Drive Belts
Every 12 months or 15,000
miles-inspect drive belts for wear,
fraying, cracking, and tension. Belts
which are in
pOQr condition should
be replaced immediately.
Check tension by applying mod­
erate thumb pressUre midway be­
tween pulleys.
If the center-to­
center distance between pulleys
is
5-4
13 to 16 inches, the belt should de­
flect
'h inch. If the center-to-center
distance
is 7 to 10 inches, the belt
should deflect
~ inch. Loose belts
should be retensioned to give the
correct deflection.
1----7'· TO 10" --~ 1/4" DEFLECTION
I· 13" TO 16" I ~"DEFLECTI~

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine TRANSMISSION ITEMS
Automatic Traiismission­
Fluid Level
Recommendations
Use automatic transmission
fluids identified with the mark
DEXRON®-II available from your
Chevrolet dealer or local service
station.
Check the fluid level at each en­
gine oil change period.
Automatic transmissions are fre­
quently overfilled because the fluid
level
is checked when the fluid is
cold and the dipsick indicates fluid
should
be added. However, the low
reading may be normal since the
fluid level will rise
as the fluid tem­
perature increases. A level change
of over
% inch will occur as fluid
temperature rises from
60° F. to
180° F. (16° C. to 82° C.)
Overfilling can cause foaming
and loss of fluid through the vent.
(65' -85'F .) (18 ' -29'C.) COOl HOT
WARM
NOTE: DO NOT OVERFill. It takes only 'one pint to raise level from ADD to FUll with a hot transmission.
Slippage and transmission failure
can result.
Fluid level too low can cause
slipping,
particularly when the
transmission is cold or the car is
on a hill.
Check the transmission fluid
level with the
engine running, the
shift lever in
Park, and the car
level.
Remove the dipstick and touch
the transmission end of the dipstick
NOTE: If the vehicle has recently
been operated for an extended
period at high speed or in city
traffic in hot weather
or the vehi­
cle
is being used to pull a trailer,
an accurate fluid level cannot be
determined until the fluid has
cooled dpwn-usually about 30
minutes after the vehicle has been
parked.)
cautiously to find out if the fluid
is
cool, warm or hot.
Wipe it clean and re-insert until
cap seats. Remove dipstick and
note reading.
• If the fluid feels cool, about room
temperature
(65° F. to 85° F.)
or (18° C. to 29° C.), the level
should be
Vs to % inch below
the
"ADD" mark The dipstick
has two dimples below the
"ADD" mark to show this range.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine • If it feels warm, the level should
be close to the
"ADD" mark
( either slightly above
or beloW).
• If it feels hot (cannot be held
comfortably) the level should
be
between the "ADD" and
"FULL" marks.
NOTE: DO NOT OVERFILL. It
takes only one pint to raise level
from
ADD to FULL with a hot
transmission.
Automatic Transmission­
Drain
Intervals
The transmission operating tem­
perature resulting from the type of
driving conditions under which
your vehicle
is used is the main
consideration in establishing the
proper frequency of transmission
fluid changes.
If you do not use your vehicle
under severe conditions, change the
fluid and filter every
60,000 miles.
Refer to section 6,
"Specifications",
for required fluid quantities.
If the vehicle is usually driven
under one
or more of the follow­
ing conditions-considered severe
transmission
service-change the
transmission fluid and filter every
15,000 miles.
• In heavy city traffic.
• Where the outside temperature
regularly reaches
90° F. (32°
C.) for extended periods.
• In very hilly or mountainous
areas.
• Frequent trailer pUlling.
• Commercial uses, such as taxi,
police
car or delivery service.
Manual Transmissions­
Lubricant
Level
Every 6 months or 7,500 miles,
whichever occurs first, check lubri­
cant level and add lubricant, if nec­
essary, to
fill to . level of filler plug
hole.
5-6
• 3-Speed and 4-Speed-Use SAE
80W or SAE 80W-90 GL-5
Gear Lubricant. (For those
vehicles normally operated in
Canada, use
SAE 80W GL5
Gear Lubricant. )
Transmission Shift Linkage
(Manual and Automatic)
Every 7,500 miles or 6 months
lubricate shift linkage and
on
manual transmission floor controls
lever contacting faces with water
resistant
EP chassis lubricant which
meets
GM specification 6031 M.
Clutch Cross -Shaft -Every
30,000 miles or sooner if necessary
-Remove the plug, install a lubri­
cation fitting and lubricate with
water resistant
EP Chassis Lubri­
cant which meets GM Specification
6031M.