
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Tir,s 
When lowing  trailers using  a dead-weight  hitch,  inflate  tires  to the "Cold Tire 
Pressure" for ·'Max . Load" show n on  the  Tire Placard on the  left  front  door. 
The  allowable  passenger  and cargo  load  for this car, 
also sh o wn on· the  Tire 
Placard, is reduced  by the trailer  tongue  weight whenever the trailer is attached 
t o  the  car. 
Maintenance 
More  frequen.t  servic e is requi red  when  using your car to pull a trailer.  See Section 
A of the  Maint enance Schedule  folder for Tran saxle Fluid  and Engine Oil chang e 
requirement~ for traitering. 
Now  and then.  check  that all trailer  hitch bolts an d nuts  are tight.  Also see 
"the Maintenance  Schedule rol_def, and  the Index in this manual , for  important  facts 
o n 
belts, coo ling  system  care  and brake  adjustment. 
Break-In Schedule 
See the new car break~in instru ctions  in this manual.  Also,. we recommend  you 
drive  your new car for 
500 mil es (800 kilometer s) before  trailer tOwing. At the 
" end 
of this 500 mile (800 kilome te r)  break-in  period, avoid speeds over 50 mph (80 km/h)  and  full throttl e  start s during  the first  500 miles (800 kilometers)  of 
trailer  towing. 
If a new  engine  or  transaxle  is  ins talled  in you r car,  observe  the 
same 
care. 
CAUTIONS: 
Brakes  -To help avoid  personal  injury due to poor  braking  action: 
• Trailer brakes of adequate  size are required  on  trailer s over 450 kilograms 
(1,000  pounds) loaded  weight. 
• If you use trailer  brakes with  this car,  follow  the installation  and balan ce 
instructi ons 
of the trailer  brake maker. 
• Do nol lap into  the car's  brake  system if the trailer  brake system  uses more than 0.3 cubic  centimeter (0.02 cubic  inch) of nuid from  the ca r's master 
cylinder.  In this case, the car's  brake  fluid capacity will not be enough  to 
operate 
both the car and  trailer  brakes under all kind s, of use. 
• All  brak e fluid  parts  must be able to stand 20 685 kPa (3,000  psi). The brake 
fluid  tap must be made al th e upper rear  master  cylinder port. Copper  tubing is subject  to fatigue  failure and must  no t be used. 
• Before  going down a sleep  or  long grade , reduce speed  and shift  the tran saxle 
into  a lower  gear to control  your car's  speed. 
Try not to hold  the brake  pedal 
down too long or too  often.  This could  cause the brake s to  get  hot  and  not 
work 
as well. 
Hitches -To  help avoid  personal  injury due to  sway  caused by such things as 
c rosswind
s, big  trucks  passing or road roughn ess, or due to  sepa ration of the 
trailer : 
• Keep  the trailer  tongue  load  at 10% of the  loaded  trailer weight  for 
dead-w eight hitches.  Tongue loads can be adjusted  by proper distribution of the  load in the  trailer. This can  be checked by weighing separately the  loaded 
trailer  and then  the tongue, 
• When  you remove  a frailer  hitch, be  sure  to seal any  mountin g h'oles in the 
body . This will help  prevent entry of exhaust  fumes, dirt or water. (See 
"Engine Exhaust  Gas Caution  (Carbon Monoxide) " at the  beginning of "Starting and Operating," Section  2 of this manual.) 
1-12   

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine '" 0; 
o STANDARD 
o OPTIONAL 
1. AIC Outlet 2. Warning Lights 
Standard I.P.-Gen, Fasten  Belts. 
Oil/Choke,  Temp. 
Optionall.P.-Fasten Belts, Brake, 
Check  Engine  (Calif. Only), Choke. 3. Rear Defog  Switch 
4. Brake Light 
5. Turn Signals 
6. Speedometer,  Odometer & Hi Beam Indicator 
7. Clock 
8. Chack Engine (Calif. Only) 
9. Radio 10. Heater & Opt. Ale Controls 
11. Glove Box 
12. Ash Tray with Lighter 13. Shift Quandrant, Auto. Tr~ns_. 
14. Vent Levers 15. Fuel Gage 
16. Parking Brake  Release 
17. Light Switch 
18. Delay Wiper Control Knob 19. Clock or Tach (OptJ 
20. Warning Gages 
21. "Emission" Indicator Flag   

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Oil/Choke Indicator Light 
This light will c0!TIe on to provide  a "bulb check", w hen the igni tion is turned on, but sh Qu19 go out after the _ engine  is  started. If tight fails to 
come on wit h ignitio~ turned on, it could indicate  a burned  out bulb , a 
defective electric choke hea ter circuit (on L4  and V6 engines), or a blown 
instrument lamp fuse.  Have  system repaired if light  does not come on d min g ch  eck . 
Occa sionally. this  light  may flicker momentarily  while the  engine is running. Should  this  occur, CHECK EN GINE OIL LEVEL  as outlined  in Section 5, 
"Checking  Oil Level." If the light  comes  on continuously,  pull  over toa safe  place and STOP THE ENGINE until  the source of trouble can be loca ted  and  corrected. 
The source of tro uble could be any of the  following: 
• Loss of engine  oil press ure  (cbec k eng ine oil level). 
• Blown choke heater fuse. 
• Loss. of  electric  choke heate r voltage. 
Continuing  to  run  the engine  with an illuminated  oil pressure  light can cause 
serious  engine damage  or unusu ally  high  exhaust  system temperature which  can 
r esult  in serio us  damage  to the 
vehicle. Pull over  to a safe place  and STOP THE 
VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY AND SHUT OFF ENGINE. If  the  light  flashe s 
momentarily , ch
eck  engine  oil leve l as  outlined in Sectio n 5 of thi s manu al 
Choke Warning Indicator Light 
On some vehicles  equipped  with the optiona l oil  pressure  gage, an amber  choke 
warning  indicator  light replaces the red oil pressure indicator  light in the 
instrument  cluste
r. If this  light  comes  on, indicating  loss of electric  choke heater 
volta
ge, have  your  authoriz ed Dea ler  .locate  and correct  th e  tro uble as soon  as 
p ossib l
e. 
Generator Indicator Light The red ligh t GEN will go on  when  the ignition  key is  in  the "run"  _posit ion, but 
before  the engi ne 
is started. After the  engine  s tarts, the  light should 'go out  and 
r e m ain  out . 
If th e light  remains  on when  en gine is running , have  your  Authorized 
D eale r loca te and  correct  the troubl e as  soo n as  possibl
e. 
Engine Temperature .Indicator Light This  indicator  light is provided in th e  instrument  cluster to quickly  warn of an 
overh eated  en gi ne.  With  the igniti on switch  in the START position, the red 
TEMP indicator  (hot light)  will light to let  you  know  that  it is operati ng prope rly. 
When  the engi ne is started ;-th e re d  light will go  out  imm ediate ly. It wilUight up 
a t  n o other  time unleSS for  some  reason  the engine reaches  a dangerously high ope ra tin g temperature . 1f the light comes  on  during  extreme  driving  condition s, 
such  as an  exte nded  idle, see  "E ngine  Cooling 
System" on page 3-3. Glance  at 
th e instrument  cluster frequently  as you  drive  to see  if  this 
ligh t  is  on. 
Brake System Warning Light 
The  regular  braking  system is a  dual  system  designed  so that  one part will provide 
some  braking  action if there is a loss of hydraulic  pressure in the other part of 
the  system.  The system  has a "Brake" warning  light loca ted in the  instrum ent 
pane\. 
• To serve as  a reminder , the "Bra ke" lig ht is designed  to come  on  while  the 
park ing  brake  is  se t and  the ignition  key 
is on. 
• The light is also designed  to  come  on briefly  during engine  starting  so you 
can  chec k that  the bulb  is  okay. 
• Have  the system  repaired if the light  does not come on  during  engine  starting 
o r  when  the parking  brake 
is set. 2-17   

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Engine Temperature Gage 
This gage indicat~cCX?lant temperature  which will vary with air temperature  and 
operating condition~, The ignition  must be on for  accurate  readings. Hard driving 
or prolonged  idling In very hot weather will cause the pointer to move  beyond the center of the band; Should  pointer  move to the Red  Zone,  see "Engine Cooling 
System" on page 3-3. 
Oil Pressure Gage 
The oil  pressure  gage indicates  the pn;ssure  at which  oil is being delivered 10 the various  parts of the engine  requiring  lubrication. Pressures registered by the gage 
I11.!lY vary according to outside air temperatures or weight of oil being  used. Oil 
pressure of a cold  engine ~ing operated at  a given  speed  will be somewhat  higher 
than when  the engine is at normal operating temperature at the  same speed . 
. Prolonged high speed operation  on a hot day at  the  given speed will  result in somewhat lower  oil pressure readings. Readings of 30 to 40 psi (205  to 275 kPa) 
mny 
be considered normal  during moderate road speeds of 35 to 40 mph (55 to 
60 km/h) \\lith  the engine  at proper  operating  temperature. Gage readings  which 
are 
consistently  high or Im\l under these conditions may indicate lubrication system  
When the engine is operating,  the voltmeter  indicates the electrical  system voltage. 
During  minimum  electrical load, the pointer  will read to the right of the center. 
As  the  electrical  load is increased, 
or in  stop-and-go  driving, the pointer will rotate 
to  the  left.  A meter  reading  continuously  in 
the left or right  red zone  indicates 
an  electrical  system 
failure .. Cause of the failure  should be determined  and corrected~ 
Light Switch 
The three  position  light switch  controls  the headlights,  taillights, parking lights, 
sidemarker  lights, instrument  lights and dome  lights as shown.  The headlamp 
circuit  is protected  by a circuit  breaker  in 
the light switch. An overload  on the 
breaker  will cause  the lamps  to "flicker" on and  off. If this condition  develops, 
have  your headlamp  wiring checked  immediately. 
The  headlight  beam changer  is located.  in the 
Turn Signal  Lever;  for operation 
see  Section  2 under  heading "Tum Signal  and Headlight  Beam Lever." 
TUIN KNOt TO VAr:t'INSTRUMENT lIGHTS_'UtLy COUNTERClOCKWISE RlR DOME 
0" 
MAltlCfIt LIGHTS , INSTRUMENT LIGHTS 
Headlamp "ON" Warning Buzzer 
The optional headlamp  reminder buzzer provides  an audible  warning  that the 
main  light switch  is in  one 
of the "on" positions,  either parking  lights or 
headlights. 
The  reminder  buzzer 
is actuated only when  the ignition  switch is turned to "OFF," "LOCK" or "ACCESSORY" position. 
2-19   

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine • pull over-to  a 'safe  p'late  and stop (he car:-=Set the parking  brake and shift to "P"(Park) (with  a manual  transaxle.  shift  to Neutral  first, then set the parking 
brake). 
• DON'T TURN OFF THE ENGINE AND DON'T INCREASE THE ENGINE SPEED~ Let the engin e run at normal  idle speed  for two or three 
minutes. 
If  the 
''TEMP'' light  still  doesn't  go off  (or  the  gage  needle doesn't  start to  drop) , NOW TURN OFF THE ENGINE and proceed as follows. 
CAUTION:  Keep henda, tools end clothing awey from'the engine COOling fen to help prevent personal Injury. This fen ia electric end can come on whether or not the eR8ine is runnirl'jJ. The fan Cen etert eutomatically in reapon .. to a heet ~, wrth the ignitkNl in ~Run." 
• Lift the engine  hood. Look at the coolant  level.in the "see through " coolant 
recovery  tank. The coolant  level should  be at or above  the "Fun Hot" mark 
o n  the  tank. 
If it looks  like the coolant is boiling, wait  until  it stops  before 
proceeding You should :not need to  remove  the radiator  cap to  check the 
coolant level and  it can be dangerous  if the  coolant is still  hot. See the 
following  Caution. 
CAUTION: To help avoid the dange, of being  burned: 
• cia not remove the coolent recov.ry tank cap while the coolant is boiling.. and 
• cia not remove the .rad~:_c.p white the engine end radiator are atill hot. 
Scelding fluid and ateam can be blow, Qut under presau,.. If either cap ia taken off too soon. 
• If the  coolant  level is low: 
• look for leak s at  the  radiator  hoses and connectio ns, heater  hoses and 
connections.  radiator, and water  pump. 
See that the water  pump  belts 
are  not 
brok~ or otT the pulleys  and that  the fan  runs  when the engine is running  and theUTEMP" light ison (or the  gage  needle is in the 
warning  zone). 
• add coolant  to  the  recovery  tank. 
If the level  in the  recovery  tank is at the correct  level and the "TEMP" light  (gage) still comes  on, air may be-trappedin the, cooling system . This  may prevent  coolant 
from  returning  to the  radiator. 
In this  case. you  may  have to  add  coolant  directly 
to  th e radiator. 
See "Coolant Replacement"  in "Service and  Maintenance," Section 5 of this manual.  Follow steps I and 10 for the  correct  way to remove 
the  radiator  cap and  add  coolant to the radiator. 
After the "TEMP" light is out (or  the  gage  needle is out of the warning  zone). 
resume  driving 
at a reduced  speed. Return  to normal  driving  after about  ten 
minutes  if the  light  does  not come  back on (or  the  gage  needle  does not go back 
into  the warning 
~one). 
J.4   

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine JACKING 
CAUTION 
To  help  avoid  personal  injury: 
• Follow  all jackin g and  stowag e instructions. 
•  Use jack  only fo r  liftin g this venicle du -rin g wheel c h a ng e. 
• Nev er  ge t ben eath th e vehiCle, start or  run  en g in e  while  vehicle is  supported b y jac k. 
• Always  securely  res tow  spare  tire (o r flat tire ) an d  all jackin g equipment. 
Wheel Nut Torque 
CAUTION: As soon as possible after Installing 8 wheel-and at the intervals shown on the chart-in the Maintenance Schedule foldet-han 8 m.chanic tighten whe&l nuta with II torque wrench to the specifications shown in "SpeCifications ," Section 7 of this manual. Wheel nuts should be tightened alternately and evenly to the correct torque. Never us. oil or grease on studs or nuts. Improperly tightened wheel nuts could eventually allow the wheel to come off while the vehicle is moving, possibty causing loss of control.IAlso see the Caution in "Service and Maintenance," Seetion 5 of this manual regarding the danger of mixing metric and customary fasteners.) 
Stowage of Tire and Jack 
CAUTION:·AlwaYs MOurely restow the spare tire assembty (or flat tire). all jacking equipment. and the cover, using the means provided. When driving the car with the compact spare installed and the reer seat folded down,  stow the wheel cover flat on the rear floor behind the-right front seat. When the rear seat is up (or If It does not fold), stow the wheel cover in the trunk area. This will help keep such things from being thrown about and injuring peopla In the car in an accident. 
Compact Spare 
The compa ct  sp are  is  des ig ned  to save space in yo ur  trunk,  and its lighler weig ht 
m ak es 
it easi er to  in stall if a  flat  tire occurs. The light~r weig ht als o helps  improve fuel  eco no my. 
If you have  a  flat  tire, follow  the jack ing in struction s in this manual  while  keeping 
t h ese  point s in  min d: 
• Chec k inflati on  press ure as  soo n as  practical after in sta llin g the  s pa re  ( use of a  pocke t type: high pressure  inflatio n gage is  adv ised)  and  adjust to 415 
k Pa (60  psi). The  tire pressur e sh o uld  be checked  at least  monthl y  and  kept at 415 kPa  (60 ps i)  while  the tire is  s tored. 
• Co ntinuou s use  at spe eds  over 50 mph (80 km/h) is not  re c omme nded . 
NOTICE: Because this tire is amaUer than the standar d tire, vehicle ground clearance is reduced, Avoid driving over obstacles, and do not take your car U,rough an automatic car wash whila the spare is installed. The car may get caught possibly resulting in property damage. 
• A  trea d life of up  to 3,000 mil es (4 800 kilomet ers)  ca n b e expe cted,  depe nding 
on  roa d condi tions  and  you r 
driv ing  habits . T o  co nserve  tire t read life.  return the spar e to  the sto rage  area  as soo n as  the  sta nd ard  tir e  ca n be repa ir ed -or 
r
epl ac ed . 
• Beca use  the co mpac t spare  was  spec ifica lly designe d for your  car, it s hould 
no t be  used  on  any  other vehicle. 
3-6   

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine On all C-4 cars, a "CHECK ENGINE" light on the instrument panel  is 
designed to come on during engine starting , to let you know the bulb is working. (The light will stay on a short time after the engine starts.) If the light comes on while  driving,  service to the emission control system 
may be required. See your Chevrolet  dealer' as soon as possible for an inspection of the system. Continued driving without having the C-4  System  serviced _ could eventually 
cause  damage 
to the emission control system . It could also affect fuel 
e conomy and drivabili -ty. 
ENGINE OIL AND FILTER RECOMMENDATIONS • Engine oils' are  labeled  on 'the  containers  with various API (American 
Petroleum  Institute) designations 6f quality. Use engine oils that are labeled 
5E or SE/CC. Do  not use  oils  labeled  only SA, 5B, 5C,  SD,  CA,  CB, CC or CD; _or oils with  the combination  label SE and CD (SE/CD). Higher 
quality oils labeled SF will be introduced  soon (late 1979, or 1980). These SF oils are preferred and should be used  when  available. 
• The oil and filter change  intervals  for your  engine  are based on the  use of SE-quality or SF-quality  oils and  ,high- quality  filters such as AC oil filters. Using oils  other  than SE-quality or SF-quality oils, or oil change  intervals 
longer  than recommended.  could reduce -engine  life and  might  affect your 
warranty. 
•  Your engine  was filled  with a high·quality  engine oil when it was  built. You do ,not  have  to change  this oil before  the suggested  change period. 
• 
If your  normal  driving  does nQt include  one or more of the four "severe service" conditions  listed below.  change  the oil every 7,500 miles (12 000 ' kilometers) or 12 months,  whichever  comes first. Change the oillilter at the 
first oil change.  then every  second  oil change, if mileage  (7,500 miles or 12 
000. kilom~ters) determines .w ,hen  you change  the oil. If _time (12  months) 
determines  when you change  the oil, change the  filter with every  oil change. 
• Change  the oil and  oil filter  every 3,000 miles  (4 800  kilometers) , or three 
months  if you often drive under one or more of these 'severe service·,~. 
conditions: • Driving  in dusty  areas 
• Towing ,3 trailer 
• Frequent  idling or idling for long  periods 
• Driving 4 miles (6 kilometers) br'less  in freezing weather,o~other short trips in cold weather, where  the engine  does not thoTough ,ly warm up. 
• Change the oil and  oil filter as soon  as -possible  after driving in a dust 
storm. 
Oil Viscosity 
Engine oil viscosity  (thickness)  has an effect  on fuel  economy. Lowec viscosity 
engine  oils can  provide  increased , fuel " economy;  however, higher temperature 
weather conditions  require higher viscosity  engine oils for satisf~ctory lubrication. 
To. get  the best fuel  economy  with your-1980  Chevrolet, -iou should  use -,, ' . 
fuel. 'saviiJ.&:_engine oil ohhe_ proper viscosity. These oils call_ be  found. in serviCe 
stations and other retail  stores. They are-identified  by words  such as: "Energy Saving,"  "Conserves Gasoline," "Gas Saving,"  "Gasoline  Saving," '''Friction 
Reducing," "Improved Gasoline  Mileage" or "Fuel Saving." 
The following  chart lists the engine ' oil viscosities recommended  for the 
temperature  range you expect  before the next oil change. For lemperalures  above ,_18°C (O"F),SAE lOW-30 is  -the preferred  viscosity grade. Ircold-weather starting 
problems 
are encountered  at temperatures  below -lSoC (
5-3   

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine USE Tlltst: SAE VISCOSITY GItotoDH 
I ,  , , cl. 
* 
::0';'~ ,.,..~,: , , , , 
I 
lOW , , ,  , 
, 
I I I  I , . , " • '" ,~, ." ., , " " " ~ lVitPl .... 1Ul:( lAN<* YOU ElU'EClltfOll( NUT OIl CHANG( 
NOTICE: 00 NOT USE SA~ 5W-2 0 OilS fOA CONTINUOUS HIGH-SPEEQ  OAIVING. 1,iW-30 OILS MAY III USED .. 4.CYIJNO!!R AND 2.lIll1AE VII EItClMES UP TO 104)
the oil level  at regular  intervals  (such as every 'o ther  fuel stop) and  keep it above 
th e "Add" line. Rem ember,  your engine  may use more oil when it is new . 
• The best time  to  check  the engine  oil level is when  the oil is warm,  such  as 
during  a fuel stop. First,  wait  about  5 minutes  for the  oil to drain back  to 
the  oil pan,  Then,  pull out the dipstick,  wipe 
it clean, and push  it back  down 
all  the  way . Now , pull  out.th e dipstick  and look  at the oil-level  on the  dipstick. 
Some 
dipSlicks  have "Add" and "Full" lines , Others are  marked "Add! Qt" 
and "Operaling  Range." In all cases, keep the oil level above the 
"Add" line. Push· the dipstick  back down  all the  way  after  taking  the 
reading. _  A ·dd oil , if needed. 
• If you  check  the oil level  when  the oil is cold, do no t  run  the engine  first. The cold  oil wilJ not drain  back to the  pan  fast enough  to give  a true  oil level. 
Engine Oil Additives 
There  are many extra engine  oil additives  (or helpers)  for sale.  Your  engine should 
not  need  these  extra additives if you use SE-quality or SF·quality engine  oil and 
change 
it as  suggested. If you  think  your engine  has .an oil-related  problem, talk 
to  your  authorized  dealer. 
If needed, your dealer  can provide  you with  a tested 
and  approved  oil additive  called "GM Engine Oil Supplement." 
AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE FLUID RECOMMENDATIONS 
Use the Proper Fluid Use only automatic  transmission  fluid labe led DEXRON-®II. You  can buy  this 
fluid  from  your Chevrolet  dealer or 
othe~,'service outlets. 
Check the Fluid Level with care Check  the automatic  transmission  fluid level at each engine  oil change.  Before 
checking  the fluid  level,  set the  parking  brake and then  start  the engine.  AppJy 
the  regular  brakes and then 
'mov e the shift lever  through  all of the gear  ranges, 
ending  in 
"P '·(Park).  You must check  the fluid  level with the engine  funning  at 
slow idle and  the car  level. 
I-c ..... --=---=..,~ ..... B9"""5IL.u;~~"-·, __ .........,; ..... _·F_%¥-W+--T -l{ 
COOL OR WARM -j ""I ,~-
5-4