1981 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO tow

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A WORD TO MONTE CARLO OWNERS
This man ual has been prepared to acquaint -you with the operation an"d main~
tenance of your 1981 Monte Carlo, and to provide important safety informa­
tion, It is supplemented by a Maintenance Schedule and two Warranty Informa ­tion folders. We ur ge you to·read these four publication s carefully. Follow the
recommendations to he lp assure the most enjoyable, safe and troublefree opera­
ti on of your vehicle .
While reading this manual, you will notice that specifications are given in both metric and customary measures. Where precise.--accuracy is not needed, some
conversions have been rounded to even numbers for your handy use.
When it comes to service, remember that your Chevrolet dealer knows your
vehicle best and ' is int eres te d in your complete satisfaction.
Fotadded mechanIcal and electrical protection beyond the end of the New
Vehicle
and Pow er Protection Plus Limited Warranty, consider the GM Con­
tinuous Protection Plan. The Plan is an optional service agreeO"lent which covers
repairs to specified major vehicle-components, provides rental car allowances,
towing and road service allowances, and many other features which enhance
ownership
both during and after the warranty. It cover~ your car for a total
of 36 month, or 36,000 mile, (50 000 kilometers in Canada) , whichever comes
first or for 48 months, 50,000 miles depending upon which of the four Plans
offered is purchased. Be sure to discuss the GM Continuous Protection Plan with your dealer, if you haven't already done so. The ~an is available to you for
up
to 6 months and/or 6,000 odometer miles from the date your new car was
put in dealer service or delivered to you as a new vehicle.
To help dealers handle you r needs, Chevrolet ha s a number of Zone Offices throughout the country. If you have a problem that has not been handled to
your satisfaction, follow the steps in "Owner Assistance." Section 6 of this
manual.
We thank you for choosing a Chevrolet product, and want to assure you of our
continuing interest in your motoring pleasure and satisfaction.
NOTE TO CANADIAN OWNERS:
Some cars sold in Canada have the Computer Command Control system, while
others do not. If a " CHECK ENGINE" light comes on during engine starting,
your car does have this system. For those cars sold
in Canada which DO NOT
HAVE the Computer Command Control system or are equipped with the
optional diesel engine, please refer to the Owner' s Manual Supplement supplied
with your car for information on engine starting, specifications, etc. The
"CHECK ENGINE" light is described in the Instrument Panel se ction of the
Owner's Manual.
If preferred , a French Owner's Manual can be obtained either from yollr dealer or by writing to General 'Motors of Canada Limited, Technical Publication s
Department ,
Oshawa. Ontario L lJ 526,'
Aux proprietaires canadiens
Vous pouvez vous pro curer un exemplaire de ce
guide en francais chez votre
concessionnair e au au "Service des publication s techniques, General Motors
du Canada Limitee. Oshawa.
Ontario L lJ 5Z6.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine SEcnON 1
BEFORE DRIVING YOUR MONTE
CARLO
DRIVER DAILY CHECKLIST
Be sure you know your vehicle and its equipment and how to use it safely .
Before Entering the Vehicle '
1. See that windows, mirrors and lights are clean and unobstructed.
2. Check whether any tire is low or flat (H any tire ,looks different from
normal,
we recommend you check it with a tire pressure gage.)
3. Look for fluid leaks.
4. Be sure everything is properly stowed.
5. Check the area behind the vehicle ~ you are about to back up.
Before Driving Off
1. Lock all doors .
2. Adjust the seat and movable head restraints, if so equipped .
3. Adjust inside and outside mirrors.
4. Fasten seat belts.
5. Check that all the warning lights work as the ,key is turned to "Start."
6. Check all gages (including the fuel gage).
7 . Release the parking brake
(and see that the "Brake" light turns off).
See related topics in this manual , or the Maintenance Schedule folder, il
~" problems are found.
Guard Against Theft
For tips on how to protect your vehicle and its contents, see "'Starting and
Operating," Section 2 of this manual.
KEYS
Two different keys are provided for the locks on your vehicle. The key code is
stamped
on the "knock-out" plug in each key head.
• Key withsquar, head -for ignition lock only .
'IDENTIFYING
IGNITION LOCK DOOR LOCKS & ALL OTHER LOCKS
• Key with oval head -for all other locks.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine For vehicle security:
• RecoId the key code IlUIT1b8rs, then lmock the plUQ$ out of the keys .
• Keep the key. codes In a sale place(SU<;h as your wallet) , NOT IN THE
VEHIClE.
Stamped on the key is a letter indicating the proper key blank needed if
duplicates are required . .
If the original keys are lost, duplicates can be made using the key ~s,
Co,nlaet any GM dea,lerora locksmith.
If you park in an atteOOadlOt , leave only your square -head ignition key.
Lock your
glove box and take the oval-head key w~h you. This will help
prevent illegal entry into the glove box (if locked) and trunk compartments .
DOOR LOCKS
•• Bo,th .dQQrs can be locked , from the inside by depressing the passenger guard
door lock ' buttons located on the upper door panel. The doors can be locked
from the outside by first depressing the door lock button and closing the door.
The doors can
also be locked by USing the oval-head key.
All models
have as a standard Safety feature overriding . door locks. When the
doors are locked, the door latch mechanism is inoperative, preventing
inadvertent opening of the
door by movement 01 the inside handle .
Power Door Locks
The optionally available power door locks allow you to lock or unl""k your
.... .
;., .. 2~rs by operating the switch marked LOCK located on either door panel. The auton ratiC' ·locking mechanism does not interfere wjthmanual operation . of any
door
lock button. The, doors will not unlock or open with the inside door handle when the lock button is depressed , but can be unlocked individually by Ufting the lock button. .
CAUTION: To help IHlen the chance and /or severity of Injury in an accident , ~IW'ya Ioek'-the doora when drivinv. Along with uSing the aelt beltl properly, locking the doors, etC~1 helps prevent occupants from being thrown from the vehicte during accident •. It also, helP. prevent unintended opening of the doors I'nd help.' keep out intruder. \jVMn the vehi,cle is stopped.
STOWING THINGS IN (OR ON) THE CAR
CAUTION: , Luggage or other cargo shouId-not be piled higher than the SHtbllc::k& . When at all poss6bIe, luggage or cargo should be c.n.d in the trUnk. The filler panel In front of the rew window should, not be used to cerry objects-even those thlit are small and light. AU items shoukj M secured in place. 'This will help 'keep such things from
being thrown about al1~, injuring people, In the car dUrl,ng a sudden maneuver or an, accident. Cargo weight" 'whether , Inside or on the root, ahould be positionecl as far forward as possibl8~ .
Manual Window Control
Turn manual window conlrol clockwise " to raise right windows and
counterclockwise to raise lell windows . Reverse direction to lower window .
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 1. The front control provide~ up and down movement olthe front of the
seat.
2. The center control provides forward ~nd backward movement and up
and down movement of the entire front seat.
3 . The rear control provides up and down movement of the rear of the
seat.
HEAD RESTRAINTS (FOR BENCH SEAT)
• Head restraints are designed to help reduce the possibility of neck injuries .
• To raise or lower, just slide the head restraint up or down.
• Choose the positi6n which · places . the top of the head restraint closest to
the top of your ears.
SEAT BELTS
To help lessen the chance of injury anal or the severity of injury in accidents or
sudden stops, General Motors urges thai people riding in the vehicle be
properly restrained at
all times, using the seat belts provided. This includes
women who are
pregnant , and children of all ages. (See the following pages for
the use of restraints by .children and pregnant women.) General Motors
provides a seat
be~ at each position designed for occup""t seating.
Front. Seat Lap·Shoulder Belt
• Closes the Iront door fully. This activates the tension reliever .
•
Adjust the front seat as needed and sit up straight and well back in the seat.
• There are a number Of ways the lap-shoulder belt may be put on easily.
For example ;
• The lap-shoulder belt may be put on using one hand by; (t) Holding
the latch plate and pulling the be~ as far as n will reach across your
waist (see .lllustration). (~) Then, hold the latch plate at a right angle to
the
webbing. At the same time, slide It up the belt by raiSing it toward
the upper outside comer at the windshield. (3) Finally, pull the latch
plate down across
your body and push It into the buckle until it clicks.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine ·'i.
• For thOse who .find the shoulck!r ,belt tciQsnug, belt pressure against the
chest can , be reduced by using thetensiorl reliever built into the, retractor,
To use this' feature: (A) , Start bypulfing the shoulder belt outward far
enough so that when
yoU let go, it returns to the chEl$t (Step "A" in the illustration), (8) Then, adjust the belt tension by pulling down slightly on the
shoulder
portion of the belt and letiing'go (Step "8" in the illustration) , The
least amount of belt possible ShOuld be pulled from the retractor '(about 25
millimeters or one inch) to minimize belt pressure :
• To release the'tension reliever and get'rid of slack , pull the shoulder belt
out and let it retrl!Cl Or I,ean far forward and then bacK '. '·~·;.;·'i'·'""i''';'
CAUTION: If shoulder __ belt .sack_IS uRd to minimize 'belt pressure ,· the amount of steck shoukl be -kept to a tninknum . Too much belt -stack could reduce the amount of protection ~use the belt may not be able to prqpen.y ~tr.in you klan -accident.
"Do not wear the shoulder portion of the belt under your arm nearest the door or otherwise out of position, Such use could increase the chance andlor the severity of injury in an accident '
•
To unfasten the beIt,push in the button in the center of lhe buckle ,
•
To stow the belt, pull ,it out about 150 millimeters (six inches) and let go.
Hold the latch' plate as it retracts to keep it from' possibly striking people or
things nearby. K you forget , the retractor is designed to rewind, tl)e belt
when the front door
is, opened. ,Kneaded, slide, the ' latch plate down the
webbing to lei the belt retract fully. Be sure that the belt is fully retracted
and the latch
plate is out of lhe way batore closing the door. This will help
prevent damage to interior trim and the seat belt assemb ly. .
• On 2-door models , a shoulder belt "pick-up" is attached to the side of the
front seat or head
restraint The pick-up is designed to catch the shoulder
belt and pull it forward Whenthe 'f,ont seatbackis folded forward, to make it
easier ti:> enter the rear seat. (It is not intended 'ihat the shoulder belt pass
through the'pick-Uli-see illustration .
•

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine -_. .••.• ,-.1., ...... ,.,--.-
Restraint Of Pregnant Women
General Motors urges that pregnant women use a lap-shoulder belt whenever one is present. This will help lessen the chance of a pregnant woman and her
unborn
chil .d being injured andlor will help reduce the severity of their injury in an acc ident. The tap belt should be used alone if a shoulder ben is not present
7: such as in a rear ·seat. In eitlJer case, the lap belt should be worn as low and snug over th.(hips a! f possible , as advised for regular seat belt use (see
the .preced i
ng instructions) .
SEAT BELT LIGHT/BUZZER REMINDER
,.".,." ·;t "W h'eii '1hI>'key ·is .turned to "AUn" or "Start ," a remi!)der IightilLdesigned to
corne
on for four to eight secondS,." is to remind riders to fasten their seat
. belts.
•
If the driver's seat belt has not been buCkled. before turning the key to "Aun " or "Start ", a b uzzeri. diiSigned to sOund for four to eight seconds
(or
until buckled) as a reminder.
~ the seat belt or reminder system does not work as descri~. see your dealer
tor service.
Lap Belts For Rear Seat (And Center Front Seat) Passengers
• Aear seat lap belts next to side windows have retractors which are
designed to take . up extra webbing.
• In a single motion, pull the rear seat outboard lap ben across your lap lar enough to push the latch plate Into the buckle, until it clicks . If the belt is
not
pulled outter enough to reach the buckle , let the lap belt rewind fully
into its retractor . This .unlocks it so the belt can be pulled out to the proper
length .
• These belts should be positioned , worn and released as described -above under "Front Seal LapoShouider Belt ." After fastening , check that the belt
is
SNUG by pulling the belt firmly across your lap toward the lap belt retractor . This will allow the retractor to take up slack.
• Lap belts at center seats also should be positioned, worn and released as described above : however, they do not have retractors . They should be
adjusted to a SNUG FIT by pulling on the end of the belt coming from the
adjustable latch plate.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 2, Never leta child stand ,or kneel on any seat Children who can sit up by
themselves should
be placed on a sealand restrained with the seat belts
provided, When children ride in a rear seat, .they should be restrained with
a lap
belt, When child(en ride in the front seat, they should wear both lap
and shoulder belt If the .shoulder beH irritates the neck or face due to .the child's size, this may be r.educed by placing the child closer to the center
of the
vehicle , If irritalior Is not reduced, place the child in the rear seat
3, General Motors ~iseS that childr"", be restrained properly when riding ,
However. unusual cond~ions may prevent use of restraints. and require
that a small child
stand, If that ~s.lhe'Child should stand on the floor , behind the'driver's seat This will help reduce the chance and/or \he
severity of injury in case of a frontal collision, --'-'-'''"''''''''i''':>' ~7','" ,,.' ;.,,~"".'. _ .. .. ,
TRAILER TOWING
This car is designed and intended to be used mainly to carry people, Towing a
trailer will affect handling , durability and economy , Your safety and satisfaction
depend :,upoQ proper use of correct llqUipmenl. Also , you should avoiq
overloads
and other abusive use,
' The '
!1'lIiximum 1000000trailet: weight youe;mpull with your vehicle depends ,on what special equipffienrfi'as been installed on il,. We do not recommend towing
any
trailer more than 450 kilograms (1.000 pounds) gross trailer weight unless your vehicle has the required 'equipment
.. .... ~ ' °' -"""''1111'''.''-'' .. J~._ .. _ '."'-:,_, :" .,', .... ,,', , ,'" :', : ' . .. ....... :.' .... " ..... : .. , :"',' "'." ,: ",' ,i,.:." .... __ .. -:,:· .. ,,' .. _." . .'~:.,:;.,~')ff';:.' CAUTION: Do not .. try to tow .. • nv:,,. tr-I.-'r ,mqrtt:,_lt)arr ' 2 '2., Idfogranl( (5,000 Pounds) WPU trliler,we~t IlC) 'In.tter what trailer toWing -'equiprrient is instelled. Trai" over iMM maximum-~_iir:nlt.,-c:OuId teriously affect ~ __ vehk:"'. pertormence ; -_durability and
handling, ~_~kf l'esuh. in personal i~~;_-_, ;""_~ ':~.,,:.:.
Information ,on trailer towing ability, speciateq(Jipn1ent required, and optional
equipment available should.be obtained from your dealer . Ask for the trailering
~rocliure, Or, write: Consum~r Helations Department Chevrolet Motor Divfsion,
Warren , Michigan 48090. (In Canada, write to General Motors of Canada
limited , Customer Services Department, Oshilwa , Ontario L IJ 5Z6),
Tires
When towing trailers be sure your tires areprope,ly inflated'to 'the inflation
,
pressure shown 'on the .. Tire Placard on \he driver's door , The allowable
passenger . and cargo load for this vehicle, also.shown on the Tire Placard , is
reduced by the traiter tongue weight whenever . the trailer is attached to the
'v~hicle, See "Service arid Maintenance," Section 5, for more tire informatlon ,
Maintenance
More' frequent service is required when using your vehicle to pull a traileL See
Section A of the Maintenance Schedule folder for Automatic Transmission Fluid , Engine Oil, and Hear Axle Ltibricantchange requirements for. trailering ,
Now and \hen, check that all trailer hitch bolts and nuts are tight Also see the
Maintenance Schedule
foider, and the Index in this manual, for important facts
on belts, cooling system care and brake adjustment.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Break·ln Schedule
See the new vehicle break-in instructions in this manual. Also, we
recommended you drive your new vehicle for 500 miles (600 kilometers) before
trailer towing . AI the end of this 500 mile (600 kilometer) break-in period, avoid
speeds over 50 mph (80 km/h) and full throttle starts during the first 500 miles (800 kilometers) of trailer towing.
CAUTIONS:
BRAKES-To help avoid personal injury due 10 poor braking action:
• Trailer brakes of adequate size are required on Irailers more Ihan 450 kilograms (1,000 pounds) loaded weight.
• If you use trailer brakes with this vehicle , follow the installation and balance
instructions of the trailer brake maker.
• Do not tap into the vehicle's brake system tl the trailer brake system uses
more than 0.3 cubic centimeter (0.02 cubic inch) of fluid from the vehitle's
master cylinder. In this case, the vehicle brake fluid capacity will not be enough to operate both the vehicle and trailer brakes under all kinds of
use.
• All brake fluid parts must be able to stand 20 650 kPa (3,000 psi) .. The
brake fluid tap must be made to the master cylinder port supplying fluid to
the rear brakes. Copper tubing is subject to fatigue failure and must not be
used.
• Before going down a steep or long grade, reduce speed. and shiftlhe transmission into a lower gear 10 help control too' long or too often . This
could cause
Ihe brakes 10 overheal and reduce brake ef\ectiveness. .
HITCHES2T6 HeIP'avoid pe,sona/ ,jQiYry.Que 10 sway caused by such things as
crosswinds , big trucks passing or roact roughness, or due to separalion of the
trailer :
• A properly installed and adjusted (1) frame mounted, weight-distributing
hitch and (2) sway control with enough capacity are required for trailers
more than 900 kilograms
(2,000 pounds) loaded weight.
• If your vehicle has air shocks, keep them at a minimum pressure of 70 to 105 kPa (10 to 15 psi) when installing, adjusting or towing with a weight­
distributing hitch.
• Keep the trailer tongue load at 10"10 of the loaded trailer \'feight for dead­
weight hitches, and 12"10 for weight-distribuling hitches. Tongue loads can be adjusted by proper distribution of the load in the trailer. This can be
checked by
weighjng separately the loaded trailer and then the tongue .
• Do not use axle-mounted hitches. They can damage the axle hOuSing, wheel bearings, wheels or lires.
•
When you remove a trailer hitch, be sure to seal any mounting holes in the
bocjy. 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.)
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