1981 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO brakes

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.)
1-13

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine NOT1C~: Uoeonty ~ ...... hhches ....... pomiIt ' nonnoI ..,o,otlon' ..... Energy Ab8Orb4ng Bumper system, if to equipped~-For ex..".,.., • rigid fore 8nd 1ft conMction between the bumper and any other pwt Of-the c. mIIy Inc,. ... dMnege Nl the event gf I colli.lon.
TRAILER TOWING TIPS
, Getti"9
Started
Before entering traffic w~h a traile, that has electric brakes, start the vehicle
and trailer moving and apply the traile' brakes by hand to be sure the trailer brakes ' are working and the trailer eleCtrical syStem is connected ,
".d~,~!!.~!.~~,CooUng If your engine overheats "foliowthe steps under, "Engine Cooling System" in
"InCase of Emergency," Section 3 01 this manual.
Long Uphill Grades
When goingup,long grades ; you can reduce the chance of engine overheating
by dOwnshifting the transinission to a
Jower'gear range and reducing speeds to
'" '4S mph (70 km /h) or below . '. " " ,-,-."." .. ,. '
Transmission
See the method for checking the transmission fluid level in "Service and
"'~!!illl£<;': Section S of thismanuaJ.
Parking
You should not park vehicles with trailers on a grade (hill); However, If
you must park on a 'grade, these ste,PS }l1ust be fallowed:
1. Apply theregular .brakes . ,'\' y .
2, . Have someone place wheel chocks under the trailer wheels .
3. When the wheel cho cks are in place, release the regular brakes until, the
c hocks absorb the load. .
4 . Apply
the parking brake.
S . Shift the transmission to
"P"(l'ark) .
If the veh icle is parked on a .gr ad e, don 't Shift the transmission to "P "(Park )
until
the trailer wheels are chocked and tOO parking brake is set If you dO, the weight of the vehicle and trailer may put'somuch force on the parking pawl in
the transmission that it·may be hard to Shift out of "P "(Park) .
When' s tarting, after being parked On a grade :
L Apply the regular brakes and hold.
2. Start ,the engine in , "P"( Park) .
.
3 . '. Shift into gear and releas .e the parking brake ..
4. Release the regular brakes and drive until the chocks are free .
S .
Apply the regular brakes and haveanoti1er person remOve the chocks.
1-14

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine STARTING THE ENGINE
For vehicles sold in Canada which do NOT. have the. Computer Command
Control system, pleru;e refer to the Owner's Manual Supplement supplied with
your
vehicle for engine starting procedures . (If a "Check Engine" light comes
on during engine starting, your
vehicle does have the Computer Command
Control system.)
1. Apply the parking brake.
2 . Move
the transmission shill lever to "P"(Park) or "N"(Neutral) ("P"
preferred). A starter . safety device is designed to keep the starter from
operating if the shift
lever is in .any drive position . (If you need to re-start
the engine while the vehicle is moving, move the shift lever to "N ." )
3 . Start the engine .as outlined below for different conditions . Be sure to
follow the instructions which apply to your engine . (The Engine Code is the
8th digit on the
VIN plate at the lower left side of your windshield . See
. "SpeCifications" .Section 7 oUhis manual for more details.) "~" ...
NOTICE: Do not crank the engine 'or more than about 15 seconcls at a time. Wait 10 to 15 seconds before trying again. Thla will hetp prevent damage to the starter.
• COLD ENGINE
•
All Engines -Press the accelerator pedal to the floor and slowly
release it. With your foot 011 the pedat, crank the engine by turning
the ignition key to "Start." Release the key when the engine starts.
If the engine does not start or starts, but fails to run, repeat this
procedure
.
• .• • .
,., .•..• ·Whe!\. '.he engine is running smoothly (about 30 seconds), you can reduce
the engine
idle speed by pressing clown onthe.accelerator · pedal. then slowly releasing ~. .
NOTICE : If the engine runS a long time (S minutes or more) without pressing down the accelerator pedal, overheating OOl,lkf'C;.auM : damage -to 'the engine and exhaust system. ' I, .
Do not Ie.Y~ yoot vehicle ,unattended with the engine . running. H the engine should overllut, you would not be there to I'NCt to the temperatwe wwnlng light Of gaga. This
could reaun if! costly damage to your vehicle and Ita contents.
• Warm Engine
• All -Do not press clown the accelerator pedal. With your foot off
the
pedal , crank the engine by turning the ignition key to "Start." II the
engine
does not start after 3 seconds of cranking, press clown the
accelerator pedal to 1 /3 of its. travel while cranking. Release the key
(and accelerator pedal) when the enginjl starts.
• Very Cold We'lther (Below -1S"C Or O"F Or After Vehicle Has Been Standing Idle Several Days) • Before cranking the engine, fully depress
and release the accelerator
pedal one or . two times more than stated for
your engine under
"Cold Engine" .starting. Then, with your foot-oil the
accelerator pedal, crank the engine by turning the ignition key to "Start." Release the key when the engine starts.
4 .
Apply the regular brakes and shift into. the proper gear. Release the
parking brake and
drive off.
2-8

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine H Engine Fails To Start After Normal Starting Pr.ocedure:
1 . If you tried the cold ef1gine starting procedure and the engine did not start,
then
fully depress and release the acceleraior pedal several times. Take
your foot off the
pedal and crank the engine by turning the key to "Start."
2. If you tried the warm engine starting procedure (or the eold engine
procedure
and Step 1 above) , and the ef1gine still does not start, press the
accelerator pedal to the floor and hold it there while cranking the engine.
This should clear the engine if it is flooded. .
3. If the engine has been flooded with too much fuel, It may start to run but not have enough power to keep running, In that case, continue
cranking
with 11M! accelerator pedal aU the way to the 1100< until the
engine clears
~self of excess gascHne and runs smoothly. (But, do not
crank more than 15 seconds atatime Or you could damage the starter.)
TRANSMISSION
DESCENDING A GRADE
CAUTION : Before ,:,9C)i1l9,d ,01!Wn a steep or long grade, reduce speed and shift the transmission Into low or second gear '9 ~1p Driving on SliPPery Surfaces
Whether your vehiCle has an optional limited-slip rear axle or a standard axle ,
usecare,,¥t\1 range, whe;;1eitli'er'plt5()l!W_wIl~elS8fe..traveling over a slippery surface.
Sudden acceleration or engine braking action (due to
shilling to a lower ge,n)
could cause one or both drive wheels to spin or skid and the rear of the vehicle
to slide sideways on the crowned · surface.of a road or in a turn, Normal skid
correction is
called for at these times.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS
Automatic transmissions replace the standard cMch and transmission. After
starting
the engine with the selector lever in"P" (Park) or "N" (Neutral)
position, select the range desired
(see table) and depress . the accelerator. A
gradual start
with a steady increase in accelerator pressure will result in best
possible fuel economy . Rapid acceleration for fast startS will result in greater
fuel consumption. ..
AutomatiC transmission shift quadrants of all GM vehicles continue the uniform
sequence of
selector positions. Shift indiCators are arranged with "P"(Park)
position atone end, followed in sequElf)ce by "R"(Reverse). "N"(Neutral) and
the forward
driving , ranges .. All .automatic transmiSsions are equipped with a
starter safety switch'
design'ld to permit starting the ef1gine only when the transmission selector is in the "P"(Park) or"N"(Neutral) position. For
additional engine braking
eflact, as SOmetimes needed in mountainous driving,
place thetransmi$Sion in an intermediate or low range.
2'9
::"

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine • Opet'ating the transmission at 'Of 'near,"st8Jlcondition" lor more than 1 0
secorlds at a time, ("Stall condition" is wfj~~ t~e engine is running at ,high
speed while the transmission is in a driving range arid the drive wtieels
aren't moving, such as when stuck in deep sand or whe(l the vehicle is
against a fixed barrier.) ,
•
Holding vehicle on an upgrede with the acCelerator pedal. (\Jse the regular
brakes to hold vehicle on an uphill grade.)
Column Shift Lever
The heavy line in the illustration indicatesihe movementol the shift lever as it
is lifted to shift into Reverse Of Low arid into or out 01 Park position . ,
~ ---. .,.-'.' . ...,..~;~.. .. .. -- -' -, .-,--. Floor ConsOliFSI\1ff~"~,,(C'·,':"
The floor shift lever may be moved freely between Neutral and Drive arid between 1 and 2. Press lightly oil the shift lever button (located on the side 01
'. ttie-shift lever) as you shift into ReviJ(se ' or from Drive into ~, Depress the
button fully when shifting into or out 01 the Park position . ExerCise ,care when
depressing button to
prev,!"'t unintenti should be noted that the tra~smission responds to manual upshift only within
the
load ,arid speed criteria that satisfy requirements lor an autDmatic upshift, ~ -. - -.
POWER STEERING
II the power steering assist' system goes'''' ut beeaus .e the engine has stalled or due to a lailure , the vehicle can ,still be steered . However , much greater eitort
is needed , especially in sharp turns or at
low speeds . '
TILT STEERING WHEEL
The optional tilt steering wheel The tilt steering wheel (where equipped) can be
tilted up above
normal position to provide edditional room lor entrance' and exit
as
well'ss . selected driving ,positions bei<>w ilormalheight. The ti~ control lever is located on the left side 01 the steering.'column just behind . the turn signal
lever . To operate pull
the lever tow'¥ds you and move the steering wheel to
your desired
pos!~on then releaSe!?e lever. This permits individual seleclion 01 the most comfortable positionS lor. all driving conditions , On longer trips the
steering wheel position may be changed to help minimize tension
and latigue.
2-11
. ------ ,------

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine CRUISE.
C~~~~L~_. --''--_=
.CRUISE .CQNTROJ. WITH RESUME FEATURE
The optional Cruise Control System provides automatic speed control for your
comfort
when driving on freeways , turnpikes or othernon'congested highways.
The system is
designf;lCl to f.unction above gpeeds of approximately 30 "1'h (50 ~I~. .
To engage Cruise ContrQI, proceed as follows:
•
··ON ~ THE ' : Cruise " ~wltchmUst be Positioned to "ON" and the vehicle
speed above abOu'! 30 mph (50 km/h) before the system can be engaged.
• SET -Depress "set" button completely when vehicle reaches desired '. . speed. anc release the button SLOWLY to engage system. Use of brakes is
"-'''-'l'l/!Slgned to dis engage system, blit pre-set~peed Viill be retained in
memory. . '." ,
To RESET at a FASTER SPEED , accelerate your vehicle to the higher speed,
depress the "set" button completely , anc re",ase SLOWLy to re·engage .
•
COAST-To RESET at a SLOWER SPEED, depress the "set" button and holdi! in whil e decelerating until desired speed is reached, then release SLOWLY to re·engage .
• RESUME
-Slide "cruise"swi!ch to "resume" and release . Vehicl .e will
accelerate or coast to previously set cruise speed.
• DISENGAGEMENT -The system is disengaged by applying the brakes.
Under normal qperation, it is not necessary to use the. "off " position.
Sliding the "cruise" switch to "off" will erase the memory and disengage
the system. Turning off the ignition does the same . System can also be
disengaged by hOlding in the "set" button until the vehicle speed drops
below about
30 mph (50 km/h).
To
PASS at a FASTER SPEED, depress the accelerator pedal to manually
o verride the Cruise
COntrol. REMEMBER that the vehicle will return to the pre­set speed after passing is cO"1'leted .
NOTICE: To help keep the vehicle under control, do not use the Cruise Control when it may not be advisable to keep the·· vehicle at a constant speed. It is PARTICULARLY NOT ADVISABLE TO USE THE' CRUfSE CONTROL AND ESPECIALLY ITS RESUME FEATURE ON SUPPERY ROADS
SUCH AS THOSE COVERED BY SNOW AND ICE. It is also not advisable to use the Cruise Control in conditions such as on windin g
roads. in heavy or varying traffiC volume ; or in traffic that. varies in speed . tt is also not advisable to use the Resume Feature when the previously set
speed is faster than the existing traffic flow.
2-12

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine After acceleraUng to the desired speed and engaging the Cruise Control, the vehicle ' will no longer slow down when you take your foctot! the
accelerator pedal. TO slow the vehicle , disengage the Cruise Control by
depressing the brake pedal. '
When going up or down
hills (particularl~ when towing a trailer), it is possible for the vehicle to lose or gain speed, even though the Cruise Control is engaged,
If this happens while going up hill, merely depress the accelerator pedal temporarily to maintain the speed desired, If going down a hill steep
enough to cause the vehicle to gain speed, depress the brake pedal -­which will .\)Dth disengage the Cruise Control and help slow the vehicle, In addition, when going down a steep or long grade, the transmission should be placed in a lower .range or gear to help control vehicle speed --see the r~lated caution in the "Transmission" area. '
HORN
The horn on your vehicle is actuated by firmly pressing on the pad in th.e
center of the steering wheel. As a good motorist, use of ·the hOrn should be
kept at a minimum, However,
acquaint yourself as soon as possible with ihis
function of your
vehicle, should it ever become necessary to give a warning to
a pedestrian or another motorist
HAZARD WARNING FlASHER
The hazard flasher is covered on Page 3-' in the "In .Case of Emergency" section.
FLOOR CONTROLS
BRAKING SYSTEM
The regularbraking~yst"r1'lTsdesigned for braking performance under a wide
range of driving conditions even when the
vehicle is loaded to its full rated
vehicle load capacity .
CAUTION: DriVing ttvOUgh water deep enough to wet brake componenu-,may cause the brakes to ,n ,ot .work as well. A, • result the :vehicle will not slow: down at the usual rate,. and, it 'may pull 10 ,the .righ,t , 0.:' left. After chtc;king to the rear for other vehicles, apply the brakes 'lightly , to cheek whether this has happened. 1'0 dry them quicklY,lightly apply the-brakes.. At the aame. time, keep a safe forward speed, with plenty of cle._ space ahead, to the rea" and-to the sides;. Do this- until the brllkes return to norm.l.
Brake Warning Light
The brake system warning light is covered in the "Instrument Panel" section,
Power Brake$
• If power assist is ~Iost because of a stalled engine or other reasons , the
brakes can
normally still be applied with power assist at least" two times
using reserve power.
• The system is designed .to bring the vehicle to a full stop ·on reserve power
if
the brake pedal is applied once and held down. However, the reserve
power is partly used up each time the
brake pedal is applied and released , Do not pump the brakes when brake power assist has been lost; except
when needed to maintain steering control.
2-13

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine • without power assist. the vehicle cah stiR be 'St0ppe9 by pushing mUch harl'ler on the brake pedai.' However. the' stopping distance may be lOnger.
even though the brakes. themselves remain fully operational.
Self-Adjusting Brakes
• The brakes on this vehicle (excePt fO( the parking brake) areseli-adjusting .
They have been designed so that periodic brake adjustment is not required :
• The drum brakes.llIIj~st thelliselves when the brakes are firmly applied
while the vehicle is rIlClving backwardS . .. ..
• The disC brakes adi\lSt th!!rI'Jselves each time the'brakes are used ..
• iflhe brake pedal goes down· farther tI'",n normal. it ~y be due to a lack of adjustment. To find · out if this istheclISe •. p rive backward and forward a
few times •.. app/ying the brakes firmly wheri going each direction .
~'''''''':~-,;---.. '-:.,;r!.i-- ....... ""'~.-_ , : . __ '._ -• _ • . -• • • See your ~ealer If pepalhelghtdoes not return to normal. O(Ii there Isa rapid increase in pedartravel. This could be a sign of other brake trouble.
~. Also .eEl your dealer if the parking brake needs adjustment. .
NOTICE; "Rloirog lhe rio" by resting .y.,;., t_ on .h,;. tir ... podol when you do not intend to tWake:ciiri CauM overheated br.kes. This can we., out the brake linings fnter anci damage the brakes thamsetvas, .s w.lla.~ast."f~1. .
HEADLIGHT BEAM . CHANGER
The headlight beam charlger that controls the. head'ght high/low beam is built
into the turn signal lever. See "Turn Signal an(j Headlight , Beam Lever" in the
-'''''~''1li'OOm'l!r601umnGqpt''lls'' Section 2 of this manu~I.._ .
PARKING BRAKE
• To setthepat\(mgbrake. fully depresstheioot pedalat th~ far left side
• For better holding power.first,press&ow";'~eregular·brake pedal with your
right foot; Then
hold it wliile setting tile parking brake w'fh your leltfoot.
•
To ' releasethe parking brake. Wi' ·the "Brake Release " handle located at
the lower I.eftside of. the . instrument panel.
•
To help remind YOIJ; the brake sYStem warning light is designed to stay on
if the parking brake control is noi '\ullyreleased and the igilition key is On.
• Nev';; drive the vehicle wtlh ih~' ~I damage .
2-14