
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Highway Safety
depends on ...
1. You, the Driver
2. The Condition of Your Vehicle
3. The Traffic and Highway Conditions
••• BE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND ALL THREE!
REMEMBER Proper operation, periodic
maintenance and safety inspections help
provide
...
• Economical Operation of Your Vehicle
• Safety for You and Your Passengers
• Dependable Transportation
Observe All Traffic Laws
Make Safe Driving a Habit
2
SAFE DRIVER CHECK LIST
o BRAKES Pedal travel Fluid level
o LIGHTS Burned-out/Broken bulbs Headlamp aim
o TURN SIGNAL AND HAZARD WARNING FLASHER Proper operation of lights and Dash indicators
o TIRES Check tire pressure regularly Cuts and bruises Uneven wear Remaining tread
o MAKE SAFETY BELTS A HABIT Buckle up for safety
o GLASS AND MIRRORS Cracked, broken or missing
o BE SURE YOU ARE
o OBSERVE ROAD AND WEATHER CONDITIONS AND DRIVE ACCORDINGLY
o ADJUST SEATS AND MIRRORS FOR CLEAR VISION AND SAFE DRIVING
o LOOK AROUND BEFORE DRIVING AWAY FROM WHERE YOU ARE PARKED
o STEERING AND WHEEL ALIGNMENT Excessive play in wheel Bent wheels
o WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND WASHERS Condition of wiper blades Operation of washer
o WINDSHIELD DE-ICER AND DE-FOGGER Proper operation
MENTALLY AND 0 HORN PHYSICALLY ALERT Proper operation
o EXHAUST SYSTEM CHECK For mounting, leaks, missing or damaged parts

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine sion may be shifted into low range for extra acceleration
for passing by depressing the
accelerator pedal fully. The
transmission
will automatically shift back into cruising
gear when the accelerator pedal is momentarily released.
CAUTION: It is important that the parking brake be fully engaged, in addition to removing the ignition key,
when your Corvair is parked or otherwise left unattended. The automatic transmission does not hold the car
regardless
of the position of the selector lever.
Operating Your Powerglide Transmission
POSITION OPERATION USES
R-REVERSE For Backing Car (From Stopped Position)
N-NEUTRAL For Starting Engine (Brakes Applied) NORMAL DRIVING D-DRIVE For all Forward Driving. Step hard on RANGE accelerator for extra acceleration below 45 mph.
L-LOW For Hard Pulling at Low Speeds, Climb-SAND, SNOW, ing, or Descending Steep Grades and for MUD OR ON additional engine braking below 40 mph. STEEP GRADES
Powerglide Driving Cautions
• Always engage parking brake when parked.
• Do not accelerate engine in l, 0, or R with the
brakes
engaged. This can cause damage by
overheating transmission.
• Do not hold car on an upgrade by accelerating
11
engine. Use brakes.
• Use low position for hard pulls at low speed,
climbing or descending steep grades and for
push starting.
• Always stop car before shifting to reverse.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If the system is not functioning properly, a legal hand
signal should be given, since failure to indicate a turn
is considered a moving traffic violation in many states.
Always signal for a turn
at a reasonable distance before actu 'ally making it.
HAZARD WARNING FLASHER
In the event your car is
disabled or you stop for
any reason on the highway,
the
hazard warning system
which flashes all four turn
signals should
be used to
warn
other drivers that your
vehicle
is a traffic hazard.
The system is activated by
pushing
in on the button
located just
below the steer
ing wheel on the right side
of the steering column. Use this system only when your
vehicle
is a traffic hazard.
FOOT CONTROLS Foot controls consist of the dimmer switch (the op
eration of which is covered on page 16), the clutch
pedal (manual transmissions only), the brake pedal and
the accelerator pedal.
CLUTCH PEDAL The operation of the clutch pedal has been fully
covered under
"Driving with the Manual Transmissions"
on
page 9. Its operation is the same whether your car
is equipped with the 3-speed or the 4-speed transmission. Excessive
clutch
wear can be caused by letting up the
clutch abruptly
rather than smoothly, and by "riding" the
clutch-that is, letting your foot rest on the clutch pedal
while driving .
CLUTCH ADJUSTMENT
Clutch adjustment should be checked and adjusted
periodically as necessary to compensate for clutch facing
wear. To check, depress pedal.by hand until resistance
is felt. Free travel of pedal should be approximately
one-inch;
if very little or no free play is evident, clutch
adjustment
is required.
BRAKES
The service brake system is designed for braking per
formance under a wide range of driving conditions
even when the vehicle
is loaded to its full rated vehicle
load. Driving through deep water may affect brake per
formance. To assure normal operation after being wet
ted, service brakes must be dried. To dry them quickly,
lightly
apply the brakes while maintaining a slow for"
ward speed with an assured clear distance ahead until
brake performance re'turns to normal.
Brake System Warning Light
The service brake system is designed so that in the
event of a hydraulic fluid leak,
in one-half of the sys
tem, the other half still provides some braking action.
A dual purpose brake system warning light is
located at the extreme left side of the instrument panel.
When the parking brake is applied and the ignition
17 .

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine switch is turned to the "ON" position, the warning light
glows red to indicate to the operator that the parking
brake has not been fully released. This also indicates
that the brake warning light is operational. If the light does not come on, have your Corvair Dealer correct
the trouble as soon as possible. The other function of
this light is to indicate a malfunction in the regular braking system. In the event of broken brake lines,
major brake fluid loss, air in the brake lines or a pres
sure deviation between the front · and the rear wheel
brake lines, the light will come on and stay on while
braking .
In this event, the vehicle should not be driven
until
the cause has been determined and, if necessary,
corrected.
Automatic Brake Adjusters
All Corvair models are equipped with self-adjusting
brakes which eliminates periodic brake adjustments. The
self-adjusting mechanism
is actuated, as needed, when
ever the car is moved in reverse and the brakes applied.
It is possible, however, for excessive brake pedal travel
to
develop if the required reverse movement with a
brake application does not take place during a pro
longed
period of stop and go forward driving. Should
this occur,
the car should be driven backward and for
ward with the brakes applied at the end of each direc
tional movement, until the brake pedal travel is back to
normal. If this procedure fails to restore normal pedal
travel, or if any abnormally rapid increase in pedal
travel is experienced, immediate inspection should be
made by your Authorized Chevrolet Dealer. Care should
18
be exercised to assure that full brake pedal travel can
not be obstructed by improper floor mats or other inter
fering material under the pedal.
PARKING BRAKE
The parking brake operates by cables on the rear
wheel brakes independent of the regular foot brake hydraulic system. The brake system warning light will
be "ON" whenever the parking brake is not fully re
leased and the ignition switch is "ON". Never drive the car with the parking brake engaged. .
Pull the parking brake lever as far as possible to
engage the brake. The lever will remain in the applied
position until released. To release, pull the handle to
ward the steering wheel, depress the "trigger" and
allow the handle to return to the released position. CAUTION: When leaving the car unattended, always
fully apply the parking brake.
WINDSHIELD WIPER AND WASHER
The windshield wiping
system operates at (2)
speeds and is designed to
wipe clear
designated areas
of the windshield under
most inclement weather
conditions. The windshield
wipers work
electrically and
are not affected by engine
operation.
Exposure to the "ele
ments" tends to "wear out"
OFF~ON

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine AIR CONDITIONING
Have your Chevrolet Dealer check your air conditioning
system
at some time during the winter months to be
sure there has been no loss in cooling output. Dur
ing
the summer, see your Chevrolet Dealer immedi
ately if you suspect the system is not performing as
it should.
BRAKE LININGS
Brake linings should be periodically inspected for wear.
The frequency of this inspection depends upon driv
ing conditions such
as traffic or terrain, and also
the driving techniques of individual owners. Your
Chevrolet Dealer is best qualified to advise you as
to how often this inspection should be performed.
When brakes require relining use genuine General
Motors Parts or equivalent.
BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER
Every 6,000 miles-Check fluid level in each reservoir
and maintain % II below lowest edge of each open
ing with G.M. Hydraulic Brake Fluid Supreme No. 11
PARKING BRAKE AND CLUTCH PULLEYS
AND CABLES
Every 12,000 miles-lubricate pulleys under dash. Re
move. the tunnel cover under vehicle and lubricate
pulleys
and cable bearing points with a water resist
ant EP chassis grease which meets General Motors
43
Specification #GM 6031 M. Lubricate gearshift lever
ball and socket (see page 38) at the same time.
FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS
Clean, repack with high melting point wheel bearing
lubricant, and adjust whenever the wheels and hub
are removed. Replace grease seals at the same time.
ENGINE OIL COOLER
Every 12,000 miles (more often under prolonged dusty
driving
conditionsl-Remove cover and brush or
blowout accumulated dirt.
NOTE: Material usually found in the oil cooler
consists primarily
of twigs, straw, chaff, and
leaves.