1996 CHEVROLET CAMARO Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Skip Shift Light (5.7L LT1 Engine)
SKIP
SHIFT
When this light comes on,
you can only shift from
FIRST
(1) to FOURTH (4)
instead of FIRST (1) to
SECOND (2). This helps
you to get the best possible
fuel economy.
This light will come on under these conditions:
The engine coolant temperature is greater than
170°F (77"C),
You are going 15 to 20 mph (24 to 32 km/h), and
0 You are at 35 percent throttle or less.
When this light is on, the gear shift lever will let you
shift from FIRST
(1) to FOURTH (4) only. Once you
are in
FOURTH (4), you can press the clutch again and
shift into another gear.
Follow the
shift speeds on this chart when the SKIP SHIFT
light is on.
Computer Aided Manual Transmission Shift Speeds:
1st to 4th. . . 15 mph (24 km/h)
4th to
5th . . . 25 mph (40 km/h)*
5th to
6th . . .40 mph (64 km/h)**
Each time you come
to a stop, the engine's Electronic
Control Module (ECM) determines when
to activate the
SKIP SHIFT upshift system. Use SECOND (2) gear
only when
you accelerate very quickly from a stop. You
can then follow the full gear shift pattern.
*30 mph (48 km/h) when accelerating to
highway speeds.
**45 mph (72kmh) when accelerating to
highway speeds.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Shift Speeds
If you skip more than one gear when you
downshift, you could lose control of your vehicle.
And you could injure yourself or others. Don’t
shift from SIXTH
(6) to THIRD (3), or FIFTH (5
to SECOND (2) or FOURTH (4) to FIRST (1).
MANUAL TRANSMISSION RECOMMENDED SHIFT SPEEDS, IN MPH (kmlh)
Acceleration Shif Engine
3800 W6 13-1 6 21 -28 32-37 (Code K)
i
ipeed
* (72-75)
This chart shows when to shift the next higher gear for
best fuel
economy.
If your speed drops below 20 mph (30 km/h), or if the
engine is
not running smoothly, you should downshift to
the next lower gear.
You may have to downshift two or
more gears to keep the engine running smoothly or for
good performance.
I NOTICE:
If you skip more than one gear when you down
shift, or if you race the engine when you downshift,
you can damage the clutch or transmission.
2-35

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Second-Gear Start (Option)
Your vehicle may be quipped with a Second-Gear Start
feature. Press 2ND GEAR START
to provide more
traction when you are starting
on ice or other slippery
surfaces.
The 2ND gear light on the cluster will
illuminate when 2nd gear start is selected. The
transmission will be in SECOND (2) gear when the
vehicle begins to move. After starting in SECOND
(2)
the vehicle will upshift normally.
This feature is
only for improved traction when the road
surface is slippery and
is not intended for continuous
use. Always use NORMAL for normal road conditions.
You may press 2ND GEAR START again to turn off this
feature. Whenever you start your vehicle, the
transmission
is in the NORMAL mode.
Limited-Slip Rear Axle
If you have this feature, your rear axle can give you
additional traction on snow, mud, ice, sand or gravel. It
works like a standard axle most of the time, but when
one
of the rear wheels has no traction and the other does,
the limited-slip feature will allow the wheel
with
traction to move the vehicle.
Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the brake pedal down and
pull up
on the parking brake lever. If the ignition is on,
the brake system warning light will come
on.
2-36

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any hill,
see “Towing a Trailer” in the Index. That section shows
what to
do first to keep the trailer from moving.
To release the parking brake, hold the brake pedal down.
Pull the parking brake lever up until you can push in the
release button.
Hold the release button in as you move
the brake lever all the
way down.
NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause
your rear brakes to overheat. You may have to
replace them, and you could also damage other
parts
of your vehicle.
2-37

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Shifting Into PARK (P) (Automatic
Transmission
Models Only)
=
I A CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever
is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
If you have left the engine running, the vehicle can
move suddenly. You or others could be injured.
To be
sure your vehicle won’t move, even when you’re on
fairly level ground, use
the steps that follow. If you’re
pulling
a trailer, see “Towing a lkailer” in the Index. I. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) position by
holding
in the button on the lever and push the lever
all the way toward the front of your vehicle.
3. Move the ignition key to the LOCK position.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
leave your vehicle with the key in your hand, your
vehicle is in PARK
(P).
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running (Automatic Transmission
M s Only)
--
/LA c A u 1lC Ln T :
It can be dang,:ous to leave your vehicle with
the engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P)
with the parking brake firmly set. And, if you
leave the vehicle with the engine running, it could overheat and even catch fire. You or others could
be injured. Don’t leave your vehicle with the
engine running unless you have to.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK
(P) and your
parking brake is firmly
set before you leave it. After
you’ve moved the shift lever into the PARK (P)
position, hold the regular brake pedal down. Then, see
if
you can move the shift lever away from PARK (P)
without first pushing the button. If you can, it means
that the shift lever wasn’t fully locked into PARK
(P).
Torque Lock (Automatic Transmission)
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transmission into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl in
the transmission. You may find
it difficult to pull the
shift lever out of PARK (P). This is called “torque lock.”
To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then
shifteinto PARK
(P) properly before you leave the
driver’s seat.
To find out how, see “Shifting Into
PARK (P)” in the Index.
When
you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK (P) before you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another
vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of the
pressure from the transmission,
so you can pull the shift
lever out of PARK
(P).
Parking Your Vehicle
(Manual Transmission)
Before you get out of your vehicle, put your manual
transmission
in REVERSE (R) and firmly apply the
parking brake.
If your vehicle is equipped
to tow a trailer, see “Towing
a Trailer”
in the Index.
2-39

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine J
I
Shifting Out of PARK (P)
(Automatic Transmission)
Your Chevrolet has a brake-transmission shift interlock.
You have to fully apply your regular brake before you
can shift from PARK
(P) when the ignition is in the
I RUN position. See “Automatic Transmission Operation”
in the Index.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever -- push the shift lever all the way into
PARK
(P) and release the shift lever button as you
maintain brake application. Then press the
shift lever
button and move the shift lever into the gear
you wish.
If you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can’t
shift out of PARK
(P), try this:
1. Turn the key to the
OFF position.
2. Apply and hold the brake.
3. Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the engine and then shift to the drive gear
you want.
5. Have the vehicle fixed as soon as you can.
Parking Over Things That Burn
Things that can burn could touch hot exhaust
parts under your vehicle and ignite. Don’t park over papers, leaves,
dry grass or other things that
can burn.
2-40

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Engine Exhaust
Engine exhaust can kill. It contains the gas
carbon monoxide
(CO), which you can’t see or
smell.
It can cause unconsciousness and death.
You might have exhaust coming in if:
Your exhaust system sounds strange
Your vehicle gets rusty underneath.
Your vehicle was damaged in a collision.
Your vehicle was damaged when driving over
high points on the road or over road debris.
Repairs weren’t done correctly.
Your vehicle or exhaust system had been
If you ever suspect exhaust is coming into
your vehicle:
Drive it only with all the windows down to
Have your vehicle fixed immediately.
or different.
modified improperly.
blow out any CO; and
Running Your Engine While You’re
Parked (Automatic Transmission)
It’s better not to park with the engine running, But if you
ever have to, here are some things to know.
Idling the engine with the air system control
off
could allow dangerous exhaust into your vehicle
(see the earlier Caution under “Engine Exhaust”).
Also, idling in
a closed-in place can let deadly
carbon monoxide
(CO) into your vehicle even if
the fan switch is at the highest setting. One place
this can happen is
a garage. Exhaust -- with
CO
-- can come in easily. NEVER park in a
garage with the engine running.
Another closed-in place can be a blizzard. (See
“Blizzard” in the Index.)
L-41