1996 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Here you will find information about the care of your
Chevrolet. This, section begins with service and
fuel
information, and then it shows how to check ,important fluid
and lubricant levels. There
is also technical information
about your vehicle, and a p‘art devoted to its appearance care.
Service
Your Chevrolet dealer knows your vehicle best and wants
you to be happy with it. We hope you’ll go to your dealer
for all your service needs. You’ll get genuine GM parts
and GM-trained and supported service people.
We hope you’ll want to keep your
GM vehicle all GM.
Genuine GM parts have one of these marks:
Doing Your Own Service Work
If you want to do some of your own service work, you’ll
want to get the proper Chevrolet Service Manual.
It tells
you much more about how to service your Chevrolet
than this manual can.
To order the proper service
manual, see “Service and Owner Publications”
in
the Index.
Your vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting
to
do your own service work, see “Servicing Your Air
Bag-Equipped Chevrolet” in the Index.
You should keep a record with all parts receipts and list
the mileage and the date
of any service work you
perform. See “Maintenance Record” in the Index.
n
V
6-1

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine You can be injured and your vehicle could be
damaged if you try to do service work on a
vehicle without knowing enough about it.
0 Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, and the proper replacement
parts and tools before you attempt any
vehicle maintenance task.
Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts and
other fasteners. “English” and “metric”
fasteners can be easily confused. If you use
the
wrong fasteners, parts can later break
or fall off. You could be hurt.
Fuel
Use regular unleaded gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher.
At a.minimum, it should meet specificatiom.ASTM D4814
in the United States and
CGSB 3.5-M93 in Canada.
Improved gasoline specifications have been developed by
the American Automobile Manufacturers Association
(AAMA) for better vehicle performance and engine
protection. Gasolines meting
the AAMA specification
~~~ ~ ~~~
could provide improved driveability and emission control
system protection compared
to other gasolines.
Be sure the posted octane is at least 87. If the octane is
less than 87, you may get a heavy knocking noise when
you drive. If it’s bad enough, it can damage your engine.
If you’re using fuel rated at 87 octane or higher and you
still hear heavy knocking, your engine needs service.
But don’t worry if you hear a little pinging noise when
you’re accelerating or driving up a hill. That’s normal,
and you don’t have to buy a higher octane fuel to get rid
of pinging. It’s the heavy, constant knock that means
you have a problem.
If your vehicle is certified to meet California Emission
Standards (indicated on the underhood tune-up label),
it is designed to operate on fuels that meet California
specifications. If such fuels are not available in states
adopting California emissions standards, your vehicle
will operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting federal
specifications, but emission control system performance
may be affected. The malfunction indicator lamp on
your instrument panel may turn on and/or your vehicle
may fail a smog-check test.
If this occurs, return to your
authorized Chevrolet dealer for diagnosis to determine
the cause of failure. In the event it is determined that the
cause
of the condition is the type of fuels used, repairs
may not be covered by your warranty.
6-2

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine In Canada, some gasolines contain an octane-enhancing
additive called
MMT. If you use such fuels, your
emission control system performance may deteriorate
and the malfunction indicator lamp on your instrument
panel may turn on. If this happens, return to your
authorized Chevrolet dealer for service.
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines are now required to
contain additives that will help prevent deposits from
forming
in your engine and fuel system, allowing your
emission control system to function properly. Therefore,
you should not have to add anything to the fuel. In
addition, gasolines containing oxygenates, such
as ethers
and ethanol, and reformulated gasolines may be
available in your area to help clean the air. General
Motors recommends that you use these gasolines if they
comply
with the specifications described earlier.
NOTICE:
Your vehicle was not designed for fuel that
contains methanol. Don’t use it. It can corrode
metal parts in your fuel system and also damage
plastic and rubber parts. That damage wouldn’t be covered under your warranty.
Fuels in Foreign ‘loun
If you plan on driving in another country outside the
United States or Canada, the proper fuel may be hard
to find. Never use leaded gasoline or any other fuel not
recommended in the previous text on fuel. Costly repairs
caused by use of improper fuel wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
To check on fuel availability, ask an auto club, or
contact a major oil company that does business in the
country where you’ll be driving.
You can also write us at the following address for
advice. Just tell us where you’re going and give your
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
General Motors Overseas Distribution Corporation,
North American Export Sales (NAES)
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario LlH
8P7
6-3

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Filling Your Tank
I
The cap is behind a hinged door on the left side of
your vehicle.. While
refueling; hang tbe
cap inside the fuel door.
To take off the cap, turn it slowly to the left
(counterclockwise).
: Gasoline vapor is highly flammable. It burns
violently, and that can cause very bad injuries.
Don’t smoke if yousre near gasoline or reheling
your veh;ieIe. Keep sparks, flames, and smoking
materials away from gasoline.
6-4

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If you get gasoline on yourself and then
something ignites it, you could be badly burned.
Gasoline can spray out on you if you open the
fuel filler cap too quickly. This spray can happen
if your tank is nearly full, and is more likely in
hot weather. Open the fuel filler cap slowly and
wait for any “hiss” noise to stop. Then unscrew
the cap
all the way.
Be careful not to spill gasoline. Clean gasoline from
painted surfaces as
soon as possible. See “Cleaning the
Outside
of Your Chevrolet” in the Index. When
you
put the cap back on, turn it to the right until
you hear at least three clicks. Make sure you
fully install
the cap. The diagnostic system can determine
if the fuel
cap has been left
off or improperly installed. This would
allow fuel
to evaporate into the atmosphere. See
“Malfunction Indicator Lamp”
in the Index.
NOTICE:
If you need a new cap, be sure to get the right
type. Your dealer can get one for you.
If you get
the wrong type, it may not fit or have proper
venting, and your fuel tank and emissions system
might be damaged.
6-5

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Checking Things Under the Hood
An' electric fan under the hood'can' start up and
injure you even when the engine
is not running.
Keep hands, clothing and tools away from any
underhood electric fan.
I
Things that burn can get on hot engine parts and
start
a fire. These include liquids like gasoline,
oil, coolant, brake fluid, windshield washer and
other fluids, and plastic or rubber. You or others
could be burned. Be careful not to drop or spill
things that will burn onto a hot engine.
Hood Release
To open the'hood, first pull
the handle inside the vehicle.
Then
go to the front of the
vehicle and release the secondary hood release.
Lift the hood.
6-6 -

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When you open the hood on the 3.1 L L82 (Code M) engine, you’ll see:
A. Engine Coolant Reservoir
B. Radiator Fill Cap
C. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir
D. Engine Oil Fill Cap
E. Engine
Oil Dipstick
E Automatic Transaxle Dipstick
G. Brake Fluid Reservoir
H. Air Cleaner
I. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir
J. Batte~y (located under Windshield Washer Reservoir)

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine !i
When you open the hood on the 3.4L LQ1 (Code X) engine, you’ll see:
A. Engine Coolant Reservoir
B. Radiator Fill Cap
C. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir
D. Engine Oil Fill Cap
E. Engine Oil Dipstick
E Automatic Transaxle Dipstick
G. Brake Fluid Reservoir
H. Air Cleaner
I. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir
J. Battery (located under Windshield Washer Reservoir)
6-8 II