1996 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO service

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine -
,A CAUTION:
Operating the engine with the air cleaner off
can cause you or others to be burned. The air
cleaner not only cleans the air, it stops flame if
the engine backfires. If it isn’t there, and the
engine backfires, you could be burned. Don’t
drive with
it off, and be careful working on the
engine with the
air cleaner off.
NOTICE:
If the air cleaner is off, a backfire can cause a
damaging engine fire. And, dirt can easily get
into your engine, which will damage it. Always
have the air cleaner in place when you’re driving.
Automatic Transaxle Fluid
When to Check and Change
A good time to check your automatic transaxle fluid
level is when the engine oil is changed.
Change both the fluid and filter every
50,000 miles
(83 000 km) if the vehicle is mainly driven under one or
more
of these conditions:
In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
In hilly or mountainous terrain.
0 When doing frequent trailer towing.
0 Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, the fluid and filter do not require changing.
See “Scheduled Maintenance Services’’ in the Index.
regularly reaches
90°F (32°C) or
higher.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine How to Check
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you may
choose to have this done at your Chevrolet dealer
Service Department.
If you do
it yourself, be sure to follow all the instructions
here, or you could get
a false reading on the dipstick.
NOTICE:
Too much or too little fluid can damage your
transaxle.
Too much can mean that some of the
fluid could come out and fall
on hot engine parts
or exhaust system parts, starting a fire. Be sure to
get an accurate reading if
you check your
transaxle fluid.
Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the transaxle
fluid level
if you have been driving:
0 When outside temperatures are above 90°F (32°C).
At high speed for quite a while.
0 11-1 heavy traffic -- especially in hot weather
While pulling a trailer.
To get the right reading, the fluid should be at normal
operating temperature, which is
180°F to 200°F
(82°C to 93°C).
Get the vehicle warmed up by driving about 15 miles
(24 km) when outside temperatures are above 50°F
(10°C). If it's colder than 50°F (lO"C), you may have
to drive longer.
Checking the Fluid Level
0
0
0
e
Park your vehicle on a level place. Keep the
engine running.
With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever
in PARK (P).
With your foot on the brake pedal, move
the shift
lever through each gear range, pausing for about
three seconds in each range. Then, position the shift
lever
in PARK (P).
Let the engine
run at idle for three to five minutes.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Brake Wear
NOTICE:
0
0
Using the wrong fluid can badly damage
brake system parts. For example, just
a few
drops
of mineral-based oil, such as engine
oil, in your brake system can damage brake
system parts
so badly that they’ll have to be
replaced. Don’t let sonleone put in the
wrong kind of fluid.
If you spill brake fluid on your vehicle’s
painted surfaces, the paint finish can be
damaged. Be careful not to spill brake fluid
on your vehicle.
If you do, wash it off
immediately. See “Appearance Care” in
the Index.
Your Chevrolet has four-wheel disc brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators
that make
a high-pitched warning sound when
the brake pads
are worn and new pads are needed. The sound may
come and
go or be heard all the time your vehicle is
moving (except when
you are pushing on the brake
pedal firmly).
The brake wear warning sound means that
sooner or later your brakes won’t work well.
That could lead to an accident. When you hear
the brake wear warning sound, have your
vehicle serviced.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
1. Pull the windshield wiper arm away from the windshield.
r
2. Lift the release clip with a screwdriver and pull the
blade off the wiper arm.
3. Push the new wiper blade securely onto the wiper arm.
Tires
We don’t make tires. Your new Chevrolet comes with
high-quality tires made by a leading tire manufacturer.
If you ever have questions about your tire warranty and
where to obtain service, see your Chevrolet Warranty
booklet for details.
Poorly maintained and improperly used tires are
dangerous.
1
0 Overloading your tires can cause
overheating
as a result of too much friction.
You could have an air-out and a serious
accident. See “Loading Your Vehicle” in
the Index.
CAUTION: (Continued)
For wiper blade replacement length and type, see
”Capacities and Specifications”
in the Index.
6-36

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When to Check
Check your tires once a month or more.
Don’t forget your compact spare tire. It should be at
60 psi (420 kPa).
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire
pressure. You can’t tell if your tires are properly inflated
simply by looking at them. Radial tires may look
properly ‘inflated
even when they’re underinflated.
Be sure to put the valve caps back
on the valve stems.
They help prevent leaks by keeping out dirt and moisture.
Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be inspected every 6,000 to 8,000 miles
(10 000 to 13 000 km) for any signs of unusual wear.
If unusual wear is present, rotate your tires as soon as
possible and check wheel alignment. Also check for
damaged tires
or wheels. See “When It’s Time for New
Tires’’ and “Wheel Replacement” later in this section for
more information. The purpose
of regular rotation
is to achieve more
uniform wear for
all tires on the vehicle. The kt
rotation is tlle most important. See “Scheduled
Maintenance Services”
in the Index for scheduled
rotation intervals.
Whcn rotating your tires,
always use the correct rotation
pattern
shown here.
Don’t include the compact spare tire
in your tire rotation.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires you need, look at
the Tire-Loading Information label.
The tires installed on your vehicle when
it was new had
a Tire Performance Criteria Specification (TPC Spec)
number on each ti.re’s sidewall. When
you get new tires,
~~ - -I - ~ 4
load range, speed rating and construction type (bias,
bias-belted or radial) as your original tires.
get ones
with that same
TPC Spec number. That way
your vehicle will continue to have tires that are designed
to give proper endurance, handling, speed rating,
traction, ride and other things during normal service on
your vehicle.
If your tires have an all-season tread
design, the TPC number will be followed by an
“MS”
(for mud and snow).
If you ever replace your tires with those not having a
TPC SDec number. make sure thev are the same size, Mixing tires could cause
you to lose control while
driving.
If you mix tires of different sizes or types
(radial and bias-belted tires), the vehicle may not
handle properly, and you could have a crash.
Using tires of different sizes may also cause
damage to your vehicle. Be sure to use the
same size and type tires on all four wheels.
It’s all right to drive with your compact spare,
though. It was developed for use on your vehicle.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
The following information relates to the system developed
by the United States National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration, which grades tires by treadwear, &action
and temperature performance.
(This applies only to
vehicles sold in the United States.) The grades are molded on the sidewas
of most passenger car tires. The Uniform
Tire Quality Grading system does not apply to deep tread, winter-type snow tires, space-saver or temporary use spare
tires, tires
with nominal rim diameters of 10 to 12 inches
(25 to 30 cm), or to some limited-production tires.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine While the tires available on General Motors passenger
cars and light trucks may vary with respect to these
grades,
they must also conform to Federal safety
requirements and additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria‘(TPC) standards.
Tread wear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on
a specified government test course. For
example,
a tire graded 150 would wear one and a half
( I 1/2) times as well on the government course as a tire
graded
100. The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use, however, and
may depart significantly from the norm due to variations
in driving habits, service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.
Traction - A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are A, B, and
C, and they represent the tire’s ability to stop on wet
pavement
as measured under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces
of asphalt and concrete.
A tire marked C may have poor traction performance. Warning:
The traction grade assigned to this tire
is based
on braking (straightahead) traction tests and does not
include cornering (turning) traction.
Temperature - A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire’s resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life,
and excessive temperature can lead to sudden tire
failure. The grade C corresponds to
a level of
performance which all passenger car tires must meet
under
the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades B and A represent higher levels of
performance on
the laboratory test wheel than the
minimum required by law.
Warning: The temperature grade for
this tire is
established for a tire that is properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation, or
excessive loading, either separately or in combination,
can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Tires
To clean your tires, use a stiff brush with a tire cleaner.
NOTICE:
When applying a tire dressing always take care to
wipe off any overspray or splash from
all painted
surfaces on the body or wheels
of the vehicle.
Petroleum-based products may damage the
paint finish.
Sheet Metal Damage
If your vehicle is damaged and requires sheet metal
repair or replacement, make sure the body repair shop
applies anti-corrosion material to
the parts repaired or
replaced to restore corrosion protection.
Finish Damage
Any stone chips, fractures or deep scratches in the finish
should be repaired right away. Bare metal will corrode
quickly and may develop into
a major repair expense.
Minor chips and scratches can be repaired with touch-up
materials available from your dealer or other service outlets.
Larger areas of finish damage can be corrected
in your dealer’s body and paint shop.
Underbody Maintenance
Chemicals used for ice and snow removal and dust control
can collect on the underbody. If these are not removed,
accelerated corrosion (lust) can occur on the underbody
parts such as fuel lines, frame, floor pan, and exhaust system even though they have corrosion protection.
At least every spring, flush these materials from the
underbody with plain water. Clean
any areas where mud and
other debris can collect. Dirt packed
in closed areas of the
frame should be loosened before being flushed. Your dealer
or an underbody car washing system can do this for you.
Chemical Paint Spatting
Some weather and atmospheric conditions can create a
chemical fallout. Airborne pollutants can
fdl upon and
attack painted surfaces
on your vehicle. This damage can
take
two forms: blotchy, ringlet-shaped discolorations, and
small irregular dark spots etched into the paint surface.
Although no defect
in the paint job causes this, Chevrolet
will repair, at no charge to the owner, the surfaces of
new vehicles damaged by this fallout condition within
I2 months or 12,000 miles (20 000 kin) of purchase,
whichever occurs first.
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