1996 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO coolant temperature

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Engine Coolant Heater (Option)
In very cold weather,
0°F (- 1 S’C) or colder,
the engine coolant
heater can help. You’ll
get easier starting and
better
fuel economy
during engine warm-up.
Usually, the coolant heater should be plugged in a
minimum of four hours prior to starting your vehicle.
To Use the Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 1 10-volt AC outlet.
’ .A CAUTION:
1 - - -+* ,
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause an electrical shock.
Also, the wrong
kind of extension cord could overheat and cause
a fire. You could be seriously injured. Plug the
cord into a properly grounded three-prong
110-volt
AC outlet. If the cord won’t reach,
use a heavy-duty three-prong extension cord
rated for
at least 15 amps.
4.
After you’ve used the coolant heater, be sure to store
the cord
as it was before to keep it away from moving
engine parts. If you don’t, it could be damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends on the outside temperature, the
kind of oil you have, and some other things. Instead of
trying to
list everything here, we ask that you contact
your Chevrolet dealer in
the area where you’ll be
parking your vehicle. The dealer can give you the best
advice for that particular area.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Anti-Lock Brake System Active Light
LOW
TRAC
When your anti-lock system
is adjusting brake pressure
to help avoid a braking skid,
the anti-lock brake system
active light will come on.
Engine Coolant Temperature Light
This light tells you that
your engine coolant has
overheated or your radiator
HOT
cooling fan is not working.
Slippery road conditions may exist if this light comes
on, so adjust your driving accordingly. The light will
stay on for a few seconds after the system stops
adjusting brake pressure.
The anti-lock brake system active light also comes on
briefly when you turn the ignition key to RUN. If the
light doesn’t come on then, have it fixed
so it will be
there
to tell you when the system is active. If
you have been operating your vehicle under normal
driving conditions,
you should pull off the road, stop
your vehicle and turn off the engine as soon
as possible.
In “Problems on the Road,” this manual shows what to
do. See “Engine Overheating”
in the Index.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
-loo @ 260
You have a gage that
shows the engine coolant
temperature.
If the gage
pointer moves into the red area, your engine is too hot!
That reading means the same thing as the warning light.
It means that your engine coolant has overheated.
If you
have been operating your vehicle under normal driving
conditions, you should pull
off the road, stop your
vehicle and
turn off the engine as soon as possible.
In “Problems on the Road”, this manual shows what to
do. See “Engine Overheating” in the Index.
Low Coolant Warning Light
LOW
If this light comes on, your
system is low on coolant
and the engine
may
overheat. See “Engine
Coolant” in the Index and
have your vehicle serviced
as soon as
you can.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Air Conditioning
On very hot days, open the windows long enough to let
hot, inside air escape. This reduces
the time the
compressor has to
run, which should help fuel economy.
For quick cool-down on very hot days, use
MAX with
the temperature control all
the way in the blue area. If
this setting is used for long periods of time, the air in
your vehicle may become too dry.
For normal cooling on hot days, use A/C with
the
temperature control in the blue area. The system will
bring in outside air and cool
it.
On cool but sunny days, the sun may warm your upper
body, but your lower body may
not be warm enough.
You can use BI-LEVEL with the temperature control in
the middle. The system will bring in outside air and
direct
it to your upper body, while sending slightly
warmed air to your lower body.
You may notice this
temperature difference more at some times than others.
Heating
On cold days use FLOOR with the temperature control
all the way in the red area. The system will bring in
outside air, heat it and send it to the floor ducts. cold
outside
(0°F (-18°C) or lower). An engine coolant
heater warms the coolant your engine and heating
system use to provide heat. See “Engine Coolant
Heater”
in the Index.
Ventilation System
Adjust the direction of airflow by moving the
louvered vents.
Your vehicle’s flow-through ventilation system supplies
outside air into the vehicle when
it is moving. Outside
air
will also enter the vehicle when the air conditioning
fan is running.
If your vehicle has an engine coolant heater, you can use
it to help your system provide warm air faster when it’s
3-3

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Engine Overheating
. e You will find a coolant temperature gage and the
. warning light about a hot engine on your instrument
panel. See “Engine Coolant Temperature Gage” and
“Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Light” in the
Index. You also have a LOW COOLANT light on your
instrument panel. See “Low Coolant Light” in the Index.
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
-
Steam from an overheated engine can burn you
badly, even
if you just open the hood. Stay away
from the engine
if you see or hear steam coming
from
it. Just turn it off and get everyone away
from the vehicle until it cools down. Wait until
there is no sign of steam or coolant before
opening the hood.
If you keep driving when your engine is
overheated, the liquids in it can catch fire. You or
others ‘could be badly burned. Stop your engine
if
it overheats, and get out of the vehicle until the
engine is cool..
NOTICE:
If your engine catches fire because you keep
driving with no coolant, your vehicle can be
badly damaged. The costly repairs would not be
covered
by your warranty.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine How to Add Fluid Engine Coolant
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind
of transaxle fluid to use. See “Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants”
in the Index.
If the fluid
level is low, add only enough of the proper
fluid to bring the level into the cross-hatched area on
the dipstick.
1. Pull out the dipstick.
2. Using a long-neck funnel, add enough fluid at the
dipstick hole to bring
it to the proper level. It doesn’t
take much fluid, generally less than
a pint (OSL).
Don ’t overfill. We recommend you use only fluid
labeled DEXRON@-111, because fluid with that
label is made especially for your automatic transaxle.
Damage caused by fluid other than DEXRON@-I11
is
not covered by your new vehicle warranty.
0 After adding fluid, recheck the fluid level as
described under “How to Check.”
0 When the correct fluid level is obtained, push the
dipstick back
in all the way. The cooling
system in your vehicle is filled with new
DEX-COOL
TM (orange-colored, silicate-free) engine
coolant. This coolant is designed
to remain in your
vehicle for
5 years or 100,000 miles ( 166 000 km),
whichever occurs first.
The following explains your cooling system and how
to
add coolant when it is low. If you have a problem with
engine overheating
or if you need to add coolant to your
radiator, see “Engine Overheating”
in the Index.
A 50/50 mixture of water and the proper coolant for
your Chevrolet will:
0 Give freezing protection down to -34°F (-37°C).
0 Give boiling protection up to 265°F (129°C).
Protect against rust and corrosion.
0 Help keep the proper engine temperature.
0 Let the warning lights and gages work as they
should.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Radiator Pressure Cap Power Steering Fluid
NOTICE:
Your radiator cap is a 15 psi (105 kPa)
pressure-type cap and must be tightly installed
to prevent coolant
loss and possible engine
damage from overheating. Be sure the arrows
on the cap line up with the overflow tube on
the radiator filler neck.
When you replace your radiator pressure cap, an AC@
cap is recommended.
Thermostat
Engine coolant temperature is controlled by a thermostat
in the engine coolant system. The thermostat stops the
flow of coolant through the radiator until the coolant
reaches a preset temperature.
When you replace your thermostat, an AC@ thermostat
is recommended.
3.1L L82 (Code M) Engine 3.4L LQI (Code X) Engine
When to Check Power Steering Fluid
It is not necessary to regularly check power steering
fluid unless you suspect there is a leak
in the system or
you hear an unusual noise. A fluid loss-in this system
could indicate a problem. Have the system inspected
and repaired.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I Short TripKity Maintenance Schedule I
100,000 Miles (166 000 km)
0 Drain, flush qd refill cooling system (or
every
60 months since last service,
whichever occurs first). See “Engine Coolant’’ in the Index for what to use.
Inspect hoses. Clean radiator, condenser,
pressure cap and neck. Pressure test cooling
system and pressure cap.
An Emission Control
Service.
-f-
[7 Inspect spark plug wires. An Emission
0 Replace spark plugs. An Emission
Control
Service.
b Control Service.
0 Change automatic transaxle fluid and filter
if the vehicle is mainly driven under one or
more
of these conditions:
- In heavy city traffic where the outside
temperature regularly reaches
90 OF
(32 O C) or higher.
- In hilly or mountainous terrain.
- When doing frequent trailer towing.
- Uses such as found in’taxi, police or
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, the fluid andfilter
do not require changing.
delivery service.
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