Page 3 of 340

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine d> The  1996  Chevrolet  Monte  Carlo  Owner’s  Manual 
Seats  and  Restraint  Systems ............................................................. 1-1 
Features  and  Controls 
.................................................................. 2-1 
Comfort  Controls  and  Audio  Systems 
..................................................... 3-1 
This  section  tells  you  how to use your seats and safety  belts  properly. It also explains the air bag  system. 
This  section explains  how 
to start and operate your Chevrolet. 
This  section  tells 
you how to adjust the  ventilation  and  comfort controls and  how lo operate your 
audio  system. 
Here 
you’ll find  helpful  information  and  tips about the  road  and  how to drive under  different conditions. 
This  section  tells  you  what 
to do if you have a problem  while driving,  such as a tlat tire or overheated 
engine,  etc. 
Here 
the manual  tells you  how to keep  your Chevrolet  running properly  and looking  good. 
This  section  tells  you  when 
to perform  vehicle maintenance  and  what  fluids  and lubricants to use. 
This  section  tells  you  how 
to contact  Chevrolet  for  assistance and  how to get service  and owner publications. 
It also gives you information  on “Reporting  Safety Defects”  on page 8-8. 
Index ........................................................................\
........ 9-1 
Here‘s  an alphabetical  listing of almost every  subject in this  manual. You can  use it to quickly  find 
something  you  want  to  read. 
YourDrivingandtheRoad .............................................................. 4-1 
ProblemsontheRoad .................................................................. 5-1 
ServiceandAppearanceCare ............................................................ 6-1 
Maintenanceschedule 
.................................................................. 7-1 
Customer  Assistance  Information 
........................................................ 8-1 
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        Page 70 of 340

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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        Page 74 of 340

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine FIRST (1): This position  gives you even  more power 
(but lower fuel  economy) than 
SECOND (2). You can 
use  it 
on very  steep hills,  or in deep  snow  or mud. If the 
shift lever 
is put in FIRST (l), the transaxle won’t shift 
into first gear  until the vehicle is going slowly  enough. 
I NOTICE: 
~~~~~  ~ 
If your front  wheels  can’t  rotate,  don’t try to 
drive. 
This might  happen if you  were  stuck in 
very deep  sand or mud  or were  up against a  solid 
object. 
You could  damage your transaxle. 
Also,  if  you  stop when  going  uphill, don’t  hold 
your  vehicle  there with  only  the  accelerator 
pedal. This  could overheat  and damage  the 
transaxle.  Use your  brakes  or shift  into  PARK (P) 
to  hold  your  vehicle  in position  on a hill. 
Pa 
To set the parking brake, 
hold  the  regular brake pedal 
down 
with your right  foot. 
Push  down the parking 
brake  pedal 
with your 
left  foot. 
To release the parking brake, hold  the regular brake 
pedal  down 
with your right  foot and push the parking 
brake  pedal 
with your  left  ,foot.  When  you lift your left 
foot,  the parking brake pedal will follow 
it to the 
released position. 
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        Page 75 of 340
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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. 
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. 
Shifting Into PARK (P) 
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 Trailer”  in the  Index. 
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        Page 77 of 340

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Console  Shift 
1. Hold  the  brake  pedal  down with your  right  foot  and 
2. Move  the  shift  lever  into  PARK (P)  position  like  this: 
set  the  parking  brake. 
Hold 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  LOCK. 
I , 4. Remove  the  key  and  take  it  with you. If you  can 
leave  your  vehicle  with  the  ignition  key  in  your 
hand,  your  vehicle  is  in PARK  (P). 
Leaving Your Vehicle  With  the 
Engine  Running 
It  can  be dangerous  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  pulling  it  toward you (or, if  you  have  the 
console  shift  lever,  without  first  pushing  the  button).  If 
you  can, 
it means  that  the  shift  lever  wasn’t fully locked 
into  PARK 
(P). 
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        Page 94 of 340
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Ashtrays and Lighter 
The center  front  ashtray may be on the instrument panel 
or 
on the console. To iemove  the instrument panel 
ashtray, open  it,  push down on the locking  tab and  pull 
out  the ashtray. 
For the  console  ashtray, open the lid and  lift out 
the 
ashtray’using the snuffer. 
Your  vehicle  may have  a rear ashtray. 
To remove  the 
rear ashtray, open  it, push down  on the snuffer and pull 
the ashtray  out. 
NOTICE: 
Don’t put papers  and  other  things that  burn  into 
your  ashtrays. 
If you  do, cigarettes  or other 
smoking materials  could set them  on fire, 
causing damage. 
To use  the  lighter, just push it in all the way and let go. 
When  it’s ready, it will pop back  by itself. 
NOTICE: 
Don’t  hold a cigarette  lighter  in with  your  hand 
while  it is  heating. 
If you do, it won’t  be  able  to 
back away 
from the  heating element  when  it’s 
ready.  That can make 
it overheat, damaging  the 
lighter  and  the  heating element. 
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        Page 104 of 340

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.   
     
        
        Page 105 of 340
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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