1997 CHEVROLET CAMARO Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Voltmeter
You can read battery
voltage on your voltmeter.
If it reads less than 11 volts
or more than 16 volts while
your engine is running, and
it stays there, you may have
a problem with the
electrical charging system.
Have it checked right away. Driving with the voltmeter
reading in
a warning zone could drain your battery.
If you idle your engine for a while, the voltmeter reading
might move into the low voltage zone (indicated by red dots).
If the reading stays in the low voltage zone while you are
driving, you may have a problem with the electrical charging
system. Have it checked. While
the voltmeter reads in the
low voltage zone, your battery may not be able to power
certain electrical accessories, like
ABS. (If this happens,
your
ABS INOP light will come on. See “Anti-Lock
Brake System Warning Light” in
this section.)
If you must drive a short distance with the voltmeter
reading in a warning zone, turn
off all your accessories,
including your air conditioning system and audio system.
Brake System Warning Light
Your Chevrolet’s hydraulic brake system is divided into
two parts. If
one part isn’t working, the other part can
still work and stop you. For good braking, though, you
need both parts working well.
If the warning light comes on, there could be a brake
problem or the brake fluid level could be low. Have your
brake system inspected right away.
BRAKE
This light should come on
briefly when you turn the
ignition key to
RUN. If it
doesn’t come on then,
have it fixed
so it will be
ready to warn you if
there’s a problem.
If the light comes on while you are driving, pull
off the
road and stop carefully. You may notice that the pedal
is
harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer to the floor.
It may take longer to stop. If the light is still on, or if the
anti-lock brake system warning light is flashing, have the
vehicle towed for service. (See “Anti-Lock Brake System
Warning Light” and “Towing Your Vehicle” in the Index.)\

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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake system warning light is on. Driving
with the brake system warning light on can lead
to an accident.
If the light is still on or if the
anti-lock brake system warning light is flashing
after you’ve pulled off the road and stopped
carefully, have the vehicle towed for service.
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
ABS
INOP
With the anti-lock brake
system, this light will come
on when you start your
engine and it will stay
on for three seconds.
That’s normal.
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will also come on when you
set your parking brake. The
light will stay
on if your parking brake doesn’t release
fully. If it stays on after your parking brake is
fully
released, it means you have a brake problem. If
the light flashes when you’re driving, you don’t have
anti-lock brakes and there could be
a problem with your
regular brakes. Pull
off the road and stop carefully. You
may notice that the pedal is harder to push. Or, the pedal
may go closer to
the floor. It may take longer to stop.
Have
the vehicle towed for service. (See “Towing Your
Vehicle”
in the Index.)
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your regular brake system may not be working
properly if the anti-lock brake system warning
light is flashing. Driving with the anti-lock
brake system warning light flashing can lead
to an accident. After you’ve pulled off the road
and stopped carefully, have the vehicle towed
for service.
If the anti-lock brake system warning light stays on
longer than normal after you’ve started your engine, turn
the ignition off. Or, if the light comes
on and stays on
when you’re driving, stop as soon as possible and turn
the ignition
off. Then start the engine again to reset the
system. If the light still stays on, or comes
on again
while you’re driving, your Chevrolet needs service. If
the light is on but not flashing and the regular brake
system warning light isn’t on, you still have brakes, but
you don’t have anti-lock brakes.
The anti-lock brake system warning light should come
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
ready to warn you if there is a problem.
ASR (Acceleration Slip Regulation) System
Warning Light
(If Equipped)
ASR
OFF
This warning light should
come
on briefly as you start
the engine. If the warning
light doesn’t come on then,
have it fixed so it will be
ready to warn you if there’s
a problem.
If it stays
on, or comes on when you’re driving, there
may be a problem with your ASR system and your
vehicle may need service. When this warning light is
on, the system will not limit wheel spin. Adjust your
driving accordingly.
If your brakes begin
to overheat, the brake portion of the
ASR system will shut down, but the throttle and engine
spark control will continue
to work. The warning light
will not come
on when this happens.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The ASR system warning light may come on for the
following reasons:
If you turn the system off by pressing the switch
located on the instrument panel, the warning light
will come on and stay on and the light
on the switch
will go
out. To turn the system back on, press the
button again. The warning light should go off. (See
“ASR System” in the Index for more information.)
If the temperature of the throttle control begins to rise,
the system will turn off and the warning light will
come
on until the system cools down. The system
does this to prevent damage from overheating.
If the
ASR system warning light comes on and stays on
for an extended period of time when the system is
turned on, your vehicle needs service.
Low Traction Light
When your anti-lock system
is adjusting brake pressure
to help avoid a braking skid,
this light will come on.
LOW
TRAC
If you have the ASR system, this light will also come on
when the system is limiting wheel spin. Slippery road
conditions may exist if the low traction light comes on,
so adjust your driving accordingly. The light will stay on
for a few seconds after the anti-lock system stops
adjusting brake pressure or the
ASR system stops
limiting wheel spin.
The low traction 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 anti-lock brake system or
ASR system is active.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Engine Coolant Temperature Gage

1
This gage shows the engine
coolant temperature. If the
gage pointer moves into
the red area, your engine
is approaching an
overheating condition.
Low Coolant Light (V8 Engine)
This warning light should
come on briefly while
you
are starting your engine. If
the light doesn’t come on,
m
If you have been operating your vehicle under normal
driving conditions, you should pull off the road, stop
your vehicle and turn off the road as soon as possible.
In “Problems on the Road” this section shows what
to
do. See “Engine Overheating” in the Index. Your
Camaro is equipped with a
LOW COOLANT
indicator that is designed to detect when the coolant
level drops below the set limit.
If the low coolant level
sensor (on the radiator) detects that the level drops while
the engine is running, the
LOW COOLANT indicator
will light and remain lit until the ignition switch is
turned to the
OFF position. Check the coolant level and
add coolant as needed.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The LOW COOLANT light might stay on after filling
the radiator. Turn the ignition switch to the
OFF
position, then restart the engine to verify that the LOW
COOLANT light goes out. See “Engine Coolant’’ in
the Index.
NOTICE:
Driving with the LOW COOLANT light on could
cause your Chevrolet to overheat. See “Engine
Overheating” in the Index. Your Chevrolet
could be damaged, and it wouldn’t be covered
by your warranty.
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Service Engine Soon Light)
SERVICE
ENGINE
SOON
Your Chevrolet is equipped
with a computer which
monitors operation
of the
fuel, ignition and emission
control systems.
This system is called OBD
I1 (On-Board
Diagnostics-Second Generation) and is intended to
assure that emissions are at acceptable levels for the life
of the vehicle, helping to produce
a cleaner
environment. (In Canada,
OBD I1 is replaced by
Enhanced Diagnostics.)
The SERVICE ENGINE SOON
light comes on to indicate that there is a problem and
service is required. Malfunctions often will be indicated
by the system before any problem is apparent. This may
prevent more serious damage to your vehicle. This
system
is also designed to assist your service technician
in correctly diagnosing any malfunction.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle with this light
on, after a while, your emission controls may not
work as well, your fuel economy may not be as
good and your engine may not run as smoothly.
This could lead to costly repairs that may not be
covered by your warranty.
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is
on and the engine is not
running. If the light doesn’t come
on, have it repaired.
This light will also come
on during a malfunction in one
of two ways:
0
0
Light Flashing -- A misfire condition has been
detected. A misfire increases vehicle emissions and
may damage the emission control system on your
vehicle. Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis
and service is required.
Light On Steady -- An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis and
service may be required. If
the Light Is Flashing
The following
may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
0 Reducing vehicle speed.
0 Avoiding hard accelerations.
0 Avoiding steep uphill grades.
0 If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible.
If the light stops flashing and remains on steady,
see “If
the Light
Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do
so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key
off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart the
engine. If the light remains on steady, see “If the Light
Is On Steady’’ following. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps, and drive the vehicle
to your
dealer or qualified service center for service.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If the Light Is On Steady Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
You may be able
to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did
you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If
so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. The diagnostic system can determine if the fuel
cap has been left off or improperly installed.
A loose or
missing fuel cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the
atmosphere. A few driving trips with the cap properly
installed should turn the light off.
Did
you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If
so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out.
A few driving trips should turn the light off.
Are you low on fuel?
As your engine starts to run
out of fuel, your engine may
not run as efficiently as designed since small amounts of
air are sucked into the fuel line causing a misfire.
The
system can detect this. Adding fuel should correct this
condition. Make sure
to install the fuel cap properly. It
will take a few driving trips to turn the light off. If
so, be sure
to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel (see
“Fuel” in the Index). Poor fuel quality will cause your
engine not
to run as efficiently as designed. You may
notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling when
you
put the vehicle into gear, misfiring, hesitation on
acceleration or stumbling
on acceleration. (These
conditions may go away once the engine is warmed up.)
This will be detected by the system and cause the light
to turn on,
If
you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand
you use. It will require at least one
full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn
off,
have your dealer or qualified service center check the
vehicle. Your dealer has the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to fix any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.
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