1997 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Instrument Panel Cluster
Standard Cluster: United States Version Shown, Canadian Similar
Your instrument cluster is designed to let you know at a glance how your vehicle is running. You’ll know how fast
you’re going,
about how much fuel is in your tank and manv other things you need to drive safely and economically.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Speedometer/Odometer
Your speedometer lets you see your speed in both miles
per hour (mph) and kilometers per hour
(km/h). Your
odometer shows how far your vehicle has been driven in
either miles (used in the United States) or in kilometers
(used in Canada).
Your Chevrolet has a tamper-resistant odometer. If you
see silver lines between the numbers, you’ll know
someone has probably tampered with it and the numbers
may not be correct.
You may wonder what happens if your vehicle needs a
new odometer installed.
If the new one can be set to the
mileage total of the old odometer, then it that is what
will be done. If
it can’t, then it will be set at zero and a
label must be put
on the driver’s door to show the old
mileage reading when the new odometer was installed.
Trip Odometer
Your trip odometer tells how far you have driven since
you last reset
it. To set it to zero, press the reset button.
Tachometer
3 4
2 \\“I
1, RPM
The tachometer
displays the engine
speed in thousands
of revolutions per
minute (rpm).
I NOTICE:
Do not operate the engine with the tachometer in
the red area,
or engine damage may occur.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
This part describes the warning lights and gages that
may be on your vehicle. The pictures will help you
locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that something is
wrong before it becomes serious enough to cause an
expensive repair or replacement. Paying attention to
your warning lights and gages could also save you or
others from injury.
Warning lights come on when there may be or is a
problem with one
of your vehicle’s functions. As you
will see in the details on the next few pages, some
warning lights come on briefly when you start the
engine just to let you know they’re working.
If you are
familiar with this section, you should not be alarmed
when this happens.
Gages can indicate when there may be or is a problem
with one of your vehicle’s functions. Often gages and
warning lights work together to let you know when
there’s a problem with your vehicle. When
one
of the warning lights comes on and stays on
when you are driving, or when one of the gages shows
there may be a problem, check the section that tells you
what to do about it. Please follow this manual’s advice.
Waiting to do repairs can be costly
-- and even
dangerous.
So please get to know your warning lights
and gages. They’re a big help.
Safety Belt Reminder Light
When the key is turned to RUN or START, a chime will
come on for about eight seconds to remind people to
fasten their safety belts, unless the driver’s safety belt is
already buckled.
The safety belt light will
also come on and stay on
until the driver’s belt
is buckled.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Air Bag Readiness Light
There is an air bag readiness light on the instrument
panel, which shows AIR
BAG or the air bag symbol.
The system checks the air bag’s electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells you
if there is an electrical
problem. The system check includes the air bag sensors,
the air bag modules, the wiring and the crash sensing
and diagnostic module. For more information on the air
~ bag system, see “Air Bag” in the Index.
AIR BAG
This light will come on
when you start your engine,
and it will flash for a few
seconds. Then the light
should go out. This means
the system is ready. The
air bag readiness light should flash for a few
seconds 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.
Charging System Light
If the air bag readiness light stays on after you start the
engine or comes on when you are driving, your air bag
system may not work properly. Have your vehicle
serviced right away.
VOLTS
The charging system light
will come on briefly when
you turn on the ignition, as
a check to show you it’s
working. Then it should
go out.
If
it stays on, or comes on while you are driving, you
may have a problem with the charging system. It could
indicate that you have a loose drive ‘belt or another
electrical problem. Have it checked right away. Driving
while this light is on could drain your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with the light on, be
certain to turn
off all your accessories, such as the radio
and air conditioner.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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. 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.)
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.
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.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
ANTI -
LOCK
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.
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.)
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.

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 cooling fan(
s)
are 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
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
COOLANT
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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