1998 CHEVROLET CAMARO engine overheat

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0 The 1998 Chevrolet Camaro Owner’s Manual
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9-1 Seats and Restraint Systems
This section tells you how to use your seats and safety belts properly. It also explains \
the
air bag system.
Features and Controls
This section explains how to start and operate your vehicle.
Comfort Controls and Audio Systems
This section tells you how to adjust the ventilation and comfort controls and how to operate your audio system.
Your Driving and the Road
Here you’ll find helpful information and tips about the road and \
how to drive under different conditions.
Problems on the Road
This section tells what to do if you have a problem while driving, such as a flat tire or overheated engine, etc.
Service and Appearance Care
Here the manual tells you how to keep your vehicle running pr\
operly and looking good.
Maintenance Schedule
This section tells you when to perform vehicle maintenance and what fluids and lubricants to use.
Customer Assistance Information
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- 10.
Index
Here’s an alphabetical listing of almost every subject in this manual. You can use it to quickly find
something you want to read.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine To Use the Engine Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
The cord is attached to the outside of the underhood
fuse box.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-volt AC outlet.
A CA’ TIQ‘T:
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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. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and
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 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 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
selector lever is put in
FIRST (1) gear, the transmission
won’t shift into first gear until the vehicle is going
slowly enough.
NOTICE:
If your rear 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 transmission.
Also,
if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold
your vehicle there with only the accelerator
pedal. This could overheat and damage the
transmission. Use your brakes or shift into
PARK (P) to hold your vehicle in position
on
a hill.
Maximum engine speed is limited to protect driveline
components from improper operation.
Second-Gear Start (V6 Automatic)
(If Equipped)
Your vehicle may be
equipped with a
Second-Gear Start feature.
Press the Second Gear
Start (SGS) switch on the
instrument panel to provide
more traction when you are
starting on ice or other
slippery surfaces.
The light on the switch will illuminate when Second
Gear Start (SGS) is selected. The transmission will be
in
SECOND (2) gear when the vehicle begins to
move. After starting in
SECOND (2), the vehicle will
upshift normally.
This feature is only for improved traction when the road
surface is slippery and is not intended for continuous
use. Always use
NORMAL Second Gear Start (SGS)
“OFF” for normal road conditions. You may press the
Second Gear Start (SGS) switch again to turn
off this
feature. The light
on the switch will go out. Whenever
you start your vehicle, the transmission is in the
NORMAL mode.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine To release the parking brake, hold the brake pedal down.
Pull the parking brake lever
up until you can push in the
release button. Hold
the release button in as you move
the brake lever all the way down.
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.
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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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Rum
lg (Automatic Transmission Only)
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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.
Torque Lock (Automatic Transmission)
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transmission into PARK
(P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl in
the transmission. You may find it difficult to pull the
shift lever out
of PARK (P). This is called “torque lock.”
To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then
shift into PARK (P) properly before you leave the
driver’s seat.
To find out how, see “Shifting Into
PARK (P)” in the Index.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out
of PARK (P) before you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another
vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of the
pressure from the parking pawl in the transmission,
so
you can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine To use the lighter, push it in all the way and let go.
When it’s ready, it will pop back by itself.
~
NOTICE:
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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.
If you plug accessories into your cigarette lighter, such
as heating devices or air compressors, these accessories
should have a rated current of less than 15 amps.
Exceeding
this limit will result in a blown fuse.
Sun Visors
To block out glare, you can swing down the visors. YQU
can also swing them to the side.
Visor Vanity Mirror
Pull down the sun visor and lift the cover to expose the
vanity mirror.
Accessory Plug
This plug is located inside the front section ahead of
the
shift lever in the console. The plug can be used to
connect electrical equipment such as a cellular phone or
CB radio. Be sure to follow the installation instructions
included with the equipment.
NOTICE:
When using the accessory plug:
0 The maximum load of any electrical
equipment should not exceed three amps.
Be sure to turn off any electrical equipment
when not in use. Leaving electrical
equipment
on for extended periods can
drain your battery.
We recommend that you see a qualified technician or
your dealer for the proper installation of your equipment.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
This gage shows the engine
coolant temperature. If the
gage pointer moves into
the red area, your engine
is approaching an
overheating condition.
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 section shows what to
do. See “Engine Overheating,’’
in the Index.
Low Coolant Light ( 5.7L V8 Engine)
This warning light should
come on briefly while you
are starting your engine. If
the light doesn’t come on,
have it remired. Your
vehicle 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 for five minutes or until the ignition switch
is turned to
OFF. Check the coolant level and add
coolant as needed.
The low coolant light might stay on after filling the
radiator. Turn the ignition switch to the
OW 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 vehicle to overheat. See “Engine Overheating’’ in the Index. Your vehicle could
be damaged, and it wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Driving On Grades Parking on Hills
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start
down a long or steep downgrade.
If you don’t shift
down, you might have to use your brakes
so much that
they would get hot and
no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce your
speed to around
45 mph (70 km/h) to reduce the
possibility of engine and transmission overheating.
If you are towing a trailer and you have an automatic
transmission with overdrive, you may prefer to drive in
DRIVE (D) instead of AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(a)
or, as you need to, a lower gear). Or, if you have a
manual transmission with FIFTH
(5) or SIXTH (6) gear,
it is best to drive
in FOURTH (4) gear (if five speed
manual transmission) or FIFTH
(5) gear (if you have a
six speed manual transmission) (or, as you need to, a
lower gear). You
really should
not park your vehicle, with a trailer
attached,
on a hill. If something goes wrong, your rig
could start to move. People can be injured, and both
your vehicle and the trailer can be damaged.
But
if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s
how to
do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
PARK
(P) yet, or into gear for a manual transmission.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes. Then apply your parking brakes until
the
chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your parking
brake and then shift to PARK(P) or REVERSE (R)
for a manual transmission.
5. Release the regular brakes.
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