2003 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO Owners Manual

Instrument Panel Cluster
Your instrument panel 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 many other things you need to drive safely and
economically.
Uplevel 3400 V6 Engine Cluster: United States version with ABS and Traction Control shown, Canada similar
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Uplevel 3800 V6 Engine Cluster: United States version with ABS and Traction Control shown, Canada similar
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Speedometer and 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 vehicle has a tamper-resistant odometer. If you
see ERROR, you'll know someone has probably
tampered with it and the numbers may not be accurate.
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 that will
be done. But 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.
Your trip/select reset switch will go back and forth
between the odometer and the trip odometer if the
button is pressed and released within 1.5 seconds. If the
button is pressed and held for longer than 1.5 seconds
while in the trip odometer mode, it will be reset tozero. If the button is pressed and held for longer than
1.5 seconds while in the odometer mode, it will have
no effect.
Your trip odometer will work no matter what position
your key is in, and even if the key isn't in.
Tachometer
The tachometer displays
the engine speed in
thousands of revolutions
per minute (rpm).
Notice:Do not operate the engine with the
tachometer in the shaded warning area, or engine
damage may occur.The 3800 V6 Engine
Shown
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Safety Belt Reminder Light
When the key is turned to ON, a chime will come on
for about several 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 for several seconds,
then it will ¯ash for
several more.
Air Bag Readiness Light
There is an air bag readiness light on the instrument
panel, which shows 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 Systems on page 1-48.
This light will come on
when you start your
vehicle, and it will ¯ash for
a few seconds. Then
the light should go out.
This means the system
is ready.
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If the air bag readiness light stays on after you start the
vehicle or comes on when you are driving, your air
bag system may not work properly. Have your vehicle
serviced right away.
{CAUTION:
If the air bag readiness light stays on after you
start your vehicle, it means the air bag system
may not be working properly. The air bags in
your vehicle may not in¯ate in a crash, or they
could even in¯ate without a crash. To help
avoid injury to yourself or others, have your
vehicle serviced right away if the air bag
readiness light stays on after you start your
vehicle.
The air bag readiness light should ¯ash for a few
seconds when you turn the ignition key to ON. If the
light doesn't come on then, have it ®xed so it will
be ready to warn you if there is a problem.
Voltmeter Gage
If your vehicle is equipped
with the 3800 V6 engine it
has a voltmeter gage
that indicates battery
voltage.
If the gage reads less than 12 volts or more than
16 volts while the engine is running, and it stays there,
you may have a problem with the electrical charging
system.
Also, when your gage reads less than 11 volts or
more than 16 volts, your battery life indicator will be
illuminated in the message center. For more information
see
Battery Warning Message on page 3-45.
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Brake System Warning Light
Your vehicle'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 is a brake problem.
The LOW BRAKE FLUID message in the message
center will also appear when there is a brake problem.
See
Low Brake Fluid Warning Message on page 3-51.
Have your brake system inspected right away.
This light should come on brie¯y when you turn the
ignition key to ON. If it doesn't come on then, have it
®xed so it will be ready to warn you if there's a problem.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 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
¯oor. It may take longer to stop. If the light is still on,
have the vehicle towed for service. SeeBrake System
Warning Light on page 3-36andTowing Your Vehicle on
page 4-29.
{CAUTION:
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 after you've pulled off the road and stopped
carefully, have the vehicle towed for service. United States
Canada
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Anti-Lock Brake System Warning
Light
If your vehicle has ABS,
the anti-lock brake system
warning light will come
on for a few seconds when
you turn the ignition key
to ON.
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, the anti-lock brake system needs
service and you don't have anti-lock brakes.
The anti-lock brake system warning light will come on
brie¯y when you turn the ignition key to ON. This is
normal. If the light doesn't come on then, have it ®xed
so it will be ready to warn you if there is a problem.
Traction Control System (TCS)
Warning Light
If your vehicle has the
traction control system,
this warning light may
come on for the
following reasons:
·If you turn the system off by pressing the TRAC
OFF button located on the center console, a
chime will sound and the warning light will come on
and stay on. To turn the system back on, press
the button again. The warning light should go off.
See
Traction Control System (TCS) on page 4-8for
more information.
·If there's a brake system problem that is speci®cally
related to traction control, the traction control
system will turn off and the warning light will come
on. If your brakes begin to overheat, the traction
control system will turn off and the warning light will
come on until your brakes cool down.
If the traction control system warning light comes on
and stays on for an extended period of time when the
system is turned on, your vehicle needs service.
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Engine Coolant Temperature GageThis gage shows the engine coolant temperature.
It also provides an indicator of how hard your vehicle is
working. During the majority of the operation, the
gage will read 210ÉF (100ÉC) or less.
If you are pulling a load or going up hills, it is normal for
the temperature to ¯uctuate and approach the 250ÉF
(122ÉC) mark. When the gage reads greater than 250ÉF
(122ÉC), the HOT COOLANT TEMP light will be
illuminated in the message center and a chime will
sound continuously. If the gage reaches the 260ÉF
(125ÉC) mark, it indicates that the cooling system is
working beyond its capacity.
See
Engine Overheating on page 5-29.
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
Check Engine Light
United States-3400 V6
Engine ClusterUnited States-3800 V6
Engine Cluster
Canada-3400 V6 Engine
ClusterCanada-3800 V6 Engine
ClusterUnited StatesCanada
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