2007 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO Owners Manual

Active Fuel Management™
(5.3L V8 Engine)
Your vehicle’s engine may be equipped with
Active Fuel Management™. This system allows
the engine to operate on either all or half of
its cylinders, depending on your driving conditions.
When less power is required, such as cruising
at a constant vehicle speed, the system will
operate in the half cylinder mode, allowing your
vehicle to achieve better fuel economy. When
greater power demands are required, such
as accelerating from a stop, passing, or merging
onto a freeway, the system will maintain
full-cylinder operation.
Automatic Transaxle Operation
Your automatic transaxle has a shift lever on the
console between the seats.
There is a display, located on the instrument panel
cluster that will indicate the gear the vehicle is in.
Maximum engine speed is limited on automatic
transaxle vehicles while you are in PARK (P)
or NEUTRAL (N) to protect driveline components
from improper operation.
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There are several different positions for the
shift lever.
PARK (P):This position locks your front wheels.
It is the best position to use when the engine is
started because your vehicle cannot move easily.
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the parking brake rmly
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 will not move,
even when you are on fairly level ground,
use the steps that follow. If you are
pulling a trailer, seeTowing a Trailer
on page 284.Make sure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P) before
starting the engine. Your vehicle has an automatic
transaxle shift lock control system. You must fully
apply your regular brakes rst and then press the
shift lever button before you can shift from
PARK (P) while the ignition is in RUN. If you cannot
shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on the shift
lever by pushing it all the way into PARK (P) as you
maintain brake application. Then press the shift
lever button and move the shift lever into another
gear. SeeShifting Out of Park (P) on page 120.
REVERSE (R):Use this gear to back up.
Notice:Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your
vehicle is moving forward could damage the
transaxle. The repairs would not be covered by
your warranty. Shift to REVERSE (R) only after
your vehicle is stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out
of snow, ice or sand without damaging your
transaxle, seeIf Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand,
Mud, Ice, or Snow on page 276.
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NEUTRAL (N):In this position, your engine does
not connect with the wheels. To restart when
you are already moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only.
Also, use NEUTRAL (N) when your vehicle is
being towed.
{CAUTION:
Shifting into a drive gear while your
engine is running at high speed is
dangerous. Unless your foot is rmly on
the brake pedal, your vehicle could move
very rapidly. You could lose control and
hit people or objects. Do not shift into a
drive gear while your engine is running
at high speed.
Notice:Shifting out of PARK (P) or
NEUTRAL (N) while the engine is running
at high speed may damage the transaxle.
The repairs would not be covered by your
warranty. Be sure the engine is not running
at high speeds when shifting your vehicle.DRIVE (D): This position is for normal driving.
It provides the best fuel economy for your vehicle.
If you need more power for passing, and you are:
Going less than 35 mph (55 km/h), push the
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (55 km/h) or more, push
the accelerator pedal all the way down.
You will shift down to the next gear and have
more power.
Downshifting the transaxle in slippery road
conditions could result in skidding, see Skidding
underLoss of Control on page 260
Notice:If your vehicle seems to start up
rather slowly or not shift gears when you go
faster, and you continue to drive your vehicle
that way, you could damage the transaxle.
Have your vehicle serviced right away. You can
drive in SECOND (2) when you are driving
less than 35 mph (55 km/h) and DRIVE (D) for
higher speeds until then.
115

THIRD (3):It reduces vehicle speed more than
DRIVE (D) without using your brakes. You
might choose THIRD (3) instead of DRIVE (D)
when driving on hilly, winding roads, when towing
a trailer, so there is less shifting between gears
and when going down a steep hill.
SECOND (2):This position reduces vehicle speed
even more than THIRD (3) without using your
brakes. You can use SECOND (2) on hills. It can
help control your speed as you go down steep
mountain roads, but then you would also want to
use your brakes off and on.
Notice:Driving in SECOND (2) for more than
25 miles (40 km) or at speeds over 55 mph
(90 km/h) may damage the transaxle. Also,
shifting into SECOND (2) at speeds above
65 mph (105 km/h) can cause damage. Drive in
THIRD (3) or DRIVE (D) instead of SECOND (2).FIRST (1):This position reduces vehicle speed
even more than SECOND (2) without using
your brakes. You can use it on very steep hills,
or in deep snow or mud. If the shift lever is put in
FIRST (1) while the vehicle is moving forward,
the transaxle will not shift into rst gear until the
vehicle is going slowly enough.
Notice:Spinning the tires or holding the
vehicle in one place on a hill using only the
accelerator pedal may damage the transaxle.
If you are stuck, do not spin the tires. When
stopping on a hill, use the brakes, or parking
brake to hold the vehicle in place.
116

Parking Brake
The parking brake is
located to the left of
the brake pedal,
near the driver’s door.
To set the parking brake, hold the brake pedal
down with your right foot. Push down the parking
brake pedal with your left foot.
To release the parking brake, hold the 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.A warning chime will sound and a brake warning
light located on the instrument panel cluster
will come on, if the parking brake is set, the ignition
is on and the vehicle speed is greater than
5 mph (8 km/h).
Notice:Driving with the parking brake on
can overheat the brake system and cause
premature wear or damage to brake system
parts. Verify that the parking brake is fully
released and the brake warning light is
off before driving.
If you are towing a trailer and parking on any hill,
seeTowing a Trailer on page 284.
117

Shifting Into Park (P)
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the parking brake rmly 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 will not move, even
when you are on fairly level ground, use
the steps that follow. If you are pulling a
trailer, seeTowing a Trailer on page 284.1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot
and set the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) by holding
in the button on the shift lever and pushing
the shift lever all the way toward the front
of the vehicle.
3. Turn the ignition key to OFF.
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).
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Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Engine Running
{CAUTION:
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 rmly set. And, if you leave the
vehicle with the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch re. You or
others could be injured. Do not leave
your vehicle with the engine running.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and
your parking brake is rmly set before you leave it.
After you have moved the shift lever into PARK (P),
hold the regular brake pedal down. Then, see if you
can move the shift lever away from PARK (P)
without rst pushing the button.
If you can, it means that the shift lever was not
fully locked in PARK (P).
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you do not shift
your transaxle into PARK (P) properly, the weight
of the vehicle may put too much force on the
parking pawl in the transaxle. You may nd
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 nd out how, seeShifting Into Park (P)
on page 118.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever
out of PARK (P)beforeyou release the parking
brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have
another vehicle push your vehicle a little uphill
to take some of the pressure from the parking pawl
in the transaxle, so you can pull the shift lever
out of PARK (P).
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Shifting Out of Park (P)
Your vehicle has an automatic transaxle shift lock
control system. You must fully apply your
regular brakes before you can shift from PARK (P)
when the ignition is in RUN. SeeAutomatic
Transaxle Operation on page 113.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure
on the shift lever by pushing it all the way into
PARK (P) while keeping the brake pedal pushed
down. Release the shift lever button if you
have a console shift. Then move the shift lever out
of PARK (P), being sure to press the shift lever
button if you have a console shift.
If you ever hold the brake pedal down but still
cannot shift out of PARK (P), try this:
1. Turn the ignition key to RUN.
2. Apply and hold the brake pedal down until the
end of Step 4.
3. Shift to NEUTRAL.
4. Start the engine and shift to the drive gear
you want.
5. Have the vehicle xed as soon as you can.
Parking Over Things That Burn
{CAUTION:
Things that can burn could touch hot
exhaust parts under your vehicle and
ignite. Do not park over papers, leaves,
dry grass, or other things that can burn.
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