2007 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO Owners Manual

Making Turns
Notice:Making very sharp turns while
trailering could cause the trailer to come in
contact with the vehicle. Your vehicle could
be damaged. Avoid making very sharp
turns while trailering.
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider
turns than normal. Do this so your trailer
won’t strike soft shoulders, curbs, road signs,
trees or other objects. Avoid jerky or sudden
maneuvers. Signal well in advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle may need
additional wiring. Check with your dealer. The
arrows on your instrument panel will ash whenever
you signal a turn or lane change. Properly hooked
up, the trailer lamps will also ash, telling other
drivers you’re about to turn, change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the arrows on your
instrument panel will ash for turns even if the
bulbs on the trailer are burned out. Thus, you
may think drivers behind you are seeing
your signal when they are not. It’s important to
check occasionally to be sure the trailer bulbs
are still working.
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Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gearbefore
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 transaxle overheating.
Notice:When the outside temperature is
above 100° F (38° C) and/or there is a steep,
continuous grade, the recommended speed
when towing is 55 mph (88 km/h) or less.
Extended higher than normal engine and
transaxle temperatures may damage your
vehicle.
You may want to drive in THIRD (3), instead
of DRIVE (D).
Parking on Hills
{CAUTION:
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.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer
wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release
the regular brakes until the chocks absorb
the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your
parking brake, and then shift to PARK (P).
5. Release the regular brakes.
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When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal
down while you:
start your engine,
shift into a gear, and
release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the
chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store
the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when
you’re pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance
Schedule for more on this. Things that are
especially important in trailer operation are
automatic transaxle uid (don’t overll), engine oil,
drive belts, cooling system and brake system.
Each of these is covered in this manual, and the
Index will help you nd them quickly. If you’re
trailering, it’s a good idea to review this information
before you start your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and
bolts are tight.
Engine Cooling When Trailer Towing
Your cooling system may temporarily overheat
during severe operating conditions. SeeEngine
Overheating on page 323.
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✍NOTES
292

Service........................................................ 296
Accessories and Modications................... 296
California Proposition 65 Warning.............. 297
Doing Your Own Service Work.................. 297
Adding Equipment to the Outside
of Your Vehicle...................................... 298
Fuel............................................................. 298
Gasoline Octane........................................ 298
Gasoline Specications.............................. 299
California Fuel........................................... 299
Additives................................................... 300
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol)............................ 301
Fuels in Foreign Countries........................ 302
Filling the Tank......................................... 303
Filling a Portable Fuel Container............... 305Checking Things Under the Hood.............. 306
Hood Release........................................... 307
Engine Compartment Overview.................. 308
Engine Oil................................................. 311
Engine Oil Life System.............................. 314
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter............................ 316
Automatic Transaxle Fluid......................... 317
Engine Coolant.......................................... 320
Pressure Cap............................................ 323
Engine Overheating................................... 323
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode..................................... 325
Cooling System......................................... 326
Power Steering Fluid ................................. 331
Windshield Washer Fluid........................... 332
Brakes...................................................... 333
Battery...................................................... 336
Jump Starting............................................ 337
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
293

Headlamp Aiming........................................ 342
Bulb Replacement....................................... 342
Halogen Bulbs........................................... 342
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal,
Sidemarker, and Parking Lamps............. 343
Taillamps, Stoplamps and
Back-up Lamps...................................... 345
Back-Up Lamps......................................... 345
License Plate Lamp................................... 346
Replacement Bulbs................................... 346
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement....... 347
Tires............................................................ 349
Tire Sidewall Labeling............................... 350
Tire Terminology and Denitions............... 354
Ination - Tire Pressure............................. 357
Tire Pressure Monitor System................... 358Tire Inspection and Rotation...................... 362
When It Is Time for New Tires.................. 364
Buying New Tires...................................... 364
Different Size Tires and Wheels................ 366
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..................... 367
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance............ 368
Wheel Replacement.................................. 368
Tire Chains............................................... 370
If a Tire Goes Flat.................................... 371
Changing a Flat Tire................................. 372
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools.......... 373
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing
the Spare Tire....................................... 375
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools...... 382
Compact Spare Tire.................................. 384
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
294

Appearance Care........................................ 385
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle.......... 385
Fabric/Carpet............................................. 386
Leather...................................................... 387
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other
Plastic Surfaces..................................... 388
Care of Safety Belts.................................. 388
Weatherstrips............................................ 388
Washing Your Vehicle............................... 389
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses................ 389
Finish Care............................................... 389
Windshield and Wiper Blades.................... 390
Aluminum Wheels...................................... 390
Tires......................................................... 391
Sheet Metal Damage................................. 391
Finish Damage.......................................... 392
Underbody Maintenance............................ 392Chemical Paint Spotting............................ 392
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials............ 393
Vehicle Identication.................................. 394
Vehicle Identication Number (VIN)........... 394
Service Parts Identication Label............... 394
Electrical System........................................ 395
Add-On Electrical Equipment..................... 395
Headlamp Wiring....................................... 395
Windshield Wiper Fuses............................ 395
Power Windows and Other
Power Options....................................... 395
Fuses and Circuit Breakers....................... 395
Instrument Panel Fuse Block..................... 396
Underhood Fuse Block.............................. 397
Capacities and Specications.................... 400
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
295

Service
Your dealer knows your vehicle best and wants
you to be happy with it. We hope you will go
to your dealer for all your service needs. You will
get genuine GM parts and GM-trained and
supported service people.
We hope you will want to keep your GM vehicle all
GM. Genuine GM parts have one of these marks:
Accessories and Modications
When you add non-GM accessories to your vehicle
they can affect your vehicle’s performance and
safety, including such things as, airbags, braking,
stability, ride and handling, emissions systems,
aerodynamics, durability, and electronic systems
like anti-lock brakes, traction control and
stability control. Some of these accessories may
even cause malfunction or damage not covered
by warranty.
GM Accessories are designed to complement and
function with other systems on your vehicle.
Your GM dealer can accessorize your vehicle
using genuine GM Accessories. When you go to
your GM dealer and ask for GM Accessories,
you will know that GM-trained and supported
service technicians will perform the work using
genuine GM Accessories.
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