2010 CHEVROLET CAMARO engine overheat

Black plate (53,1)Chevrolet Camaro Owner Manual - 2010
Driving and Operating 8-53
Maintenance When Trailer
Towing
The vehicle needs service more
often when pulling a trailer. See this
manual's Maintenance Schedule or
Index for more information. Things
that are especially important in
trailer operation are automatic
transmission fluid, engine oil, axle
lubricant, belts, cooling system and
brake system. It is a good idea to
inspect these before and during
the trip.
Check periodically to see that all
hitch nuts and bolts are tight.
Engine Cooling When Trailer
Towing
The cooling system may temporarily
overheat during severe operating
conditions. SeeEngine Overheating
on page 9‑23.
Trailer Towing
Before pulling a trailer, there are
three important considerations that
have to do with weight:
.The weight of the trailer.
.The weight of the trailer tongue.
.The total weight on your
vehicle's tires.
Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It should never weigh more than
454 kg (1,000 lbs). But even that
can be too heavy.
It depends on how the rig is used.
For example, speed, altitude, road
grades, outside temperature and
how much the vehicle is used to pull a trailer are all important. It can
depend on any special equipment
on the vehicle, and the amount of
tongue weight the vehicle can carry.
See
“Weight of the Trailer Tongue”
later in this section for more
information.
Maximum trailer weight is calculated
assuming only the driver is in
the tow vehicle and it has all the
required trailering equipment.
The weight of additional optional
equipment, passengers and cargo in
the tow vehicle must be subtracted
from the maximum trailer weight.
Ask your dealer for our trailering
information or advice, or you can
write us at our Customer Assistance
Offices. See Customer Assistance
Offices
on page 12‑3for more
information.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Camaro Owner Manual - 2010
Vehicle Care 9-1
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Engine Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-9
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-10
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . 9-13
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-14 Manual Transmission
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-14
Hydraulic Clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-15
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . 9-15
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-17
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-18
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . . 9-25
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . 9-31
Automatic Transmission Shift Lock Control System
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . 9-32
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal and Parking Lamps (Base
Vehicle) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal and Parking Lamps
(Up-Level Vehicle) . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Taillamps, Turn Signal, and Stoplamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . 9-41

Black plate (18,1)Chevrolet Camaro Owner Manual - 2010
9-18 Vehicle Care
The coolant level should be
between the MIN and MAX lines.
If it is not, you may have a leak at
the radiator hoses, heater hoses,
radiator, water pump, or somewhere
else in the cooling system.
{WARNING
Heater and radiator hoses, and
other engine parts, can be very
hot. Do not touch them. If you do,
you can be burned.
Do not run the engine if there is
a leak. If you run the engine, it
could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you
could be burned. Get any leak
fixed before you drive the vehicle.
If there seems to be no leak,
with the engine on, check to see
if the electric engine cooling fans
are running. If the engine is
overheating, the fans should be
running. If it is not, your vehicle
needs service. Turn off the engine. Notice:
Using coolant other
than DEX-COOL
®can cause
premature engine, heater core,
or radiator corrosion. In addition,
the engine coolant could require
changing sooner, at 50 000 km
(30,000 miles) or 24 months,
whichever occurs first. Any
repairs would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty. Always
use DEX-COOL
®(silicate-free)
coolant in the vehicle.
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in the vehicle
is filled with DEX-COOL®engine
coolant. This coolant is designed to
remain in the vehicle for five years
or 240 000 km (150,000 miles),
whichever occurs first.
The following explains the cooling
system and how to check and add
coolant when it is low. If there is a
problem with engine overheating,
see Engine Overheating
on
page 9‑23.
What to Use
{WARNING
Adding only plain water to
the cooling system can be
dangerous. Plain water, or some
other liquid such as alcohol, can
boil before the proper coolant
mixture will. The vehicle's coolant
warning system is set for the
proper coolant mixture. With plain
water or the wrong mixture, the
engine could get too hot but you
would not get the overheat
warning. The engine could catch
fire and you or others could be
burned. Use a 50/50 mixture of
clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL
®coolant.

Black plate (19,1)Chevrolet Camaro Owner Manual - 2010
Vehicle Care 9-19
Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL®
coolant. If using this mixture,
nothing else needs to be added.
This mixture:
.Gives freezing protection down
to−37°C (−34°F), outside
temperature.
.Gives boiling protection up
to 129°C (265°F), engine
temperature.
.Protects against rust and
corrosion.
.Will not damage aluminum parts.
.Helps keep the proper engine
temperature.
Notice: If an improper coolant
mixture is used, the engine could
overheat and be badly damaged.
The repair cost would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Too much water in the mixture
can freeze and crack the engine,
radiator, heater core, and other
parts.
Checking Coolant
The vehicle must be on a level
surface when checking the coolant
level.
Check coolant as follows:
1. Turn the ignition OFF.
2. Locate the coolant recovery bottle. See Engine Compartment
Overview on page 9‑6.
3. Turn the coolant dipstick cap counterclockwise and slowly pull
out the dipstick.
4. There are maximum andminimum markings on the
dipstick. When the engine is
cold, the coolant level should be
at or above the MIN mark on the
dipstick. After the vehicle has
been driven and the engine is at
normal operating temperature,
the level should be somewhere
between half full and the
maximum mark.
5. If the coolant level is correct, replace the dipstick and turn the
cap clockwise to secure.

Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet Camaro Owner Manual - 2010
9-20 Vehicle Care
How to Add Coolant to the
Coolant Recovery Bottle
{WARNING
You can be burned if you spill
coolant on hot engine parts.
Coolant contains ethylene glycol
and it will burn if the engine parts
are hot enough. Do not spill
coolant on a hot engine.
Notice: This vehicle has a
specific coolant fill procedure.
Failure to follow this procedure
could cause the engine to
overheat and be severely
damaged. Notice:
If an improper coolant
mixture is used, the engine could
overheat and be badly damaged.
The repair cost would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Too much water in the mixture
can freeze and crack the engine,
radiator, heater core, and other
parts.
Add coolant as follows:
1. Turn the coolant overflow bottle
dipstick cap counterclockwise
and slowly pull out the dipstick.
2. Pour the coolant into the coolant recovery bottle.
3. When the level is correct, replace the dipstick and turn
the cap clockwise to secure.
How to Add Coolant to the
Radiator
{WARNING
You can be burned if you spill
coolant on hot engine parts.
Coolant contains ethylene glycol
and it will burn if the engine parts
are hot enough. Do not spill
coolant on a hot engine.
Notice: This vehicle has a
specific coolant fill procedure.
Failure to follow this procedure
could cause the engine to
overheat and be severely
damaged.

Black plate (23,1)Chevrolet Camaro Owner Manual - 2010
Vehicle Care 9-23
3. If there is no coolant visible orthe level is low, slowly fill the
system through the radiator cap
opening with a 50/50 mixture of
clean, drinkable water and a
DEX-COOL
®coolant until full.
Wait 30 seconds for coolant to
settle and top off if the level
drops.
Do not spill coolant on the
accessory drive belts.
If a spill occurs, rinse the belt
with fresh water.
4. Start the engine.
5. With the engine idling, top off the coolant through the radiator cap
opening until full.
Wait 30 seconds for the coolant
to settle and top off, if the level
drops.
6. Once the system is full, put the radiator cap back on by turning
clockwise. 7. Turn the engine OFF.
8. Check the coolant level in the
coolant recovery bottle and fill it
until the level is at the top mark
on the dipstick.
Notice: If the pressure cap is not
tightly installed, coolant loss and
possible engine damage may
occur. Be sure the cap is properly
and tightly secured.
Engine Overheating
The vehicle has an indicator to warn
of engine overheating.
There is an engine coolant
temperature warning light on
your vehicle's instrument panel.
See Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge on page 4‑15.
You may decide not to lift the hood
when this warning appears, but
instead get service help right away.
See Roadside Assistance Program
on page 12‑6.
If you do decide to lift the hood,
make sure the vehicle is parked on
a level surface.

Black plate (24,1)Chevrolet Camaro Owner Manual - 2010
9-24 Vehicle Care
Then check to see if the engine
cooling fans are running. If the
engine is overheating, both fans
should be running. If they are not,
do not continue to run the engine
and have the vehicle serviced.
Notice:Engine damage from
running the engine without
coolant is not covered by the
warranty.
Notice: If the engine catches
fire because of being driven
with no coolant, your vehicle can
be badly damaged. The costly
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty.If Steam Is Coming From The
Engine Compartment
{WARNING
Steam from an overheated engine
can burn you badly, even if you
just open the hood. Stay away
from the engine if you see or hear
steam coming from it. Just turn it
off and get everyone away from
the vehicle until it cools down.
Wait until there is no sign of
steam or coolant before you
open the hood.
If you keep driving when your
engine is overheated, the liquids
in it can catch fire. You or others
could be badly burned. Stop your
engine if it overheats, and get out
of the vehicle until the engine
is cool.
If No Steam Is Coming From
The Engine Compartment
If an engine overheat warning is
displayed but no steam can be seen
or heard, the problem may not be
too serious. Sometimes the engine
can get a little too hot when the
vehicle:
.Climbs a long hill on a hot day.
.Stops after high-speed driving.
.Idles for long periods in traffic.
.Tows a trailer.
If the overheat warning is displayed
with no sign of steam:
1. Turn the air off.
2. Turn the heater on to the highest temperature and to the highest
fan speed. Open the windows as
necessary.
3. In heavy traffic, let the engine idle in N (Neutral) while stopped.
If it is safe to do so, pull off
the road, shift to P (Park) or
N (Neutral) and let the
engine idle.

Black plate (25,1)Chevrolet Camaro Owner Manual - 2010
Vehicle Care 9-25
If the temperature overheat gauge
is no longer in the overheat zone
or an overheat warning no longer
displays, the vehicle can be driven.
Continue to drive the vehicle slow
for about 10 minutes. Keep a safe
vehicle distance from the car in front
of you. If the warning does not come
back on, continue to drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over,
stop, and park the vehicle
right away.
If there is no sign of steam, idle
the engine for three minutes while
parked. If the warning is still
displayed, turn off the engine
until it cools down.Power Steering Fluid
The power steering fluid reservoir
is located under the engine cover
on the driver side toward the front
of the engine compartment. See
Engine Compartment Overview
on
page 9‑6.
When to Check Power Steering
Fluid
It is not necessary to regularly
check power steering fluid unless
you suspect there is a leak in the
system or an unusual noise is
heard. A fluid loss in this system
could indicate a problem. Have the
system inspected and repaired.
How to Check Power Steering
Fluid
Check the level after the vehicle
has been driven for at least
twenty minutes so the fluid is warm.
To check the power steering fluid:
1. Turn the ignition key to LOCK/OFF and let the engine
compartment cool down.
2. Remove the engine cover. Refer toEngine Cover on page 9‑9.
3. Wipe the cap and the top of the reservoir clean.
4. Turn the cap counterclockwise and pull it straight up.
5. Wipe the dipstick with a clean rag.