2010 CHEVROLET CAMARO SS engine overheat

SeeEngine Oil Messages on
page 4-32andEngine Oil on
page 9-10for more information.
{WARNING
Do not keep driving if the oil
pressure is low. The engine can
become so hot that it catches fire.
Someone could be burned.
Check the oil as soon as possible
and have the vehicle serviced.
Notice:Lack of proper engine oil
maintenance can damage the
engine. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Always follow the maintenance
schedule in this manual for
changing engine oil.
A reading in the low pressure zone
can be caused by a dangerously
low oil level or some other problem
causing low oil pressure. Check
the oil as soon as possible.
Engine Oil
Temperature Gage
This gage, located in front of the
shifter, shows the engine oil
temperature.
If the gage pointer moves into the
red area, it means that the engine oil
has overheated. If the vehicle has
been operated under normal driving
conditions, pull off the road, stop
the vehicle and turn off the engine
as soon as possible.
SeeEngine Oil on page 9-10for
more information. United States
Canada
Instruments and Controls 4-13

Engine Coolant
Temperature Gage
This gage shows the engine coolant
temperature.
If the gage pointer moves towards
the H, the engine is too hot.
This reading indicates the same
thing as the warning message.
It means that the engine coolant has
overheated. If the vehicle has been
operating under normal driving
conditions, pull off the road, stop the
vehicle, and turn off the engine as
soon as possible. SeeEngine
Overheating on page 9-24for more
information.
Transmission
Temperature Gage
United States
Canada
United States
4-14 Instruments and Controls

Engine Cooling System
Messages
A/C Off Due to High
Engine Temp
This message displays when the
engine coolant becomes hotter than
the normal operating temperature.
To avoid added strain on a hot
engine, the air conditioning
compressor automatically turns off.
When the coolant temperature
returns to normal, the air conditioning
compressor turns back on. You can
continue to drive your vehicle.
If this message continues to appear,
have the system repaired by your
dealer/retailer as soon as possible
to avoid damage to the engine.
Coolant Level Low Add
Coolant
This message will display if the
coolant is low, seeEngine Coolant
on page 9-19.
Engine Overheated — Idle
Engine
This message displays when the
engine coolant temperature is
too hot. Stop and allow the vehicle
to idle until it cools down.
Engine Overheated — Stop
Engine
This message displays and a
continuous chime sounds if the
engine cooling system reaches
unsafe temperatures for operation.
Stop and turn off the vehicle as
soon as it is safe to do so to avoid
severe damage. This message
clears when the engine has cooled
to a safe operating temperature.
High Coolant Temperature
This message displays if the coolant
temperature is hot, seeEngine
Overheating on page 9-24.
Engine Oil Messages
Change Engine Oil Soon
This message displays when the
engine oil needs to be changed.
When you change the engine oil,
be sure to reset the CHANGE
ENGINE OIL SOON message.
SeeEngine Oil Life System
on page 9-13andDriver Information
Center (DIC) on page 4-27for
information on how to reset
the message. SeeEngine Oil
on page 9-10andScheduled
Maintenance on page 10-2for
more information.
Engine Oil Hot, Idle Engine
This message displays when
the engine oil temperature is too
hot. Stop and allow the vehicle
to idle until it cools down.
Engine Oil Low – Add Oil
This message displays when
the engine oil level is too low.
Check the oil level. SeeEngine Oil
on page 9-10.
4-32 Instruments and Controls

WARNING (Continued)
•Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument panel.
•Adjust the Climate Control
system to a setting that
circulates the air inside
the vehicle and set the fan
speed to the highest setting.
See Climate Control System
in the Index.
For more information about carbon
monoxide, seeEngine Exhaust on
page 8-25.
Snow can trap exhaust gases
under your vehicle. This can cause
deadly CO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get inside. CO could overcome
you and kill you. You cannot see it
or smell it, so you might not know
it is in your vehicle. Clear away
snow from around the base of
your vehicle, especially any that
is blocking the exhaust.Run the engine for short periods
only as needed to keep warm,
but be careful.
To save fuel, run the engine for only
short periods as needed to warm the
vehicle and then shut the engine off
and close the window most of the
way to save heat. Repeat this until
help arrives but only when you feel
really uncomfortable from the cold.
Moving about to keep warm also
helps.
If it takes some time for help to
arrive, now and then when you run
the engine, push the accelerator
pedal slightly so the engine runs
faster than the idle speed. This
keeps the battery charged to restart
the vehicle and to signal for help with
the headlamps. Do this as little as
possible to save fuel.
If the Vehicle is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
If stuck too severely for the traction
system to free the vehicle, turn
the traction system off and use
the rocking method.
{WARNING
If you let your vehicle’s tires spin
at high speed, they can explode,
and you or others could be injured.
The vehicle can overheat, causing
an engine compartment fire or
other damage. Spin the wheels as
little as possible and avoid going
above 55 km/h (35 mph) as shown
on the speedometer.
For information about using tire
chains on the vehicle, seeTire
Chains on page 9-68.
Driving and Operating 8-11

To prevent gear damage, this
system also prevents cranking if
the engine is already running.
Engine cranking can be stopped
by turning the ignition switch
to ACC/ACCESSORY or
LOCK/OFF.
Notice:Cranking the engine for
long periods of time, by returning
the key to the START position
immediately after cranking has
ended, can overheat and damage
the cranking motor, and drain the
battery. Wait at least 15 seconds
between each try, to let the
cranking motor cool down.
2. If the engine does not start
after 5-10 seconds, especially in
very cold weather (below 0°F or
−18°C), it could be flooded with
too much gasoline. Push the
accelerator pedal all the way to
the floor and holding it there as
you hold the key in START for a
maximum of 15 seconds. Wait atleast 15 seconds between each
try, to allow the cranking motor to
cool. When the engine starts, let
go of the key and accelerator.
If the vehicle starts briefly but
then stops again, repeat the
procedure. This clears the extra
gasoline from the engine. Do not
race the engine immediately after
starting it. Operate the engine and
transmission gently until the oil
warms up and lubricates all
moving parts.
Notice:The engine is designed
to work with the electronics in the
vehicle. If you add electrical parts
or accessories, you could change
the way the engine operates.
Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your
dealer/retailer. If you do not,
the engine might not perform
properly. Any resulting damage
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.Engine Heater
The engine coolant heater, if
available, can help in cold weather
conditions at or below 0°F (−18°C)
for easier starting and better fuel
economy during engine warm-up.
Plug in the coolant heater at least
four hours before starting the vehicle.
An internal thermostat in the
plug-end of the cord will prevent
engine coolant heater operation at
temperatures above 0°F (−18°C).
8-20 Driving and Operating

To Use The Engine Coolant
Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the
electrical cord.
The electrical cord is located
on the passenger side of the
engine compartment, in front
of the underhood fuse block
for V6 models.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded
110-volt AC outlet.
{WARNING
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 will not 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
do not it could be damaged.
The length of time the heater
should remain plugged in depends
on several factors. Ask a dealer/
retailer in the area where you will
be parking the vehicle for the best
advice on this.
Shifting Into Park
{WARNING
It can be dangerous to get out of
the vehicle if the shift lever is not
fully in P (Park) with the parking
brake firmly set. The vehicle can
roll. If you have left the engine
running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be
injured. To be sure the vehicle will
not move, even when you are on
fairly level ground, use the steps
that follow. If you are pulling a
trailer, seeDriving Characteristics
and Towing Tips on page 8-49.
Use this procedure to shift into
P (Park):
1. Hold the brake pedal down and
set the parking brake.
SeeParking Brake on page 8-32
for more information.
2. Hold the button on the shift lever
and push the lever toward the
front of the vehicle into P (Park).
Driving and Operating 8-21

3. Turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF.
4. Remove the key.
Leaving the Vehicle With the
Engine Running
{WARNING
It can be dangerous to leave the
vehicle with the engine running.
The vehicle could move suddenly
if the shift lever is not fully in
P (Park) 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.
Do not leave the vehicle with the
engine running.
If you have to leave the vehicle
with the engine running, the vehicle
must be in P (Park) and the parking
brake set.
Release the button and check that
the shift lever cannot be moved
out of P (Park).
Torque Lock
Torque lock is when the weight of
the vehicle puts too much force on
the parking pawl in the transmission.
This happens when parking on a hill
and shifting the transmission into
P (Park) is not done properly and
then it is difficult to shift out of
P (Park). To prevent torque lock,
set the parking brake and then
shift into P (Park). To find out how,
see “Shifting Into P (Park)” listed
previously.
If torque lock does occur, the
vehicle may need to be pushed
uphill by another vehicle to relieve
the parking pawl pressure, so
you can shift out of P (Park).
Shifting Out of Park
This vehicle is equipped with an
electronic shift lock release system.
The shift lock release is designed to:
•Prevent ignition key removal
unless the shift lever is in P (Park)
with the shift lever button fully
released.
•Prevent movement of the shift
lever out of P (Park), unless the
ignition is in ON/RUN or ACC/
ACCESSORY and the brake
pedal is applied.
The shift lock release is always
functional except in the case of
an uncharged or low voltage
(less than 9 volt) battery.
8-22 Driving and Operating

Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering
wheel with one hand. Then, to move
the trailer to the left, move that
hand to the left. To move the trailer
to the right, move your hand to
the right. Always back up slowly
and, if possible, have someone
guide you.
Making Turns
Notice:Making very sharp turns
while trailering could cause the
trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. The vehicle could be
damaged. Avoid making very
sharp turns while trailering.
When turning with a trailer, make
wider turns than normal. Do this so
the 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
The arrows on the instrument panel
flash whenever signaling a turn
or lane change. Properly hooked up,
the trailer lamps also flash, telling
other drivers the vehicle is turning,
changing lanes or stopping.
When towing a trailer, the arrows on
the instrument panel flash for turns
even if the bulbs on the trailer are
burned out. For this reason you
may think other drivers are seeing
the signal when they are not. It is
important to check occasionally to be
sure the trailer bulbs are still working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower
gear before starting down a long or
steep downgrade. If the transmission
is not shifted down, the brakes might
have to be used so much that they
would get hot and no longer
work well.Vehicles with an automatic
transmission can tow in D (Drive).
Shift the transmission to a lower
gear if the transmission shifts
too often under heavy loads and/or
hilly conditions. For vehicles with
a manual transmission, it is
better not to use the highest gear.
When towing at high altitude on
steep uphill grades, consider the
following: Engine coolant will boil at
a lower temperature than at normal
altitudes. If the engine is turned off
immediately after towing at high
altitude on steep uphill grades,
the vehicle may show signs similar
to engine overheating. To avoid
this, let the engine run while
parked, preferably on level ground,
with the automatic transmission
in P (Park) for a few minutes
before turning the engine off.
Driving and Operating 8-51