Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Camaro Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-9
Metric
When the ignition is on, the fuel
gauge shows about how much fuel
the vehicle has left in the fuel tank.
An arrow on the fuel gauge
indicates which side of the vehicle
the fuel door is located.
The gauge indicates empty before
the vehicle is out of fuel, to show
that the vehicle's fuel tank should
be filled soon. When the fuel tank is low on fuel,
a FUEL LEVEL LOW message will
appear on the Driver Information
Center (DIC). For more information
see
Fuel System Messages on
page 5‑37.
Here are some situations that can
occur with the fuel gauge. None of
these indicate a problem with the
fuel gauge.
.At the gas station, the fuel pump
shuts off before the gauge
reads full.
.It takes a little more or less fuel
to fill up than the fuel gauge
indicated. For example, the
gauge may have indicated the
tank was half full, but it actually
took a little more or less than
half the tank's capacity to fill
the tank.
.The pointer on the fuel gauge is
on empty when the ignition is off.
Engine Oil Pressure
Gauge
English
Black plate (10,1)Chevrolet Camaro Owner Manual - 2011
5-10 Instruments and Controls
Metric
For vehicles with the oil pressure
gauge, it is located in front of the
shifter, and shows the engine oil
pressure in kPa (kilopascals) or
psi (pounds per square inch) when
the engine is running. Oil pressure may vary with engine
speed, outside temperature and
oil viscosity, but readings above
the low pressure zone indicate
the normal operating range. When
the oil pressure reaches the low
pressure zone, a message appears
in the Driver Information Center
(DIC). See
Engine Oil Messages on
page 5‑36 andEngine Oil on
page 10‑10 for 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 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.
Black plate (13,1)Chevrolet Camaro Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-13
Metric
For vehicles with this gauge,
it is located in front of the shifter,
and shows the transmission oil
temperature when the ignition is on. If the gauge is reading in the red
area and/or a message appears
in the DIC, the vehicle must be
stopped and the cause checked.
One possible cause is a low fluid
level in the transmission.
For information on the DIC
messages see
Transmission
Messages on page 5‑40.
Notice: If the vehicle is
driven with the transmission
temperature gauge above the
normal operating range, the
transmission can be damaged.
This could lead to costly repairs
that would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Do not drive
the vehicle while the transmission
temperature gauge reading is
above normal. See your dealer
for service.
Voltmeter Gauge
English Shown, Metric Similar
For vehicles with this gauge, it is
located in front of the shifter, and
shows the battery's state of charge
in DC volts.
Black plate (36,1)Chevrolet Camaro Owner Manual - 2011
5-36 Instruments and Controls
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. See Engine
Overheating on page 10‑25.
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 Oil Life System.
See Engine Oil Life System on
page 10‑14 andDriver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑25 for
information on how to reset the
system. See Engine Oil on
page 10‑10 andScheduled
Maintenance on page 11‑2
for 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. See Engine Oil on
page 10‑10.
OIL PRESSURE LOW —STOP
ENGINE
This message displays if low oil
pressure levels occur. Stop the
vehicle as soon as safely possible
and do not operate it until the cause
of the low oil pressure has been
corrected. Check the oil as soon
as possible and have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer.
Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Camaro Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-7
Of course, traction is reduced when
water, snow, ice, gravel, or other
material is on the road. For safety,
slow down and adjust your driving
to these conditions. It is important
to slow down on slippery surfaces
because stopping distance is longer
and vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with
reduced traction, try to avoid
sudden steering, acceleration,
or braking, including reducing
vehicle speed by shifting to a lower
gear. Any sudden changes could
cause the tires to slide. You might
not realize the surface is slippery
until the vehicle is skidding. Learn
to recognize warning clues—such
as enough water, ice, or packed
snow on the road to make a
mirrored surface —and slow
down when you have any doubt.
Remember: Antilock brakes help
avoid only the braking skid.Competitive Driving
Competitive driving may affect the
vehicle warranty. See the warranty
book before using the vehicle for
racing or other competitive driving.
The new vehicle break‐in must be
performed before the vehicle is
used for competitive driving. See
New Vehicle Break-In on page 9‑18.
Notice: If you use your vehicle
for competitive driving, the
engine may use more oil than it
would with normal use. Low oil
levels can damage the engine.
Be sure to check the oil level
often during competitive driving
and keep the level at or near the
upper mark that shows the proper
operating range on the engine oil
dipstick. For information on how
to add oil, see Engine Oil on
page 10‑10.
For competitive driving, it is
recommended that the brake fluid
be replaced with a high performance
brake fluid that has a dry boiling
point greater than 279°C (534°F). After conversion to the high
performance brake fluid,
follow the brake fluid service
recommendations outlined by the
fluid manufacturer. Do not use
silicone or DOT‐5 brake fluids.
If the vehicle is used for racing,
competitive driving, sustained high
speed , or events that generate
excessive wheel slip, the rear axle
fluid temperatures will be higher
than would occur in normal driving.
We recommend that the rear axle
fluid be drained and refilled with
new fluid after every six hours
of racing or competitive driving.
See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 11‑7 for what
fluid to use.
Regularly inspect the driveshaft/
propshaft couplings and halfshaft
boots for cracking or grease
leakage. It is not recommended that
the vehicle be used for ongoing race
track/competitive driving.
Black plate (57,1)Chevrolet Camaro Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-57
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. For vehicles with manual
transmissions, let the engine run
while parked, preferably on level
ground, with the transmission out of
gear and the parking brake applied,
for a few minutes before turning the
engine off. If the overheat warning
comes on, seeEngine Overheating
on page 10‑25.Parking on Hills
{WARNING
Parking the vehicle on a hill
with the trailer attached can be
dangerous. If something goes
wrong, the rig could start to move.
People can be injured, and both
the vehicle and the trailer can be
damaged. When possible, always
park the rig on a flat surface.
If parking the rig on a hill:
1. Press the brake pedal, but do not shift into P (Park) yet for
vehicles with an automatic
transmission, or into gear
for vehicles with a manual
transmission. Turn the wheels
into the curb if facing downhill
or into traffic if facing uphill.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels. 3. When the wheel chocks are in
place, release the brake pedal
until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the brake pedal. Then apply the parking brake and shift
into P (Park) for vehicles with an
automatic transmission or into
gear for vehicles with a manual
transmission.
5. Release the brake pedal.
Leaving After Parking on a Hill
1. Apply and hold the brake pedal while you:
.start the 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.
Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Camaro Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-1
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . 10-3
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-5
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-6
Engine Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-9
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-10
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . 10-14
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-15
Manual Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Hydraulic Clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . 10-16 Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . 10-25
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . 10-27
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . 10-32
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . 10-34
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
Windshield Replacement . . . 10-35
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38 Headlamps, Front Turn
Signal and Parking Lamps
(Base Vehicle) . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal and Parking Lamps
(Up-Level Vehicle) . . . . . . . . 10-40
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-41
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-41
Taillamps, Turn Signal, and Stoplamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-42
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . 10-42
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . 10-43
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-43
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-44
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-44
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-47
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-49
Black plate (10,1)Chevrolet Camaro Owner Manual - 2011
10-10 Vehicle Care
6.2 L V8 Engine Cover (L99
Engine shown LS3 similar)
To remove:
1. Remove the engine oilfill cap (A).
2. Lift the engine cover (B) to disengage two front attachment
points.
3. Pull engine cover forward to disengage from horizontal rear
attachments.
4. Reverse Steps 1 through 3 to reinstall engine cover.
Engine Oil
To ensure proper engine
performance and long life, careful
attention must be paid to engine
oil. Following these simple, but
important steps will help protect
your investment:
.Always use engine oil approved
to the proper specification and
of the proper viscosity grade.
See “Selecting the Right Engine
Oil” in this section.
.Check the engine oil level
regularly and maintain the
proper oil level. See “Checking
Engine Oil” and“When to Add
Engine Oil” in this section.
.Change the engine oil at the
appropriate time. See Engine
Oil Life System on page 10‑14.
.Always dispose of engine oil
properly. See “What to Do with
Used Oil” in this section.
Checking Engine Oil
It is a good idea to check the
engine oil level at each fuel fill.
In order to get an accurate reading,
the vehicle must be on level ground.
The engine oil dipstick handle
is a yellow loop. See Engine
Compartment Overview on
page 10‑6 for the location of
the engine oil dipstick.