Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Camaro Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
2012 Chevrolet Camaro Owner ManualM
In Brief. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4
Vehicle Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Performance and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Keys, Doors, and Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Keys and Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Exterior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Interior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Seats and Restraints . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-16
Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-31 Storage
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . 4-1
Additional Storage Features . . . 4-3
Instruments and Controls . . . . 5-1
Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Information Displays . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 5-39
Universal Remote System . . . . 5-43
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Lighting Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-21
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . 8-1
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3 Driving and Operating
. . . . . . . . 9-1
Driving Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Starting and Operating . . . . . . . 9-16
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 9-26
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Ride Control Systems . . . . . . . . 9-34
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Object Detection Systems . . . . 9-40
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Conversions and Add-Ons . . . 9-54
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Vehicle Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Wheels and Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-47
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-83
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-87
Appearance Care . . . . . . . . . . . 10-88
Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Camaro Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Introduction v
Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols
that may be found on the vehicle
and what they mean. For more
information on the symbol, refer to
the Index.
9:Airbag Readiness Light
#:Air Conditioning
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
%:Audio Steering Wheel Controls
or OnStar®
$: Brake System Warning Light
":Charging System
I:Cruise Control
B: Engine Coolant Temperature
O:Exterior Lamps
#:Fog Lamps
.: Fuel Gauge
+:Fuses
3: Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer
j: LATCH System Child
Restraints
*: Malfunction Indicator Lamp
::Oil Pressure
}:Power
/:Remote Vehicle Start
>:Safety Belt Reminders
7:Tire Pressure Monitor
d:Traction Control/Stabilitrak®
M:Windshield Washer Fluid
Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Camaro Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
In Brief 1-7
For more information seeHead
Restraints on page 3‑2 andSeat
Adjustment on page 3‑3.
Safety Belts
Refer to the following sections for
important information on how to use
safety belts properly:
.Safety Belts on page 3‑8.
.How to Wear Safety Belts
Properly on page 3‑9.
.Lap-Shoulder Belt on page 3‑10.
.Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on
page 3‑39.
Passenger Sensing
System
United States
Canada and Mexico
The passenger sensing system will
turn off the right front passenger
frontal airbag under certain
conditions. The driver airbag and
roof‐rail airbags, if equipped, are not
affected by the passenger sensing
system.
The passenger airbag status
indicator will be visible on the
overhead console when the vehicle
is started. See Passenger Sensing
System on page 3‑23 for more
information.
Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Camaro Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-1
Seats and
Restraints
Head Restraints
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Front Seats
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Power Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . 3-4
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Seatback Latches . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Heated Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Rear Seats
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Safety Belts
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
How to Wear Safety BeltsProperly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14
Safety Belt Extender . . . . . . . . . 3-14 Safety System Check . . . . . . . . 3-14
Safety Belt Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-15
Replacing Safety Belt System
Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . 3-15
Airbag System
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-16
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . 3-18
When Should an AirbagInflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-20
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-21
How Does an Airbag Restrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-21
What Will You See after an Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-22
Passenger Sensing
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-23
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-28
Adding Equipment to the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . 3-28
Airbag System Check . . . . . . . . 3-30
Replacing Airbag System Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . 3-30
Child Restraints
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-31
Infants and YoungChildren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33
Child Restraint Systems . . . . . 3-35
Where to Put the Restraint . . . 3-37
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-39
Replacing LATCH System Parts After a Crash . . . . . . . . . 3-44
Securing Child Restraints (Rear Seat) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-44
Securing Child Restraints (Right Front
Passenger Seat) . . . . . . . . . . . 3-46
Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Camaro Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-9
Why Safety Belts Work
When riding in a vehicle, you travel
as fast as the vehicle does. If the
vehicle stops suddenly, you keep
going until something stops you.
It could be the windshield, the
instrument panel, or the safety belts!
When you wear a safety belt, you
and the vehicle slow down together.
There is more time to stop because
you stop over a longer distance and,
when worn properly, your strongest
bones take the forces from thesafety belts. That is why wearing
safety belts makes such good
sense.
Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts
Q: Will I be trapped in the vehicle
after a crash if I am wearing a
safety belt?
A: You could be—whether you are
wearing a safety belt or not.
Your chance of being conscious
during and after a crash, so you
can unbuckle and get out, is
much greater if you are belted.
Q: If my vehicle has airbags, why should I have to wear safety
belts?
A: Airbags are supplemental
systems only; so they work with
safety belts —not instead of
them. Whether or not an airbag
is provided, all occupants still
have to buckle up to get the
most protection. Also, in nearly all states and in
all Canadian provinces, the law
requires wearing safety belts.
How to Wear Safety Belts
Properly
This section is only for people of
adult size.
There are special things to know
about safety belts and children. And
there are different rules for smaller
children and infants. If a child will be
riding in the vehicle, see
Older
Children on page 3‑31 orInfants
and Young Children on page 3‑33.
Follow those rules for everyone's
protection.
It is very important for all occupants
to buckle up. Statistics show that
unbelted people are hurt more often
in crashes than those who are
wearing safety belts.
There are important things to know
about wearing a safety belt properly.
Black plate (11,1)Chevrolet Camaro Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-11
2. Adjust the seat, if the seat isadjustable, so you can sit up
straight. To see how, see “Seats”
in the Index.
3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you. Do not let it
get twisted.
The lap-shoulder belt may lock if
you pull the belt across you very
quickly. If this happens, let the
belt go back slightly to unlock it.
Then pull the belt across you
more slowly. If the shoulder portion of a
passenger belt is pulled out all
the way, the child restraint
locking feature may be engaged.
If this happens, let the belt go
back all the way and start again.
4. Push the latch plate into the
buckle until it clicks.
Pull up on the latch plate to
make sure it is secure. If the belt
is not long enough, see Safety
Belt Extender on page 3‑14. Position the release button on
the buckle so that the safety belt
could be quickly unbuckled if
necessary.
5. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the shoulder belt.
It may be necessary to pull
stitching on the safety belt
through the latch plate to fully
tighten the lap belt on smaller
occupants.
To unlatch the belt, push the button
on the buckle. The belt should
return to its stowed position.
Black plate (12,1)Chevrolet Camaro Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
3-12 Seats and Restraints
Before a door is closed, be sure the
safety belt is out of the way. If a
door is slammed against a safety
belt, damage can occur to both the
safety belt and the vehicle.
Safety Belt Pretensioners
This vehicle has safety belt
pretensioners for the front outboard
occupants. Although the safety belt
pretensioners cannot be seen, they
are part of the safety belt assembly.
They can help tighten the safety
belts during the early stages of a
moderate to severe frontal or near
frontal crash if the threshold
conditions for pretensioner
activation are met. And, if the
vehicle has side impact airbags,
safety belt pretensioners can help
tighten the safety belts in a side
crash.Pretensioners work only once. If the
pretensioners activate in a crash,
the pretensioners and probably
other parts of the vehicle's safety
belt system will need to be replaced.
See
Replacing Safety Belt System
Parts after a Crash on page 3‑15.Rear Safety Belt Comfort
Guides
Rear shoulder belt comfort guides
may provide added safety belt
comfort for older children who have
outgrown booster seats and for
some adults. When installed on a
shoulder belt, the comfort guide
positions the shoulder belt away
from the neck and head. There is one guide for each
outboard passenger position in the
rear seat. Here is how to install a
comfort guide to the safety belt:
1. Pull the elastic cord out from
between the edge of the
seatback and the interior body to
remove the guide from its
storage clip.
Black plate (14,1)Chevrolet Camaro Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
3-14 Seats and Restraints
4. Buckle, position, and releasethe safety belt as described
previously in this section. Make
sure the shoulder portion of the
belt is on the shoulder and not
falling off of it. The belt should
be close to, but not contacting,
the neck.
To remove and store the comfort
guide, squeeze the belt edges
together so that the safety belt can
be removed from the guide. Slide
the guide onto the clip, leaving only
the loop of the elastic cord exposed.
Properly secure the guide before
folding the seatback.
Safety Belt Use During
Pregnancy
Safety belts work for everyone,
including pregnant women. Like all
occupants, they are more likely to
be seriously injured if they do not
wear safety belts.
A pregnant woman should wear a
lap-shoulder belt, and the lap
portion should be worn as low as
possible, below the rounding,
throughout the pregnancy.
The best way to protect the fetus is
to protect the mother. When a safety
belt is worn properly, it is more likely
that the fetus will not be hurt in a
crash. For pregnant women, as for
anyone, the key to making safety
belts effective is wearing them
properly.
Safety Belt Extender
If the vehicle's safety belt will fasten
around you, you should use it.
But if a safety belt is not long
enough, your dealer will order you
an extender. When you go in to
order it, take the heaviest coat you
will wear, so the extender will be
long enough for you. To help avoid
personal injury, do not let someone
else use it, and use it only for the
seat it is made to fit. The extender
has been designed for adults. Never
use it for securing child seats. To
wear it, attach it to the regular safety
belt. For more information, see the
instruction sheet that comes with
the extender.
Safety System Check
Now and then, check that the safety
belt reminder light, safety belts,
buckles, latch plates, retractors, and
anchorages are all working properly.
Look for any other loose or
damaged safety belt system parts
that might keep a safety belt system