Chevrolet 1962 Corvair User manual

OWNERS GUIDE
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Your 1962 Chevrolet Corvair is a completely new automobile, both in
concept and in design. It will fit into your plans as a second car, an only car,
an "errand" car, a "transportationO car or a car for vacation and travel. It
combines "small" car size and economy with "big" American car performance
and comfort. We at Chevrolet know you will enjoy owning and operating your
Corvair for years to come.
Your Chevrolet dealer is well trained and equipped to inspect and service
your Corvair
and keep it ready to provide new car service and performance.
Have
him inspect and service your car at regular intervals.
The information
and suggestions found in this owners guide can help you
enjoy to the fullest, all of the
advantages and features built into your Corvair.
We would also like to take this opportunity to thank you for choosing
Chevrolet-and to assure you of our continuing interest in your motoring pleasure
and satisfaction.
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Operating Instructions ....................................... .
Page
2
8
10
22
24
26
40
42
43
44
47
Instruments ................................................ .
Controls .................................................. .
Station
Wagon . . ............. . . . .... . ................. . ... .
Cleaning Hints ............................................. .
Maintenance and Lubrication ................................. .
Specifications
............................................. .
Service Accessories
.................................... . ..... .
Minor Trouble Shooting
Guide .. ... .... . ..... . .... . .......... . .
Trouble ShooHng Procedures ................................. .
Index
... , ........ ' ........... . ........................... .
Owner Protection Plan ............................ Inside Back Cover
All information contained in this booklet is based on the latest product information available at the
time of printing. The right is r.served to make changes at any time without notice.
PART NO. 3798324 • SECOND EDITION
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OPE~ATING INSTRUCTIONS
Sound design and precIsion manufacturing methods
will permit you to operate your new Corvair in a normal
manner from its very first mile without adhering to a
formal "break-in" schedule. However, during the first
few hundred miles of driving you can, by observing a
few simple precautions, add to the future performance
and economy of your car.
It is recommended that your speed during the first
500 miles be confined to a maximum of 60 M.P.H., but
do not drive for extended periods at anyone constant
Proper maintenance and wise operation will com-
bine to help you achieve maximum fuel economy with
your Corvair. Your Authorized Chevrolet Dealer can
properly tune and maintain your car but wise operation
is your responsibility . Give the car sufficient warm-up
2
speed, either fast or slow . Duri ng this period, avoid full
throttle "jack-rabbit" starts and quick, abrupt stops.
Gentle braking during the first few hundred miles of
operation will result in longer brake life and better
future performance. Avoid hard stops especially during
the first 200 miles of operation since brake misuse during
this period will destroy much future brake efficiency.
Always drive at a moderate speed until the eng . ine
has completely warmed up.
time, do not make "jack rabbit" starts or skidding stops,
and drive at reasonable speeds and as steady as traffic
permits to gain the benefits of all the economy built into
your Corvair.
·i
I
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IGNITION SWITCH
LOCk OFF ON START
".i(
START-Used only when starting engine. When released,
switch returns to ON.
ON-For normal operation after engine has been started.
OFF-Turns off engine and accessories.
LOCK-Same as "OFF" except that switch cannot be
moved into or out of this position without ignition
key. Always switch to LOCK and remove the key
when leaving your car unattended.
NOTE: Key cannot be removed from switch when in OFF
position, thus guarding against accidentally leaving
switch
OFF but not locked. The key may be removed
when the switch is in LOCK or ON position and the
switch
may be moved between OFF and ON posi-
tions without the use
of the key.
3
STARTING
1. POWERGLIDE-Place control lever in N position.
The engine will not start in any other position.
THREE-SPEED-Place gearshift control lever in Neu-
tral.
2. Depress accelerator part way and release. In ex-
treme cold weather (0
0
F. and below) or when
engine is hot, accelerator pedal should be held
part way down during starting.
3. Turn ignition switch to START and release as soon
as engine starts.
4. "FLOODED" ENGINE-Depress accelerator to floor
and hold while cranking engine. Never "pump"
accelerator.
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..
WARM-UP
Never race the engine or drive at high speeds until
the
engine has had a chance to warm up. Always drive
at moderate speeds fo'r several miles, especially in cold
weather. Failure to allow sufficient warm-up time causes
much unnecessary wear to the engine . Also, excessive
speeds hefore axle and transmission lubricant becomes
warmed up can cause harm to these parts.
The
Three-Speed and optional Four-SpeeCl Trans-
missions
are operated in basically the same manner. Shift
patterns differ, of course, as illustrated in the two
illustrations on
page 5.
1st GEAR (lOW)-Depress clutch pedal, shift into 1st
gear, slowly release clutch pedal while pressing on
accelerator. As car gains speed, depress clutch pedal,
release accelerator and move gearshift into 2nd gear .
2nd GEAR-Release clutch pedal and depress accelerator
as above as car gains speed, then, in same manner
4
as before, move gearshift lever into 3rd gear.
3rd GEAR (HIGH)-Slowly release clutch pedal and de -
press
accelerator pedal. This is the cruising gear for
all normal driving with
the 3-speed transmission.
With the
4-speed transmission 3rd gear will provide
more
response and higher performance for driving
in heavy traffic.
4th GEAR (HIGH-4-speed Transmission Only)
Shift into fourth
gear in the same manner for normal
cruising with
the 4-speed transmission.
NOTE: Whenever the vehicle begins to labor in
any gear, depress the clutch pedal and shift to
the next lower gear.
TO STOP-Release the accelerator and depress the
brake pedal. As car slows down, depress the clutch
pedal and move the gearshift lever into Neutral.
NEUTRAL-For use when starting
or idling engine.
REVERSE-Operate as for 1st Gear but always at a
slow
speed.
TOWING-Attaching points for lifting and towing are
located in the front and rear bumper brackets.
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Three Sp . eed Shift Pattern
PUSHING TO START
• Turn on key and depress clutch pedal.
• Place gearshift lever in Neutral position until car
speed reaches 15 MPH.
The
optional Powerglide transmission is a completely
automatic transmission which replaces the standard clutch
and transmission. After starting the engine with the se-
lector lever in "N" (Neutral) position, merely select the
range desired and depress the accelerator. The Power-
glid~ transmission will do the rest.
5
Four Speed Shift Pattern
• Move shift lever to 3rd position and slowly release
clutch pedal.
• Never attempt to start the car by towing.
With lever in "D" the transmission starts in auto-
matic low gear and will shift to cruising gear at some
point between approximately 12 and 50 mph, de-
pending on the accelerator position. Thus, a gradual start
with a steady, gradual increase of pressure on the accel-
erator pedal will enable the transmission to shift into the
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more economical cruising gear in the shortest possible
time. Hard acceleration for fast starts will cause the trans-
mission
to remain in low gear for a considerably longer
period.
When driving at speeds below 45 mph, the transmis-
sion
may be shifted back into low range for extra acceler-
ation for passing by depressing the accelerator pedal
fully. The transmission wi" automatically shift back into
cruising gear when the accelerator pedal is momentarily
released.
PUSHING TO START
• Turn on key and move selector lever to Neutral. At
20 to 25 MPH move lever to "L".
• When engine starts, move selector lever to "D".
NOTE: Never tow to start.
OPERATING YOUR POWERGLIDE TRANSMISSION
POSITION
OPERATION USES
R-REVERSE
For Backing Car (From Stopped Position)
N-NEUTRAL
For Starting Engine (Brakes Applied)
NORMAL
DRIVING
D-DRIVE
For all Forward Driving. Step hard on
RANGE
accelerator for extra acceleration below
45 MPH.
L-LOW
For Hard Pulling at Low Speeds, Climb-
SAND, SNOW,
ing, or Descending Steep Grades and for
MUD OR ON
additional engine braking below 40 MPH.
STEEP GRADES
6
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TOWING
• Place selector lever in Neutral.
• If transmission or axle are malfunctioning , tow with
rear wheels raised .
• When towing any vehicle on its front wheels, the
steering wheel should be secured to maintain a
straight forward position.
• Never tow faster than 50 MPH.
• Attaching points for lifting and towing are located in
the front and rear bumper brackets.
ROCKING CAR
When stuck in mud, sand or snow, you may rock
the car forward and back by depressing the accelerato r
slightly and shifting the selector lever between " R" and
" D." Avoid excessive engine speed while performing
this operation .
WHEN PARKING CAR
It is important that when your Corvair is parked the
parking brake be fully engaged . Do not count on the
The Positr action Rear Axle gives you constant driv-
ing fo rce on both rear wheels; especially helpful in the
winter and during ot her slippery driving conditions .
In normal use, light throttle application will supply
7
transmission in "L" or " R" to hold the car. Always en-
gage the parking brake when parked.
maximum traction . When starting with one rear wheel
on an excessively slippe ry surf ace, slight application of
the parking brake may be necessary to gain maximum
traction .
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...
INSTRUMENTS
All driving instruments are grouped in the instrument
cluster which is located immediately in front of the driver
to provide quick reading and a maximum of convenience
and accessibility. The "Temp-Press" and "GEN-FAN" in-
dicator lights provide important information concerning
the condition of the engine and should be checked regu-
larly during operation of the car. The information on
these pages will help you understand the operation of
these instruments and the illustrations here and on page
10 will acquaint you with the instrument cluster and the
instrument panel as a whole.
FUEL GAUGE
This electrically operated
gauge accurately indicates
the amount of fuel in the 14
gallon fuel tank only when
the ignition switch is in the
"ON" position. When the ig-
nition is "OFF," the indicator
pointer will not necessarily re-
turn to the EMPTY mark, but
8
moy stop at any point on the gauge. Therefore, always
be sure that the ignition switch is "ON" before checking
the fuel gauge.
SPEEDOMETER
Conveniently located in the instrument cluster direct-
ly ahead of the driver, the speedometer shows at a
glance the speed of the car in miles per hour. The
odometer, centered directly below the speedometer dial
registers accumulated vehicle mileage.
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