Chevrolet chevelle 1973 User manual

~ CHEVELLE
1973 CHEVROLET
OWNER'S MANUAL
IMPORTANT OPERATING, SAFETY AND MAINTENANCE INSTRUCTIONS
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A WORD TO CHEVELLEOWNERS ...
This manual has been prepared to acquaint you with the operation and maintenance of your 1973 Chevelle and to
provide important safety information. It is supplemented by three convenient folders which provide additional informa-
tion on vehicle maintenance. emission control. and warranties. We urge you to read these publications carefully and
follow the recommendations to help assure the most enjoyable and troublefree operation of your vehicle .
When it comes to service. remember that your Chevrolet dealer knows your vehicle best and is interested in your
complete satisfaction. Return to him for Guardian Maintenance Service and any other assistance you may require.
To assist dealers in handling your needs. Chevrolet maintains a number of Zone Offices throughout the country. Should
you have a problem that cannot be handled through normal channels. follow the procedure presented in Section 7 of
this manual under the heading. "Owner Assistance".
We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for choosing a Chevrolet product-and assure you of our continuing
interest in your motoring pleasure and satisfaction.
FOR CONTINUING SATISFACTION. KEEP YOUR
GM CAR ALL GM . GENERAL MOTORS PARTS ARE
IDENTIFIED BY ONE OF THESE TRADEMARKS :
Chevrolet Motor Division
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1973 CHEVELLE
OWNER'S
MANUAL
Reprinted with Permission of
General Motors Corporation
CHEVROLET MOTOR
DIVISION
GENERAL MOTORS
CORPORATION
DETROIT. MICHIGAN 48202
All information, illustrations and specifications con-
tained in this manual are based on the latest product
information available at the time of publication. The
right is rBserved to make changes at any time without
notice.
For vehicles
sold in Canada. substitute the name
General Motors
of Canada Limited wherever the name
Chevrolet
Motor Car Division appears in this manual.
ST 305-73
©General Motors Corporation 1972
Section
Table of Contents Page
Before Driving Your Chevelle. ............ . ..... . ... . 3
2 Starting and Operating. .... : ............. . ..... . ............. " 14
Steering Column Controls ................ .. .......... . .. . . . . " 15
Starting Engine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 16
Floor Controls ...... ... ...... . .... . ...... . ...... . ............ " 22
Instrument Panel ..... . ...... .. .................. . ..... . ..... " 24
Other Controls and Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
3 In Case of Emergency. . .... .. ..... . ..... " ............. . .... . . 41
4 Appearance Care. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 46
5 Service and Maintenance. ............................. . ....... 50
6 Minor Trouble Shooting. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
7 Specifications. Owner Assistance. Service Manuals, Index, Gas
Station Information ............................ . .............. 70
1
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YOUR CAR'S FIRST
FEW HUNDRED MILES OF DRIVING
You can operate your new car from
its very first mile without adhering
to a formal "break-in" schedule.
However, during the first few hun-
dred miles of driving you can, by
observing a
few simple precautions,
add to the future performance and
economy of your
cat .
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 ex-
tended periods at
anyone constant
speed, either fast or slow. Dur-
ing this period, avoid full throttle
starts and, if possible, avoid hard
stops especially during the first 200
miles of operation since brake mis-
2
use during this period will destroy
much future brake efficiency.
Always drive at moderate speed
until the engine has completely
warmed up.
If you plan to use your new car
for trailer hauling see additional
information on page 11.
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BEFORE DRIVING YOUR CHEVELLE
DRIVER CHECKLIST
Before Entering Car
1. See that windows, mirrors and
lights are clean.
2. Visually note inflation condition
of tires.
3. Check that area to rear
is clear
if about to back up.
Before Driving Off
1. Lock all doors.
2. Position seat and adjust head
restraints.
3. Adjustinsideandoutsidemirrors.
4. Fasten seat belts.
5. Check that warning bulbs light
when key
is turned to start
position.
6. Release parking brake (and see
that brake warning light turns
off) .
7. Be sure you understand your car
and how to operate it safely.
Keys
Two separate keys are provided
for your car. Each key has a differ-
ent cross section so that it can be
inse'rted only in certain locks.
• Key with square head
(stamped "E") -for ignition
switch and door locks.
• Key with oval head (stamped
"H") -for all other locks.
LOCKS
The code number of each key is
stamped on the "knock out" plug
in the key head. Your Chevrolet
3
dealer removed these plugs and
placed them with the spare set of
keys in the special key envelope
that was given to you at time of
delivery.
For your protection:
• Record the numbers on the key
envelope
and discard the key
plugs.
• Keep the key envelope in a safe
place such as your wallet, Not
In
The Car.
In the event the original keys are
lost, duplicates can be made by
your dealer
or a locksmith using the
key code information.
Be sure to lock the glove box or
console compartments and remove
the key from the car whenever it
is
necessary to leave the ignition key
with an attendant.
Door Locks
Front and rear side doors can
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be locked from the inside by de-
pressing the passenger guard door
lock buttons located on the upper
door panel. All doors can be locked
from the outside by first depressing
the door lock button and closing
the door.
The front doors can also be
• locked by using the key.
All models have as a standard
safety feature overridingdoorlocks.
When the doors are locked, the
door latch mechanism
is inopera-
tive, preventing inadvertent open-
ing of the door by movement of the
inside handle.
REMINDER: Avoid hanging ob-
jects on the right hand coat hook
in such a way that you block the
driver's vision to the right rear
quarter.
REMINDER: Always lock the
doors when driving, for greater se-
curity in the event of an accident
and for security against entry by
unwelcome persons while momen-
tarily stopped.
Seats
Folding seatbacks are equipped
with self-latching mechanisms and
release controls designed for the
convenience of entering and exit-
ing passengers.
Manually Operated Front Seats
The front seat can be moved
forward or rearward by moving the
control lever
on the driver's side of
4
the seat forward and exerting slight
body pressure in the direction de-
sired. The seat
is locked in position
when the lever
is rele~ed.
Bucket Seats
The front seats may be adjusted
to suit an individual's preference.
Simply release the seat lock mech-
anism located at the front of the
seat. Once released, exert slight
body pressure in the direction de-
sired. Release the lever to lock the
seat in the desired position.
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Swivel Bucket Seat
The swivel bucket seat can be
turned towards the door opening
to provide front seating conven-
ience and easy entrance into the
rear seat area.
To turn swivel seat,
depress control lever at outboard
side of seat base, then turn seat.
Position seat in forward locked
position, prior to operating car.
Power Operated Front Seats
The six-way electrically oper-
ated front seat combines the oper-
ation of three separate switches to
move the seat into almost any de-
sired position.
The three controls operate
as
follows:
• The center toggle switch is used
to move the seat forward, rear-
ward, up
or down.
• The front switch tilts the front
of the seat up
and down.
• The rear switch tilts the rear of
the seat up and down.
Back Locks (Manual) -For your
safety each folding front seatback
has a lock which must be released
5
before the seatback can be folded
forward.
The release lever
is located at
the lower side of each backrest
nearest the door. Move the lever
upward, then pull the seatback
forward.
The lock will latch when the
seatback returns to its upright po-
sition.
Keep seat belts and buckles clear
of mechanism when tilting folding
seats forward or backwards, to pre-
vent damage to these belt restraints.
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Inside Rearview Mirrors
Switch mirror to night position
to reduce glare from following
headlights.
To raise or lower, grasp mirror
and exert sufficient pressure by
pushing
or pulling to move mirror
up
or down.
Occupant Restraint Belts
Lap and shoulder belts provide
added security and comfort for you
and your passengers. Proper use
and care of these belts will assure
continuance of this security.
Lap Belts
• Adjust front seat to satisfaction
of driver and sit erect and well
back in seat.
• In a single motion, pull webbing
across lap far enough to permit
inserting metal latch plate end of
lap belt into the buckle, until a
snap
is heard. If not pulled outfar
enough to reach, let belt rewind
into the retractor to release lock
mechanism, so belt can be pulled
out to the proper length.
• Position belt across lap as LOW
ON HIPS as possible. To reduce
the risk
of sliding under belt
during an accident, adjust to a
SNUG FIT by pulling belt
firmly across lap in direction of
retractor so it can take up slack.
6
• Seating pOSItIOns next to side
windows have retractors which
are designed to automatically
take up excess webbing and
maintain tension on the lap belt.
• Lap belts at center seating posi-
tions should be positioned and
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secured as above, and adjusted
to a SNUG
FIT by pulling on
the end of the belt extending
from the adjustable latch plate.
• To lengthen lap belt at center
seating positions place adjust-
able latch plate at right angles to
the belt webbing and pull on
latch plate; belt should then slide
easily through the adjustable
latch plate.
• To unfasten lap belts, depress
push button in center of buckle.
7
ADJUSTABLE LATCH
PLATE CENTER SEAT
BELT . TURN AT
RIGHT ANGLE TO
LENGTHEN.
NOTE: Take care not to let the
lap belt twist while it
is being re-
wound into the retractor. The bulk
of the twisted belt may cause the
retractor to jam so
it will not re-
wind further while at the same time
the retractor's locking mechanism
prevents the belt from being with-
drawn.
If a belt should become
jammed, you may be able to release
it by pulling the belt out far enough
to untwist it. Otherwise, the retrac-
tor will require servicing.
Seat Belt Buzzer/Light
Reminder
• The front outboard lap belts
(those next to side windows)
are linked
to a buzzer and light
which remind occupants to fas-
ten seat belts.
• On cars with automatic transmis-
sions,
or manual transmissions
with steering column-mounted
shift levers, the buzzer and light
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are designed to come on when
the ignition switch
is on, the
transmission selector
is in a for-
ward drive position, and the
driver's
or right front passen-
ger's lap belt
is not fastened.
• On manual transmission cars
with floor mounted shift con-
trols the reminders are designed
to come on when the ignition
switch
is on, the driver's or right
front passenger's lap belt
is not
fastened and the transmission
is in any gear position, except
that they do not come on when
the parking brake
is engaged.
NOTE: The right front seat con-
tains a weight detector which
is de-
signed to activate the buzzer and
light whenever a nominal weight is
placed on the seat. The weight de-
tector cannot distinguish between
a passenger and any item of lug-
.gage or cargo, therefore such items
should be placed elsewhere in the
cat , preferably in the trunk.
• If seat belt system or reminder
system ·does not work
as · de-
scribed, see your Chevrolet deal-
er for information and assist-
ance.
Shoulder Belts
• When properly worn with a lap
belt, a shoulder belt can provide
important additional protection
against impact with the car in-
terior by restraining forward
motion of the upper torso in a
collision. This
is particularly
true in the case of a frontal im-
pact, which
is the most frequent
type of accident.
• To fasten the shoulder belt. un-
stow
it and place the knob on
the shoulder belt end in the key-
8
hole
on the lap belt latch plate.
(The latch is designed so that
this attachment can only be
completed before fastening the
lap belt.) Tilt the knob
as neces-
sary, to pass it through the slot.
Pull the knob firmly upward to
seat it at the narrow end of the
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