Disclaimer: Not affiliated with or endorsed by Chevrolet Motor Company. For informational purposes only. Full Disclaimer

2020 Chevrolet Camaro Owners Manual - Starting and Operating



Starting and Operating

New Vehicle Break-In

See Track Events and Competitive Driving 0 157.

The vehicle has an electronic keyless ignition with pushbutton start.

The Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter must be in the vehicle for the system to operate. If the pushbutton start is not working, the vehicle may be near a strong radio antenna signal causing interference to the Keyless Access system. See Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System Operation 0 8.

To shift out of P (Park), the vehicle must be on and the brake pedal must be applied.

Stopping the Engine/OFF (No Indicator Lights) : When the vehicle is stopped, press ENGINE START/STOP once to turn the engine off.

If the vehicle is in P (Park), the ignition will turn off, and Retained Accessory Power (RAP) will remain active. See Retained Accessory Power (RAP) 0 179.

Automatic Transmission

If the vehicle is not in P (Park), the ignition will return to ACC/ ACCESSORY and display a message in the Driver Information Center (DIC). When the vehicle is shifted into P (Park), the ignition system will turn OFF.

Manual Transmission

If the vehicle is stationary, the ignition will turn off, and Retained Accessory Power (RAP) will remain active. See Retained Accessory Power (RAP) 0 179.

Do not turn the engine off when the vehicle is moving. This will cause a loss of power assist in the brake and steering systems and disable the airbags.

If the vehicle must be shut off in an emergency:

    Brake using a firm and steady pressure. Do not pump the brakes repeatedly. This may deplete power assist, requiring increased brake pedal force.
    Shift the vehicle to N (Neutral). This can be done while the vehicle is moving. After shifting to N (Neutral), firmly apply the brakes and steer the vehicle to a safe location.
    Come to a complete stop. Shift to P (Park) with an automatic transmission, or Neutral with a manual transmission. Turn the ignition off.
    Set the parking brake. See

Electric Parking Brake 0 192.

If the vehicle cannot be pulled over, and must be shut off while driving, press and hold ENGINE START/ STOP for longer than two seconds, or press twice within five seconds.

ACC/ACCESSORY (Amber

Indicator Light) : This mode allows the use of some electrical accessories when the engine is off.

With the ignition off, pressing the button one time without the brake pedal applied will place the ignition system in ACC/ACCESSORY.

The ignition will switch from ACC/ ACCESSORY to OFF after

five minutes to prevent battery rundown.

ON/RUN/START (Green Indicator Light) : This mode is for driving and starting. With the ignition off, and the brake pedal applied, pressing the button once will place the ignition system in ON/RUN/START. Once engine cranking begins, release the button. Engine cranking will continue until the engine starts. See Starting the Engine 0 176. The ignition will then remain on.

Service Mode

This power mode is available for service and diagnostics, and to verify the proper operation of the malfunction indicator lamp as may be required for emission inspection purposes. With the vehicle off, and the brake pedal not applied, pressing and holding ENGINE START/STOP for more than

five seconds will place the vehicle in Service Mode. The instruments and audio systems will operate as they do in ON/RUN, but the vehicle will not be able to be driven. The engine will not start in Service Mode. Press the button again to turn the

vehicle off.

Place the transmission in the proper gear.

Automatic Transmission

Move the shift lever to P (Park) or N (Neutral). To restart the vehicle when it is already moving, use N (Neutral) only.

Manual Transmission

The shift lever should be in Neutral and the parking brake engaged.

Hold the clutch pedal down to the floor, press the brake pedal, and start the engine.

Starting the Vehicle

The RKE transmitter must be inside the vehicle for the ignition to work.

Cell phone chargers can interfere with the operation of the Keyless Access system. Battery chargers should not be plugged in when starting or turning off the engine.

To start the vehicle:

    For vehicles with an automatic transmission, press the brake pedal, then press ENGINE START/STOP on the instrument panel. For a manual transmission, place the shift lever in Neutral with the parking brake engaged. Hold the clutch pedal down to the floor, press the brake pedal, then press ENGINE START/STOP.

If there is no RKE transmitter in the vehicle or if there is something causing interference with it, the Driver Information Center (DIC) will display a message.

    When the engine begins cranking, let go of the button and the engine cranks automatically until it starts.

If the battery in the RKE transmitter is weak, the DIC will display a message. The vehicle can still be driven.

See “Starting the Vehicle with a Low Transmitter Battery” under Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System Operation 0 8. If the RKE transmitter battery is dead, insert it into the rear cupholder to enable engine starting.

    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.
    If the engine does not start and no DIC message is displayed, wait 15 seconds before trying again to let the cranking motor cool down.

If the engine does not start after five to 10 seconds, especially in very cold weather (below −18 °C or 0 °F), it could be flooded with too much gasoline. Try pushing the accelerator pedal all the way to the floor while cranking for up to 15 seconds maximum. Wait at least 15 seconds between each try, to allow the cranking motor to cool down. When the engine starts, let go of the accelerator. If the vehicle starts briefly but then stops again, repeat these steps. This clears the extra gasoline from the engine.

R (Reverse) and apply the parking brake. Then turn off the ignition off by pressing ENGINE START/STOP and release the clutch pedal when the engine has stopped.

If the RKE transmitter is not detected inside the vehicle when it is turned off the DIC displays a message.

before starting the vehicle. An internal thermostat in the plug end of the cord will prevent engine heater operation at temperatures above −18 °C (0 °F).

    Turn off the engine.
    Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.

If the vehicle has an automatic transmission, move the shift lever to P (Park) and press and hold ENGINE START/STOP on the

instrument panel, until the engine shuts off. If the shift lever is not in P (Park), the engine shuts off and the ignition goes to ACC/ ACCESSORY. The DIC displays SHIFT TO PARK. Once the shift lever is moved to P (Park), the vehicle turns off.

If the vehicle has a manual transmission, before getting out of the vehicle, shift to 1 (First) or

If equipped, the engine heater can help in cold weather conditions at or below −18 °C (0 °F) for easier starting and better fuel economy during engine warm-up. Plug in the coolant heater at least four hours

The electrical cord is on the passenger side of the engine compartment, next to the engine compartment fuse block.

Check the heater cord for damage. If it is damaged, do not use it. See your dealer for a replacement. Inspect the cord for damage yearly.

    Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-volt AC outlet.
    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 in the area where you will be parking the vehicle for the best advice on this.

When the ignition is turned from on to off, the following features (if equipped) will continue to function for up to 10 minutes, or until the driver door is opened. These features will also work when the ignition is in RUN or ACC/ ACCESSORY:

    Infotainment System
    Power Windows (during RAP this functionality will be lost when any door is opened)
    Sunroof (during RAP this functionality will be lost when any door is opened)
    Auxiliary Power Outlet
    Audio System
    OnStar System

To shift into P (Park):

    Hold the brake pedal down and set the parking brake.

See Electric Parking Brake

0 192.

    Hold the button on the shift lever and push the shift lever toward the front of the vehicle into P (Park).
    Turn the ignition off.

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 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 Park” previously in this section.

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).

This vehicle is equipped with an electronic shift lock control system. The shift lock release is designed to

prevent movement of the shift lever out of P (Park), unless the ignition is on 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.

If the vehicle has an uncharged battery or a battery with low voltage, try charging or jump starting the battery. See Jump Starting - North America 0 289.

To shift out of P (Park):

    Apply the brake pedal.
    Turn the ignition on.
    Release the parking brake. See Electric Parking Brake 0 192.
    Press the shift lever button.
    Move the shift lever to the desired position.

If still unable to shift out of P (Park):

    Fully release the shift lever button.
    Hold the brake pedal down and press the shift lever button again.
    Move the shift lever to the desired position.

If the shift lever still cannot be moved from P (Park), see your dealer.

Parking over Things That Burn

Active Fuel Management

Vehicles with V6 and V8 engines and an automatic transmission have Active Fuel Management. This system allows the engine to operate on either all or four of its cylinders, depending on the driving conditions.

When less power is required, such as cruising at a constant vehicle speed, the system will operate in four cylinder mode, allowing the vehicle to achieve better fuel economy. When greater power demands are required, such as accelerating from a stop, passing,

or merging onto a freeway, the system will maintain full-cylinder operation.

It is best not to park with the vehicle running. If the vehicle is left running, be sure it will not move and there is adequate ventilation. See Shifting Into Park 0 180 and

Engine Exhaust 0 182.

If the vehicle is left parked and running with the Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter outside the vehicle, it will continue to run for up to half an hour.

If the vehicle is left parked and running with the RKE transmitter inside the vehicle, it will continue to run for up to an hour.

The vehicle could turn off sooner if it is parked on a hill, due to lack of available fuel.

Automatic Transmission

The timer will reset if the vehicle is taken out of P (Park) while it is running.

Manual Transmission

The timer will reset if vehicle speed exceeds 4 km/h (2.5 mph).


Download Manual