engine overheat PONTIAC BONNEVILLE 1997 Owners Manual

7 The 1997 Pontiac Bonneville Owner’s Manual
1-1
2- 1
3-1
4- 1
5-1
6-1
Seats and Restraint Systems
This section tells you how to use your seats and safety belts properly. It also explains the “SRS’’ system.
Features and Controls
This section explains how to start and operate your Pontiac.
Comfort Controls and Audio Systems
This section tells you how to adjust the ventilation and comfort controls and how to operate your audio system.
Your Driving and the Road
Here you’ll find helpful information and tips about the road and how to drive under different conditions.
Problems on the Road
This section tells what to do if you have a problem while driving, such as a flat tire or overheated engine, etc.
Service and Appearance Care
Here the manual tells you how to keep your Pontiac running properly and looking good.
7-1 Maintenance Schedule
This section tells you when to perform vehicle maintenance and what fluids and lubricants to use.
8- 1
9-1
Customer Assistance Information
This section tells you how to contact Pontiac for assistance and how to get service and owner publications.
It also gives you information on “Reporting Safety Defects” on page
8-8.
Index
Here’s an alphabetical listing of almost every subject in this manual. You can use it to quickly find
something you want to read.
i
ProCarManuals.com

Engine Coolant Heater (Option)
In very cold weather, 0 OF (- 18 O C) or colder, the engine
coolant heater can help. You’ll get easier starting and
better fuel economy during engine warm-up. Usually,
the coolant heater should be plugged in
a minimum of
four hours prior to starting your vehicle.
To Use the Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 11 O-volt AC outlet.
m
A CAUTION:
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause an electrical shock. Also, the wrong
kind of extension cord could overheat and cause
a fire. You could be seriously injured. Plug the
cord into a properly grounded three-prong
110-volt
AC outlet. If the cord won’t reach, use a
heavy-duty three-prong extension cord rated for
at least 15 amps.
2-23
ProCarManuals.com

Here are some times you might choose DRIVE (D)
instead of AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (@):
0 When driving on hilly, winding roads.
0 When towing a trailer, so there is less shifting
between gears.
When going down a steep hill.
SECOND (2): This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy. You
can use SECOND (2) on hills.
It can help control your speed as you go down steep
mountain roads, but then you would also want to use
your brakes
off and on.
NOTICE:
Don’t drive in SECOND (2) for more than 5 miles
(8 km), or at speeds over 55 mph (88 km/h),
or you can damage your transaxle. Use
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (@) or DRIVE (D)
as much as possible.
Don’t shift into SECOND
(2) unless you are going
s‘lower than 65 mph (105 km/h), or you can
damage
your engine.
FIRST (1): This position gives you even more power
(but lower fuel economy) than
SECOND (2). You can
use it
on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If
the selector lever is put in FIRST (I ), the transaxle
won’t shift into first gear until the vehicle is going
slowly enough.
I NOTICE:
If your front wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might happen if you were stuck in
very deep sand or mud or were up against
a solid
object.
You could damage your transaxle.
Also, if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold
your vehicle there with only the accelerator
pedal. This could overheat
and damage the
transaxle. Use
your brakes or shift into PARK (P)
to hold your vehicle in position on a hill.
ProCarManuals.com

Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Engine Running
It can be ldangerous to leave your vehicle with
the engine running. Your vehicle could
move
sudldenly if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P)
with the parking brake firmly set, And, if you
leave the vehicle with the engine running, it ,could
overheat and even catch
fire. You or others could
be injured. Don’t leave your vehicle with the
engine running unless you have
to.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be
sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and your
parking brake is firmly set before you leave it. After
you’ve
moved the shift lever into the PARK (I?)
position, hold the regular brake pedal down. Them, see if
you can move the shift lever away from PARK (P)
without first pulling it toward you (or, if you have the
console shift lever, without fist pushing the button).
If
you can, it means that the shift lever wasn’t fully locked
into PARK (P).
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transaxle into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle
may put too much force on the parking pawl in
the transaxle. You may find it difficult to pull the shift
lever out of
PARK (P). This is called “torque lock.” To
prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then shift
into
PARK (P) properly before you leave the driver’s
seat.
To find out how, se’e “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in
the Index.
When you
are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK (P) before you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another
vehicle
push yours a little uphill to take some of the
pressure from the paking pawl in the transaxle, so you
can pull the shift lever out of PARK
(P).
ProCarManuals.com

Traction Control System Warning Light (Option)
TRACTION
OFF
This warning light should
come on briefly as you start
the engine.
If the warning
light doesn’t come on then,
have it fixed
so it will be
ready to warn you
if
there’s a problem.
Hit stays on, or comes on when you’re driving, there
may be a problem with your traction control system and
your vehicle may need service. When this warning light
is on, the system will not limit wheel
spin. Adjust your
driving accordingly. The
traction control system warning light may come on
for the following reasons:
0
a
0
If you turn the system off by pressing the button
located on the center console, the warning light will
come on and stay on.
To turn the system back on,
press the button again. The warning light should go
off. (See “Traction Control System” in the Index for
more information.)
If there’s a brake system problem that is specifically
related to traction control, the traction control system
will turn off and the warning light will come on.
If
your brakes begin to overheat, the traction control
system will turn off and the warning light will come
on until your brakes cool down.
If the traction control system is affected by an
engine-related problem, the system will turn off and
the warning light will come on.
If the traction control system warning light comes on
and stays on for an extended period of time when the
system is turned on, your vehicle needs service.
2-69
ProCarManuals.com

Low Coolant Warning Light
LOW
COOLANT
If you have this light and it
comes on, your system may
be low on coolant and the
engine may overheat.
Check
to see if the level is low at the recovery tank, and
add coolant
if necessary. If the level is not low, have
your low coolant
warning system serviced. See “Engine
Coolant” in the Index.
The
LOW COOLANT warning light will also come on
when you turn on the ignition, but your engine
is not
running, as a check to show you it is working. If it
doesn’t come on then, have
it fixed right away.
After the bulb check, the light will
go out for 20 seconds.
If the light comes back on after 20 s’ecoaads, the system
may be low
on coolant. See “Engine COQ~~”~II
the Index.
.. .-,.%.. - ,
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
100 280
This gage shows the engine
coolant temperature.
If the gage pointer moves
into the red area, your
engine is too
hot! The
CHECK GAGES light
will go on and a warning
chime
will sound.
It means that your engine coolant has overheated. If you
have been operating your vehicle under normal driving
conditions, you should pull
off the road, stop your
vehicle and turn
off the engine as soon as possible.
In the section “Problems on the Road,”
this manual
explains what to do. See “Engine Overheating’’ in
the Index.
2-70
ProCarManuals.com

Section 5 Problems on the Road
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the road.
5-2
5-3
5-3
5-8
5-16 Hazard Warning
Flashers
Other Warning Devices
Jump Starting
Towing Your Vehicle
Engine Overheating 5-18
Cooling System
5-26 Changing a Flat Tire
5-38 Compact Spare Tire
5-39 If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow
5-26 If a Tire Goes Flat
5-1
ProCarManuals.com

Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature gage or the warning
light about a hot engine on your Pontiac’s instrument
panel. See “Coolant Temperature
G’age” and “Coolant
Temperature Warning Light” in the Index.
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
Steam from an overheated engine can burn you
badly, even if you just open the hood. Stay away
from the engine if
you see or hear steam coming
from it. Just turn it off and get everyone away
fro’m the vehicle until it cools down. Wait until
there
is no sign of steam or coolant before you
open
the ho’od.
If you keep driving when your engine is
overheated, the liquids in it can catch fire. You
or
others could be badly burned. Stop your engine if
it overheats, and get out of the vehicle until the
engine
is cool.
NOTICE:
If your engine catches fire because you keep
driving with no coolant, your vehicle can be
badly damaged. The costly repairs would not be ~
covered by your warranty.
5-16
ProCarManuals.com

If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
If you get the overheat warning but see or hear no
steam, the problem may not be
too serious. Sometimes
the engine can get a little too hot when you:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high-speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this
for a minute or so:
1. Turn off your air conditioner.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window as necessary.
3. If you’re in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving
-- AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (@)
or DRIVE (D).
If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can
drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about 10 minutes.
If the warning doesn’t come back on, you can
drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your
vehicle right away.
If there’s still no sign of steam, you can idle the engine
for two or three minutes while you’re parked, to see
if the warning stops. But then, if you still have the
warning,
turn off the engine and get everyone out
of the vehicle until it cools down.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
5-17
ProCarManuals.com

The coolant level should be at or above the FULL
COLD mark.
If it isn’t, you may have a leak in the radiator hoses,
heater hoses, radiator, water
pump or somewhere else in
the cooling system. Heater and radiator
hoses, and other engine
parts, can be
very hot. Don’t touch them. If you
do, you can be burned.
Don’t run the engine if there is
a leak. If you run
the engine, it could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you could be burned.
Get any leak fixed before you drive the vehicle.
I NOTICE: I
Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn’t covered by your warranty.
If there seems to
be no leak, with the engine on, check to
see if the electric engine fans are running. If the engine
is overheating, both
fans should be running. If they
aren’t, your vehicle needs service.
5-19
ProCarManuals.com