PONTIAC GRAND PRIX 2001 Owners Manual

2-82
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is not
running. If the light doesn't come on, have it repaired.
This light will also come on during a malfunction in one
of two ways:

Light Flashing
-- A misfire condition has been
detected. A misfire increases vehicle emissions and
may damage the emission control system on your
vehicle. Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis
and service may be required.

Light On Steady
-- An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis and
service may be required.
If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:

Reducing vehicle speed.

Avoiding hard accelerations.

Avoiding steep uphill grades.

If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible.If the light stops flashing and remains on steady,
see ªIf the Light Is On Steadyº following.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart the
engine. If the light remains on steady, see ªIf the Light
Is On Steadyº following. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your
dealer or qualified service center for service.
If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. See ªFilling Your Tankº in the Index. The
diagnostic system can determine if the fuel cap has been
left off or improperly installed. A loose or missing fuel
cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere. A
few driving trips with the cap properly installed should
turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.

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Are you low on fuel?
As your engine starts to run out of fuel, your engine may
not run as efficiently as designed since small amounts of
air are sucked into the fuel line causing a misfire. The
system can detect this. Adding fuel should correct this
condition. Make sure to install the fuel cap properly. See
ªFilling Your Tankº in the Index. It will take a few
driving trips to turn the light off.
Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel. See
ªFuelº in the Index. Poor fuel quality will cause your
engine not to run as efficiently as designed. You may
notice this as stalling after start
-up, stalling when you
put the vehicle into gear, misfiring, hesitation on
acceleration or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditions may go away once the engine is warmed up.)
This will be detected by the system and cause the light
to turn on.
If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use. It will require at least one
full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
have your dealer or qualified service center check the
vehicle. Your dealer has the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to fix any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.Emissions Inspection and Maintenance Programs
Some state/provincial and local governments have or
may begin programs to inspect the emission control
equipment on your vehicle. Failure to pass this
inspection could prevent you from getting a
vehicle registration.
Here are some things you need to know in order to help
your vehicle pass an inspection:
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the
SERVICE ENGINE SOON or CHECK ENGINE
light is on or not working properly.
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the OBD
(on-board diagnostic) system determines that critical
emission control systems have not been completely
diagnosed by the system. The vehicle would be
considered not ready for inspection. This can happen if
you have recently replaced your battery or if your
battery has run down. The diagnostic system is designed
to evaluate critical emission control systems during
normal driving. This may take several days of routine
driving. If you have done this and your vehicle still does
not pass the inspection for lack of OBD system
readiness, see your dealer or qualified service center to
prepare the vehicle for inspection.

2-84 Oil Warning Light
United States Canada
If you have a problem with your oil pressure, this light
may stay on after you start your engine, or come on
when you are driving.
This indicates that oil is not going through your engine
quickly enough to keep it lubricated. The engine could
be low on oil or could have some other oil problem.
Have it fixed right away.
The oil light could also come on in two other situations:

When the ignition is on but the engine is not running,
the light will come on as a test to show you it's
working. The light will go out when you turn the
ignition to RUN. If it doesn't come on with the
ignition on, you may have a problem with the fuse or
bulb. Have it fixed right away.
If you make a hard stop, the light may come on for a
moment. This is normal.
CAUTION:
Don't keep driving if the oil pressure is low.
If you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches fire. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon as possible and have your
vehicle serviced.
NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and is not covered by
your warranty.

2-85 Low Oil Level Light
The engine is equipped with
an oil level monitoring
system. When the ignition
key is turned to RUN, the
LOW OIL LEVEL light
will briefly flash.
If the light does not flash, have it fixed so it will be
ready to warn you if there is a problem.
If the light stays on, stop the vehicle on a level surface
and turn the engine off. Check the oil level using the
engine oil dipstick. (See ªEngine Oilº in the Index).
The oil level monitoring system only checks the oil level
during the brief period when the ignition key is between
RUN and START. It does not monitor engine oil level
when the engine is running. Additionally, an oil level
check is only performed if the engine has been turned
off for a considerable period of time, allowing the oil
normally in circulation to drain back into the oil pan.
Security Light
This message is
displayed to monitor the
Pass
-Key
III system.
If the SECURITY message is displayed continuously
while driving, there may be a problem with the
Pass
-Key III system. Your vehicle will not be protected
by Pass
-Key III, and you should see your dealer for
service. For more information see ªPASS
-Key III

Systemº in the Index.

2-86 Fuel Gage
United States Canada
The fuel gage tells you about how much fuel you have
left when the ignition is on. When the indicator nears
empty, you still have a little fuel left, but you should
get more soon.
Here are four things owners usually ask about the fuel
gage. All these situations are normal and do not indicate
a problem with the fuel gage:

At the gas station, the pump shuts off before the
gage reads full.
It takes more (or less) fuel to fill up than the gage
indicates. For example, the gage reads half full,
but it took more (or less) than half the tank's
capacity to fill it.

The gage pointer may move while cornering, braking
or speeding up.

The gage may not indicate full when the ignition is
turned off.
Low Fuel Light
If your fuel is low, the
warning light near the
fuel gage will go on.
It will also come on for a few seconds when you first
turn on the ignition as a check to show you it's working
properly. If it doesn't come on then, see your dealer
for service.

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Driver Information Center (DIC)
3100 V6 or 3800 V6 Engine Only
The Driver Information Center (DIC) gives you important safety and maintenance facts. When you turn the ignition
on, all of the DIC lights illuminate for a few seconds. After this, the DIC will begin working.

2-88 Functions
: If one of the doors is ajar, this light will
appear next to that door on the vehicle outline.
CHANGE OIL SOON: This light will appear when
the system indicates that it's time for an oil change.
The system predicts remaining oil life using inputs from
length of drives, coolant temperature, engine rpm and
vehicle speed. It alerts you to change the oil on a
schedule consistent with the vehicle's driving
conditions. After changing the oil, the system must be
reset. See ªHow to Reset the GM Oil Life System
º
in the Index.
LOW: This light will come on when the ignition is
on and the fluid in the washer fluid container is low.
AJAR: This light alerts you that the trunk is not
fully closed.LOW TRAC: This light will come on when the
enhanced traction system is limiting wheel spin.
See ªEnhanced Traction Systemº or ªLow Traction
Lightº in the Index.
TRAC OFF: This light lets you know that the enhanced
traction system has been disabled and will not limit
wheel spin. See ªEnhanced Traction System Warning
Lightº or ªLow Traction Lightº in the Index.
TRAC: If the vehicle has the enhanced traction system,
you will have a disable button on the far right side of the
DIC. The enhanced traction system is automatically
activated when you turn the ignition on. This button will
activate/deactivate the system. If you need to disable the
system, such as when you are stuck and are rocking the
vehicle back and forth, push this button. See ªStuck: In
Sand, Mud, Ice or Snowº in the Index.

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Trip Computer (If Equipped)
3100 V6 and 3800 V6 Engines

2-90
3800 V6 Supercharged Engine
When you start the engine, the trip computer will display a mode. A lighted oval will appear to the left of the mode
currently being used.

2-91 Control Buttons
The trip computer has three buttons that control
its functions.
ENG/MET: Press this button to change the display
from English to metric units or metric to English.
RESET: Press this button for two seconds to reset the
mode displayed.
MODE: Press this button to change the mode
being displayed.
Functions
FUEL USED: Shows the total amount of fuel used
since you last reset this mode. The amount can be
displayed in gallons or liters.
AVG ECON: Shows the average fuel economy since
you last reset this mode.
OIL LIFE: Shows a percentage of the oil's remaining
useful life. The system predicts remaining oil life using
inputs from length of drives, coolant temperature,
engine rpm and vehicle speed. Each time you get an oil
change, be sure to reset this function so that it will give
you an accurate percentage. See ªHow to Reset the GM
Oil Life System
º in the Index.RANGE: Shows how much farther you can travel with
the fuel you have before refueling. When the range
displays ªLº, for 40 to 50 miles (64.36 to 80.45 km),
the display will flash the word LOW continuously and
the vehicle will chime three times. The range is
calculated from the average econ value times the fuel
remaining in the tank.
LOW: This light will come on when the ignition is on
and the fluid in the washer fluid container is low.
DOOR AJAR: If one of the doors is left ajar, a light
will appear next to that door on the vehicle outline.
BOOST GAGE: If you have the 3800 V6 supercharged
engine, this gage will show the amount of boost the
engine is receiving.
TRUNK AJAR: If the trunk is not fully closed or open,
a light will outline the trunk area on the vehicle outline.
LOW TRAC: This light will come on when the
enhanced traction system (3100 or 3800 V6 engine) or
the traction control system (3800 supercharged V6
engine) is limiting wheel spin. See ªTraction Control
Systemº ªEnhanced Traction Systemº and ªLow
Traction Lightº in the Index.