start PONTIAC GRAND PRIX 2003 Workshop Manual

Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
Service ............................................................ 5.3
Doing Your
Owr? Service Work ......................... 5-4
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle
.............................................. 5-4
Fuel ................................................................ 5-5
Gasoline Octane
............................................ 5-5
Gasoline Specifications
.................................... 5-5
California Fuel
............................................... 5-6
Additives
....................................................... 5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries
............................... 5-7
Filling Your Tank
............................................ 5-7
Filling a Portable Fuel Container
....................... 5-9
Checking Things Under the Hood .................... 5-10
Hood Release
.............................................. 5-10
Engine Compartment Overview
....................... 5-12
Engine Oil
................................................... 5-18
Supercharger Oil
.......................................... 5-24
Engine Air CleanedFilter
................................ 5-25
Automatic Transaxle Fluid
.............................. 5-27
Engine Coolant
............................................. 5-30
Radiator Pressure Cap
.................................. 5-33
Cooling System
........................................... -5-36
Power Steering Fluid
..................................... 5-46
Windshield Washer Fluid
................................ 5-48
Engine Overheating
....................................... 5-33 Brakes
........................................................ 5.49
Battery
........................................................ 5.52
Jump Starting
............................................... 5-53
Bulb Replacement .......................................... 5-60
Halogen Bulbs
.............................................. 5-60
Headlamps
.................................................. 5-60
Front Turn Signal and Sidemarker Lamps
........ 5-62
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL)
......... 5-63
Taillamps, Sidemarker and Back-up Lamps
...... 5-64
Replacement Bulbs
....................................... 5-66
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement .............. 5-67
Tires ............................................................. -5-68
Inflation
-- Tire Pressure ................................ 5-68
Tire Inspection and Rotation
........................... 5-69
When It
Is Time for New Tires ....................... 5-70
Buying New Tires
......................................... 5-71
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
.......................... 5-72
Wheel Replacement
...................................... 5-73
Headlamp Aiming ........................................... 5-59
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
.................. 5-73
Tire Chains
.................................................. 5-75
If a Tire Goes Flat ........................................ 5-76
Changing a Flat Tire
..................................... 5-76
Compact Spare Tire
...................................... 5-87
5- 1

Checking Things Under
the
Hood
Ar. Jectric fan unl,.' the hood can start up
and injure you even when the engine is not
running. Keep hands, clothing and tools away
from any underhood electric fan.
Hood Release
To open the hood do the following:
Things that burn can get on ..__ -.. 3"'- parts
and start
a fire. These include liquids like fuel,
oil, coolant, brake fluid, windshield washer and
other fluids, and plastic or rubber. You or
others could be burned. Be careful not to drop
or spill things that
will burn onto a hot engine.
1. Pull the handle located
inside the vehicle near
the parking brake.
5-1 0

RECOMMENDED SAE VISCOSITY GRADE ENGINE OILS
FOR BEST FUEL ECONOMY AND COLD STARTING, SELECT THE LOWEST
SA€ VISCOSITY GRADE
OIL FOR THE EXPECTED TEMPERATURE RANGE.
~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~ -
HOT
WEATHER
SAE SW-30
LOOK
FOR THIS
SYMBOL
8- SAE I 1OW-30
PREFERRED above 0°F (-1 8°C)
Notice: Use only engine oil with the American
Petroleum Institute Certified For Gasoline Engines
starburst symbol. Failure to use the recommended
oil can result in engine damage not covered by
your warranty.
GM Goodwrench@ oil meets all the requirements for
your vehicle.
If you are in an area of extreme cold, where the
temperature falls below
-20°F (-29"C), it is
recommended that you use either an SAE
5W-30
synthetic oil or an SAE OW-30 oil. Both will provide
easier cold starting and better protection for your engine
at extremely low temperatures.
Engine Oil Additives
Don't add anything to your oil. The recommended oils
with the starburst symbol are
all you will need for
good performance and engine protection.
3800 V6 or 3800 V6 Supercharged Engine
5-22

When to Change Engine Oil (GM Oil
Life SystemTM)
Your vehicle has a computer system that lets you know
when to change the engine
oil and filter. This is
based on engine revolutions and engine temperature,
and not on mileage. Based on driving conditions,
the mileage at which an oil change will be indicated
can vary considerably. For the oil life system to
work properly, you must reset the system every time
the oil is changed.
When the system has calculated that oil life has been
diminished, it will indicate that an oil change is
necessary.
A CHANGE OIL SOON light will come on.
Change your
oil as soon as possible within the next two
times you stop for fuel.
It is possible that, if you are
driving under the best conditions, the oil life system may
not indicate that an oil change is necessary for over a
year. However, your engine oil and filter must be
changed at least once a year and at this time the system
must be reset. It is also important to check your oil
regularly and keep it at the proper level.
If the system is ever reset accidentally, you must
change your oil at
3,000 miles (5 000 km) since your
last oil change. Remember
to reset the oil life system
whenever the oil is changed.
How to Reset the GM Oil Life System
The GM Oil Life SystemTM calculates when to change
your engine oil and filter based on vehicle use. Anytime
your oil is changed, reset the system
so it can calculate
when the next oil change is required.
If a situation occurs
where you change your oil prior to a CHANGE
OIL SOON
light being turned on, reset the system.
To reset the GM Oil Life SystemTM after the oil has
been changed, use one of the following two procedures:
Using the Driver Information Center (DIC)
1.
2.
3.
With the ignition key in RUN but the engine off, fully
push and release the accelerator pedal slowly three
times within five seconds.
If the CHANGE OIL SOON light flashes, the system
is resetting.
Turn the key to OFF after the light stops flashing,
then start the vehicle.
If the CHANGE OIL SOON light comes back on, the
engine oil life monitor has not reset. Repeat the
procedure.
Using the Trip Computer (If Equipped)
1. Press the MODE button until the light appears lit
2. Press and hold the RESET button for three seconds.
next to
OIL LIFE.
The
oil life percentage should change to 100%.
5-23

Automatic Transaxle Fluid
When to Check and Change
A good time to check your automatic transaxle fluid
level is when the engine oil is changed.
Change both the fluid and filter every 50,000 miles
(83
000 km) if the vehicle is mainly driven under one or
more of these conditions:
In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
0 In hilly or mountainous terrain.
0 When doing frequent trailer towing.
0 Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery service.
regularly reaches
90°F (32°C)
or higher.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, change the fluid and filter at
100,000 miles (166 000 km).
See Part
A: Scheduled Maintenance Services on
page
6-4.
How to Cheek
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you may
choose to have this done at the dealership service
department.
If you do it yourself, be sure to follow all the instructions
here, or you could get a false reading on the dipstick.
Nofice: Too much or too little fluid can damage
your transaxle.
Too much can mean that some of the
fluid could come out and fall on hot engine or
exhaust system parts, starting a fire.
Too little fluid
could cause the transaxle to overheat. Be sure
to get an accurate reading
if you check your
transaxle fluid.
Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the transaxle
fluid level
if you have been driving:
When outside temperatures are above
90°F (32°C).
At high speed for quite a while.
In heavy traffic
- especially in hot weather.
While pulling a trailer.
5-27

can start up even when the engine is not
running and can injure you. Keep hands,
clothing and tools away from any underhood
electric fan.
If the coolant inside the coolant recovery tank is boiling,
don’t do anything else until it cools down. The vehicle
should be parked on a level surface. When
the engine is cold,
the coolant level should be
at or above the
COLD
mark on the coolant
recovery tank.
If it isn’t, you may have a leak at the pressure cap or in
the radiator hoses, heater hoses, radiator, water
pump or somewhere else in the cooling system.
5-37

Notice: In cold weather, water can freeze and crack
the engine, radiator, heater core and other parts.
Use the recommended coolant and the proper
coolant mixture. Adding only plain water to your cooling
system can be dangerous. Plain water, or
some other liquid such as alcohol, can boil
before the proper coolant mixture will. Your
vehicle’s coolant warning system is set for the
proper coolant mixture. With plain water or the
wrong mixture, your engine could get too hot but you wouldn’t get the overheat warning.
Your engine could catch fire and you or others
could be burned. Use a
50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and
DEX COOL@ coolant.
You car.
._e burnec. .. you spi-. :oolant on hot
engine parts. Coolant contains ethylene glycol
and
it will burn if the engine parts are hot
enough. Don’t
spill coolant on a hot engine.
When the coolant in the coolant recovery tank
is at the
COLD mark, start your vehicle.
5-39

8. Then fill the coolant recovery tank to COLD mark.
9. Put the cap back on the coolant recovery tank,
but leave the pressure cap
off.
10. Start the engine and let it run until you can feel the
upper radiator hose getting hot. Watch out for the
engine cooling fans.
11. By this time, the coolant level inside the radiator
filler neck may be lower.
If the level is lower, add
more
of the proper DEX-COOL@ coolant mixture
through the filler neck until the level reaches
the base of the filler neck.
5-45

Vehicle Storage Jump Starting
If you’re not going to drive your vehicle for 25 days or
more, remove the black, negative (-) cable from
the battery. This will help keep your battery from
running down.
If your battery has run down, you may want to use
another vehicle and some jumper cables to start your
vehicle. Be sure
to follow the steps listed below to
do it safely.
Batteries have acid that can burn you and gas
that can explode. You can be badly
hurt if you
aren’t careful. See “Jump Starting” next for
tips on working around a battery without getting hurt.
Contact your dealer to learn how to prepare your
vehicle for longer storage periods.
Also, for your audio system, see Theft-Deterrent
Feature
on page 3-54.
Batteries can hurt you. They can be dangerous
because:
They contain acid that can burn you.
They contain gas that can explode or ignite.
They contain enough electricity to
burn you.
If you don’t follow these steps exactly, some or
all of these things can hurt you.
Notice: Ignoring these steps could result in costly
damage to your vehicle that wouldn’t be covered
by your warranty.
Trying to start your vehicle by pushing or pulling
it
won’t work, and it could damage your vehicle.
5-53

Notice: If the other system isn’t a 12-volt system
with a negative ground, both vehicles can be
damaged.
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with a negative ground system.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicles aren’t touching
each other. If they are, it could cause a ground
connection you don’t want. You wouldn’t be able to
start your vehicle, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
To avoid the possibility of the vehicles rolling, set
the parking brake firmly on both vehicles involved in
the jump start procedure. Put an automatic
transaxle in PARK
(P) or a manual transaxle in
NEUTRAL before setting the parking brake.
Notice: If you leave your radio on, it could be badly
damaged. The repairs wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
unnecessary accessories plugged into the cigarette
lighter or in the accessory power outlet. Turn
off
the radio and all lamps that aren’t needed. This will
avoid sparks and help save both batteries. And it
could save your radio!
4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries. Find the
positive
(+) and negative (-) terminal locations on
each vehicle. You will not need to access your
battery for jump starting. Your vehicle has
a remote
positive
(+) jump starting terminal for that purpose.
The terminal is located in the engine compartment
on the passenger’s side of the vehicle, near
the diagonal cross brace. See Engine Compartment
Ovewiew
on page 5-72 for more information on
location.
5-54