PONTIAC GRAND PRIX 2007 Owners Manual

When you replace parts of your braking
system — for example, when your brake linings
wear down and you need new ones put in — be
sure you get new approved GM replacement parts.
If you do not, your brakes may no longer work
properly. For example, if someone puts in brake
linings that are wrong for your vehicle, the
balance between your front and rear brakes can
change — for the worse. The braking performance
you have come to expect can change in many other
ways if someone puts in the wrong replacement
brake parts.
Battery
Your vehicle has a maintenance free battery.
When it is time for a new battery, get one that has
the replacement number shown on the original
battery’s label. We recommend an ACDelco
®
replacement battery. SeeEngine Compartment
Overview on page 346for battery location.
Warning:Battery posts, terminals, and related
accessories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive harm. Wash
hands after handling.If the battery has a very low charge or is dead,
you may not be able to remove the ignition
key from the ignition switch or shift out of
PARK (P). Refer toShifting Out of Park (P) on
page 117.
Vehicle Storage
If you are not going to drive your vehicle for
25 days or more, remove the black, negative (−)
cable from the battery. This will help keep the
battery from running down.
{CAUTION:
Batteries have acid that can burn you and
gas that can explode. You can be badly
hurt if you are not careful. SeeJump
Starting on page 382for tips on working
around a battery without getting hurt.
381

Jump Starting
If your vehicle’s battery has run down, you may
want to use another vehicle and some jumper
cables to start your vehicle. Be sure to use
the following steps to do it safely.
{CAUTION:
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 do not 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 would
not be covered by your warranty.
Trying to start your vehicle by pushing or
pulling it will not work, and it could damage
your vehicle.
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a
12-volt battery with a negative ground system.
Notice:If the other vehicle’s system is not a
12-volt system with a negative ground,
both vehicles can be damaged. Only use
vehicles with 12-volt systems with negative
grounds to jump start your vehicle.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper
cables can reach, but be sure the vehicles are
not touching each other. If they are, it could
cause a ground connection you do not
want. You would not 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 rmly 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.
382

Notice:If you leave your radio or other
accessories on during the jump starting
procedure, they could be damaged. The repairs
would not be covered by your warranty.
Always turn off your radio and other
accessories when jump starting your vehicle.
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles.
Unplug unnecessary accessories plugged into
the cigarette lighter or the accessory power
outlet. Turn off the radio and all lamps that are
not needed. This will avoid sparks and help
save both batteries. And it could save
the radio!
4. Open the hood on the other vehicle and
locate the positive (+) and negative (−)
terminal locations on that vehicle.
You will not use your vehicle’s battery for jump
starting. It has a remote positive (+) jump
starting terminal, located on the underhood
fuse block, for that purpose.If your vehicle has one
of the 3800 V6 engines,
to uncover the remote
positive (+) terminal,
press the tab at
the bottom of the fuse
block and lift the
cover up.
3800 V6 and 3800 V6
Supercharged Engines
383

If your vehicle has the
5.3L V8 engine, to
uncover the remote
positive (+) terminal,
remove the fuse
block cover.
Always use the remote positive (+) terminal
instead of the positive (+) terminal on the
battery. SeeEngine Compartment Overview
on page 346for more information on location.
{CAUTION:
An electric fan 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.
{CAUTION:
Fans or other moving engine parts can
injure you badly. Keep your hands away
from moving parts once the engine is
running.
5.3L V8 Engine
384

{CAUTION:
Using a match near a battery can cause
battery gas to explode. People have been
hurt doing this, and some have been
blinded. Use a ashlight if you need more
light.
Be sure the battery has enough water.
You do not need to add water to the
battery installed in your new vehicle. But
if a battery has ller caps, be sure the
right amount of uid is there. If it is low,
add water to take care of that rst. If you
do not, explosive gas could be present.
Battery uid contains acid that can burn
you. Do not get it on you. If you
accidentally get it in your eyes or on your
skin, ush the place with water and get
medical help immediately.5. Check that the jumper cables do not have
loose or missing insulation. If they do, you
could get a shock. The vehicles could
be damaged too.
Before you connect the cables, here are some
basic things you should know. Positive (+)
will go to positive (+) or to a remote positive (+)
terminal if the vehicle has one. Negative will
go to a heavy, unpainted metal engine part or
to a remote negative (−) terminal if the
vehicle has one.
Do not connect positive (+) to negative (−), or
you will get a short that would damage the
battery and maybe other parts too. And do not
connect the negative (−) cable to the
negative (−) terminal on the dead battery
because this can cause sparks.
385

6. Connect the red positive (+) cable to the
positive (+) terminal location on the vehicle
with the dead battery. Use a remote
positive (+) terminal if the vehicle has one.
7. Do not let the other end touch metal. Connect it
to the positive (+) terminal location on the
vehicle with the good battery. Use a remote
positive (+) terminal if the vehicle has one.
8. Now connect the black negative (−) cable to
the negative (−) terminal location on the
vehicle with the good battery. Use a remote
negative (−) terminal if the vehicle has one.
Do not let the other end touch anything until the
next step. The other end of the negative (−)
cable does not go to the dead battery. It goes to
a heavy, unpainted metal engine part or to a
remote negative (–) terminal on the vehicle with
the dead battery.9. Connect the other end of the negative (−) cable
at least 18 inches (45 cm) away from the dead
battery, but not near engine parts that move.
The electrical connection is just as good there,
and the chance of sparks getting back to the
battery is much less.
10. Now start the vehicle with the good battery
and run the engine for a while.
11. Try to start the vehicle that had the dead
battery. If it will not start after a few tries, it
probably needs service.
386

Notice:If the jumper cables are connected or
removed in the wrong order, electrical shorting
may occur and damage the vehicle. The repairs
would not be covered by your warranty. Always
connect and remove the jumper cables in the
correct order, making sure that the cables do
not touch each other or other metal.
A. Heavy, Unpainted Metal Engine Part or
Remote Negative (−) Terminal
B. Good Battery or Remote Positive (+) and
Remote Negative (−) Terminals
C. Dead Battery or Remote Positive (+) TerminalTo disconnect the jumper cables from both
vehicles, do the following:
1. Disconnect the black negative (−) cable from
the vehicle that had the dead battery.
2. Disconnect the black negative (−) cable from
the vehicle with the good battery.
3. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from the
vehicle with the good battery.
4. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from the
other vehicle.
5. Return the remote positive (+) terminal cover
to its original position.
Jumper Cable Removal
387

Headlamp Aiming
The vehicle has a visual optical headlamp aiming
system. The aim has been preset at the factory
and should need no further adjustment.
However, If the vehicle is damaged in an accident,
the headlamp aim may be affected and adjustment
may be necessary.
If oncoming vehicles ash their high beams at
you, this may also mean the vertical aim needs to
be adjusted.
It is recommended that the vehicle is taken to your
dealer for service if the headlamps need to be
re-aimed. It is possible however, to re-aim
the headlamps as described in the following
procedure.The vehicle should be properly prepared as
follows:The vehicle should be placed so the
headlamps are 25 ft. (7.6 m) from a light
colored wall.
The vehicle must have all four tires on a
perfectly level surface which is level all
the way to the wall.
The vehicle should be placed so it is
perpendicular to the wall.
The vehicle should not have any snow, ice, or
mud on it.
The vehicle should be fully assembled and all
other work stopped while headlamp aiming is
being done.
The vehicle should be normally loaded with a
full tank of fuel and one person or 160 lbs
(75 kg) sitting on the driver’s seat.
Tires should be properly inated.
Headlamp aiming is done with the low-beam
headlamps. The high-beam headlamps will be
correctly aimed if the low-beam headlamps
are aimed properly.
388

To adjust the vertical aim, do the following:
1. Open the hood. SeeHood Release on
page 345for more information.
Find the aim dot on the lens of the
low-beam lamp.
2. Locate the aim dot on the lens of the
low-beam headlamp.
3. Measure the distance from the ground to the
aim dot on the lamp. Record the distance.4. At the wall measure from the ground
upward (A) to the recorded distance
from Step 3 and mark it.
5. Draw or tape a horizontal line (B) on the wall
the width of the vehicle at the height of the
mark in Step 4.
6. Turn on the low-beam headlamps and place a
piece of cardboard or equivalent in front of the
headlamp not being aimed. This should
allow only the beam of light from the headlamp
being aimed to be seen on the at surface.
Notice:Do not cover a headlamp to improve
beam cut-off when aiming. Covering a
headlamp may cause excessive heat build-up
which may cause damage to the headlamp.
389

7. Locate the vertical headlamp aiming screws,
which are under the hood, near the
headlamps. Turn the vertical aiming screw
until the headlamp beam is aimed to the
horizontal tape line.
The adjustment screws can be turned with a
6 mm hex key bit socket ora6mmhexkey.8. Turn the vertical aiming screw until the
headlamp beam is aimed to the horizontal
tape line. Turn it clockwise or
counterclockwise to raise or lower the angle
of the beam.
9. Make sure that the light from the headlamp is
positioned at the bottom edge of the horizontal
tape line. The lamp on the left (A) shows
the correct headlamp aim. The lamp on the
right (B) shows the incorrect headlamp aim.
10. Repeat Steps 7 through 9 for the opposite
headlamp.
Driver’s Side shown
390