clock PONTIAC PONTIAC 1997 User Guide
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RDM (3): Press this button to hear the tracks in random, 
rather than sequential, order. Press 
RDM again to  turn 
off random play. 
AM-FM Stereo  with  Compact  Disc  Player 
and  Equalizer 
(If Equipped) 
REV (5): Press and hold  this button  to quickly  reverse 
within 
a track  (song).  Release  it  to  play the passage. You 
will  hear  sound  at a reduced volume.  The display  will 
show elapsed  time. 
FWD (6): Press and hold  this button to quickly advance 
within a track (song).  You will hear sound at a reduced 
volume. The display will sh'ow elapsed  time. 
RECALL: Press this button to see what track  is playing. 
Press  it again within  five seconds to  see how  long  it has 
been playing  (elapsed time). The track number also 
appears when the  disc  is  inserted, you change the 
volume  or when a  new track  starts playing. 
AM-FM: Press this button  to play the  radio when a disc 
is playing.  The  disc  will stop  but  remain in the player. 
CDPLAY: Press this button to change to the disc 
function  when the  radio 
is on. 
EJECT: Press this button  to remove  the disc  or  stop  the 
disc  and switch  to the radio. 
EJECT will work  with the 
radio 
off.  Playing 
the Radio 
VOL: Push 
this knob to  turn  the  system on and off. 
To  increase volume, turn 
the knob  clockwise.  Turn it 
counterclockwise  to decrease  volume. 
RECALL: Press  this  button briefly  to recall the station 
being played  or  to display 
the clock. If you press  the 
knob when  the ignition  is 
off, the clock  will show for a 
few  seconds. 
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Page 206 of 419
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach a 
curve,  do  it before you enter the curve, while your front 
wheels are straight ahead. 
Try  to adjust your speed 
so you can  “drive” through the 
curve.  Maintain  a reasonable,  steady speed.  Wait  to 
accelerate until you  are  out of the curve, and then 
accelerate  gently into 
the straightaway. 
Steering in Emergencies 
There are times when steering can  be more effective 
than  braking,  For example,  you come over  a hill and 
find a  truck stopped  in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls 
out  from nowhere,  or a child darts out from  betw,een 
parked cars and stops right in  front 
of you. You can 
avoid  these problems  by braking 
-- if you can stop 
in time.  But sometimes you can’t; there isn’t room. 
That’s  the time for evasive action 
-- steering around 
the problem. 
Your  Pontiac can perform very well  in emergencies like 
these. First  apply 
your brakes.  (See “Braking  in 
Emergencies” earlier  in 
this section.) It is  better to 
remove as much speed  as you  can from  a possible 
collision.  Then steer around 
the problem, to the left  or 
right  depending 
on the space available. 
An emergency like this requires  close attention and  a 
quick decision. 
If you are holding the steering wheel at 
the recommended 9 and 3 o’clock positions, you can 
turn 
it a  full 180 degrees  very quickly without removing 
either  hand. But you  have  to  act  fast,  steer quickly, and 
just  as quickly straighten the wheel  once you have 
avoided the object. 
The fact  that such emergency situations  are always 
possible 
is a good reason  to practice  defensive driving  at 
all  times 
and wear safety belts properly. 
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Page 254 of 419
How to Add Coolant to the Radiator 
NOTICE: 
Your  engine has a  specific  radiator  fill  procedure. 
Failure  to 
follow this procedure  could  cause  your 
engine  to  overheat 
and be  severely  damaged. 
hose, is no longer  hot.  Turn the  pressure  cap  slowly 
counterclockwise until 
it first stops,  (Don’t  press 
down while turning  the  pressure cap.) 
If you hear a hiss, wait for  that  to stop. A hiss  means 
there 
is still some  pressureleft. 
2. Then keep turning the pressure cap, but now  push 
down 
as you  turn it. Remove  the  pressure cap. 
1. You can remove  the  pressure  cap  when the cooling 
system, including  the pressure 
cap and upper radiator 
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Page 259 of 419
Removing  the  Spare  Tire  and Tools 
I 
The equipment you’ll 
need 
is in  the  trunk. Turn 
the  center nut  on the 
compact  spare cover 
counterclockwise  to 
remove 
it. Lift  and 
remove the cover. 
Pull the carpeted mat up  from the floor of the trunk. 
Then lift and remove the cover.  Remove the 
spare tire. 
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Turn the  nut  holding  the jack counterclockwise  and  remove 
it.  Then  remove 
the jack and wrench.  The  tools  you'll 
be using include  the 
jack (A), extension 
and  protectodguide 
(B) and  wheel  wrench (C). 
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If there is a wheel cover, 
loosen the plastic  nut caps 
with the wheel wrench. 
They won’t come off. Then,  using the  flat end 
of the 
wheel wrench, pry  along the 
edge  of the cover until  it 
comes off.  Be careful;  the 
edges  may be sharp. Don’t 
try  to remove the cover with 
your bare hands. 
Removing  the  Flat  Tire  and  Installing  the 
Spare  Tire 
If  your vehicle  has wheel nut  caps, remove them using 
the wheel wrench. 
1. Using the wheel wrench, loosen all the wheel nuts. 
Don’t remove them  yet. 
2. Turn the jack  handle  clockwise  to  raise  the jack  lift 
head 
a few  inches. 
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& CAUTION: 
- - 
Raising  your  vehicle  with  the jack i 
positioned can damage  the  vehicle  and even  make 
the  vehicle  fall.  To  help  avoid  personal  injury and 
vehicle  damage,  be  sure 
to fit the jack  lift  head  into 
the  proper  location  before  raising  the vehicle. 
3. Raise the  vehicle by turning  the jack  handle 
clockwise. Raise the  vehicle  far enough off the 
ground  for the  spare  tire  to  fit  under the vehicle. 
Remove  all wheel nuts and take  off the  flat  tire. 
4. Remove any rust or dirt 
from  the wheel  bolts, 
mounting surfaces 
and 
spare  wheel. 
Rust or  dirt  on the  wheel, or on the  parts to 
which  it is  fastened,  can make the  wheel nuts 
become  loose  after a  time.  The wheel  could  come 
off and cause  an accident.  When  you  change a 
wheel,  remove  any rust  or  dirt  from the places 
where  the wheel  attaches to the  vehicle. 
In an 
CAUTION:  (Continued) 
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CAUTION: (Continued) 
emergency,  you  can  use  a  cloth 
or a  paper  towel 
to 
do this;  but  be sure  to use a scraper  or  wire 
brush later, if you  need to, to  get  all  the  rust or 
dirt  off. 
I 
Never use oil or grease on studs or nuts. If you 
do,  the  nuts  might  come  loose.  Your  wheel  could 
fall 
off, causing  a  serious  accident. 
5. Replace  the wheel nuts 
with  the rounded end 
of the nuts toward the 
wheel. Tighten each  nut 
by hand until the wheel 
is held against the hub. 
6. Lower the vehicle by turning the  jack handle 
counterclockwise. Lower the  jack completely. 
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The cap is behind a hinged door on the  left  side of 
vour vehicle. 
While refueling, hang the 
cap inside  the fuel door. 
To take off the cap, turn it slowly to the  left 
(counterclockwise). 
If you  get  gasoline on yourself  and then 
something  ignites 
it, you could  be  badly burned. 
Gasoline  can spray  out on  you 
if you  open  the 
fuel  filler  cap too  quickly.  This spray  can happen 
if your tank is nearly  full, and is more  likely  in 
hot  weather.  Open the  fuel  filler  cap 
slowly and 
wait for any 
“hiss” noise  to stop.  Then unscrew 
the cap all the way. 
~  ~~ 
Be careful not  to  spill  gasoline.  Clean gasoline  from 
painted surfaces 
as soon as possible.  See “Cleaning the 
Outside of Your Pontiac”  in  the Index. 
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When  you put the cap back  on, turn  it  to the right 
(clockwise) until  you hear  at least three  clicks. Make 
sure you fully install the cap. 
NOTICE: 
If you  need a new  cap, be sure to get  the  right 
type.  Your dealer  can  get  one  for  you. 
If you get 
the  wrong  type,  it  may  not 
fit or have  proper 
venting,  and  your  fuel  tank  and  emissions  system 
might  be  damaged. 
Checking  Things  Under  the  Hood 
A CAUTION: 
An  electric  fan  under  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. 
Things  that  burn  can  get  on  hot  engine  parts  and 
start 
a fire. These include  liquids  like  gasoline, 
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. 
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