PONTIAC PONTIAC 1997 Owners Manual

How to Check and Add Oil
Check oil only when the engine is cold. Allow the
engine to cool two to three hours after running.
If you remove the supercharger oil fill plug while
the engine is hot, pressure may cause hot oil to
blow out
of the oil fill hole. You may be burned.
DQ not remove the plug until the engine cools.
1. Clean the area around the oil fill plug before
removing it.
2, Remove the oil fill plug using a 3/16 inch
Allen wrench.
5. The oil level is correct when it just reaches the
bottom of the threads
of the inspection hole.
4. Replace the oil plug with the O-ring in place.
Torque to 88
lb-in (10 N.m).
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
regularly reaches
90 OF (3 2 O C) or higher.
0 In hilly or mountainous terrain.
0 When doing frequent trailer towing.
Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, the fluid and filter do not require changing.
See “Scheduled Maintenance Services” in the Index.
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How to Check
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you may
choose to have this done at your Pontiac 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.
NOTICE:
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 parts
or exhaust
system parts, starting a fire. 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).
0 At high speed for quite a while.
In heavy traffic -- especially in hot weather.
0 While pulling a trailer.
To get the right reading, the fluid should be at norrnal
operating temperature, which is
1801°F to 200°F
(82°C to 93°C).
Get the vehicle warmed up by driving about 15 miles
(24 km) when outside temperatures are above 50°F
( lo°C). If it's colder than 50" F ( lO"C), you may have
to drive longer.
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Checking the Fluid Level
Park your vehicle on a level place. Keep the engine
0 With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever
With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift
running.
in
PARK (P).
lever through each gear range, pausing for about
three seconds in each range. Then, position the shift
lever in
PARK (P).
0 Let the engine run at idle for three to five minutes. Then, without shutting
off the
engine, follow these steps:
3100 Engine
The transaxle fluid dipstick
handle is
the red loop near
the back of the engine.
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3100 Engine
3800 or 38100 Supercharged Engine
1. Pull out the dipstick and wipe it with a clean rag or
2. Push it back in all the way, wait three seconds and
paper towel.
then pull it back out again.
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How to Add Fluid
3.
4.
3800 or 3800 Supercharged Engine
Check both sides of the dipstick, and read the
lower level. The fluid level must
be in the
cross-hatched area.
If the fluid level is in the acceptable range, push the
dipstick back in
all the way. Refer
to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind
of transaxle fluid to use. See “Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants” in the Index.
If the fluid level
is low, add only enough of the proper
fluid to bring the level into the cross-hatched area on
the dipstick.
1. Pull out the dipstick.
2. Using a long-neck funnel, add enough fluid at the
dipstick hole to bring it to the proper level.
It doesn’t
take much fluid, generally less than one pint
(0.5 L).
Don’t overfill. We recommend you use only fluid
labeled DEXR0N’-111, because fluid with that label
is made especially for your automatic transaxle.
Damage caused by fluid other than
DEXRON-I11 is
not covered
by your new vehicle warranty.
0 After adding fluid, recheck the fluid level as
described under
“How to Check.”
0 When the correct fluid level is obtained, push the
dipstick back in all the way.
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The cooling system in your vehicle is filled with new
DEX-COOL TM engine coolant. This coolant is designed
to remain in your vehicle for 5 years or 150,000 miles
‘(240 000 h), whichever occurs first.
The following explains your cooling system and how to
add coolant when it is low. If you have a problem with
engine overheating or if you need to add coolant to your
radiator, see “Engine Overheating” in the Index.
A $OB0 mixture of water and the proper coolant for
your Pontiac will:
Give freezing protection down to -34°F (-37°C).
Give boiling protection up to 265 “F (129’ C).
0 Protect against rust and corrosion.
0 Help keep the proper engine temperature.
0 Let the warning lights and gages work as they should.
I
NOTICE:
When adding coolant, it is important that you
use only IBEX-COOL TM silicate-free coolant.
If silicated coolant is added to the system,
premature
engine, heater core or radiator
corrosion may result. In addition, the engine
coolant
will requipe change sooner -- at
30,000 miles (50 000 km) or 24 months,
whichever occurs first.
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What to Use
Use a mixture of one-half clean water (preferably
distilled) and one-half
DEX-COOL TM coolant which
won’t damage aluminum parts.
If you use this mixture,
you don’t need to add anything else.
Adding only plain water to your cooling system can be dangerous. Plain water, or some other
liquid like alcohol, can boil before the proper
coolant mix will. Your vehicle’s coolant warning
system
is set for the proper coolant mix. With
plain water or the wrong mix, 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 mix of clean
water and
DEX-COOL TM coolant.
NOTICE:
If you use an improper coolant mix, your engine
could overheat and be badly damaged. The
repair cost wouldn’t be covered by your
warranty.
Too much water in the mix can freeze
and crack the engine, radiator, heater core and
other parts.
If you have to add coolant more than four times a year,
have your dealer check your cooling system.
~~
NOTICE:
If you use the proper coolant, you don’t have to
add extra inhibitors or additives which claim to
improve the system. These can be harmful.
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Checking Coolant
When your engine is cold, the coolant level should be
at the COLD mark or a little higher. To check coolant
level, remove the cap on the coolant recovery bottle and
verify that
the coolant level is up to the COLD fill level
on the hose attached to the cap.
LOW
COOLANT
If this light comes on, it
means
you’re low on
engine coolant.
Adding Coolant
If you need more coolant, add the proper DEX-COOL”
coolant mixture at the mulant recovery tank.
If the coolant recovery tank is completely empty, add
coolant
to the radiator. (See “Engine Overheating” in
the
Index.)
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Turning the radiator pressure cap when the
engine and radiator
are hot can allow steam
and scalding liquids to blow out and burn
you
badly. With the coolant recovery tank, you will
almost never have to add coolant at the radiator.
Never turn the radiator pressure cap
-- even a
little -- when the engine and radiator are hot.
Add coolant mix at the recovery tank, but be careful not
to spill it.
You can be burned if you spill coolant 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.
I I
Radiator Pressure Cap
NOTICE:
Your radiator cap is a 15 psi (105 kPa)
pressure-type cap and must be tightly installed to
prevent coolant loss and possible engine damage
from overheating. Be sure the
arrows on the cap
line up with the overflow tube
on the radiator
filler neck.
When you replace your radiator pressure cap, an AC'
cap is recommended.
Thermostat
Engine coolant temperature is controlled by a thermostat
in
the engine coolant system. The thermostat stops the
flow of coolant through the radiator until the coolant
reaches a preset temperature.
When
you replace your thermostat, an AC@thermostat is
recommended.
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Power Steering Fluid
3100 Engine 3800 or 3800 Supercharged Engine
When to Check Power Steering Fluid
It is not necessary to regularly check power steering
fluid unless
you suspect there is a leak in the system or
you hear an unusual noise. A fluid loss in this system
could indicate
a problem. Have the system inspected
and repaired.
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