engine PONTIAC BONNEVILLE 1993 Service Manual

Your Driving and the Road
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because
the engine stops or the system fails to
function, you can steer but it will take
much more
effort.
Variable Effort Steering
If your vehicle is equipped with this
option, you have a variable effort
steering system that eases steering effort
at speeds less than
20 mph (32 Wh).
This is particularly useful when parking
your vehicle.
Steering Tips-Driving on Curves
It’s important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control”
accidents mentioned on the news happen on curves. Here’s why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of
us is subject to the same laws of physics
when driving on curves. The traction
of
the tires against the road surface makes
it possible for the vehicle to change
its
path when you turn the front wheels. If
there’s no traction, inertia will keep the vehicle going in the same direction.
If
you’ve ever tried to steer a vehicle on
wet ice, you’ll understand this.
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a corner on a wet, snow- or ice-covered
road), ease your foot off the accelerator
pedal as soon as you feel the vehicle
start to slide. Quickly steer the way you
want the vehicle to go. If you start
steering quickly enough, your vehicle
will straighten out. As it does, straighten
the front wheels.
Of course, traction is reduced when
water, snow, ice, gravel, or other
material is
on the road. For safety, you’ll
want to slow down and adjust your
driving to these conditions. It is
important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will
be longer and vehicle control more
limited. While
driving on a surface with reduced
traction, try your best
to avoid sudden
steering, acceleration, or braking
(including engine braking by shifting
to
a lower gear). Any sudden changes
could cause the tires to slide. You may
not realize the surface
is slippery until
your vehicle is skidding. Learn to
recognize warning clues-such as
enough water, ice
or packed snow on
the road to make a “mirrored
surface”-and slow down when
you
have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock braking system
(ABS) helps avoid only the braking
slud. Steer the way you want to go.
Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than
day driving. One reason is that some
drivers are likely to be impaired-by
alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems, or by fatigue.
Here are some tips on night driving.
Drive defensively. Remember, this is
the most dangerous
time.
Don’t drink and drive. (See the Index
under Drunken Driving for more on
this problem.)
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to
reduce the glare from headlights
behind you.
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Your Driving and the Road
Driving a Long Distance
Although most long trips today are
made on freeways, there are still many
made on regular highways.
Long-distance driving on freeways and
regular highways
is the same in some
ways. The trip has to be planned and the
vehicle prepared, you drive
at higher-
than-city speeds, and there are longer
turns behind the wheel. You’ll enjoy
your trip more if
you and your vehicle
are in good shape. Here are some tips
for a successful long trip.
174
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you’re ready. Try to be well Here are some things you can check
rested. If you must start when you’re not
fresh-such as after a day’s work-don’t
plan to make too many miles that first
part of the journey. Wear comfortable
clothing and shoes you can easily drive
in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If
you keep it serviced and maintained, it’s
ready to go. If it needs service, have it
done before starting out.
Of course,
you’ll find experienced and able service
experts in Pontiac dealerships all across
North America. They’ll be ready and
willing to help if you need it. before
a trip:
Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the
reservoir full? Are all windows clean
inside and outside?
shape?
Have you checked all levels?
lenses clean?
safe, trouble-free trip.
Is the tread
good enough for long-distance
driving? Are the tires all inflated to
the recommended pressure?
weather outlook along your route?
Should you delay your trip a short
time to avoid a major storm system?
Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids:
Lights: Are they all working? Are the
Tires: They are vitally important to a
Weather Forecasts: What’s the
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3n the Road
Mess you are the only driver, it is
;ood to share the driving task with
Ithers. Limit turns behind the wheel to
ibout 100 miles
(160 km) or two hours
it a sitting. Then, either change drivers
x stop for some refreshment like coffee,
:ea or
soft drinks and some limbering
lp. But do stop and move around. Eat
lightly along the way. Heavier meals
:end to make some people sleepy.
3n two-lane highways or undivided
multilane highways that do not have
;ontrolled access, you’ll want to watch for some situations not usually found on
freeways. Examples are: stop signs and
signals, shopping centers with direct
access to the highway, no passing zones
and school zones, vehicles turning left
and right off the road, pedestrians,
cyclists, parked vehicles, and even
animals.
Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as
“highway hypnosis”? Or is it just plain
falling asleep at the wheel? Call it
highway hypnosis, lack
of awareness, o
whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch
of road with the same scenery, along
with the hum of the tires on the road,
the drone of the engine, and the rush of
the wind against the vehicle that can
make you sleepy. Don’t
let it happen to
you! If it does, your vehicle can leave
the road in
less than a second, and you
could crash and be injured.
What can you do about highway
hypnosis? First, be aware that it can
happen.
Then here are some tips:
Mike sure your vehicle is well
ventilated, with a comfortably cool interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road
ahead and to the sides. Check your
rearview mirrors frequently and your
instruments from time to time. This
can help you avoid a fixed stare.
Wear good sunglasses in bright light.
Glare can cause drowsiness. But don’t
wear sunglasses at night. They will
drastically reduce your overall vision
at the very time you need all the
seeing power
you have.
If you get sleepy, pull off the road into
a rest, service, or parking area and
take a nap, get some exercise, or both.
For safety, treat drowsiness on the
highway as an emergency.
As in any driving situation, keep pace
with traffic and allow adequate
following distances.
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Your Driving and the Road
Hi// and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is
different from driving
in flat or rolling
terrain.
If you drive regularly in steep
country, or if you’re planning to visit
there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable.
Keep your vehicle in good shape.
Check all fluid levels and also the
brakes, tires, cooling system and
transaxle. These parts can work hard
on mountain roads.
Know how to go down hills. The most
important thing to know is this: let
your engine
do some of the slowing
down. Don’t make your brakes do
it
all. Shift to a lower gear when you go
down a steep or long hill. That way,
you will slow down without excessive
use of your brakes.
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If you don’t shift down, your
brakes could get
so hot that
they wouldn’t work well.
You
would then have poor braking or
even
none going down a hill. You
could crash. Shift down to let your
engine
assist your brakes on a
steep downhill slope.
I CAUTION I
Know how to go uphill. Shift down to
D (Drive). This will help cool your
engine and transaxle, and you can
, climb the hill better.
Stay in your own lane when driving on
two-lane roads in hills or mountains.
Don’t swing wide or cut across the
center of the road. Drive at speeds that
let
you stay in your own lane. That
way, you won’t be surprised by a
vehicle coming toward you
in the
same lane.
It takes longer to pass another vehicle
when you’re going uphill. You’ll want
to leave extra room to pass.
If a
vehicle
is passing you and doesn’t have
enough room, slow down to make
it
easier for the other vehicle to get by.
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Toque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you
don’t shift your transaxle into P (Park)
properly, the weight of the vehicle may
put too much force on the parking pawl in the transaxle.
You may find it difficult
to pull the shift lever out of P (Park).
This is called “torque lock.” To prevent
torque lock, always be sure
to shift into
P (Park) properly before you leave the
driver’s seat. To find out how, see the
Index under Shifing Into P (Park).
When you are ready to drive, move the
shift lever
out of P (Park) before you
release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need
to have another vehicle push yours a
little uphill
to take some of the pressure
from the transaxle,
so you can pull the
shift lever out
of P (Park).
Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your Pontiac in good shape for
winter. Be sure your engine coolant
mix is correct.
Snow tires can help in loose snow, but
they may give
you less traction on ice
than regular tires.
If you do not expect
to be driving in deep snow, but may
have to travel over ice,
you may not
want to switch to snow tires at all.
I
You may want to put winter
emergency supplies in your trunk.
Include an ice scraper, a small brush
or broom, a supply of windshield
washer fluid, a rag,
some winter outer
clothing, a small shovel, a flashlight, a
red cloth, and a couple
of reflective
warning triangles. And,
if you will be
driving under severe conditions,
include a small bag of sand, a piece of
old carpet
or a couple of burlap bags
to help provide traction. Be sure
you
properly secure these items in your
vehicle.
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If You’re Caught in a Bli’ard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you
could be in a serious situation.
You
should probably stay with your vehicle
unless you know for sure that
you are
near help and you can hike through the
snow. Here are some things to
do to
summon help and keep yourself and
your passengers safe:
Turn on your hazard flashers.
Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert
police that you’ve been stopped by the
snow.
Put on extra clothing or wrap a
blanket around you.
If you have no
blankets or extra clothing, make body
insulators from newspapers, burlap
bags, rags, floor mats-anything you
can wrap around yourself
or tuck
under your clothing to keep warm.
but be careful.
You can run the engine to keep warm, cause deadly
CO (carbon
monoxide) gas to get inside.
CO
could overcome you and kill you.
You can’t see it or smell it, so you
might not know
it was in your
vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle,
especially any that is blocking your
exhaust pipe. And check around
again from time to time to be
sure
snow doesn’t collect there.
Open a window just a little on the
side of the vehicle that’s away from
the wind. This
will help keep CO
out.
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Your Driving and the Road
If bu’re Caught in a Blizzard
(CONT)
Run your engine only as long as you
must. This saves fuel. When you run
the engine, make it go a little faster
than just idle. That
is, push the
accelerator slightly. This uses less fuel
for the heat that you get and it keeps
the battery charged. You will need a
well-charged battery to restart the
vehicle and possibly for signaling later
on with your headlights. Let the heater
run for a while. Then,
shut the engine off and close
the window almost all the way to
preserve the heat.
Start the engine
again
and repeat this only when you
feel really uncomfortable from the
cold. But do it as little as possible.
Preserve the fuel as long as you can.
To help keep warm, you can get out of
the vehicle and do some fairly
vigorous exercises every half-hour
or
so until help comes.
If You’re Stuck in Deep Snow
This manual explains how to get the
vehicle out of deep snow without
damaging it. See the
Index under
Rocking Your Whicle.
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Towing a Tmiler
I
If you don't use the correct
equipment and drive properly,
you can lose control when you pull
a trailer. For example, if the trailer
is too heavy, the brakes may not
work well-or even at all. You and
your passengers could be seriously injured. Pull a trailer only if you
have followed all the steps in this
section.
NOTICE
I I; Pulling a trailer improperly can : __
damage your vehicle and result in' ;'
costly repairs not covered by your
follow the advice in this section.
Your Pontiac can tow a trailer, unless it
is equipped with the
3800 Supercharged
Engine (Code
1). Do not attempt to tow
a trailer
if equipped with the 3800
Supercharged Engine (Code 1). To
identify what the vehicle trailering
capacity is for your vehicle,
you should
read the information in
Weight of the
Trailer that appears later in this section.
But trailering is different than just
driving your vehicle by itself. Trailering
means changes in handling, durability,
and fuel economy. Successful, safe trailering
takes correct equipment, and it
has to be used properly.
That's the reason for this section.
In it
are many time-tested, important
trailering tips and safety rules. Many
of
these are important for your safety and
that of your passengers.
So please read
this section carefully before you pull a
trailer.
Load-pulling components such as the
engine, transaxle, wheel assemblies, and
tires are forced to work harder against
the drag of the added weight. The engine
is required to operate at relatively higher
speeds and under greater loads, generating
extra heat. What's more, the trailer adds
considerably to wind resistance,
increasing the pulling requirements.
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Your Driving and the Road
If bu Do Decide to Pulla Trailer
If you do, here are some important
points.
There are many different laws having
to do with trailering. Make sure your
rig will be legal, not only where you
live but also where you’ll be driving.
A good source for this information can
be
state or provincial police.
trailer will weigh
2,000 pounds (900 kg)
or less. You should always use a sway
control if your trailer will weigh more
than
2,000 pounds (900 kg). You can ask
a hitch dealer about sway controls.
Don’t tow a trailer at all during the first
500 miles (804 km) your new vehicle is
driven. Your engine, axle or other parts
could be damaged.
Consider using a sway control if your
Then, during the first 500 miles
(804 km) that you tow a trailer, don’t
drive over
50 mph (80 km/h) and
don’t make
starts at full throttle. This
helps your engine and other parts of
your vehicle wear in at the heavier
loads.
Three important considerations have
to do with weight:
Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be? It
should never weigh more than
1,000
pounds (450 kg) unless you have the
special optional
3,000 pound (1 360 kg)
towing package. But even that can
be
too heavy. It depends on how you plan
to use your rig. For example, speed,
altitude, road grades, outside
temperature and how much your
vehicle is
used to pull a trailer are all
important. And, it can also depend on
any special equipment that you have
on your vehicle. You can ask your
dealer for our trailering information
or advice, or write us at:
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