engine PONTIAC BONNEVILLE 1993 Workshop Manual

Driving on Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear
before you start down a long or steep
downgrade. If you don’t shift down, you
might have to use your brakes
so much
that they would get hot and no longer
work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down to
D (Drive) and reduce your speed to around
45 mph (70 km/h) to reduce the possibility
of engine and transaxle overheating.
If you are towing a trailer that weighs
more than
1,000 pounds (454 kg), and
you have an automatic transaxle with
Overdrive, it’s best
to drive in D instead
of Overdrive (or, as you need to, a lower
gear). This will minimize heat build-up
and extend the life
of your transaxle.
Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle,
with a trailer attached, on a hill. If
something goes wrong, your rig could
start to move. People can be injured,
and both your vehicle and the trailer can
be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on
a hill, here’s how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t
shift into
P (Park) yet.
2. Have someone place chocks under
the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place,
release the regular brakes until the
chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then
apply your parking brake, and then
shift to
P (Park).
5. Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1, Apply your regular brakes and hold
the pedal down while you:
Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear
4. Stop and have someone pick up and
of the chocks.
store the chocks.
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Your Driving and the Road
Maintenance When Tmiler Towing
Your vehicle will need service more
often when you’re pulling a trailer. See
the Maintenance Schedule for more
on
this. Things that are especially
important
in trailer operation are
automatic transaxle fluid (don’t overfill),
engine oil, belts, cooling system, and
brake adjustment. Each
of these is
covered
in this manual, and the Index
will help you find them quickly. If
you’re trailering, it’s a good idea to
review these sections before you
start
your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch
nuts and bolts are tight.
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Here you’ll find out what to do
about
some problems that can occur
on the road .
Part 5
Problems on the Road
........................................... Hazard Warning Flashers 192
Jumpstarting
.................................................... 193
Towing Your Pontiac
197
Engine Overheating 202
If a Tire Goes Flat 208
Changing a Flat Tire 210
Compactspare
................................................... 217
..............................................
...............................................
................................................
...............................................
If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow .......................... 218
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Problems on the Road
Jump Starting (CONT:)
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
Pontiac, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
L You could be injured if the
~ Jehicles roll. Set the parking
brake
firmly on each vehicle. Put
an automatic transaxle in P (Park)
or a manual transaxle in N (Neut] . -.
3. Turn off the ignition on both
vehicles. Turn off all lights that aren't
needed, and radios. This will avoid
sparks and help save both batteries.
And it could save your radio!
I I I
4. Open the hoods and locate the
batteries.
If you leave your radio on, it could
be badly damaged. The repairs
wouldn't be covered by your
warranty.
CAUTlON
An electric fan can start up I I
I even when the engine is not
running and can injure you. Keep
hands, clothing and tools away
from any underhood electric fan.
Find the positive
(+) and negative
(-) terminals on each battery.
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, Using a match near a battery
- b can cause battery gas to
explode. People have been hurt
doing this, and some have been
blinded. .Use a flashlight
if you
need more light.
Be sure the batteries have enough
water. You don’t need to add water
to the Delco Freedom@ battery installed in every new
GM vehicle.
But if a battery
has filler caps, be
sure the right amount
of fluid is
there. If
it is low, add water to take
care
of that first. If you don’t,
explosive gas could be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that can
burn you. Don’t get it
on you. If
you accidentally get it in your eyes
or on your skin, flush the place
with water and get medical help immediately.
5. Check that the jumper cables don’t
have loose or missin.g insulation.
If
they do, you could get a shock. The
vehicles could be damaged, too.
Before you connect the cables, here are
some things
you should know. Positive
(+) will go to positive (+) and negative
(-) will go to negative (-) or a metal
engine part. Don’t connect
(+) to (-) or
you’ll get a short that would damage the
battery and maybe other parts, too. Fans
or other moving engine
running.
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Problems on the Road
Jump Starting (CONI)
6. Connect the red positive (+) cable to
the positive
(+) terminal of the
vehicle with the dead battery. Use a
remote positive
(+) terminal if the
vehicle has one.
7. Don’t let the other end touch metal.
Connect it to
the positive (+)
terminal of the good battery. Use a
remote positive
(+) terminal if the
vehicle has one.
8. Now connect the black negative (-)
cable to the good battery’s negative
(-) terminal.
Don’t let the other end touch anything
until the next step. The other end
of the
negative cable doesn’t go to the dead
battery.
It goes to a heavy unpainted
metal part
on the engine of the vehicle
with the dead battery.
9. Attach the 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, but
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 with the
dead battery.
If it won’t start after a
few tries, it probably needs service.
m.. 196
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I' Problems on the Road
Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature gage
or the warning light about a hot engine
on your Pontiac's instrument panel. See
the
Index under Coolant Temperature
Gage
and Coolant Temperature Warning
Light.
202
If your engine catches fire because
you keep driving with no coolant,
your vehicle can be badly
damaged. The costly repai
not be covered
by your warranty.
' Steam is Coming from Your Engine:
Steam from an overheated
, engine can burn you badly,
even
if you just open the hood. Stay
away hm the engine if you see or
hear steam coming from it. Just
turn it off and get everyone away
from the vehicle until itmols down.
Wait until there is no sign of steam
or coolant before opening the hood.
If you keep driving when your
engine is overheated, the liquids in
it can catch fm You or-others
could be badly burned. Stop your
engine if it wetheats, and get out
of the vehicle until the engine is
cool.
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If No Steam is Coming from Your
Engine:
If you get the overheat warning but see
or hear no steam, the problem may not
be too serious. Sometimes the engine
can get a little too hot when you:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer. If you
get the overheat warning with no
sign of steam, try this for a minute or
so:
1 . Turn off your air conditioner.
2. Turn your heater to full hot at the
highest blower speed and open the
window as necessary.
N (Neutral).
3. If you’re in a traffic jam, shift to
If you no longer have the overheat
warning, you can drive. Just
to be safe,
drive slower for about ten minutes.
If
the warning doesn’t come back on, you
can drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop,
and park your vehicle right away.
If there’s still no sign
of steam, you can
idle the engine for two or three minutes
while you’re parked, to see if the
warning stops. But
then,
if you still have the warning,
TURN
OFF THE ENGINE AND GET
EVERYONE OUT
OF THE VEHICLE
until it cools down. You may decide not
to lift the hood but to get service help
right away.
203
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Problems on the Road
Engine Overheating (CONK)
Cooling System
When you decide it’s safe to
lift the
hood, here’s what you’ll see:
(A) Coolant recovery tank
(B) Radiator pressure cap
(C) Electric engine fan
An
electric fan under the hood
h 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 coolant level should be at or above
the
FULL COLD mark. If it isn’t, you
may have a leak
in the radiator hoses,
heater hoses, radiator, water pump or
somewhere else
in the cooling system.
I I 1 Heater and radiator hoses, anc
- other engine parts, can be
very hot. Don’t touch them.
If you
do, you can be burned.
Don’t run the engine if there is a
leak.
If you run the engine, it
could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you could
be burned. Get any leak fixed
before you drive the vehicle.
I
Engine damage from running your
engine without coolant isn’t
covered by your warranty.
.. . 204
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should be running. If it isn’t, your
vehicle needs service.
How
to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery Tank:
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but
the coolant level isn’t up to the
FULL
COLD mark, add a 50/50 mixture of
clean water (preferably distilled) and a
proper antifreeze at the coolant recovery
tank. See the Index under Coolant for
more information about the proper
coolant mix.
I b-Au I IUN If there seems to be no leak, check to
see
if the electric engine fan is running. Adding only plain water to
If the engine is overheating, the fan L 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
,k L
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.
system is set for the proper coolant
I
mix. With plain water or the
too hot but you wouldn’t get the
overheat warning. Your engine
could catch fm and you or others
be Use a mix
of clean water and a proper
antifreeze. When
the coolant in the coolant
COLD, start your vehicle. If the
overheat warning continues, there’s one
proper coolant mix directly
to the
more
thing you can try. You can add the
radiator, but be sure the cooling system
is cool before
you do it.
wrong
mix, Your
engine could get recovery tank is at or above FULL
I
In cold weather, water can freeze II
and crack the engine, radiator,
heater core and other
parts. Use
the recommended coolant.
I
r
205 ”
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