check engine light PONTIAC BONNEVILLE 1995 Owners Manual

during this time, the vehicle will not start. This
discourages someone from randomly trying different
keys with different resistor pellets in an attempt to make
a match.
The ignition key must be clean and
dry before it’s
inserted in the ignition or the engine may not start. If the
engine does not start and the SECURITY light is on, the
key may be dirty or wet. Turn the ignition
off.
Clean and dry the key. Wait about three minutes and try
again. The security light may remain on during this
time. If the
starter still won’t work, and the key appears
to be clean and
dry, wait about three minutes and try
another ignition key. At this time, you may also want to
check the fuse (see “Fuses and Circuit Breakers” in the
Index). If the starter won’t work.with the other key, your
vehicle needs service. If your vehicle does start, the first
ignition key may be faulty.
See your Pontiac dealer or a
locksmith who can service the PASS-Key@II. If
you accidentally use a key that has
a damaged or
missing resistor pellet, the starter won’t work and the
SECURITY light will flash. But you don’t have to wait
three minutes before trying another ignition key.
See your Pontiac dealer or a locksmith who can service
the PASS-Key’II to have
a new key made.
If you’re
ever driving and the SECURITY light comes
on and remains on, you will be able to restart your
engine if you
turn it off. Your PASS-K~Y~I system,
however, is not working properly and must be serviced
by your Pontiac dealer. Your vehicle is not protected by
the PASS-Key% system.
If you lose or damage a PASS-Key(% ignition key, see
your Pontiac dealer or a locksmith who can service
PASS-Key@II to have a new key made. In an
emergency, call the Pontiac Roadside Assistance
Program at
1 -800-ROADSID& or 1-800-762-3743.
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Tachometer (Option) Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
Warning
lights and gages can signal that something is
wrong before it becomes serious enough to cause an
expensive repair or replacement. Paying attention to
your warning lights and gages could also save
you or
others from injury.
Warning lights come on when there may be or is a
will see in the details on the next few pages, some
warning lights come on briefly when you
start the
engine just to let you know they’re working.
If you are
familiar with this section, you should not be alarmed
when this happens.
Gages can indicate when there may
be or is a problem
with one of your vehicle’s functions. Often gages and
30 problem with one of your vehicle’s functions. As you
The tachometer shows your engine speed in revolutions warning lights
work together to let you know when
per minute
(rpm). Do not run your engine at speeds in there’s a problem
with your vehicle.
the red area. When one
of the warning lights comes on and stays on
when you are driving, or when one of the gages shows
there may be a problem, check the section that tells you
what
to do about it. Please follow this manual’s advice.
Waiting to
do repairs can be costly -- and even
dangerous.
So please get to know your warning lights
and gages. They’re a big help.
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The traction control system warning light may come on
for the following reasons:
0 If you turn the system off by pressing the button
located on the center console, the warning light will
come on and stay on.
To turn the system back on,
press the button again. The warning light should go
off. (See “Traction Control System” in the Index for
more information.)
If there’s a brake system problem that is specifically
related to traction control, the traction control system
will turn off and the warning light
will come on. If
your brakes begin to overheat, the traction control
system will turn
off and the warning light will come
on until
your brakes cool down.
engine-related problem, the system will turn
off and
the warning light will come on.
If the traction control system is affected by an
If the traction control system warning light comes on
and stays on for an extended period of time when the
system is turned on, your vehicle needs service.
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning
Light
1
This light tells you that your
engine coolant has
overheated
or your radiator 4
cooling fans are not
working.
If you have been operating your vehicle under normal
driving conditions, you should pull off the road, stop
your vehicle and turn the engine
off as soon as possible.
In the section “Problems on the Road”, this manual
explains what to do. See “Engine Overheating” in the
Index.
Some clusters with gages
do not have a coolant
temperature warning light. In those clusters a
CHECK
GAGES warning light will alert you of a possible
coolant heating problem.
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Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
This gage shows the engine
coolant temperature.
If the gage pointer moves
into the red area, your
engine
is too hot! The
CHECK GAGES light will
go on and a warning chime
will sound, if
you have this
option.
It means that your engine coolant has overheated. If you
have been operating your vehicle lander normal driving
conditions, you should puli off the road, stop you
vehicle and turn off the engine as soon as possible.
In the section“Prob1ems on the Road”, this mud
explains what to do. See “Engine Overheating” in the
-. -. . 5 . Index. .~ c.
.L -,
Low Coolant Warning Light
L
LOW COOLANT
If you have this light and it
comes on, your system may
be low on coolant and the
engine
may overheat.
Check to
see if the level is low at the recovery tank, and
add coolant if necessary.
If the level is not low, have
your low coolant warning system serviced. See “Engine
Coolant” in the
Index.
The LOW COOLANT warning light will also come on
when you turn on the ignition, but your engine is not
running, as
a check to show you it is working. If it
doesn’t come
on then, have it fixed right away.
After the
bulb check, the light will go out for 20 seconds.
If the light comes back on after 20 se’conds, the system
may be low on coolant. See “Engine Coolant”
in the
Index.
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Malfunction Indicatc
(Service Engine
So01
SERVICE
ENOlNE SOON
)r Lamp
0
A computer monitors
operation
of your fuel,
ignition and emission control systems.
This light
should come on when the
ignition is on, but the
engine is not running, as a
,I I ch:;h;;.show you it is
If it does not come on at all, have it fixed right away. If
it stays on, or it comes on while you are driving, the
computer is indicating that you have a problem.
You
should take your vehicle in for service soon.
NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle with this light on,
after a while the emission controls won’t work as
well, your fuel economy won’t be as good and your
engine may not run as smoothly. This could lead to
costly repairs not covered by
your warranty.
Engine Oil Pressure Light
If you have a problem with
your oil, this light may stay
on after you start your
engine,
or come on when
you are driving.
I-)
This may indicate that oil is not going through your
engine quickly enough to keep it cool. The engine could
be low on oil, or could have sbme other oil problem.
If you
are driving, carefully pull over to a safe location
and stop to check the oil level. See “Checking Engine
Oil” in the Index.
If the engine
oil is low, add oil as required. See “Adding
Engine Oil”
in the Index.
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If additional oil is not needed or the engine oil warning
light stays
on, then have the light investigated at a
qualified
service agent immediately.
The oil light could also come
on in two other situations:
When the ignition is on but the engine is not running,
the light will come on as a test to show you it is
working, but the light will go out when you
turn the
ignition to
START. If it doesn’t come on with the
ignition
on, you may have a problem with the fuse or
bulb. Have it fixed right away.
moment.
This is normal.
0 If you make a hard stop, the light may come on for a
Clusters with gages use the CHECK GAGES warning
! light to alert you of a potential oil pressure problem.
.. ! ri ,i i. , ;; . ,I I, . 8. . % , 8. I. .
1 NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can
be costly and is not covered by your
warranty.
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Oil Pressure Gage (Option)
The oil pressure gage shows
the engine
oil pressure in
psi (pounds per square inch)
when the engine is running.
Canadian vehicles indicate
pressure in Ea
(kiloPascals).
NOTICE:
Oil pressure may vary with engine speed, outside
temperature and oil viscosity,
but readings above the red
warning zone indicate the normal operating range.
A reading in the red zone may be caused by a
dangerously
low oil level or other problem causing low
oil pressure. The
CHECK GAGES light will go on and a
warning chime will sound, if you have this option.
Driving your vehicle with low oil pressure can cause
extensive engine damage.
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and is not covered by your
warranty.
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Check Oil Level Warning Light (Option)
1
CHECK OIL
LEVEL
1 This light indicates when
the engine oil level is
1 to
1 1/2 quarts (0.95 L to
1.4 L) low. It will go on for
one to three seconds when
the ignition is turned to the
RUN position, as a bulb
check to show
you that the
system is working.
If the light doesn’t come on, have your oil level warning
system serviced.
Even if
you have a low oil level, the light will go off for
15 to 20 seconds. Then, if the oil level is low, and it has
been at least eight minutes since your engine was last
running, the CHECK OIL LEVEL light will come on
for 20 to
40 seconds. The eight-minute delay allows the
majority of the
oil to drain back into the oil pan and
prevent
a false low condition. If the
CHECK OIL LEVEL
warning comes on, the oil
level should be checked at the oil dipstick. If the level is
low, the engine oil should be brought up
to the proper
level. See “Engine Oil” in the Index. After restoring the
proper level and
waiting for the eight-minute drainback,
the key can be turned to the
RUN position and the
CHECK OIL LEVEL warning light should only come
on
as a bulb check.
Head-Up Display (Option)
If you have the optional Head-Up Display (HUD), you
can see some of the driver information also available on
your instrument panel cluster. The information may be
displayed in English or metric units and appears as
a
reflection on the windshield. The HUD shows:
Speedometer reading
0 Turn signal indicators
e High beam indicator symbol
CHECK GAGES message (for low oil pressure, high
coolant temperature, low oil level and
low fuel)
Low fuel warning symbol.
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Clean the inside of the windshield as needed to remove
any dirt or film that reduces the sharpness or clarity of
the
HUD image.
Spray household glass cleaner on a
soft, clean cloth.
Wipe the HUD lens gently, then dry it. Do not spray
cleaner directly on the lens, because the cleaner fluid
could leak inside the unit if you do.
If you can’t see the HUD image when the ignition
is on,
check to see if
The headlamps are on?
Anything is covering the HUD unit?
0 The HUD dimmer control is adjusted correctly?
0 The HUD image is adjusted to the proper height?
A fuse in the fuse panel may be blown. See “Fuses
If the HUD image is not clear it could be too bright,
move the
HUD dimmer control further downward. You
may need to clean the windshield and HUD lens.
Your windshield is part
of the HUD system. If you ever
have to have a new windshield, be sure to get one
designed
for HUD. If you don’t, the HUD image may
look blurred and out of focus.
and Circuit Breakers”
in the Index.
Battery Warning Light
This light will come on
briefly when you start the
vehicle, as a check to show
If it stays on, or comes on while you are dnving, you
may have a problem with the electrical charging system.
It could indicate that you have a generator problem or
another electrical system problem. Have it checked right
away. Driving while this light
is on could drain your
battery.
If you must drive a short distance with the light on, be
certain to turn
off all your accessories, such as the radio
and climate control system.
Some clusters with gages do not have a battery
warning
light. They have a CHECK GAGES warning to indicate
a problem. Vehicles with the supercharged engine also
have a similar battery warning light.
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Low Washer Fluid Warning Light (Option)
E
WASHER FLUID
This light will come on
when your windshield
washers
are working and the
fluid container is less than
one-third full.
Check Gages Warning Light (Option)
11 This light will come on
brieflywhen you are
starting the engine.
CHECK QAQES
Remember, driving without washer fluid can be
dangerous.
A bad mud splash cm block your vision.
You could collide with another vehicle. Check your
washer fluid often, and add only the proper fluid. See
“Windshield Washer Fluid” in the Index.
If the light comes on and stays on while you are driving,
check
your gages for fuel, coolant temperature, oil
pressure or voltage. This light will stay on if your engine
is not running.
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