tow PONTIAC BONNEVILLE 1996 Owners Manual

How does an air bag restrain?
In moderate to severe fiontd or near-frontal collisions,
even
belted occupants can contact the steering wheel or the
instrument panel. The air bag supplements the protection
provided by safety belts. Air bags distribute the force of
the impact more evenly over the occupant's upper body, stopping
the occupant more gradually. But air bags would
not help
you in many types of collisions, including
rollovers, rear impacts and side impacts, primarily because
an occupant's motion is not toward the air bag. Air bags
should never be regarded as anythng more than a
supplement to safety belts, and then only in moderate to
severe frontal or near-frontal collisions.
What will you see after an air b& inffates?
After the air bag Mates, it quickly deflates. This occurs
so quickly that some people may not even realize the air
bag inflated. Some components of the air bag module in
. the steering wheel hub for the driver's air bag, or the .
.instrument panel for the right front passenger's bag, will
be hot
for a short time. The part of the bag that comes
into contact with
you may be warm, but it will nev'er be
too hot
to touch. There will be some smoke and dust
coming from vents in the deflated air bags. Air bag
inflation will not prevent the driver from seeing or from
being able to steer the vehicle, nor will it stop people
from leaving the vehicle.
When an air bag inflates, there is dust in the air.
This dust could cause breathing problems for
people with a history
of asthma or other
breathing trouble.
To avoid this, everyone in the
vehicle
should get out as soon as it is safe to do so.
If you have breathing problems but can't get out
of the vehicle after an air bag inflates, then get
fresh air by opening a window or door.
In many crashes severe enough to inflate an air bag,
windshields are broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional
windshield breakage may also occur from the
right front passenger air bag.
The air bags are designed to inflate only once. After
they inflate, you'll need some
new parts for your air
bag system. If you don't get them, the air bag system
won't be there to help protect you
in another crash.
A new system will include air bag modules and
possibly other parts. the^ service manual for your
vehicle covers the need to replace other parts.
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Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained in the rear seat. But they need to use the
safety belts properly.
Children who aren’t buckled up can be thrown out in
0 Children who aren’t buckled up can strike other
a crash.
people who
are.
Never do this.
Here
two children are wearing the same belt. The
belt can’t properly spread the impact forces. In a
crash, the two children can be crushed together
and seriously injured.
A belt must be used by
only one person at a time.
@ What if,a child is wearing a lap-shoulder belt,
but the child
is so small that the shoulder belt is
very close to the child’s face or neck?
A: Move the child toward the center of the vehicle, but
be sure that the shoulder belt still
is on the child’s
shoulder,
so that in a crash the child’s upper body
would have the restraint that belts provide.
If the
child is sitting in a rear seat outside position, see
“Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides”
in the Index.
If the child is so small that the shoulder belt is still
very close to the child’s face or neck, you might
want to place the child in the center seat position,
the one that has only
a lap belt.
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Door Locks
I
Unlocked doors can be dangerous.
Passengers
-- especially children -- can easily
open the doors and fall out. When
a door is
locked, the inside handle won’t open it.
Outsiders can easily enter through an unlocked
door when you slow down or stop your’vehicle.
This may not be
so obvious: You increase the
chance of being thrown out of the vehicle in a
crash if the doors aren’t locked. Wear safety belts
properly, lock your doors, and you will be far
better off whenever you drive your ,vehicle.
There are several ways to lock and unlock your vehicle. From the outside, use your door key
or Remote Keyless
Entry transmitter, if your vehicle has this option. With
your door key, turning the key toward the rear
of the
vehicle
will lock the door and turning the key toward the
front
of the vehicle will unlock it.
If your vehicle has a theft-deterrent system and it
is activated, unlock the doors only with the key or
Remote Keyless
Entry system. This will avoid
setting
off the alarm.
From the inside, to lock the door, slide the locking lever
rearward.
TQ unlock the
door, slidq the locking
lever forward.
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See your Pontiac dealer or a locksmith who can service
the PASS-Key
IT 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-Key 11 system,
however, is
not working properly and must be serviced
by your Pontiac dealer.
Your vehicle is not protected by
If you lose or damage a PASS-Key II ignition key, see
your Pontiac dealer
OT a locksmith who can service
PASS-Key 11 to have a new key made. In an emergency,
call the Pontiac Roadside Assistance Program
at
1-800-ROADSID3, or 1-800-762-3743.
. the PASS-Key II system.
New Vehicle (LBreak-In99
NOTICE:
P
Your modern Pontiac doesn’t need an elaborate
“break=in?’.But
it win perform better in the long
run if you follow these guidelines:
Dm’t drive at any one speed. -- fast or
slow
-- for the first 500 miles (804 km).
Don’t make full-throttle starts.
200 miles (322 km) or so. During this time
your new brake linings aren’t yet broken
in. Hard stops with new linings
can mean
premature wear
and earlier replacement.
Follow
this breaking-in- guideline every
time youmget new brake linings.
See ‘cTowing
a flrailer” in the Index for
more information.
Avoid making hard. stops for the first
Don’t tow a trailer during break-in.
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Ignition Switch
C
With the ignition key in the ignition switch, you can turn
the switch to five positions.
ACCESSORY (A): An on position in which you can
operate your electrical power accessories. Press in the
ignition switch
as you turn the top of it toward you.
LOCK (B): The only position in which you can
remove the key. This locks your steering wheel, ignition
and transaxle.
OFF (C): Unlocks the steering wheel, ignition and
transaxle, but does not send electrical power to any
accessories.
Use this position if yoUr vehicle must be
pushed or towed, but never try to push-start your
vehicle.
A warning chime will sound if you open the,.
driver's door when the ignition is
OFF and the key is in
the ignition.
RUN (D): An on position to which the switch returns
after you start your engine and release the switch. The
switch stays
in the 'RUN position when the engine is
running. But even when the engine is not running, you
can use RUN to operate your electrical power
accessories,
and to display some instrument panel
warning lights.
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Starting Your 3.8 Liter Engine
1. Without pushing the accelerator pedal, turn your
ignition key to
START. When the engine starts, let
go of the key. The idle speed will go down as your
engine gets warm.
.
NOTICE:
Holding your key in START for longer than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to be
drained much sooner. And the excessive heat can
damage your starter motor.
2. I€ it doesn’t start right away, hold your key in
START for about three to five seconds at a time until
your engine
starts. Wait about 15 seconds between
each
try to help avoid draining your battery.
3. If your engine still won’t start (or starts but then
stops), it could
be flooded with too much gasoline.
Try pushing your accelerator pedal all the way to the
floor and holding it there as you hold the key in
START for about three seconds. If the vehicle starts
briefly but then stops again, do the same thing, but
this time keep the pedal down for five or
six seconds.
This clears the extra gasoline from the engine.
After waiting about 15 seconds, repeat the nomd
starting procedure.
NOTICE:
I
Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your y,ehicle.
If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the way
the engine operates. Before
adding electrical
equipment, check with your dealer.
If you don’t,
your engine might not perform properly.
If you ever have to have your vehicle towed, see
the part of this manual that tells how to do it
without damaging your vehicle. See “Towing
Your Vehicle”
m the Index.
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Automatic Transaxle Operation
Your automatic transaxle may have a shift lever
located on the console between the seats or on the
steering column.
There are several different positions for your shift lever.
PARK (P): This locks your front wheels. It’s the best
position to use when you start your engine because your
vehicle
can’t move easily. It
is dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the
shift lever
is not fully in PARK (P). with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine
is
running unless you have to. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured.
To be sure your
vehicle won’t move, even when you’re
on fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the
shift lever to PARK (P).
See “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in the Index. If
you’re pulling
a trailer, see “Towing a Trailer” in
the Index.
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Ensure the shft lever is fully in PARK (P) range before
starting the engine.
Your Pontiac has a brake-transaxle
shift interlock. You have to fully
apply your regular
brakes
before you can shift from PARK (P) when the
ignition key is in the on position.
If you cannot shift out
of PARK (P), ease pressure on the shift lever -- push the
shift lever all the way into PARK (P) and also release the
shift lever button on floor shift console models as you
maintain brake application. Then move the shift lever
into the gear you wish. (Press the
shift lever button before
moving the shift lever on floor shift console models.) See
“Shifting Out of PARK (P)” later in this section.
REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.
NOTICE:
Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle is
moving forward could damage your transaxle.
Shift to REVERSE
(R) only after your vehicle
is stopped. To
rock your vehicle back and forth
to get out of snow,
ice or sand without damaging your transaxle, see
“Stuck:
In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow” in the Index.
NEUTRAL (N): In this position, your engine doesn’t
connect with
the wheels. To restart when you’re
already moving, use
NEUTRAL (N) only. Also, use
NEUTRAL (N) when your vehicle is being towed.
A CAUTION:
Shifting out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) while
your engine is “racing” (running at high speed) is
dangerous. Unless your foot is firmly
on the
brake pedal,
your vehicle could move very
rapidly.
You could lose control and hit people
or objects. Don’t shift out of
PARK (P) or
NEUTRAL (N) while your engine is racing.
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NOTICE:
Damage to your transaxle caused by shifting out
of
PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) with the engine
racing isn’t covered by your warranty.
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(D): This position is for
normal driving. If you need more power for passing,
and you’re:
- Going less than about 35 mph (56 km/h), push your
- Going about 35 mph (56 h/h) or more, push the
You’ll shift down to the next gear and have more power.
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
accelerator
all the way down.
NOTICE:
If your vehicle seems to start up rather slowly, or
if it seems not to shift gears as you
go faster,
something may be wrong with
a transaxle system
sensor.
If you drive very far that way, your
vehicle can be damaged.
So, if this happens, have
your, vehicle serviced right away. Until then,
you
can use SECOND (2) when you are driving less
than
35 mph (56 kdh) and AUTOMATIC
OVERDRIVE
(0) for higher speeds.
DRIVE (D): This position
is also used for normal
driving, however, it offers more power
and lower fuel
economy than AUTOMATIC
OVERDRIVE (@).
Here are some times you might choose DRIVE (D)
instead of AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (@):
- When driving on hilly, winding roads
- When towing a trailer, so there is less shifting
between gears
- When going down a steep hill
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Parking Brake
To set the parking brake,
hold the regular brake pedal down- with
your right foot.
Push down the
parking
brake pedal with your left .
foot. If the ignition is on,
the brake system warning
light will come on
and a
single
chime will be heard.
If you start to drive away with the parking brake set, a
chime will sound after the vehicle has traveled 46 feet
(14
m).
To release the parking brake, use the PUSH TO
RELEASE parking brake pedal. Hold the regular brake pedal down with
your right foot and push the parking
brake pedal with your left foot. This will unlock the
pedal. When you lift your left foot, the parking brake
pedal will
follow it to the release position.
If you try to drive away with the parlung brake on, the
brake light stays
on and a chime sounds until you release
the parking brake or recycle^ the ignition.
I
NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause
your rear brakes to overheat.
You may have to
replace them, and you could also damage other
parts
of your vehicle.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any hill,
see “Towing a Trailer” in the Index. That section shows
what
to do first to keep the trailer from moving.
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