PONTIAC BONNEVILLE 1997 Owners Manual
Manufacturer: PONTIAC, Model Year: 1997, Model line: BONNEVILLE, Model: PONTIAC BONNEVILLE 1997Pages: 405, PDF Size: 18.83 MB
Page 121 of 405

Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
With the anti-lock brake
system, the light(s) will
come
on when you start
your engine and
may stay
The anti-lock brake system warning light should come
on briefly when you turn the ignition key to
RUN. If the
light doesn’t come
on then, have it fixed so it will be
ready to warn you if there
is a problem.
If the light stays on, turn
the ignition to OFF. Or, if the
light comes on when you’re driving, stop as
soon as possible
and turn the ignition off. Then start the engine
again to reset the system.
If the light still stays on, or
comes on again while you’re driving, your Pontiac
needs service.
If the regular brake system warning light
isn’t on, you still have brakes, but you don’t have
anti-lock brakes.
If the regular brake system warning
light
Is also on, you don’t have anti-lock brakes and
there’s a problem with your regular brakes. See “Brake
System Warning Light” earlier in this section.
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Page 122 of 405

Traction Control System Warning Light (Option)
TRACTION
OFF
This warning light should
come on briefly as you start
the engine.
If the warning
light doesn’t come on then,
have it fixed
so it will be
ready to warn you
if
there’s a problem.
Hit stays on, or comes on when you’re driving, there
may be a problem with your traction control system and
your vehicle may need service. When this warning light
is on, the system will not limit wheel
spin. Adjust your
driving accordingly. The
traction control system warning light may come on
for the following reasons:
0
a
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.
If the traction control system is affected by an
engine-related problem, the system will turn off and
the warning light will come on.
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.
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Page 123 of 405

Low Coolant Warning Light
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 s’ecoaads, the system
may be low
on coolant. See “Engine COQ~~”~II
the Index.
.. .-,.%.. - ,
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
100 280
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.
It means that your engine coolant has overheated. If you
have been operating your vehicle under normal driving
conditions, you should pull
off the road, stop your
vehicle and turn
off the engine as soon as possible.
In the section “Problems on the Road,”
this manual
explains what to do. See “Engine Overheating’’ in
the Index.
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Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Check Engine Light)
CHECK
Your Pontiac is equipped
with a computer which
monitors operation
of the
fuel, ignition and emission
control systems.
This system is called OBD
I1 (On-Board
Diagnostics-Second Generation) and is intended to
assure that emissions
are at acceptable levels for
the life
of the vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner
environment. (In Canada,
OBD I1 is replaced by
Enhanced Diagnostics.) The CHECK ENGINE light
comes on to indicate that there is a problem and service
is required. Malfunctions often will be indicated by the
system before any problem is apparent. This may
prevent more serious damage to your vehicle. This
system
is also designed to assist your service technician
in correctly diagnosing any malfunction.
NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle with this light
on, after a while, your emission controls may not
work as well, your fuel economy may not be
as
good and your engine may not run as smoothly.
This could lead to costly repairs that may not be covered by your warranty.
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition
is on and the engine is not
running.
If the light doesn’t come on, have it repaired.
This light will also come on during a malfunction in
one
of two ways:
0 Light Flashing -- A misfire condition has been
detected.
A misfire increases vehicle emissions and
may damage the emission control system on your
vehicle. Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis
and service is required.
0 Light On Steady -- An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Dealer or qualified
service center diagnosis and
service may be required.
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If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
Reducing vehicle speed.
0 Avoiding hard accelerations.
Avoiding steep uphill grades.
If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possibmle.
If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see “If
the Light
Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do
so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key
off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart the
engine. If
the light remains on steady, see “If the Light
Is On Steady” following.
If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your
dealer or qualified service center for service.
If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction
by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. The diagnostic system can determine if the fuel cap
has been left
off or improperly installed. A loose or
missing fuel cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the
atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap properly
installed should turn the light off.
Did you just drive through
a deep puddle of water?
If
so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out,
A few driving trips should turn the light off.
Have
you recently changed brands of fuel?
If
so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel (see
“Fuel”
in the Index). Poor fuel quality will cause your
engine not to run as efficiently as designed. You may
notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling when you put
the vehicle into gear, misfiring, hesitation on acceleration
or stumbling on acceleration. (These conditions may
go
away once the engine is warmed up.) This will be
detected
by the system and cause the light to hrn on.
If you experience one or more
of these conditions,
change
the fuel brand you use. It will require at least
one full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn on,
have your dealer or qualified service center check the
vehicle. Your dealer has the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to fix any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.
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Oil Pressure Gage
0
h
120
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
kPa (kiloPascals).
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.
A CAUTION:
Don’t keep driving if the oil pressure is low. If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches fire. You
or others could be burned.
Check your oil as
soon ass possible and have your
vehicle serviced.
I NOTICE:
~~~ ~~ ~~
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and is not covered by
your warranty.
1
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Check Oil Level Warning Light Low Washer Fluid Warning Light
CHECK OIL
LEVEL
The CHECK OIL LEVEL
light
turns on for three
seconds as
a bulb check
each time the ignition key is
turned to the
RUN position.
If the light doesn’t turn on,
have your vehicle serviced.
If the engine oil is more than one quart (0.95 L) low and
the engine has been shut off for at least eight minutes,
the
CHECK OIL LEVEL light will turn on for about
one minute and will then remain
0: il the next time
you start the vehicle.
If the CHECK OIL LEVEL light turns on, the engine oil
level should be checked at the dipstick then brought up
to the proper level, if necessary. See “Engine Oil” in
the Index.
WASHER FLUID
This light will come on
when
your windshield
washers
are working and the
fluid container is less than
one-third full.
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Check Gages Warning Light (Option)
1
This light will come on
briefly when you are
starting the engine.
CHECK GAGES
Fuel Gage
UNLEADED
FUEL
ONLY
UNLEADED
FUEL ONLY
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.
Cluster with Gages Cluster with Compass
and Gages
When
the ignition is on, your fuel gage tells you about
how much fuel you have
left. When the gage reads in
the yellow band, a warning chime will sound and the
CHECK
GAGES warning light will go on, if you have
this option.
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Here are some things that some owners ask about. None
of these show a problem with your fuel gage:
At the service station, the gas pump shuts off before
It takes a little more or less fuel to fill up than the
the
gage reads
FULL (F).
gage indicated. For example, the gage may have
indicated the tank was
half full, but it actually took a
little more or less than half the tank's capacity to fill
the tank.
The gage moves a little when you turn a corner,
The gage doesn't go back to EMPTY (E) when you
0 If you have the large span (220") gage, the needle
moves
more for a given amount of fuel. This does
not indicate excessive fuel consumption, and
is normal.
speed
up, or make
a hard stop.
turn off the ignition.
Boost Gage (Option)
msT -10
Vehicles equipped with the supercharged engine have
this boost gage that indicates vacuum during light to
moderate throttle an'd boost under heavier throttle. The
gage displays
the air pressure level in psi going into the
engine's combustion chamber.
The gage is automatically centered at zero psi every
time the engine is started. Actual vacuum or boost is
displayed from this zero point. Changes in ambient
pressure, such as driving in mountains and changing
weather, will slightly change the zero reading.
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Head-Up Display (Option)
If the HUD image is too bright, or too high in
your field of view, it may take you more time to
see things you need to see when it’s dark outside.
Be sure to keep the HUD image dim and placed
low in
your field of view.
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
e Turn signal indicators
0 High-beam indicator symbol
0 CHECK GAGES message (for low oil pressure, high
0 Low fuel warning symbol.
coolant temperature, low oil level and
low fuel)
CHECK GAGES
HUD shows these images when they are lighted on the
instrument panel.
At
70 miles per hour, the speedometer may display a
variance of 3 miles per hour from the HUD. This
condition is normal.
When
you sit straight in your seat, the HUD image will
appear slightly to the right.
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