engine PONTIAC BONNEVILLE 1997 User Guide

Engine Coolant Heater (Option)
In very cold weather, 0 OF (- 18 O C) or colder, the engine
coolant heater can help. You’ll get easier starting and
better fuel economy during engine warm-up. Usually,
the coolant heater should be plugged in
a minimum of
four hours prior to starting your vehicle.
To Use the Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 11 O-volt AC outlet.
m
A CAUTION:
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause an electrical shock. Also, the wrong
kind of extension cord could overheat and cause
a fire. You could be seriously injured. Plug the
cord into a properly grounded three-prong
110-volt
AC outlet. If the cord won’t reach, use a
heavy-duty three-prong extension cord rated for
at least 15 amps.
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4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and
store the cord as it was before to keep it away
from moving engine parts.
If you don’t, it could
be damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends on the outside temperature, the
kind of oil you have, and some other things. Instead of
trying to list everything here, we ask that you contact
your Pontiac dealer in the area where you’ll be parking
your vehicle. The dealer can give you the best advice for
that particular
area.
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.
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r
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. Ensure
the shift 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 an 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.
I 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.
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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.
I
Damage to your transaxle caused by shifting out
of
PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) with the engine
racing isn’t covered by your warranty.
Shifting
out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) while
your engine is
“racing” (running at high speed) is I
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.
NOTICE:
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (a): 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
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
0 Going about 35 mph (56 h/h) or more, push the
accelerator all the way down.
You’ll shift down to the next gear and have more power.
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 vehi’cle serviced right away. Until then, you
can
use SECOND (2) when you are driving less
than
35 mph (56 kmh) 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 (@).
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Here are some times you might choose DRIVE (D)
instead of AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (@):
0 When driving on hilly, winding roads.
0 When towing a trailer, so there is less shifting
between gears.
When going down a steep hill.
SECOND (2): This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy. You
can use SECOND (2) on hills.
It can help control your speed as you go down steep
mountain roads, but then you would also want to use
your brakes
off and on.
NOTICE:
Don’t drive in SECOND (2) for more than 5 miles
(8 km), or at speeds over 55 mph (88 km/h),
or you can damage your transaxle. Use
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (@) or DRIVE (D)
as much as possible.
Don’t shift into SECOND
(2) unless you are going
s‘lower than 65 mph (105 km/h), or you can
damage
your engine.
FIRST (1): This position gives you even more power
(but lower fuel economy) than
SECOND (2). You can
use it
on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If
the selector lever is put in FIRST (I ), the transaxle
won’t shift into first gear until the vehicle is going
slowly enough.
I NOTICE:
If your front wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might happen if you were stuck in
very deep sand or mud or were up against
a solid
object.
You could damage your transaxle.
Also, if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold
your vehicle there with only the accelerator
pedal. This could overheat
and damage the
transaxle. Use
your brakes or shift into PARK (P)
to hold your vehicle in position on a hill.
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Performance Shifting (Option) Computer Command Ride (Option)
Vehicles equipped with computer command ride provide
improved passenger ride comfort under a variety of road
and driving conditions.
For normal driving conditions, press the
TOURING
RIDE button to get a more refined comfortable ride.
When driving conditions require improved handling,
press the
PERFORM RIDE button to get a firm ride.
This mode minimizes how much the passenger
compartment leans in turns, and decreases the
up-and-down motion
of the front and rear of the vehicle
during acceleration
or braking.
Press
PERFORM SHIFT to allow the transaxle to
shift at higher engine speeds, increasing acceleration
performance.
An indicator light on the switch will glow
when performance shifting is in operation.
Downshifts will occur at a lower percentage of accelerator
application while you're
in the PERFORM SHIFT' mode,
Press NORMAL
SHIFT to have the transaxle shift at
lower engine speeds, increasing fuel economy. An
indicator light
on the switch will glow when normal
shifting
is in operation. Note
that even
in the TOURING RIDE mode, the
system will adjust to rapid cornering, acceleration
or
braking.
If the computer command ride detects a problem in the
system, the lights
on the TOURING RIDE and
PERFORM RIDE buttons will both come on. If this
happens, have
your vehicle serviced.
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Shifting Into PARK (P)
I-
It can be 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.
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, use the steps
that follow.
If you’re pulling a trailer, see
“Tomwing
a Trailer” in the Index.
Steering Column Shift Lever
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) like this:
Pull the lever toward you.
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Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Engine Running
It can be ldangerous to leave your vehicle with
the engine running. Your vehicle could
move
sudldenly if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P)
with the parking brake firmly set, And, if you
leave the vehicle with the engine running, it ,could
overheat and even catch
fire. You or others could
be injured. Don’t leave your vehicle with the
engine running unless you have
to.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be
sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and your
parking brake is firmly set before you leave it. After
you’ve
moved the shift lever into the PARK (I?)
position, hold the regular brake pedal down. Them, see if
you can move the shift lever away from PARK (P)
without first pulling it toward you (or, if you have the
console shift lever, without fist pushing the button).
If
you can, it means that the shift lever wasn’t fully locked
into PARK (P).
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transaxle into PARK (P) 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
PARK (P). This is called “torque lock.” To
prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then shift
into
PARK (P) properly before you leave the driver’s
seat.
To find out how, se’e “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in
the Index.
When you
are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK (P) 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 paking pawl in the transaxle, so you
can pull the shift lever out of PARK
(P).
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Engine Exhaust
-
I A CAUTION:
- - -
Engine exhaust can kill. It contains the gas
carbon monoxide
(CO), which you can’t see or
smell.
It can cause unco~~sciousness and death.
You might h’ave exhaust coming in if:
Your exhaust system sounds strange
Your vehicle gets rusty underneath.
Your vehicle was damaged in a collision.
Your vehicle was damaged when driving over
high points on the road or over road debris.
Repairs weren’t done correctly.
Your vehicle or exhaust system had belen
If you ever suspect exhaust is coming into
your vehicle:
Drive it only with all the windows down to
Have your vehicle fixed immediately,
or dBerent.
modified improperly,
blow out any
CO; and
1
Running Your Engine While
You’re Parked
It’s better not to park with the engine running. But if you
ever have to, here are some things to know.
1 A CAUTION: -
Idling the engine with the clirn 3 control system
off could allow dangerous exhaust into
your vehicle (see the earlier Caution under
((Engine Exhaust’)).
Also, idling
in a closed-in place can let deadly
carbon monoxide
(CO) into your vehicle even if
the fan switch
is at the highest setting, One place
this can happen is a garage. Exhaust
-- with
CO
-- can come in easily. NEVER park in a
garage with the engine running.
Another closed-in place can
be a blizzard. (See
CLBlizzardS’ in the Index.)
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It can be 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’ve 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
1 move the shift lever to PARK (P).
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle won’t
move. See “Shifting Into
PARK (P)” in the Index.
If you are parking on a hill and if you’re pulling a
trailer, also
see “Towing a Trailer” in the Index.
Windows
Power Windows
Switches on the driver’s door panel control each of the
windows when the ignition is on or when Retained
Accessory Power is active. In addition, each passenger
door has a control switch far its
own window.
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