PONTIAC BONNEVILLE 1997 Owners 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,
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.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
PARK (P) yet.
Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your parking
brake, and then shift
to PARK (P).
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 of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer 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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NOTES
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b NOTES
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Section 5 Problems on the Road
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the road.
5-2
5-3
5-3
5-8
5-16 Hazard Warning
Flashers
Other Warning Devices
Jump Starting
Towing Your Vehicle
Engine Overheating 5-18
Cooling System
5-26 Changing a Flat Tire
5-38 Compact Spare Tire
5-39 If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow
5-26 If a Tire Goes Flat
5-1
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Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning flashers let you warn others. They
also let police know you have a problem. Your front and
rear
turn signal lamps will flask on and off.
Press the button in to make
your front and rear turn
signal lamps flash on
and
off.
Your hazard warning flashers work no matter what
position your key
is in, and even if the key is not in.
To turn off the flashers,
pull out on the collar.
When the hazard warning flashers are on, your turn
signals won’t work.
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Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can set one up at
the side
of the road about 300 feet (100 m) behind
your vehicle.
Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may want to use
another vehicle and some jumper cables to start your
Pontiac. But please follow the steps below to do
it safely.
Batteries can hurt you. They can be
dangerous because:
They contain acid that can burn you.
They contain gas that can explode or ignite.
They contain enough electricity to burn you.
If you don’t follow these steps exactly, some or all
of these things can hurt
you.
NOTICE:
Remember that ignoring these steps could result
in costly damage
to your vehicle that wouldn’t be
covered by your warranty.
Trying
to start your Pontiac by pushing or
pulling it won’t work, and it could damage
your vehicle.
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with
a negative ground system.
NOTICE:
If the other system isn’t a 12-volt system with a
negative ground, both vehicles can be damaged.
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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
NOTICE:
connection you don’t want. You wouldn’t be able to
start
yo8ur Pontiac, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
To avoid the possibility of the vehicles rolling, set
If you leave your radio on, it could be badly
damaged. The repairs wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
the parking brake firmly on both vehicles involved in
the jump start procedure. Put an automatic transaxle 4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries.
in
PARK (P) before setting the parking brake.
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
unnecessary accessories plugged into the cigarette
lighter. Turn off all lamps that aren’t needed as well
as radios, This will avoid sparks and help save both
batteries. In addition,
it could save your radio!
I 1
An electric fan can start up even when the engine
is not running and can injure you. Keep hands,
clo’thing and tools away from any underhood
electric fan,
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,I
l!b, CAUTION:
-
Using a match near a battery 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 battery has 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 filer 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. Find the positive (+) and negative (-) terminals on
each battery.
6. Check that the jumper cables don’t have loose or
missing insulation. If they do, you could get a shock.
The vehicles could be damaged, too.
Before you connect
the cables, here are some basic
things you should know. Positive
(+) will go to
positive (+) and negative (-) will go to negative (-)
or a metal engine part. Don’t connect positive (+) to
negative
(-) or you’ll get a short that would damage
the battery and maybe other parts, too.
Fans or other moving engine parts can injure you
badly. Keep your hands away from moving parts
once the engines are running.
I I
5-5
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7. 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.
8. 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.
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
duesn’t go to the
dead battery.
It goes to a heavy unpainted metal part on the engine of
the vehicle with the dead battery.
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L-S
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