PONTIAC BONNEVILLE 1998 Owners Manual

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.
&A CAUTION:
Idling the engine with the climate 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
“Blizzard” in the Index.)
-
1
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.
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
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.
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Windows
Power Windows
Express-Down Window
When the driver’s window switch is held rearward for
more than
half a second, the window will lower
completely. The window can be opened
in smaller
amounts by pressing the switch rearward and releasing
it immediately.
To stop the window while it is lowering, press the
switch again, then release.
To raise the window, hold the
switch forward.
Horn
Nearly the entire surface of the center pad of the
steering wheel is
an active horn switch. Press anywhere
on the pad to sound the horn.
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 for its own window.
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Tilt Wheel Turn SignallMultifunction Lever
A tilt steering wheel allows you to adjust the steering
wheel before you drive.
You can also raise it to the highest level to give your
legs more room when
you exit and enter the vehicle.
To
tilt the wheel, hold the steering wheel and pull the
lever. Move the steering wheel to a comfortable level,
then release the lever to lock the wheel into place.
The lever on the left side of the steering column
includes your:
0 Turn Signal and Lane Change Signals
0 Headlamp HighLow Beam Changer
0 Flash-To-Pass Feature
0 Windshield Wipers and Washer
Cruise Control
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Wrn and Lane Change Signals
The turn signal has two upward (for right) and two
downward (for left) positions. These positions allow you
to signal a turn or
a lane change.
To signal a turn, move the lever all the way up or
down. When the turn is finished, the lever will
return automatically,
CII
An arrow on the instrument
panel will flash in the
direction of the
turn or
lane change.
To signal a lane change, just raise or lower the lever
until the arrow starts to flash. Hold it there until
you
complete your lane change. The lever will return by
itself when you release
it.
If the arrows just stay on as you signal a turn or a lane
change, a signal bulb may be burned out and other
drivers won’t see your turn signal. If
you have the
Driver Information Center, it will tell
you if you have a
burned out bulb. See “Driver Information Center”
in the Index.
If a bulb
is burned out, replace it to help avoid an
accident. If the arrows don’t go on at all when you
signal a turn, check the fuse and for burned-out bulbs.
See “Fuses and Circuit Breakers” in the Index.
Tbrn Signal On Chime
If your turn signal is left on for more than 3/4 of a mile
(1.2 km), a chime will sound at each flash of the turn
signal.
To turn off the chime, move the turn signal lever
to the
off position.
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Headlamp HighLow Beam Changer
To change the headlamps from low beam to high beam
or high beam to low beam, pull the turn signal lever
toward you. Then release it.
Flash-To-Pass Feature
When the high beams are on, this light
on the
instrument panel will
also be on.
This feature lets you use your high-beam headlamps to
signal
a driver in front of you that you want to pass. It
works even
if your headlamps are off.
To use it, pull the turn signal lever toward you a little,
but not
so far that you hear a click.
If your headlamps are off or on low beam, your
high-beam headlamps
will turn on. They’ll stay on as
long as you hold
the lever toward you and the
high-beam indicator on the dash will come on. Release
the lever
to turn the high-beam headlamps off.
Windshield Wipers
The windshield wipers are controlled by turning the
band marked WIPER.
For a single wiping cycle, turn the band to MIST. Hold
it there
until the wipers start, then let go. The wipers will
stop after one cycle.
If you want more cycles, hold the
band on MIST longer.
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For steady wiping at low speed, turn the band away from you to the
LO position. For high-speed wiping turn
the band further,
to HI. To stop the wipers, move the
band
to OW.
The wiper speed may be set for a long or short delay
between wipes.
This can be very useful in light rain or
snow.
Turn the band to choose the delay time. The
closer to LO, the shorter the delay.
Heavy snow or ice can overload your wiper motor.
A
circuit breaker will stop the motor until it cools. Clear
away snow or ice to prevent an overload.
Keep in mind that damaged wiper blades may prevent
you from seeing well enough to drive safely.
To avoid
damage, be sure
to clear ice and snow from the wiper
blades before using them.
If your blades do become
damaged, get new blades or blade inserts.
Windshield Washer
At the top of the turn signaVmultifunction lever, there’s
a paddle with the word
PUSH on it. To spray washer
fluid on the windshield, push the paddle for less than a
second. The wipers will clear the window and either stop or return to your preset speed. For more washer
cycles, push and hold the paddle.
In freezing weather, don’t use your washer until
the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can
form ice on the windshield, blocking
your vision.
Some models have a WASHER FLUID warning that
indicates if the fluid level in the windshield washer
reservoir is low. See “Low Washer Fluid Warning Light”
in the Index.
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Cruise Control
on the accelerator. This can
really help
on long trips.
Cruise control
does not work at speeds below about
25 mph (40 km/h).
When you apply your brakes, the cruise control
shuts off.
I A CAUTION:
0 Cruise control can be dangerous where you
can’t drive safely at a steady speed.
So,
don’t use your cruise control on winding
roads or in heavy traffic.
slippery roads.
On such roads, fast changes
in tire traction can cause needless wheel
spinning,
and you could lose control. Don’t
use cruise control on slippery roads.
Cruise control can be dangerous on
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the optional
traction control system begins to limit wheel spin, the
cruise control will automatically disengage. (See “Traction Control System” in the Index.) When road
conditions allow
you to safely use it again, you may turn
the cruise control back on.
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Setting Cruise Control
‘
A CAUTION:
If you leave your cruise control switch on when
you’re not using cruise, you might hit a button
and go into cruise when you don’t want to. You
could be startled and even lose control.
Keep the
cruise control switch
off until you want to use it.
1. Move the cruise control switch to ON.
2. Get up to the speed you want.
3. Push in the SET button at the end of the lever and
release
it.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal.
Resuming a Set Speed
Suppose you set your cruise control at a desired speed
and then you apply the brake.
This, of course, shuts off
the cruise control. But you don’t need to reset it.
Once you’re going about
25 mph (40 km/h) or more,
you can move the cruise control switch from
ON to
R/A (resume/accelerate) briefly.
You’ll go right back up to your chosen speed and stay there. Remember that
if you hold the switch at WA
longer than half a second, the vehicle will keep going
faster until you release the switch or apply the brake.
So unless you want to go faster, don’t hold the
switch at
WA.
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Increasing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to go to a higher speed.
Use the accelerator pedal to get to the higher speed.
Push in the button at the end
of the lever, then
release
the button and the accelerator pedal. You’ll
now
cruise at the higher speed.
Move the cruise switch from ON to WA. Hold it
there until you get up to the speed
you want, and
then release the switch.
To increase your speed in
very small amounts, move the switch to
RfA briefly
and then release it. Each time
you do this, your
vehicle will go about 1 mph (1.6 km/h) faster.
The accelerate feature will only work after you have set
the cruise control speed by pushing the
SET button. 0
Reducing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to reduce your speed while using
cruise control:
0 Push in the button at the end of the lever until you
reach the lower speed
you want, then release it.
To slow down in very small amounts, push the
button briefly. Each time you do
this, you’ll go
1 mph (1.6 kmk) slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While Using Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase your speed. When
you take your foot off the pedal, your vehicle will slow
down to the cruise control speed you set earlier.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on hills depends
upon your speed, load and the steepness
of the hills.
When going
up steep hills, you may have to step on the
accelerator
pedal to maintain your speed. When going
downhill, you may have to brake or
shift to a lower gear
to keep your speed down.
Of course, applying the brake
takes you out
of cruise control. Many drivers find this to
be too much trouble and don’t use cruise control on
steep hills.
Ending Cruise Control
There are two ways to turn off the cruise control:
Step lightly on the brake pedal; or
Move the cruise switch to OFF.
Erasing Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition,
your cruise control set speed memory
is erased.
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Exterior Lamps
Headlamps
Pull the switch to the first
stop to turn on the:
Parking Lamps
Sidemarker Lamps
Taillamps
0 Instrument Panel Lights
Pull the switch out all the way to turn on the:
Headlamps
0 Parking Lamps
0 Sidemarker Lamps
0 Taillamps
0 Instrument Panel Lights
Push the switch
in all the way to turn all the lamps and
lights
off.
Lamps On Reminder
If you open the driver’s door while leaving the headlamps
or parking lamps switch on and the key is removed
from
the ignition, you will hear a warning chime.
Daytime Running Lamps
Daytime Running Lamps (DIU) can make it easier for
others to see the front of your vehicle during the day.
DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful
in the
short periods after dawn and before sunset.
A light sensor on top of the instrument panel monitors
the exterior light level for the operation
of DRL and
twilight sentinel,
so be sure it isn’t covered. The DRL
system
will make your low-beam headlamps come on at
a reduced brightness when:
0 The ignition is on,
0 The headlamp switch is off and
The transaxle is not in PARK (P).
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