PONTIAC BONNEVILLE 1998 Owners Manual

If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow
What you don’t want to do when your vehicle is stuck is
to spin
your wheels too fast. The method known as
“rocking” can help you get out when you’re stuck, but \
you must use caution.
A CAUTION:
If you let your tires spin at high speed, they can
explode, and you or others could be injured. And,
the transaxle or other parts
of the vehicle can
overheat. That could cause
an engine
compartment fire or other damage. When you’re
stuck,
spin the wheels as little as possible. Don’t
spin
the wheels above 35 mph (55 km/h) as shown
on the speedometer.
NOTICE:
Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of your
vehicle
as well as the tires. If’ you spin the wheels
too fast while shifting your transaxle back and
forth,
you can destroy your transaxle.
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle, see “Tire Chains” in the Index.
Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your firont wheels. If your vehicle
has traction control, you should turn the system
off. (See
“Traction Control System” in the Index.) Then shift
back and forth between
REVERSE (R) and a forward
gear,
spinning the wheels as little as possible. Release
the accelerator pedal while you shift, and press lightly
on the accelerator pedal when the transaxle is in gear. If
that doesn’t get you out after a few tries, you may need
to be towed out.
If you do need to be towed out, see
“Towing
Ygw Vehicle” in the Index.
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Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Here you will find information about the care of your vehicle.\
This section begins with service and fuel information,
and then it
shows how to check important fluid and lubricant levels. There is also technical information about your
vehicle, and a part devoted to its appearance care.
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Service
Fuel
Fuels in Foreign Countries
Filling Your
Tank
Filling a Portable Fuel Container
Checking Things Under the Hood
Engine
Oil
Air Cleaner
Automatic Transaxle Fluid
Engine Coolant
Radiator Pressure Cap
Power Steering Fluid
Windshield Washer Fluid Brakes
Battery
Bulb Replacement Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
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6-64
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Tires
Appearance Care
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle
Care
of Safety Belts
Cleaning the Outside of Your Vehicle
Cleaning Aluminum or Chrome Wheels
(If Equipped)
Sheet Metal Damage
Appearance Care Materials Chart
Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN)
Electrical System
Replacement Bulbs
Capacities and Specifications
Air Conditioning Refrigerants
Engine Specifications
Normal Maintenance Replacement
Parts
Vehicle Dimensions
6-1

Service
Your dealer knows your vehicle best and wants you to
be happy with it. We hope you’ll go to your dealer for
all your service needs. You’ll get genuine GM
parts and
GM-trained and supported service people.
We hope you’ll want to keep your GM vehicle
all GM.
Genuine GM
parts have one of these marks:
C-pquine
I
Doing Your Own Service Work
If you want to do some of your own service work, you’ll
want to use the proper Pontiac Service Manual. It tells
you much more about how
to service your vehicle than
this manual can. To order the proper service manual, see
“Service and Owner Publications” in the Index.
Your vehicle has an
air bag system. Before attempting
to do
your own service work, see “Servicing Your Air
Bag-Equipped Vehicle” in the Index.
You should keep a record with all
parts receipts and
list the mileage and the date of any service work you
perform. See “Maintenance Record” in the Index.
6-2

/1 CAUTION:
You can be injured and your vehicle could be
damaged
if you try to do service work on a
vehicle without knowing enough about it.
0 Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, the proper replacement parts
and tools before you attempt any vehicle
maintenance task.
Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts and
other fasteners. “English” and “metric”
fasteners
can be easily confused. If you use
the wrong fasteners, parts can later break
or fall
off. You could be hurt.
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle
Things you might add to the outside of your vehicle can
affect the airflow around it. This may cause wind noise
and affect windshield washer performance. Check with
your dealer before adding equipment to the outside
of
your vehicle.
Fuel
The 8th digit of your vehicle identification number
(VIN) shows the code letter for your engine. You will
find the VIN at the top left
of your instrument panel.
(See .“Vehicle Identification Number”
in the Index.)
If you have the 3800 engine (VIN Code K), use regular
unleaded gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher. If you’re
using fuel rated at the recommended octane or higher
and you hear heavy knocking, your engine needs
service. But don’t
worry if you hear a little pinging
noise when you’re accelerating or driving up a
hill.
That’s normal, and you don’t have to buy a higher octane fuel to get
rid of pinging. It’s the heavy, constant
knock that means you have a problem.
6-3

If you have the 3800 Supercharged engine (VIN Code
l), use premium unleaded gasoline rated at 91 octane
or higher. With the
3800 Supercharged engine, in an
emergency, you may be able to use a lower octane -- as
low as
87 -- if heavy knocking does not occur. If you
are using
91 or higher octane unleaded gasoline and
you hear heavy knocking, your engine needs service.
At a minimum, the gasoline you use should meet specifications
ASTM D4814 in the United States and
CGSB 3.5-M93 in Canada. Improved gasoline
specifications have been developed by the American
Automobile Manufacturers Association
(AAMA) for
better vehicle performance and engine protection.
Gasolines meeting the AAMA specification could
provide improved driveability and emission control
system protection compared to other gasolines.
Be sure the posted octane for premium is at least
91 (at
least
89 for middle grade and 87 for regular). If the
octane is less than
87, you may get a heavy knocking
noise when you drive. If it’s bad enough, it can damage
your engine.
If your vehicle is certified to meet California Emission
Standards (indicated
on the underhood emission control
label), it is designed to operate on fwels that meet
California specifications. If such fuels are not available
in states adopting California emissions standards, your vehicle will operate satisfactorily
on fuels meeting
federal specifications, but emission control system
performance may be affected. The malfunction indicator lamp on your instrument panel may
turn on and/or your
vehicle may fail a smog-check test. If this occurs, return
to
your authorized Pontiac dealer for diagnosis to
determine the cause of failure.
In the event it is
determined that the cause of the condition
is the type of
fuels used, repairs
may not be covered by your warranty.
Some gasolines that are not reformulated
for low
emissions contain
an octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl
(MMT);
ask your service station operator whether or not his fuel
contains
MMT. General Motors does not recommend the
use of such gasolines. If fuels containing MMT are used,
spark plug life may be reduced and your emission
control system performance may be affected. The
malfunction indicator lamp
on your instrument panel
may
turn on. If this occurs, return to your authorized
Pontiac dealer for service.
6-4

To provide cleaner air, all gasolines in the United States
are now required to contain additives that will help
prevent deposits from forming in your engine
and fuel
system, allowing your emission control system to
function properly. Therefore, you should not have to add
anything to the
fuel. In addition, gasolines containing
oxygenates, such
as ethers and ethanol, and
reformulated gasolines may be available in your area to
help clean the
air. General Motors recommends that you
use these gasolines
if they comply with the
specifications described earlier.
NOTICE:
Your vehicle was not designed for he1 that
contains methanol. Don’t use it. It can corrode
metal parts in your fuel system and
also damage
plastic and rubber parts. That damage wouldn’t
be covered under your warranty.
Fuels in Foreign Countries
If you plan on driving in another country outside the
United States or Canada, the proper fuel may be hard to
find. Never use leaded gasoline or any other
fuel not
recommended in the previous text on fuel. Costly repairs caused by use of improper fuel wouldn’t
be covered by
your warranty.
To check on fuel availability, ask an auto club, or
contact a major oil company that does business in the
country where you’ll be driving.
You
can also write us at the following address for
advice. Just tell
us where you’re going and give your
Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN).
General Motors Overseas Distribution Corporation
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario
L1H 8W

Fuel Door Lock (Option)
On a model equipped with the theft-deterrent system,
the fuel dmr is locked and unlocked together with the
driver’s power door lock. Therefore, to unlock the
fuel
filler door, you may use the outside door key lock, the
inside power door lock button
or the remote keyless
entry transmitter.
To unlock the fuel door, unlock the
driver’s door.
Filling Your Tank
L
Gasoline vapor is highly flammable. It burns
violently, and that can cause very bad injuries.
Don’t smoke if you’re near gasoline or refueling
your vehicle. Keep sparks, flames and smoking
materials away from gasoline.
The cap is behind a hinged door on the driver’s side of
your vehicle. While refueling, hang the tethered
cap on the hook on
the inside of the fuel door.
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To remove the cap, turn it slowly to the left
(counterclockwise). The cap has a spring in it; if you
let
go of the cap too soon, it will spring back to the right.
If you get gasoline on yourself and then
something ignites it, you could be badly burned.
Gasoline can
spray out on you if you open the
fuel filler cap too quickly. This spray can happen
if your tank
is nearly full, and is more likely in
hot weather. Open the fuel filler cap slowly and
wait for any “hiss” noise to stop. Then unscrew
the cap all the way.
Be careful not to spill gasoline. Clean gasoline from
painted surfaces as soon as possible. See “Cleaning the
Outside
of Your Vehicle” in the Index. When you put
the cap back on, turn it to the right
(clockwise) until you hear a clicking sound. Make
sure
you fully install the cap. The diagnostic system
can determine if the fuel cap has been left
off or
improperly installed. This would allow fuel
to
evaporate into the atmosphere. See “Malfunction
Indicator Lamp”
in the Index.
NOTICE:
If you need a new cap, be sure to get the right
type. Your dealer can get one for you.
If you get
the wrong type, it may not
fit properly. This may
cause your malfunction indicator lamp to light
and your fuel tank and emissions system may be
damaged. See “Malfunction Indicator Lamp” in
the Index.
6-7

Fuel Door Manual Release (Option)
If your vehicle has a fuel
door lock, the fuel door
can be opened manually
in case
of an electrical
power failure. Open
the trunk. The release mechanism is on the
driver’s side of the vehicle, at the top of the trunk
compartment. Pull the tab rearward to release the
fuel door.
I NOTICE:
Prying on a locked fuel filler door can damage it.
Use the
remote fuel door manual release located
in the trunk.
6-8

Filling a Portable Fuel Container
I
1 A CAUTION: I
Never fill a portable fuel container while it is in
your vehicle. Static electricity discharge from the
container can ignite the gasoline vapor. You can
be badly burned and your vehicle damaged
if this
occurs. To help avoid injury to you and others:
Dispense gasoline only into approved
containers.
Do not fill a container while it is inside a
vehicle, in a vehicle’s trunk, pickup bed or
on any surface other than the ground.
inside of the fill opening before operating
the nozzle. Contact should be maintained
until the ring
is complete.
Bring the fill nozzle in contact with the
Don’t smoke while pumping gasoline.
Checking Things Under the Hood
The following sections tell you how to check fluids,
lubricants and important underhood parts.
A CAUTION:
I
An electric fan under the hood can start up and
injure you even when the engine
is not running.
Keep hands, clothing and tools away from any
underhood electric fan.
A CAUTION:
Things that burn can get on hot engine parts and
start a fire. These include liquids like gasoline,
oil, coolant, brake fluid, windshield washer and
other fluids, and plastic or rubber. You or others
could be burned. Be careful not to drop or spill
things that
will burn onto a hot engine.
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