service PONTIAC BONNEVILLE 1998 Owner's Guide

If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
If you get the overheat waming but see or hear no
steam, the problem may not be too serious. Sometimes the engine can get a little too hot when you:
0 Climb a long hill on a hot day.
0 Stop after high-speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for a minute or so:
1. Turn off your air conditioner.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed
and open the window as necessary.
3. If you’re in a trafEc jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving
-- AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (@)
or DRIVE (D).
If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can
drive. Just to be safe,
drive slower for about 10 minutes.
If the warning doesn’t come back on, you can
drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your
vehicle right away.
If there’s
still no sign of steam, you can idle the engine
for two or three minutes while you’re parked, to see if
the warning stops. But then, if you still have the
warning,
turn oflthe engine and get everyone out of
the vehicle until it cools down.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
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The coolant level should be at or above the FULL
COLD mark.
If it isn’t, you may have a leak in the radiator hoses,
heater hoses, radiator, water pump
or somewhere else in
the cooling system.
A CAUTION:
Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine
parts,
can be very hot. Don’t touch them. If you
do, you coul be burned.
Don’t
run the engine if there is a leak. If you run
the engine, it could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you could be burned.
Get any leak fied before you drive the vehicle.
NOTICE:
Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn’t covered by
your warranty.
If there seems to be no leak, with the engine on, check to
see if the electric engine cooling fans are running. If the
engine is overheating, both fans should be running. If
they aren’t, your vehicle needs service.
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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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6-3
6-5
6-6
6-9
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6-20
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6-27
6-28
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6-32
6-40
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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6-49
6-49
6-5
1
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6-54
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6-56
6-57
6-58
6-64
6-65
6-65 6-66
6-66
6-66
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

As shown in the chart, SAE 1OW-30 is best for your
vehicle. However,
you can use SAE 5W-30 if it's going
to be colder
than 60 "F (1 6" C) before your next oil
change. When it's very cold, you should use SAE
5W-30. These numbers on an oil container show its
viscosity,
or thickness. Do not use other viscosity oils,
such as
SAE 20W-50.
NOTICE:
Use only engine oil with the American Petroleum
Institute Certified For Gasoline Engines
"Starburst" symbol. Failure to use the
recommended
oil can result in engine damage
not covered by your warranty.
GM Goodwrench@ oil meets all the requirements for
your vehicle.
If you are in an area where the temperature falls below
-20°F (-29"C), consider using either an SAE 5W-30
synthetic oil or an SAE OW-30 oil. Both will provide
easier cold starting
and better protection for your engine
at extremely low temperatures.
Engine Oil Additives
Don't add anything to your oil. Your dealer is ready to
advise if you
think something should be added.
When to Change Engine Oil
If any one of these is true for you, use the short tripkity
maintenance schedule:
0
0
0
0
0
Most tsips are less than 5 to 10 miles (8 to 16 lun).
This is particularly important when outside
temperatures are below freezing.
Most
trips include extensive idling (such as fiequent
driving
in stop-and-go traffic).
Most trips are through dusty areas.
You frequently tow a trailer or use a carrier on top of
your vehicle.
The vehicle
is used for delivery service, police, taxi
or other commercial application.
Driving under these conditions causes engine oil to
break down sooner.
If any one of these is true for your
vehicle,
then you need to change your oil and filter
every
3,000 miles (5 000 km) or 3 months -- whichever
occurs
first.
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If none of them is true, use the long triphighway
maintenance schedule. Change the oil and filter every
7,500 miles (12 500 km) or 12 months -- whichever
occurs first. Driving a vehicle with a fully warmed
engine under highway conditions causes engine oil to
break down slower.
What to Do with Used Oil
Did you know that used engine oil contains certain
elements that may be unhealthy for your
skin and could
even cause cancer? Don’t let used oil stay on your skin
for very long. Clean your
skin and nails with soap and
water, or a
good hand cleaner. Wash or properly throw
away clothing or rags containing used engine oil. (See
the manufacturer’s warnings about the use and
disposal
of oil products.)
Used oil can be a real threat to the environment. If you
change your own oil, be sure to drain all free-flowing oil
from
the filter before disposal. Don’t ever dispose of oil
by putting it in the trash, pouring it on the ground, into
sewers, or into streams or bodies of water. Instead,
recycle
it by taking it to a place that collects used oil. If
you have a problem properly disposing of your used oil,
ask your dealer, a service station or a local recycling
center for
help.
Air Cleaner
The air cleaner and filter are on the driver’s side of the
engine compartment.
1. Remove the screws on the air cleaner housing cover.
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2. Remove the air intake hose that is fitted over the
throttle body by pulling the hose upward and away
from the throttle body which is located near the top
of the engine.
3. Disconnect the electrical
connector which is
attached to the air
temperature sensor
located in the hose.
This will allow you to
lift
the rear portion of
the air cleaner.
4. After detaching the hose from the throttle body and
disconnecting the electrical connector, pull back the
entire rear portion of the air cleaner by pulling
upward and rearward.
5. Replace the air filter.
6. Reinstall the rear section of the air cleaner.
7. Reconnect the electrical connector.
8. Reattach the air intake hose.
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule
to determine when to
replace the
air filter.
See “Scheduled Maintenance Services” in the Index.
6-18

/r CAUTION:
- I
Operating the engine with the air cleaner off can
cause you or others to be burned. The air cleaner
not only cleans the air, it
stops flame if the engine
backfires.
If it isn’t there, and the engine
backfires, you could be burned. Don’t drive with
it
off, and be careful working on the engine with
the air cleaner
off.
I NOTICE:
If the air cleaner is off, a backfire can cause a
damaging engine fire. And, dirt can easily get
into your engine, which
will damage it. Always
have the air cleaner in place when you’re driving.
Supercharger Oil
Unless you are technically
qualified and have the
proper tools, you should
let your dealer or a
qualified service center
perform this maintenance.
When to Check
Check oil level every 30,000 miles (50 000 km) or every
36 months, whichever occurs first.
What Kind of Oil to Use
See “Recommended Fluids and Lubricants” in the Index
and use only the recommended oil.