engine oil PONTIAC BONNEVILLE 1998 Owners Manual

Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle.
For example,
these symbols are used on an
original battery:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT EYES BY
SHIELDING
Q
CAUSTIC
ACID COULD BAllERY
CAUSE -~~-. .
BURNS
AVOID
SPARKS
OR
FLAMES
SPARK
OR ,\I/,
COULD FLAME
EXPLODE BAllERY
I
These symbols are important
for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle is
driven:
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
n
POWER
WINDOW
oJ4
AIR BAG p
These symbols
have to do with your lamps:
SIGNALS e3
TURN
FOG LAMPS
# 0
These symbols are on some
of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
WIPER
WINDSHIELD
DEFROSTER
DEFOGGER
VENTILATING FAN
( rc?: A
These symbols are used on
warning
and
indicator lights:
COOLANT -
TEMP -
CHARGING I-1
BAllERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE
(a)
R
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
LIGHTER
n
HORN )b.
ENGINE OIL e,
PRESSURE
V
SPEAKER
b
FUEL

Engine Coolant Heater (If Equipped)
In very cold weather, 0” F (- 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 Engine Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 1 10-volt AC outlet.
/1 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.
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 dealer in the area where you’ll be parking your
vehicle. The dealer can give you the best advice for that
particular area.
2-22

Oil Pressure Gage
The oil pressure gage
shows the engine oil
pressure in psi (pounds
per square inch) when the
engine
is running. Canadian
vehicles indicate pressure
in kPa (kiloPascals).
Oil pressure may
vary with engine speed, outside
temperature and oil viscosity, but readings above the red
warning zone indicate the normal operating
range.
A reading in the red zone may be caused by a
dangerously low oil level or other problem causing
low oil pressure. On vehicles with the optional
DIC,
the CHECK GAGES light will go on and a warning
chime will sound, if you have this option. Driving
your vehicle with low oil pressure can cause extensive
engine damage.
I A CAUTION:
Don’t keep driving if the oil pressure is low* If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches fire. You
or others could be burned.
Check your
oil as soon as possible and have your
vehicle serviced.
I NOTICE: I
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and
is not covered by
your warranty.
2-71
. . ..

Check Oil Level Warning Light
The CHECK OIL LEVEL
light turns on for three
each time the ignition key is turned to the
RUN position.
If the light doesn’t turn on,
- have your vehicle serviced.
C H EC K 0 I L seconds as a bulb check
LEVEL
If the engine oil is more than one quart (0.95 L) low and
the engine has been shut off for at least eight minutes,
the CHECK OIL LEVEL light will turn on for about
one minute and will then remain off until the next time
you start the vehicle.
If the CHECK OIL LEVEL light turns on, the engine oil
level should be checked at the dipstick then brought up
to the proper level, if necessary. See “Engine Oil” in
the Index.
Low Washer Fluid Warning Light
- This light will come on
when your windshield
washers are working
and the
one-third full.
WASH E R FLU I D fluid container is less than
Check Gages Warning Light (Option)
CHECK GAGES
This light will come on
briefly when you are
starting
the engine.
If
the light comes on and stays on while you are driving,
check your gages for fuel, coolant temperature, oil
pressure
or voltage. This light will stay on if your engine
is not running with the ignition
on.
2-72

Boost Gage (Option) Head-Up Display (Option)
fXjST
Vehicles equipped with the supercharged engine have
this boost gage that indicates vacuum during light
to
moderate throttle and boost under heavier throttle. The
gage displays the air pressure level in psi going into the
engine’s combustion chamber.
The gage is automatically centered at zero psi every
time the engine is started. Actual vacuum or boost
is
displayed from this zero point. Changes in ambient
pressure, such as driving in mountains
and changing
weather, will slightly change the zero reading.
If the HUD image is too bright, or too high in
your field of view, it may take you more time to
see things you need to see when it’s dark outside.
Be sure to keep the HUD image dim and placed
low in your field of view.
If you have the optional Head-Up Display (HUD), you
can see some
of the driver information also available on
your instrument panel cluster. The information
may be
displayed in English or metric units and appears as a
reflection on the windshield. The
HUD shows:
0 Speedometer reading
0 Turn signal indicators
0 High-beam indicator symbol
CHECK GAGES message (for low oil pressure, high
coolant temperature, low oil level and low fuel)
Low fuel warning symbol
2-74

FUNCTION MONITOR: This lets you know if you are
low on fluids or have a problem with a vehicle function:
0
0
0
0
CHECK OIL LEVEL: This message could mean
your oil level
is low. If it comes on for more than
three seconds, see “Check Oil
Level Warning Light”
in the Index.
WASHER FLUID: This message means your
washer fluid
tank is less than about 30 percent full.
The windshield portion
of the vehicle outline will
also glow,
If these come on, see “Windshield Washer
Fluid” in the Index.
LOW COOLANT: This message means your
coolant level has fallen to about half full. If it comes
on,
see “Engine Coolant” in the Index.
CHECK GAGES: If this light comes on and stays
on while you are driving, check your gages for fuel,
coolant temperature, oil pressure or battery voltage.
SECURITY: You’ll get a DOOR AJAR message if a
door is not fully closed. The vehicle outline will show
you which door
it is. You will also get a HOOD AJAR
or TRUNK AJAR message if the hood or the trunk isn’t
fully closed. The vehicle outline will
also show you
these are ajar.
LAMP MONITOR: Whenever you try to use one of
the following lamps, the LAMP MONITOR will tell you
if a bulb is out.
0 Headlamp (Low and High Beam)
0 Turn Signal/Parking/Stop
0 Parking Lamp/Sidemarker
Brake Lamp and Center High-Mounted Stoplamp
0 Back-up Lamp
0 Taillamp~rn/Sidemarker/License
If a bulb is out, you will see a message, such as PARK
LAMP, and you will also see where the problem is on
the vehicle outline.
The message stays on until the
problem
is fixed. See “Replacement Bulbs” in the
Index for bulb details.
2-78

The exit speed is usually posted.
Reduce
your speed according to your speedometer, not
to your sense
of motion. After driving for any distance
at higher speeds, you may tend to
think you are going
slower
than you actually are.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you’re ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must
start when you’re not fresh -- such as after a day’s
work
-- don’t plan to make too many miles that first part
of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes you
can
easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it’s ready to
go. If it needs
service, have it
done before starting out. Of course,
you’ll fiid experienced and able service experts
in
Pontiac dealerships all across North America. They’ll be
ready and willing to help
if you need it. Here are some things
you can check before a trip:
e
0
0
0
0
Windshield Washer Fluid: Is
the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
Wper Blades: Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked
all levels?
Lumps: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
Zlres: They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip.
Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are the
tires all inflated to the
recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip a short
time
to avoid a major storm system?
Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps?
4-22

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;
0 Shift into a gear; and
0 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, belt(s), 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
Engine Cooling When Ier Towing
fight.
-
Your cooling system may temporarily overheat during
severe operating conditions. See “Engine Overheating”
in the Index.
4-38

Cooling System
When you decide it’s safe to lift the hood, here’s what
you’ll see:
: CA
L
A CAUTION:
An electric engine cooling fan under the hood can
start up even when the engine is not running and
can injure you. Keep hands, clothing and tools
away from any underhood electric fan.
If the coolant inside the coolant recovery tank is boiling,
don’t do anything else until it cools down.
A. Coolant Recovery Tank
B. Radiator Pressure Cap
C. Electric Engine Fans
5-17

How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery Tank
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but the coolant level
isn’t at the FULL COLD mark, add a
50/50 mixture of
clean water (preferably distilled) and DEX-COOL@
engine coolant at the coolant recovery tank. (See
“Engine Coolant” in the Index for more information.)
I A CAUTION:
~
Adding only plain water to your cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water, or some other
liquid like alcohol, can boil before the proper
coolant mixture will. Your vehicle’s coolant
warning system is set for the proper coolant
mixture. With plain water
or the wrong mixture,
your engine could get too hot but you wouldn’t
get the overheat warning. Your engine could
catch fire and you or others could be burned. Use
a
50/50 mixture of clean water and
DEX-COOL@ coolant.
I NOTICE:
In cold weather, water can freeze and crack
the engine, radiator, heater core and other parts.
Use the recommended coolant and the proper
coolant mixture.
5-19