check engine light PONTIAC BONNEVILLE 2000 User Guide

2-77 Check Gages Warning Light (If Equipped)
This light is part of the
systems monitor. It will
come on briefly as a bulb
check when your ignition is
turned to RUN.
If this light comes on and stays on while you are
driving, check your gages for fuel, coolant temperature,
oil pressure and voltage.
This light will stay on if the engine is not running and
the ignition is in RUN.
Door Ajar Light (If Equipped)
This light is part of the
systems monitor. It will
come on and a warning
chime will sound when the
driver's door or one of the
passenger's doors is not
completely closed.On vehicles with the optional DIC, the door that is ajar
will be shown as a icon next to the vehicle outline and a
message will appear on the display. See ªDIC Warnings
and Messagesº in the Index for more information.
Trunk Ajar Light (If Equipped)
This light is part of the
systems monitor. It will
come on and a warning
chime will sound when
the trunk is not
completely closed.
On vehicles with the optional DIC, the TRUNK AJAR
light is replaced by the TRUNK AJAR message.
See ªDIC Warnings and Messagesº in the Index for
more information.

2-79 Boost Gage (If Equipped)
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 going into the
engine's combustion chamber.
The gage is automatically centered at zero every time
the ignition key is turned to RUN. 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.
Head-Up Display (Option)
CAUTION:
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:

Speedometer Reading

Turn Signal Indicators

High
-beam Indicator Symbol

CHECK GAGES Message (for low oil pressure,
high coolant temperature, low oil level, high/low
battery, brake, ABS and air bag.)

Low Fuel Warning Symbol

Radio Frequency and Playback Mode

4-7
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts
-- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
-- rather than keeping pace with traffic.
This is a mistake. Your brakes may not have time to
cool between hard stops. Your brakes will wear out
much faster if you do a lot of heavy braking. If you
keep pace with the traffic and allow realistic following
distances, you will eliminate a lot of unnecessary
braking. That means better braking and longer
brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you're driving, brake
normally but don't pump your brakes. If you do,
the pedal may get harder to push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist.
But you will use it when you brake. Once the power
assist is used up, it may take longer to stop and the
brake pedal will be harder to push.
Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
When you start your engine, or when you begin to drive
away, your anti
-lock brake system will check itself.
You may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise
while this test is going on, and you may even notice that
your brake pedal moves or pulses a little. This is normal.
United States Canada
If there's a problem with the anti
-lock brake system,
this warning light will stay on. See ªAnti
-Lock Brake
System Warning Lightº in the Index.

4-29

Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you've been stopped by the snow.

Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you.
If you have no blankets or extra clothing, make body
insulators from newspapers, burlap bags, rags, floor
mats
-- anything you can wrap around yourself or
tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
CAUTION:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle.
This can cause deadly CO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get inside. CO could overcome you and kill
you. You can't see it or smell it, so you might not
know it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle, especially any
that is blocking your exhaust pipe. And check
around again from time to time to be sure snow
doesn't collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that's away from the wind. This will help
keep CO out.
Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little faster
than just idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly. This
uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the
battery charged. You will need a well
-charged battery to
restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on
with your headlamps. Let the heater run for a while.

6-11
Supercharged Engine (If Equipped)
Your vehicle may have a 3800 V6 (L67) Supercharged
engine. The supercharger is a device designed to pump
more air into the engine than it would normally use.
This air, mixed with fuel, creates increased engine
power. Since the supercharger is a pump and is driven
from an engine accessory drive belt, increased pressure
is available at all driving conditions.
The Powertrain Control Module (PCM) works with a
vacuum control to regulate the increased pressure required
during specific driving conditions. When this increased
pressure or boost is not desired, such as during idling and
light throttle cruising, the excess air that the supercharger is
pumping is routed through a bypass. All of these controls,
working together, provide high performance character and
fuel efficiency in the 3800 V6 Supercharged engine.
Engine Oil
If the OIL LEVEL LOW
message appears on the DIC,
or the CHECK OIL LEVEL
light appears on the
instrument panel, it means
you need to check your
engine oil level right away.For more information, see ªCheck Oil Level Lightº or
ªDIC Warnings and Messagesº in the Index.
You should check your engine oil level regularly; this is
an added reminder.
Checking Engine Oil
It's a good idea to check your engine oil every time you
get fuel. In order to get an accurate reading, the oil must
be warm and the vehicle must be on level ground.
The engine oil dipstick is
located behind the engine
fans and in front of the
engine oil fill cap. The top
of the dipstick is a round
yellow loop.
Turn off the engine and give the oil several minutes to
drain back into the oil pan. If you don't, the oil dipstick
might not show the actual level.

6-61 Headlamp Wiring
The headlamp wiring is protected by an internal circuit
breaker. An electrical overload will cause the lamps to
go on and off, or in some cases to remain off.
If this happens, have your headlamp system checked
right away.
Windshield Wipers
The windshield wiper motor is protected by an internal
circuit breaker and a fuse. If the motor overheats due to
heavy snow, etc., the wiper will stop until the motor
cools. If the overload is caused by some electrical
problem, be sure to have it fixed.
Power Windows and Other Power Options
Circuit breakers in the rear electrical center protect the
power windows and other power accessories. When the
current load is too heavy, the circuit breaker opens and
closes, protecting the circuit until the problem is fixed or
goes away.
Fuses and Circuit Breakers
The wiring circuits in your vehicle are protected from
short circuits by a combination of fuses and circuit
breakers. This greatly reduces the chance of damage
caused by electrical problems.Look at the silver
-colored band inside the fuse. If the
band is broken or melted, replace the fuse. Be sure you
replace a bad fuse with a new one of the identical size
and rating.
If you ever have a problem on the road and don't have a
spare fuse, you can borrow one that has the same
amperage. Just pick some feature of your vehicle that
you can get along without
-- like the radio or cigarette
lighter
-- and use its fuse, if it is the correct amperage.
Replace it as soon as you can.
The MaxiFuses are located in two Bussed Electrical
Centers (BEC), one located near the engine
compartment on the passenger's side and the other
under the rear seat on the driver's side. If a MaxiFuse
should blow, have your vehicle serviced by your
dealer immediately.
Removing Fuses
You will find a fuse puller attached in both of the BEC.
Snap the wide end of the fuse puller on to the fuse, at
the side indentations holding the puller and pull the
fuse out.