PONTIAC BONNEVILLE 2003 Owners Manual

What Kind of Oil to Use
Use only the recommended supercharger oil. See Part
D: Recommended Fluids and Lubricants on page 6-24.
How to Check and Add Oil
Park the vehicle on a level surface. Check oil only when
the engine is cold. Allow the engine to cool two to
three hours after running.
Engine Air CleanedFilter
If you remove the supercharger oil fill plug
while the engine
is hot, pressure may cause
hot oil to blow out
of the oil fill hole. You may
be burned.
Do not remove the plug until the
engine cools.
1. Clean the area around the oil fill plug before
2. Remove the oil fill plug.
removing it.
3. The oil level
is correct when it just reaches the
bottom of the threads of the inspection hole.
4. Replace the oil plug with the O-ring in place.
Tighten to
88 Ib-in (1 0 N*m ).
The engine air cleanedfilter is in the engine
compartment on the driver’s side of the vehicle. See
Engine Compartment Overview on page 5-14 for more
information on location.
To check or replace the engine air cleanedfilter do the
following:
1. Loosen the two clips on top of the engine air
cleanedfilter housing and lift the filter cover tabs out
of the housing.
2. Push the housing cover toward the engine,
compressing the hose.
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3. Pull out the filter. Check or replace the engine air
4. To reinstall the housing cover, make sure the filter
cover tabs position through the slots in the housing.
A notch on the sides of the filter cover will indicate
the correct engagement.
cleaner/filter.
5. Fasten the
two clips on the top of the housing when
you are finished.
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine when
to replace the air filter.
See
Part A: Scheduled Maintenance Services on
page
6-4.
Operating : el ne with ? ai :leane r
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/filter
off.
I
Notice: If the air cleanedfilter 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/filter in place when
you’re driving.
When to Check and Change
A good time to check your automatic transaxle fluid
level is when the engine oil is changed.
Change both the fluid and filter every
50,000 miles
(83 000 km) if the vehicle is mainly driven under one or
more of
these conditions:
In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
regularly reaches 90°F (32°C) or higher.
9 In hilly or mountainous terrain.
0 When doing frequent trailer towing.
- I, - SUU~~I 2s IWUIIU ii7 Lam, pwm,c uI U~~lv~Iy 1-...--1 . A-.,: .--I:-- -” Afil;,,nm,
service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, change the fluid and filter at
100,000 miles
(166 000 km).
See
Part A: Scheduled Maintenance Services on
page
6-4.
5-23

How to Check
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you may
choose to have this done at the dealership service
department.
If you do it yourself, be sure to follow all the instructions
here, or you could get a false reading on the dipstick.
Notice: Too much or too little fluid can damage
your transaxle.
Too much can mean that some of the
fluid could come
out and fall on hot engine or
exhaust system parts, starting a fire.
Too little fluid
could cause the transaxle to overheat.
Be sure
to get an accurate reading if you check your
transaxle fluid.
Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the transaxle
fluid level
if you have been driving:
When outside temperatures are above 90°F (32°C).
At high speed for quite a while.
In heavy traffic
- especially in hot weather.
0 While pulling a trailer.
To get the right reading, the fluid should be at normal
operating temperature, which is 180°F to
200°F
(82°C to 93°C).
Get the vehicle warmed up by driving about
15 miles
(24 km) when outside temperatures are above 50°F
(10°C). If it's colder than 50°F (IO"C), you may have to
drive longer.
Checking the Fluid Level
Prepare your vehicle as follows:
0
e
0
0
Park your vehicle on a level place. Keep the engine
running.
With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever
in PARK (P).
With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift
lever through each gear range, pausing for about
three seconds in each range. Then, position the shift
lever in PARK
(P).
Let the engine run at idle for three to five minutes.
5-24

Then, without shutting off the engine, follow these steps:
The transaxle fluid dipstick
top is a round, red loop
and is located next to the
brake master cylinder
behind the engine block.
See Engine Compartment
Overview on page 5-14
for more information
on location.
3.
1. Pull out the dipstick and wipe it with a clean rag or
2. Push it back in all the way, wait three seconds and
paper towel.
then pull it back out again.
4.
Check both sides of the dipstick, and read
the lower level. The fluid level must be in the
cross-hatched area.
If the fluid level is in the acceptable range, push the
dipstick back in all the way.
5-25

How to Add Fluid
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind of transaxle fluid
to use. See Part D:
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants on page 6-24.
If the fluid level is low, add only enough of the proper
fluid
to bring the level into the cross-hatched area on the
dipstick.
1. Pull out the dipstick.
2. Using a long-neck funnel, add enough fluid at the
dipstick hole
to bring it to the proper level.
It doesn’t take much fluid, generally less than one
pint
(0.5 L). Don’t overfill.
Notice: We recommend you use only fluid labeled
DEXRON@-Ill, because fluid with that label is
made especially for your automatic transaxle.
Damage caused by fluid other than DEXRON@-Ill
is
not covered by your new vehicle warranty.
3. After adding fluid, recheck the fluid level as
described under “How to Check,” earlier in this
section.
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in your vehicle is filled with
DEX-COOL@ engine coolant. This coolant is designed
to remain
in your vehicle for 5 years or 150,000 miles
(240
000 km), whichever occurs first, if you add
only extended life coolant.
The following explains your cooling system and how to
add coolant when it is low. If you have a problem
with engine overheating, see
Engine Overheating on
page
5-29.
A 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL@ coolant will:
Give freezing protection down to -34°F (-37°C).
Give boiling protection up to 265°F (129°C)
Protect against rust and corrosion.
Help keep the proper engine temperature.
Let the warning lights and gages work as
they should.
4. When the correct fluid level is obtained, push the
dipstick back
in all the way.
5-26

Notice: When adding coolant, it is important that
you use only
DEX-COOL@ (silicate-free) coolant.
If coolant other than DEX-COOL@
is added to
the system, premature engine, heater core or
radiator corrosion may result.
In addition, the engine
coolant will require change sooner
-- at 30,000 miles
(50,000 km) or 24 months, whichever occurs first.
Damage caused by the use
of coolant other
than DEX-COOL@ is not covered by your new vehicle
warranty.
What to Use
Use a mixture of one-half clean, drinkable water and
one-half
DEX-COOL@ coolant which won’t damage
aluminum
parts. If you use this coolant mixture,
you don’t need to add anything else. Adding only plain water to your cooling
system can be dangerous. Plain water, or
some other liquid such as 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,
drinkable water and
DEX-@SOL@ esslani.
Notice:
If you use an improper coolant mixture,
your engine could overheat and be badly damaged.
The repair cost wouldn’t be covered by your
warranty. Too much water
in the mixture can freeze
and crack the engine, radiator, neater core ana
other parts.
If you have to add coolant more than four times a year,
have your dealer check your cooling system.
Notice: If you use the proper coolant, you don’t
have to add extra inhibitors or additives which claim
to improve the system. These can be harmful.
5-27

Checking Coolant
The engine coolant
recovery tank is located in
the engine compartment
on the passenger’s side of
the vehicle, near the windshield. See
Engine
Compartment Overview on
page
5-74 for more
information on location.
Adding Coolant
The vehicle must be on a level surface. When your
engine
is cold, the coolant level should be at the
FULL COLD mark or a little higher. When your engine is
warm, the level should be up to the FULL HOT mark
or a little higher.
If you need more coolant, add the proper DEX-COOL@
coolant mixture
at the coolant recovery tank, but be
careful not to spill it.
Turnin- :he rai tor pressure
~-2 w..,n the
engine and radiator are hot can allow steam
and scalding liquids to blow out and burn you
badly. With the coolant recovery tank, you will
almost never have to add coolant at the
radiator. Never turn the radiator pressure
cap
-- even a little -- when the engine and
radiator are hot.
5-28

1 -J can __ burned if you spill coolant -.I hot
engine parts. Coolant contains ethylene glycol,
and
it will burn if the engine parts are hot
enough. Don’t spill coolant on a hot engine.
~~ ~ ~~
Occasionally check the coolant level in the radiator.
For information on how to add coolant to the radiator,
see
Cooling System on page 5-32.
Radiator Pressure Cap
Notice: Your radiator cap is a pressure-type cap
and must be tightly installed to prevent coolant
loss
and possible engine damage from overheating.
Be sure the arrows on the cap line up with the
overflow tube on the radiator filler
neck.
See Engine Compartment Overview on page 5-14 for
more information on location.
Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature gage or a DIC
warning message about a hot engine on your vehicle’s
instrument panel. See
Engine Coolant Temperature
Gage on page 3-45
and DIC Warnings and Messages
on page
3-60.
5-29

If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
Steam from an overheated engine can ~ ~ rn
you badly, even if you just open the hood. Stay
away from the engine if
you see or hear steam
coming from
it. Just turn it off and get
everyone away from the vehicle until
it cools
down. Wait
until there is no sign of steam or
coolant before you open the hood.
If you keep driving when your engine is
overheated, the liquids
in it can catch fire. You
or others could be badly burned. Stop your
engine
if it overheats, and get out of the
vehicle
until the engine is cool.
Notice: If your engine catches fire because you
keep driving with no coolant, your vehicle can
be badly damaged. The costly repairs would not be
covered by your warranty.
5-30

If No Steam Is Coming From Your
Engine
If you get an engine overheat warning but see or hear
no steam, the problem may not be too serious.
Sometimes the engine can get a little too hot when you:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
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. In heavy traffic, let the engine idle in NEUTRAL (N)
while stopped. If it is safe to do so, pull off the road,
shift to PARK
(P) or NEUTRAL (N) and let the
engine idle.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window
as necessary.
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 and you have not stopped, pull
over, stop, and park your vehicle right away.
If there’s still no sign of steam, you can idle the engine
for three minutes while you’re parked.
If you still
have the warning,
turn off the 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.
5-31