PONTIAC BONNEVILLE 2003 Owners Manual

Brakes
Brake Fluid
I 1
your brake system fixed, since a leak means that
sooner or later your brakes won’t work well, or won’t
work at all.
So, it isn’t a good idea to “top off your brake fluid.
Adding brake fluid won’t correct a leak.
If you add fluid
when your linings are worn, then you’ll have too
much fluid when you get new brake linings. You should
add (or remove) brake fluid, as necessary, only when
work
is done on the brake hydraulic system
Your master cylinder reservoir is on the driver’s side of
the engine compartment. It is filled with DOT-3 brake
fluid. See
Engine Compartment Overview on page 5-14.
There are only two reasons why the brake fluid level
in the reservoir might go down. The first is that the brake
fluid goes down to an acceptable level during normal
brake lining wear. When new linings are put in, the fluid
level goes back up. The other reason is that fluid is
leaking out of the brake system.
If it is, you should have
If you have too much brake fluid, it can spill on
the engine. The fluid will burn if the engine
is
hot enough. You or others could be burned,
and your vehicle could be damaged. Add brake
fluid only when work
is done on the brake
hydraulic system.
When your brake fluid falls to a low level, your brake
warning light will come on. If your vehicle has the Driver
Information Center, the BRAKE FLUID LOW message
will also be displayed. A chime will sound
if you try
to drive with this warning light on. See
Brake System
Warning Light on page
3-42.
5-42

What to Add
When you do need brake fluid, use only DOT-3 brake
fluid. Refer to
Part D: Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page
6-24. Use new brake fluid from a
sealed container only.
Always clean the brake fluid reservoir cap and the area
around the cap before removing it. This will help
ke-- dirt from entering the reservoir.
I
With the wrong kind of fluid in your brake
system, your brakes may not work well, or
they may not even work at all. This could
cause a crash. Always use the proper
brake fluid.
* If you spill brake fluid on your vehicle’s painted
surfaces, the paint finish can be damaged. Be
careful not to spill brake fluid on your vehicle.
If you do, wash
it off immediately. See
“Appearance Care” in the Index.
Brake wear
Your vehicle has four-wheel disc brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that make
a high-pitched warning sound when the brake pads
are worn and new pads are needed. The sound
may come and go or be heard all the time your vehicle
is moving (except when you are pushing on the
brake pedal firmly).
Notice:
Using the wrong fluid can badly damage brake
system parts. For example, just a few drops of mineral-based oil, such as engine oil,
in your
brake system can damage brake system
parts
so badly that they’ll have to be replaced.
Don’t let someone put in the wrong kind of fluid. The brake
wear warning sound --jeans that
soon your brakes won’t work well. That could
lead
KO an accident. wnen you near ine brake
wear warning sound, have your vehicle
serviced.
5-43

Notice: Continuing to drive with worn-out brake
pads could result in costly brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are first applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean something
is wrong with
your brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are necessary to help
prevent brake pulsation. When tires are rotated, inspect
brake pads for wear and evenly tighten wheel nuts in
the proper sequence to GM torque specifications.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
See
Brake System Inspection on page 6-23.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not return to
normal height, or
if there is a rapid increase in
pedal travel. This could be a sign of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you apply the brakes, with or without the
vehicle moving, your brakes adjust for wear.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is complex. Its many
parts have to be of top quality and work well together
if
the vehicle is to have really good braking. Your
vehicle was designed and tested with top-quality GM
brake parts. When you replace parts of your braking
system
- for example, when your brake linings
wear down and you need new ones put in
- be sure
you get new approved GM replacement parts.
If
you don’t, your brakes may no longer work properly. For
example,
if someone puts in brake linings that are
wrong for your vehicle, the balance between your front
and rear brakes can change
- for the worse. The
braking performance you’ve come to expect can change
in many other ways
if someone puts in the wrong
replacement brake parts.
Battery
Your new vehicle comes with a maintenance free
ACDelco@ battery. When it’s time for a new battery, get
one that has the replacement number shown on the
original battery’s label. We recommend an ACDelco
battery.
Warning: Battery posts, terminals and related
accessories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California to cause
cancer and reproductive harm. Wash hands after
handling.
5-44

The battery is located under the rear seat cushion.
To access the battery, see Removing the Rear Seat
Cushion on page
5-95. You don't need to access
the battery to jump start your vehicle. See
Jump Starting
on page
5-46.
A battery that isn't properly vented can let
sulfuric acid fumes into the area under the rear
seat cushion. These fumes can damage your
rear seat safety belt systems. You may not be
able to see this damage, and the safety belts
might not provide the protection needed
in a
crash. If a replacement battery
is ever needed,
it must be vented in the same manner as the
original battery. Always make sure that the
vent hose is properly reattached before reinstalling the seat cushion.
To be sure the vent hose (A) is properly attached, the
vent hose connectors
(B) must be securely reattached to
the vent outlets
(C) on each side of the battery, and
the vent assembly grommet
(D) must be secured to the
floor pan
(E).
5-45

Vehicle Storage
If you’re not going to drive you vehicle for 25 days or
more, remove the black, negative
(-) cable from
the battery. This will help keep your battery from
rl ling down.
Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may want to use
another vehicle and some jumper cables to start your
vehicle. Be sure to follow the
si s below to do it safely.
Batteries have acid that can burn you and gas
that can explode. You can be badly hurt
if you
aren’t careful. See “Jump Starting” next for
tips on working around a battery without
getting hurt.
Contact your dealer
to learn how to prepare your
vehicle for longer storage periods.
Also, for your audio system, see Theft-Deterrent
Feature on page
3-98.
Batteries can hurt you. They can be dangerous
because:
They contain acid that can burn you.
They contain gas that can explode or
They contain enough electricity to
ignite.
burn you.
If you don’t follow these steps exactly, some
or all of these things can hurt you.
5-46

Notice: Ignoring these steps could result in costly
damage to your vehicle that wouldn’t be covered
by your warranty.
Trying to start your vehicle by pushing or pulling
it
won’t work, and it could damage your vehicle.
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with a negative ground system.
Notice:
If the other system isn’t a 12-volt system
with a negative ground, both vehicles can be damaged.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicles aren’t touching
each other.
If they are, it could cause a ground
connection you don’t want. You wouldn’t be able to
start your vehicle, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
To avoid the possibility of the vehicles rolling, set
the parking brake firmly on both vehicles involved in
the jump start procedure. Put an automatic
transaxle in PARK (P) or a manual transmission in
NEUTRAL (N) before setting the parking brake. Notice:
If you
leave your radio on, it could be badly
damaged. The repairs wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
unnecessary accessories plugged into the cigarette
lighter or in the accessory power outlet. Turn
off
the radio and all lamps that aren’t needed. This will
avoid sparks and help save both batteries. And it
could save your radio!
4. Open the hood on the other vehicle and locate the
positive
(+) and the negative (-) terminal locations
on that vehicle.
Open the hood on your vehicle and find the remote
positive
(+) terminal located in the engine
compartment
on the passenger side of the vehicle.
See
Engine Compartment Overview on page 5-14
for more information on location.
5-47

You will not see the battery of your vehicle under
the hood.
It is located under the rear passenger’s
seat. You will not need to access the battery
for jump starting. The remote positive
(+) terminal
is for that purpose.
An electric fan 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. Using a match
near a battery can cause battery
gas to explode. People have been hurt doing
this, and some have been blinded. Use a
flashlight if you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water. You
don’t need to add water to the ACDelco@
battery installed in your new vehicle. But if a
battery has filler caps, be sure the right
amount of fluid
is there. If it is low, add water
to take care
of that first. If you don’t, explosive
gas could be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn you.
Don’t get
it on you. If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or on your skin, flush the place with
water and get medical help immediately.
5-48

r
Fans or other moving engine parts can injure
you badly. Keep your hands away from moving parts once the engine
is running.
6. Check that the jumper cables don’t have loose or
missing insulation. If they do, you could get a
shock. The vehicles could be damaged too.
Before you connect the cables, here are some
basic things you should know. Positive
(+) will go to
positive
(+) or to a remote positive (+) terminal if
the vehicle has one. Negative (-) will go to a heavy,
unpainted metal engine part or to a remote
negative
(-) terminal if the vehicle has one.
Don’t connect positive
(+) to negative (-) or you’ll
get a short that would damage the batterv and
maybe other parts too. And don’t connect the
negative
(-) cable to the negative (-) terminal on
the dead battery because this can cause sparks.
7. Connect the red
positive
(+) cable to the
remote positive
(+)
terminal of the
dead battery. Use a
remote positive
(+)
terminal if the vehicle
has one.
8. Don’t !et the other end
touch metal. Connect it
to the positive
(+)
terminal of the good
battery. Use a remote
positive (+) terminal
if the vehicle has one.
5-49

9. Now connect the black
negative
(-) cable to
the negative (-)
terminal of the good
battery. Use a remote
negative
(-) terminal
if the vehicle has one.
Don’t
let the other end touch anything until the next
step. The other end of the negative
(-) cable doesn’t go
to the dead battery. It goes to a heavy, unpainted
metal engine part or
to a remote negative (-) terminal
on the vehicle with the dead battery.
10. Connect the other end
of the negative
(-)
cable at least 18 inches
(45 cm) away from
the dead battery, but not near engine
parts that move.
The electrical connection is just as good there, and the
chance of sparks getting back
to the battery is much
less.
11.
12.
Now start the vehicle with the good battery and run
the engine for a while.
Try to start the vehicle that had the dead battery.
If it Won’t start after a few tries, it probably needs
service.
5-50

Notice: Damage to your vehicle may result from
electrical shorting
if jumper cables are removed
incorrectly. To prevent electrical shorting, take care
that the cables don’t touch each other or any
other metal. The repairs wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
A. Dead Battery or Remote Positive (+) Terminal
B. Good Battery or Remote Positive
(+) or Remote
Negative
(-) Terminals
Negative
(-) Terminal
c. Hexby, Unpainted Meta! Engine Part e!- !?em&?
To disconnect the jumper cables from both vehicles, do
the following:
1. Disconnect the black negative (-) cable from the
2. Disconnect the black negative (-) cable from the
3. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from the
4. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from the other
5. Return the positive (+) remote terminal cover to its
vehicle that had the dead
battery.
vehicle with the good battery.
vehicle with the good battery.
vehicle.
original position.
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