brake PONTIAC BONNEVILLE 2003 Service Manual
[x] Cancel search | Manufacturer: PONTIAC, Model Year: 2003, Model line: BONNEVILLE, Model: PONTIAC BONNEVILLE 2003Pages: 418, PDF Size: 20.24 MB
Page 271 of 418

Checking Things Under
the Hood
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An electric fan under the hood can start up
and injure you even when the engine
is not
running. Keep hands, clothing and tools away
from any underhood electric fan. Things that
b n can get on hot engine parts
and start a fire. These include liquids like fuel,
oil, coolant, brake fluid, windshield washer and
other fluids, and plastic or rubber. You or
others could be burned. Be careful not to drop
or
spill things that will burn onto a hot engine.
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Page 272 of 418

Hood Release
To open the hood, do the following:
1. Pull the hood release
handle inside the
vehicle. It is located
next to the parking
brake pedal near
the floor.
2. Then go to the front of the vehicle and push up on
the secondary hood release.
3. Lift the hood.
Before closing the hood, be sure all the filler caps are
on properly. Then pull the hood down and close it firmly.
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Page 274 of 418

A. Engine Compartment Fuse Block
B. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir
C. Engine Coolant Recovery Tank
D. Radiator Pressure Cap
E. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir
F. Engine Oil Dipstick
G. Engine Oil Fill Cap
H. Automatic Transaxle Fluid Dipstick
I. Brake Master Cylinder
J. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
Engine Oil
WCHECK
OIL LEVEL
If the OIL LEVEL LOW
message appears
on the
DIC, or the CHECK
OIL LEVEL light appears
on the instrument cluster, it
means
YOU need to
check your engine oil level
right away.
For more information, see
Check Oil Level Light on
page
3-50 or DIG Warnings and Messages on
page 3-60.
You should check your engine oil level regularly; this is
an added reminder.
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Page 283 of 418

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.
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Page 284 of 418

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.
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Page 301 of 418

Brakes
Brake Fluid
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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.
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Page 302 of 418

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.
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Page 303 of 418

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.
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Page 306 of 418

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.
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Page 318 of 418

6. Slide the lamp assembly back into place by lining
up the track on the bottom
of the assembly with
the guide on the vehicle. Then connect the outboard
snap and secure the lamp assembly with the
two bolts.
C. Taillamp
D. PaiVBrake Lamp
1. Open the trunk. Turn the screws located inside of
the trunk counterclockwise and remove them.
2. Remove the plastic trim piece from the trunk.
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