oil viscosity PONTIAC FIREBIRD 1996 Owners Manual

Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel (see
“Fuel” in the Index).
Poor fuel quality will cause your
engine not to run as efficiently as designed. You may
notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling when you
put the vehicle into gear, misfiring, hesitation on
acceleration or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditijons may go away once the engine is warmed up.)
This will be detected by the system and cause
the light
to turn on.
If you experience this condition, change the fuel brand
you use. It will require at least one full tank of the
proper fuel to turn the light
off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
have your dealer or qualified service center check the
vehicle. Your dealer has
the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools
to fix any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.
Engine Oil Pressure Gage
This gage tells you if there
could be
a problem with
your engine oil pressure.
The engine oil pressure gage shows the engine oil
pressure in psi (pounds per square inch) in the United
States, or Wa (kilopascals)
in Canada, when the engine
is running. Oil pressure should be 20 to 80 psi (140 to
550 kPa). On the 3800 engine the oil pressure should be
between
20 and 120 psi (140 to 827 kPa). It may vary
with engine speed, outside temperature and oil viscosity,
but readings above the red area show the normal
operating range. Readings in the red area tell
you that
the engine is low on oil, or that you might have some
other oil problem. See “Engine Oil” in the Index.
2-85
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When to Add Oil What Kind of Oil to Use
If the oil is at or below the ARD he, then you’ll need to Oils recommended for yoar vehicle can be identified by
add some oil. But you must use the right kind. This part looking for the “Starburst” symbol. This symbol
explains what kind of oil to use. For crankcase capacity, ‘ indicates that the oil has been certified by the American
see “Capacities and Specifications” in
the Index. Petroleum Institute (AH). Do not use any oil which
does not carry this Starburst symbol.
I 1
NOTICE:
Don’t add too much oil. If your engine has so
much oil that the oiI level gets above the
cross-hatched area that shm the Hrcrper
operating range, your engine could be damaged.
Just~fill it enough to put the level somewhere in the
proper operating range.
Push the dipstick all the way
back in when you’re through.
I
U-
I
P-
If you change your own oil,
be sure you use oil that has
the Starburst symbol on the
front
of the oil container.
If you have your oil changed for you, be sure the oil put
into
your engine is American Petroleum Institute
certified for gasoline engines.
You should also use the proper viscosity oil for your
vehicle, as shown in the following chart:
i‘
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RECOMMENDED SAE VISCOSITY GRADE ENGINE OILS
FOR BEST FUEL ECONOMY AND COLD STARTING, SELECT THE LOWEST
SAE VISCOSITY GRADE OIL
FOR THE EXPECTED TEMPERATURE RANGE.
HOT
WEATHER -
"F
I. 100 -
+ 80 -
+60-
+4O -
+20 -
0-
C
=3
- +3a
- +27
- +16
- +4
--7
--18
1
.D
I
I
FOR MIS 1 U
SYMBOL 4 II
.> . :.'
WEATHER
00 NOT USE SAE 2OW-50 OR ANY OTHER
GRADE OIL NOT RECOMMENDED
As shown in the chart, unless you have the 5.7L engine,
SAE 5W-30 is best for your vehicle. However, you can
use
SAE 1OW-30 if it's going to be 0°F (-18°C) or
above. These numbers on an oil container show its
viscosity,
or thickness. Do not use other viscosity oils,
such as
SAE 20W-50.
5.7L LTl (Code P) Engine
6-13
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RECOMMENDED SAE VISCOSITY GRADlE ENGINE OILS
FOR BEST FUEL ECOWOMY AND COLD STARTING, SELECT THE LOWEST
SAE VISCOSITY GRADE
OIL FOR THE EXPECTED TEMPER,ATURE RANGE.
HOT
WEATHER -
“C
t 38
e 27
t 16
t4
-7
- 18
I.
/
COLD
WEATHER
WOK
FOR MIS
SYMBOL
11 SAE I 1OW-30
PREFERRED abovo WF (-lac)
00 NOT USE SAE 2OW-50 OR ANY OTHER GRADE OIL NOT RECOMMENDED
3800 L36 (Code K) Engine
J
As shown in the chart, if you have the 3800L engine,
SAE 1OW-30 is best for your vehicle. However, you can
use
SAE 5W-30 if it’s going to be colder than 60°F
( 16 O C) before your next oil change. When it’s very cold,
you should use SAE 5W-30. These numbers on an oil
container show its viscosity, or thickness.
Do not use
other viscosity oils, such as
SAE 2OW-50.
NOTICE:
Use only engine oil with the American Petroleum
Institute Certified For Gasoline Engines
“Starburst” symbol. Failure to use the
recommended oil can result in engine damage not
covered by your warranty.
GM Goodwrench@ oil meets all the requirements for
your vehicle.
Engine Oil Additives
Don’t add anything to your oil. Your Pontiac dealer is
ready to advise if you think something should be added:
Most trips are less than 5 to 10 miles (8 to 16 km).
This is particularly important when outside
temperatures are below freezing.
6-14
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Part D: Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants
NOTE: Fluids and lubricants identified below by name,
part number or specification may be obtained from
your
GM dealer.
USAGE
Engine Oil
Engine Coolant
FLUIDLUBRICANT
Engine oil with the American
Petroleum Institute Certified
FOP
Gasoline Engines “Starburst”
symbol
of the proper viscosity. To
determine the preferred viscosity
for your vehicle’s engine, see
“Engine Oil” in the Index.
50/50 mixture of clean water
(preferably distilled) and
GM
Goodwrench@ DEX-COOL TM or
Havoline@
DEX-COOL TM
(orange-colored, silicate-free)
antifreeze conforming
to GM
Specification
6277M. See “Engine
Coolant”
in the Index.
USAGE
Coolant
Supplement
Sealer
Hydraulic Brake
System
Hydraulic Clutch System
Power Steering
System
Manual
Transmission
Automatic
Transmission
Key Lock
Cylinders
FLUIDLUBRICANT
GM Part No. 3634621 or
equivalent with a complete flush
and refill.
Delco Supreme
I1 @ Brake Fluid
(GM Part No. 10852535 or
equivalent
DOT-3 brake fluid).
Hydraulic Clutch
Fluid (GM Part
No. 12345347
or equivalent).
GM Power Steering Fluid
1050017 - 1 qt., or equivalent).
DEXRON@-III Automatic
Transmission Fluid.
DEXRON@-LII Automatic
Transmission Fluid.
Multi-Pur
ose Lubricant,
Superlube
?& (GM Part
No. 12346241 or equivalent).
(GM
Part
NO. 1052884 - 1 Pt.,
7-44
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