PONTIAC GRAND-AM 1995 Owners Manual

NOTES
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Section 5 Problems on the Road
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that
can
OCCUT on the road.
Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning flashers let you warn others. They
also let police know you have a problem. Your front and
rear turn signal lamps will flash on and off.
Move the switch to the right
to make your front and rear
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Your hazard warning flashers work no matter what
position your key is in, and even if the key isn’t in.
To turn off the flashers, move the switch to the left.
When the hazard warning flashers
are on, your turn
signals won’t work.
Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can set one up at
the side
of the road about 300 feet (100 m) behind your
vehicle.
Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may want to use
another vehicle and some jumper cables to start your
Pontiac. But please follow the steps below to do it
safely.
I NOTICE:
Ignoring these steps could result in costly damage
to your vehicle that wouldn’t be covered by your
warranty.
Trying to start your Pontiac by pushing or
pulling it could damage your vehicle, even
if you
have a manual transaxle. And if you have
an
automatic transaxle, it won’t start that way.
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To Jump Start Your Pontiac
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 Pontiac, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Turn off all
lamps that aren’t needed, and radios. This will avoid
sparks and help save both batteries. And it could
save your radio!
NOTICE:
If you leave your radio on, it could be badly
damaged. The repairs wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries. Find the
positive
(+) and negative (-) terminals on each
battery.
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5. 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
(+) and negative (-) will go to negative (-)
or a metal engine part.
Don’t connect (+) to (-) or you’ll get a short that
would damage the battery and maybe other
parts,
too.
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6. Connect the red positive (+) cable to the positive (+)
terminal of the vehicle with the dead battery.
Use a remote positive
(+) terminal if the vehicle has
one.
7. Don’t let 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.
8. Now connect the black negative (-) cable to the good
battery’s negative
(-) terminal.
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
part on the engine of the vehicle with the dead battery.
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9* Attach the cable at least 18 inches (45 cm) away
fiom the dead battery, but not near engine parts that
move. The electrical connection is just as good
there, but the chance of sparks getting back to the
battery is much less.
the engine for a while.
10. Now start the vehicle with the good battery and run
11. Try to start the vehicle with the dead battery.
If it won’t start after a few tries, it probably needs
service.
12. Remove the cables in reverse order to prevent
electrical shorting. Take care that they don’t touch
each other or
any other metal.
1 GOOD BAlTERY
DEAD BATTERY
Remove the cables in this order.
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Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have a GM dealer or a professional towing service
tow your Pontiac. The
usual towing equipment is:
(A) Sling-type tow truck (see Notice on the next page)
(B) Wheel-lift tow truck
(C) Car carrier
If your vehicle has been changed or modified since it
was factory-new
by adding aftermarket items like fog
lamps, aero skirting, (or special tires and wheels, these
instructions and illustrations may not be correct.
Before you
do anything, turn on the hazard warhing
flashers.
When you call, tell the towing service:
That your vehicle cannot be towed from the front or
rear with sling-type equipment,
as described later in
this section.
0 That your vehicle has front-wheel drive.
The make, model, and year of your vehicle.
0 Whether you can still move the shift lever.
0 If there was an accident, what was damaged.
When the towing service arrives, let the tow operator
know that this manual contains detailed towing
instructions and illustrations. The operator may want to
see them.
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When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition key
off. The steering wheel should be clamped in a
straight-ahead position, with a clamping device
designed for towing service. Do not use the vehicle’s
steering column lock for this. The transaxle should be in
NEUTRAL (N) and the parking brake released.
The ignition key must be in the OFF position to prevent
the automatic door locks from locking during towing.
Don’t have your vehicle towed on the front wheels,
unless you must.
If the vehicle must be towed on the
front wheels, don’t go more than
35 mph (55 km/h) or
farther than
50 miles (80 km) or your transaxle will be
damaged.
If these limits must be exceeded, then the
front wheels have to be supported on
a dolly.
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Towing from the Front -- Vehicle Hookup
Before hooking up to a tow truck, be sure to read all the
information in “Towing Your Vehicle” earlier
in this
section.
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