PONTIAC GRAND-AM 1995 Manual PDF

Driving Through Deep Standing Water To use the coolant heater:
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
NOTICE: 3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-volt outlet.
If you drive too quickly through deep puddles or
standing water, water can come in through your
engine's air intake and badly damage your engine.
If you can't avoid deep puddles or
standing water, drive through them very slowly.
Engine Coolant Heater (Option)
In very cold weather, 0" F (- 18 O C) or colder, the engine
coolant heater can help. You'll get easier starting and
better fuel economy during engine warm-up. Usually,
the coolant heater should be plugged in a minimum of
four hours prior to starting your vehicle.
2-16
ProCarManuals.com

I NOTICE: I
After you’ve used the coolant heater, be sure to
store the cord as it was before to keep it away
from moving engine parts.
If you don’t, it could
be damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends on the weather, the kind of oil
you have, and some other things. Instead of trying to list
everything here, we ask that you contact your Pontiac
dealer
in the area where you’ll be parking your vehicle.
The dealer can give you the best advice for that
particular area.
Shifting the Automatic Transaxle
(Three or Four Speeds)
Your Grand Am may be equipped with a three speed
automatic or a four speed automatic transaxle. The shift
lever
is located on the console between the seats.
There are six different positions for the shift lever on the
three speed automatic and four speed automatic
transaxles. While
PARK (P), REVERSE (R) and
NEUTRAL (N) operate identically for both transaxles,
the forward gear positions represent different gearing
and operation. See “Forward Gears (Three Speed)” or
“Forward Gears (Four Speed)’’ later in this section.
Three SpeFd Automatic
1.
.. . ..b
2-17
ProCarManuals.com

Four Speed Automatic
I I ,*. . . . .,
PARK (P): This locks your front wheels. It’s the best
position to use when you start your engine because your
vehicle can’t move easily.
Ensure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P) range before
starting the engine. Your Pontiac has
a brake-transaxle
shift interlock. You have to fully
apply your regular
2-18
ProCarManuals.com

brakes before you can shift from PARK (P) when the
ignition key is in the
RUN position. If you cannot shift
out of PARK (P) ease pressure on the shift lever
-- push
the shift lever all the way into PARK
(P) -- as you
maintain brake application. Then move the shift lever
into the gear you wish. (Press the
shift lever button
before moving the shift lever.) See “Shifting Out of
PARK (P)” later in this section.
REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.
NOTICE:
Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle is
moving forward could damage your transaxle.
Shift to REVERSE
(R) only after your vehicle is
stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice or sand without damaging your transaxle, see “If
You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice
or Snow” in the Index.
NEUTRAL (N): In this position, your engine
doesn’t connect with the wheels.
To restart when you’re
already moving, use NEUTRAL
(N) only. Also, use
NEUTRAL
(N) when your vehicle is being towed.
I NOTICE: I
Damage to your transaxle caused by shifting out
of
PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) with the engine
racing isn’t covered by your warranty.
2-19
ProCarManuals.com

Forward Gears (Three Speed)
DRIVE (D): This position is for normal driving with the
three speed automatic transaxle.
SECOND (2): This position gives you more power but
lower
fuel economy. You can use SECOND (2) on hills.
It
can help control your speed as you go down steep
mountain roads, but then you would
also want to use
your brakes off and on.
NOTICE:
Don’t drive in SECOND (2) for more than 5 miles
(8 km), or at speeds over 55 mph (88 km/h), or
you can damage your transaxle. Use DRIVE
@)
as much as possible.
Don’t shift into
SECOND (2) unless you are going
slower than
65 mph (105 M), or you can
damage your engine.
FIRST (1): This position gives you even more power
(but lower fuel economy) than
SECOND (2). You can
use it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud.
If the
shift lever
is put in FIRST (l), the transaxle won’t shift
into first gear until the vehicle
is going slowly enough.
NOTICE:
If your front wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might happen
if you were stuck in
very deep sand
or mud or were up against a solid
object. You could damage your transaxle.
Also, if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold
your vehicle there with only the accelerator
pedal. This could overheat and damage the
transaxle. Use your brakes to hold your vehicle in
position on
a hill.
2-20
ProCarManuals.com

Forward Gears (Four Speed)
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D): This position is for
normal driving with the four speed automatic transaxle.
If you need more power for passing, and you’re:
0 Going less than about 35 mph (55 km/h), push your
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (55 km/h) or more, push the
accelerator all the way down.
The transaxle will automatically shift down to the next
gear and provide more power.
THIRD (3): This position is also used for normal
driving, however, it offers more power and lower fuel
economy than OVERDRIVE (D). Here are some
times
you might choose THIRD (3) instead of
OVERDRIVE (D):
When driving on hilly, winding roads.
When towing a trailer, so there is less shifting
between gears.
When going down a steep hill.
SECOND and FIRST (2 and 1): This position
provides second and first gear performance. When
downshifting from OVERDRIVE
(D) or THIRD (3) into
SECOND
(2), the transaxle will operate in second gear
at vehicle speeds greater than
20 mph (32 km/h) and in
first gear at vehicle speeds less than
20 mph
(32 Wh).
NOTICE:
Don’t drive in SECOND (2) for more than 5 miles
(8 km), or at speeds over 55 mph (88 km/h), or
you can damage your transaxle.
Use DRIVE (D)
as much as possible.
Don’t shift into SECOND
(2) unless you are going
slower than
65 mph (105 kmh), or you can
damage your engine.
2-21
ProCarManuals.com

Shifting the Five-Speed Manual
Transaxle This is your shift pattern.
1 3 5
2 w 4 R
Here’s how to operate your transaxle:
FIRST (1): Press the clutch pedal and shift into
FIRST
(1). Then, slowly let up on the clutch pedal as
you press the accelerator pedal.
You can shift into FIRST (1) when you’re going less
than
20 mph (32 km/h). If you’ve come to a complete
stop and it’s hard to
shift into F’IRST (l), put the shift
lever in NEUTRAL
(N) and let up on the clutch. Press
the clutch pedal back down. Then shift into F’IRST
(1).
SECOND (2): Press the clutch pedal as you let up on
the accelerator pedal and
shift into SECOND (2). Then,
slowly let up on the clutch pedal as you press the
accelerator pedal.
2-22
ProCarManuals.com

THIRD, FOURTH and FIFTH (3,4 and 5): Shift into
THIRD (3), FOURTH (4) and l?lFTH (5) the same way
you do for
SECOND (2). Slowly let up on the clutch
pedal as you press the accelerator pedal.
To Stop: Let up on the accelerator pedal and press the
brake pedal.
Just before the vehicle stops, press the
clutch pedal and the brake pedal, and shift into
NEUTRAL
(N).
NEUTRAL (N): Use this position when you start or
idle your engine.
REVERSE (R): To back up, press down the clutch
pedal and shift into REVERSE
(R) Let up on the clutch
pedal slowly while pressing the accelerator pedal.
I NOTICE:
Shift to REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle is
stopped. Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your
vehicle is moving could damage your transaxle.
Also, use REVERSE (R), along with the parking brake,
for parking your vehicle.
Shift Light
0
SHIFT
If you have a manual
transaxle, you have a
SHIFT light. This light will
show
you when to shift to
the next higher gear for best
fuel economy.
k' . :I
When this light comes on, you can shift to the next
higher gear if weather, road and traffic conditions let
you. For the best fuel economy, accelerate slowly
and
shift when the light comes on.
While you accelerate, it is normal for the light to go on
and
off if you quickly change the position of the
accelerator. Ignore the
SHIFT light when you downshift.
Shift Speeds (Manual Transaxle)
This chart shows when to shift to the next higher gear
for best fuel economy.
2-23
ProCarManuals.com

Acceleration Shift Speeds for 2.3L Quad 4 Engine
(Code
D)
1st to 2nd
2nd to 3rd
3rd to 4th
4th to 5th 15 mph (24 km/h)
25 mph (40 kmlh)
40 mph (64 km/h)
45 mph (72 km/h)
If your speed drops below 20 mph (32 krn/h), or if the
engine
is not running smoothly, you should downshift to
the next lower gear. You may have to downshift two
or
more gears to keep the engine running smoothly or for NOTICE:
good performance. If you skip more than one gear when you
downshift, or if you race the engine when you
downshift, you can damage the clutch or
transaxle.
2-24
ProCarManuals.com

Parking Brake
To set the parking
brake hold the regular
brake pedal down with
your right foot. Push
down the parking
brake pedal with your
If the ignition is on, the brake system warning light will
come on.
To release the parking
brake hold the regular
brake pedal down. Pull the
BRAKE
RELEASE lever.
Driving with the parking brake on can cause
your rear brakes to overheat. You may have to
replace them, and you could also damage other
parts
of your vehicle.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any hill
see “Towing a Trailer” in the Index. That section shows
what to do first to keep the trailer from moving.
2-25
ProCarManuals.com