light PONTIAC GRAND-AM 1995 Owners Manual

Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle.
For example,
these symbols
are used on an
original battery:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
BURNS
SPARK OR ,\I/,
COULD FLAME
EXPLODE BATTERY
These symbols are important
for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle
is
driven:
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
FASTEN SEAT 4
BELTS
POWER
WINDOW
These symbols
have to do with
your lights:
SIGNALS e 9
TURN
WARNING A
HAZARD
FLASHER
FOG LAMPS $0
These symbols
are on some
of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
WIPER
WINDSHIELD
DEFROSTER
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
VENTILATING FAN
These symbols are used on
warning and
indicator lights:
COOLANT Fe
TEMP --
ENGINE
CHARGING I-1
BATTERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE (a)
RADIATOR COOLANT
FUEL
ENGINE OIL
PRESSURE
Wb
TEMP OIL &
ANTI-LOCK (@)
BRAKE
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
RELEASE
RADIO
VOLUME
CONDITIONING A‘R 43
RELEASE
LIGHTER m
HORN )tr
SPEAKER
b
V
ProCarManuals.com

Safety Belts: They’re for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety belts
properly. It
also tells you some things you should not do
with safety belts.
And it explains the Supplemental Restraint System, or
“air bag” system.
Your car has a light
that comes on
as a
reminder to buckle
up.
(See “Safety Belt
Warning Light” in the
Index.)
In many states and Canadian provinces, the law’ says to
wear safety belts. Here’s why:
They work.
You never know if you’ll be in a crash. If you do have a
crash, you don’t know if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up a person wouldn’t.kvive.
But most crashes are in between. In many of
them,
people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk
away. Without belts they could have been badly
hurt or
killed.
After more than 25 years of safety belts in vehicles, the
facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up
does matter
... a lot!
1-7
ProCarManuals.com

Glove Box
P’ !
, :.. 3-
Use one of the vehicle’s keys to lock and unlock the
glove box.
To open, pull the glove box handle toward
you.
Theft
Vehicle theft is big business, especially in some cities.
Although your Pontiac has a number
of theft deterrent
features, we know that nothing we put on it can make
it
impossible to steal. However, there are ways you can
help.
Key in the Ignition
If you walk away from your vehicle with the keys
inside, it’s an easy target for
joy riders or professional
thieves
-- so don’t do it.
When you park your Pontiac and open the driver’s door,
you’ll hear a chime reminding you to remove your key
from.the ignition and take it with you. Always do this.
Your steering wheel will be locked, and so will your
ignition. If you have an automatic transaxle, taking your
key out also locks your transaxle. And remember to lock
the doors.
Parking at Night
Park in a lighted spot, close all windows and lock your
vehicle. Remember to keep your valuables out
of sight.
Put them in a storage area, or take them with you.
Parking Lots
If you park in a lot where someone will be watching
your vehicle, it’s best to lock
it up and take your keys.
But what
if you have to leave your ignition key? What if
you have to leave something valuable in your vehicle?
Put your valuables in a storage area, like your trunk
or glove box.
Lock the glove box. , I, ’ .- ’;
0 Lock all the doors except the driver’s.
0 Then take the door key with you.
2-10
ProCarManuals.com

LOCK (B): This is the only only position in which you
can remove the key. This locks your steering wheel,
ignition and transaxle (on automatic models).
OFF (C): This unlocks the steering wheel, ignition, and
transaxle (on automatic models), but does not send
electrical power to any accessories. Use this position
if
your vehicle must be pushed or towed, but never try to
push-start your vehicle.
A warning chime will sound if
you open the driver’s door when the ignition is
off and
the key is in the ignition.
RUN (D): This is an “on” position to which the switch
returns after you start your engine and release the
switch. The switch stays in the RUN position when the
engine
is running. But even when the engine is not
running, you can use RUN to operate your electrical
power accessories, and to display some instrument panel
warning lights.
START (E): Use this for starting the engine. When the
engine starts, release the key. The ignition switch will
return to RUN for normal driving.
Note that even if the engine is not running, the positions
ACCESSORY and RUN are ON positions that allow
you to operate your electrical accessories, such as the
radio.
Key Release Button (Manual Transaxle)
The key cannot be removed from the ignition unless the
key release button is used.
To remove the key turn the key to the OFF position.
Press the key release button while turning the key from
OFF to LOCK. Keeping your finger on the button, pull
the key straight out.
2-12
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

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

Lamps On Reminder
If you open the driver’s door while leaving the lamps on
and the ignition
off, you will hear a warning chime.
Headlamp High-Low Beam Changer
To change the headlamps
from low beam to high or
high to low, pull the turn
signal lever all the way
toward you. Then release it.
When the high beams are
on,
this blue light on the
instrument panel
also will
be on.
Flash-To-Pass (Except Canada)
Flash-to-pass lets you use your high beam headlamps to
signal a driver in front
of you that you want to pass.
To use it, pull the turn signaVmultifunction lever toward
you.
If your headlamps are off your high beam headlamps
will
turn on. They’ll stay on as long as you hold the
lever there. Release the lever to turn them
off.
If your headlamps are on, the flash-to-pass function will
not work. Use the lever
to change between high and low
beams.
2-35
ProCarManuals.com

Controlled-Cycle Windshield Wipers (Option) If your vehicle has controlled-cycle wipers, you can set
the wiper speed as slow as
25 seconds between wiper
cycles, or faster. The controlled-cycle delay
is very
useful in light rain or snow.
Move the stalk to DELAY, then rotate the inner band
and choose the delay you want. Rotate the inner band
clockwise for shorter delay times between wiper cycles.
Rotate the band counterclockwise for a longer delay
time between wiper cycles.
With controlled-cycle wipers you can also use MIST for
a single wiper cycle.
2-37
ProCarManuals.com

To Reduce Speed While Using Cruise
Control
There are two ways to reduce your speed while using
cruise control:
Press in the button at the end of the lever until you
reach the lower speed
you want, then release it.
To slow down in very small amounts, push the
button for less than half a second. Each time you do
this, you’ll go
1 mph (1.6 km/h) slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While Using
Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase your speed. When
you take your
foot off the pedal, your vehicle will slow
down to the cruise control speed you set earlier.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on hills depends
upon your speed, load, and the steepness of the hills.
When going up steep hills, you may have to step on the
accelerator pedal to maintain your speed. When going
downhill, you may have to brake or shift to a lower gear
to keep your speed down.
Of course, applying the brake
takes you out of cruise control. Many drivers find this to
be too much trouble and don’t use cruise control on
steep hills.
To Get Out of Cruise Control
There are two ways to turn off the cruise control:
0 Step lightly on the brake pedal or push the clutch
pedal, if you have a manual transaxle; OR
Move the cruise switch to OFF.
To Erase Cruise Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition,
your cruise control set speed memory is erased.
2-42
ProCarManuals.com

Instrument Panel Intensity Control
You can brighten or dim your instrument cluster lamps
by rotating the instrument panel intensity control switch.
Rotate the switch all the way to the right to turn on the
interior courtesy lamps. Rotate the switch to the left to
turn off the instrument cluster lamps and displays.
Fog Lamps
The switch for your fog lamps is next to the instrument
panel intensity control.
Push the top of the switch
to turn the fog lamps on.
When using fog lamps, the parking lamps or low beam
headlamps must be on.
Fog lamps will go off whenever the high beam
headlamps come on. When the high beams go off, the
fog lamps will come on again.
Daytime Running Lamps (Canada Only)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front
of your vehicle during the day.
DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful in the
short periods after dawn and before sunset. Several
countries, including Canada, require
DRL.
A light sensor on top of the instrument panel makes the
DRL work,
so be sure it isn’t covered. The DRL system
will make your high beam headlamps come on at
reduced brightness when:
The ignition is on,
0 The headlamp switch is off, and
0 The parking brake is released (manual transaxle).
The shift lever is not in PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N)
(automatic transaxle).
2-43
ProCarManuals.com