PONTIAC GRAND-AM 1996 Owners Manual

Safety Belt Reminder Light
When the key is turned to RUN or START, a chime will
‘come on for about eight seconds to remind people to
fasten their safety belts, unless the driver’s safety belt i\
s
already buckled.
The safety belt light will
also come
on and stay on
for about
20 seconds,
then it will flash
for about
55 seconds. If the driver’s
belt is already buckled,
neither the chime nor the
light
will come on.
Air Bag Readiness Light
There is an air bag readiness light on the instrument
panel, which shows AIR
BAG. The system checks the
air bag’s electrical system for malfunctions. The light
tells you
if there is an electrical problem. The system
check includes the air bag sensor, the air bag
modules,
the wiring and the crash sensing and diagnostic module.
For more information
on the air bag system, see “Air
Bag” in the Index.
AIR,
BAG
You will see this light flash
for a few seconds when you
turn your ignition to
RUN
or START. Then the light
should
go out. This means
the system
is ready.
If the air bag readiness light doesn’t come
on when you
start your vehicle,
or stays on, or comes on when you
are driving, your air bag system may not work properly.
Have your vehicle serviced right away.
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Charging System Indicator Light
The charging system
indicator light will come on
briefly when
you turn on the
ignition, but the engine
is
not running, as a check to
show you it is working.
Then it should go out. .. 1.
. I -1
If it stays on when your engine is running, OF comes on
while you are driving, you may have a problem with the
electrical charging system. It could indicate that you
have a loose generator drive belt or another electrical
problem. Have it checked right away. Driving while this
light
is on could drain your battery.
If you mast drive a short distance with the light on, be
certain to turn off all your accessories, such as themdio
and
air conditioner,
Brake System Warning Light
Your Pontiac’s hydraulic brake system is divided into
two parts. If one part isn’t working, the other part can
still w’ork and
stop you. For good braking, though, you
need both
parts workmg well.
If the warning light comes on, there could be a brake
problem. Have your brake system inspected right away.
BRAKE
This light should come ow
briefly when you turn the
ignitibn key
to RUN. If it
doesn’t come on then, have
it fixed so it will be ready to
warn
you if there’s a
problem,
If the light .comes on while you are driving, pull off the
road and stop carefully. You may notice that the pedal is
harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer to the floor,
It may take longer to stop. If the light is still on, have the
vehicle towed €or
service, (See “Towing Your Vehicle”
in the Index.)
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Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake system warning light is on. Driving
with the brake system warning lighlt on can lead
to an accident.
If the light is still on after you’ve
pulled off the road and stopped carefully, have
the vehicle towed
for service.
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will also come
on when you set your parking brake. The
light will stay on if your parlung brake doesn’t release
fully.
If it stays on after your parking brake is fully
released,
it means you have a brake problem.
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
With the anti-lock brake
system,
this light will come
on when you
start your
engine
and it will stay on for
three seconds. That’s normal.
If the light stays on, turn the ignition off. Or, if the light
comes on when you’re driving, stop
as soon as possible
and turn the ignition off. &. 1
Then start the engine again to reset the system. If the .I ‘I
light still stays on, or comes on again while you’re
driving, your Pontiac needs service.
If the regular brake
system warning light isn’t
on, you still have brakes, but
you don’t have anti-lock brakes.
If the regular brake
system warning light is also on, you don’t have anti-lock
brakes and there’s a problem with your regular brakes. See “Brake System Warning Light” earlier
in .this part.
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The anti-lock brake system warning light should come
on briefly when
you turn the ignition key to RUN. If the
light doesn’t come
on then, have it fixed so it will be
ready to warn you if there is a problem.
Enhanced,T’raction Syst’em Warning Light
(Option)
!
ETS
OFF
With the Enhanced Traction
System
(ETS), this warning
light should come on briefly
as
you start the engine. If
the warning light doesn’t
come on then, have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn
you if there’s a problem.
If it stays on, or comes on when you’re driving, there
may
be a problem with your Enhanced Traction System
and
your vehicle may need service. When this warning
light is on, the system will not limit wheel spin. Adjust
your driving accordingly. The Enhanced Traction
System warning light may come
on for the following reasons:
0 If you turn the system off by pressing the button on
the shift lever
knob, the warning light will come on
and stay an. To turn the system back on, press the
button
again. The warning light should go off. (See
“Enhanced Traction System” in the Index for more
information.)
The warning light will come on when you set your
parking brake with the engine running,
and it will
stay on if your parking brake doesn’t release fully. If :‘.
the system is turned on and the warning light stays
on after your parking brake is fully released, it
means there’s a problem with the system.
If the Enhanced Traction System warning light comes
on and stays on
for an extended period of time when the
system is turned on and the paking brake is fully
released, your vehicle needs service.
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Enhanced Traction System Active Light
LOW
TRAC
When your Enhanced Traction System is limiting wheel spin, this light will
come on. Slippery road
conditions may exist
if the
Enhanced Traction System
active light comes on,
so
adjust your driving
accordingly.
The light
will stay on for a few seconds after the
Enhanced Traction System stops limiting wheel spin.
The Enhanced Traction System active light also comes
on briefly when you turn the ignition key to RUN. If the
light doesn’t come on then, have it fixed
so it will be
there to tell you when the system is active.
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
This gage shows the engine
coolant temperature.
If the
gage pointer moves into the
red area,
your engine is too
hot!
A light will come on to the right of the gage when the
gage pointer moves beyond the normal operating zone.
It means that
your engine coolant has overheated.
If you have been operating your vehicle under normal
driving conditions, you should pull
off the road, stop
your vehicle and turn off the engine as soon as possible.
In “Problems on the Road,” this manual shows what to
do. See “Engine Overheating” in the Index.
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Low Coolant Warning Light
; I’ ,.
If this light comes on and
stays on, the vehicle should
be promptly pulled
off the
road and the coolant level
checked.
See “Engine
Coolant”
in the Index.
Malfunctilon Indicator Lamp
(Check Engine Light) ~ ..
0
CHECK
Your Pontiac is equipped
with a computer
which
monitors operation of the
fuel, ignition and emission
control systems.
If there are visible signs of steam see “Engine
Overheating” in the
Index before opening the hood. , . ’? --+ -- This system is called OBD I1 (On-Board .>. ’ I .;: . , Diagnostics-Second Generation) and is intended to
.-. . assure that emissions are at acceptable levels for the
life of the vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner
environment.
(In! Canada, OBD 11 is replaced by
Enhanced Diagnostics.) The CHECK ENGINE light
comes on to indicate that there is a problem and service
is required, Malfunctions often will
be indicated by the
system before
any problem is apparent, which may
prevent more serious damage to your vehicle. This
system is
also designed to assist your service technician
d . in correctly diagnosing any malfunction.
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I NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle with this light
on, after a while, your emission controls may nmot
work as well, your fuel economy may not be as
good and your engine may not run as smoothly.
This could lead to costly repairs that may not be
covered by your warranty.
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition
is on and the engine is not
running.
If the light doesn’t come on, have it repaired.
This
light will also come on during a malfunction’ in one
of two ways:
0 Light Flashing -- A misfire condition has been
detected.
A misfire increases vehicle emissions and
may damage the emission control system on your
vehicle. Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis
and service is required.
0 Light On Steady -- An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis and
service may be required.
If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent ml
your vehicle:
0 Reduce vehicle speed.
0 Avoid hard accelerations.
0 Avoid steep uphill grades.
e serious damage to
i
If towing a trailer, reduce the amount of cargo being
hauled as-soon as it is possible.
If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see “If
the Light Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Put your vehicle in PARK (P). Turn the
key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart the engine.
If the light remains on steady, see “If the Light Is On
Steady” following.
If the light is still flashing follow the
previous, steps, and drive the vehicle to
your dealer or
qualified service center for service.
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If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you just put fuel into your vehicle?
If
so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. The diagnostic system can determine if the fuel
cap has been left
off or improperly installed. This will
allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few
driving trips should turn the light,off.
Did you just
drive through a! deep puddle of water?
If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system dries out.
A few driving trips should turn the light off.
Are you low on fuel?
As your engine starts to run out of fuel, your engine may
not
run as efficiently as designed since small amounts of
air are sucked into the fuel line causing a misfire. The
system can detect this. Adding fuel should correct
this
condition. Make sure to install the fuel cap properly. It
will take a few driving trips to turn the light
off.
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
conditions 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.
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Oil Pressure Light
..
If you have a problem with your oil, this light may stay
on after you start your
engine,
or come on when
you are driving. This
indicates that oil is not
going through your engine
quickly enough to keep it
lubricated.
The engine could be low
on oil, or could have some
other oil problem. Have it fixed right away.
The oil light could also come on in the following
situations:
When the ignition is on but the engine is not running,
the light will come on as a test to show you it is
working, but the light will go out when you turn the
ignition to START. If it doesn’t come on with the
ignition
on, you may have a problem with the fuse or
bulb. Have it fixed right away.
0 On four cylinder engines, when the engine is idling
at
a stop, the light may blink on and off. In addition,
if you make a hard stop, the light may come on for a
moment. This is normal.
Don’t keep driving if the oil pressure is low.
If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches fire. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil
as soon as possible and have
your vehicle serviced.
I NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and
is not covered by your
warranty,
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Check Oil Light
. CHECK
OIL
This light should come on
briefly while you
are
starting your engine. If the
light does not come on,
have
it repaired. If the light
comes on and stays
on after
starting your vehicle, the oil
level should be checked.
Prior to checking the
oil level, be sure your vehicle has
been shut off for several minutes and is on a level
surface. Check the oil level on the dipstick and
bring it
to the proper level. See “Engine
Oil” in the Index.
NOTE: A false CHECK OIL light may be generated
when parking
on steep grades. The
oil level monitoring system only checks
oil level
during the brief period between key
on and engine start.
It does not monitor engine
oil level when the engine
is running. Additionally, an oil level check is only
performed
if the engine has been turned off for a
considerable period
of time allowing the oil normally in
circulation
to drain back into the oil pan.
Up Shift Light (Manual Transaxle)
This light comes on when
you need to shift to the next
higher gear. See
“Manual
Transaxle” in the Index,
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