brake PONTIAC GRAND-AM 1996 Service Manual

If a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out” while you’re \
driving,
especially
if you maintain your tires properly. If air goes
out
of a tire, it’s much more likely to leak out slowly.
But
if you should ever have a “blowout,” here are a few
tips about what to expect and what to
do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel firmly.
Steer
to maintain lane position, and then gently ‘brake to
a stop well out
of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a
skid and may require the same correction you’d use in a
skid. In my rear blowout, remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the way you want the vehicle to
go. It may be
very bumpy and noisy, but you can
still steer. Gently
brake to a stop
-- well off the road if possible.
If a tire goes flat, the next part shows how to use your
jacking equipment to change a flat tire safely.
Changing a Flat Tire
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly
to a level place. Turn on your hazard
warning flashers.
Changing a tire can cause an injury. The vehicle
can slip
off the jack and roll over you or other
people.
You and they could be badly,injured.
Find
a level place to change your tire. To help
prevent the vehicle from moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put an’automatic transaxle shift lever in
PARK
(P), or shift a manual transaxle to
FIRST (1) or REVERSE (R).
3. lbrn off the engine.
To be even more certain the vehicle won’t move,
you can put blocks at the front and rear of the
tire farthest away from the one being changed.
That would be the tire
on the other side of the
vehicle, at the opposite end.
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10. Tighten the wheel. nuts
firmly in a criss-cross
sequence, as shown.
-
Incorrect wheel nuts or improperly tightened
wheel nuts can cause the wheel to become loose
and even come
off. This could lead to an accident.
Be sure
to use the correct wheel nuts. If you have
to replace them, be sure
to get new GM original
equipment wheel
nuts.
Stop somewhere as soon as you can.and have the
nuts tightened with
a torque wrench to I00 Ib-ft
(140 N-m).
I NOTICE:
Improperly tightened wheel nuts can lead to
brake pulsation and rotor damage. To avoid
expensive brake repairs, evenly tighten the wheel
nuts in the proper sequence and to the proper
torque specifications.
Don’t itry to put a wheel cover on your compact spare
tire. It won’t fit. Store the wheel cover and plastic
cap nuts in the trunk until you have the flat tire
repaired
or replaced.
... .
NOTICE:
~
Wheel covers won’t, fit on your compact spare.
If you try to put a wheel cover on your compact
spare,
you could damwe the cover or the spare.
~~
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NOTICE:
If you need a new cap, b'e sure to get the right
type.
Your dealer can get one for you. If you get
the wrong type, it may not fit or have proper
venting, and your fuel tank and emissions system
might be
damaged.
Things that burn can get on hot engine parts and
start
a fire. These include liquids like gasoline,
oil, coolant, brake fluid, windshield washer and
other fluids, and plastic
or rubber. You or others
could b'e burned. Be
careful not to drop or spill
things
that will burn onto a hot engine.
Checking "'lings Under the Hood
r
An electric fan under the hood can start up and
injure
you even when the engine is not running.
Keep hands, clothing and tools away from any
underhood electric
fan.
The following sections tell you how to check fluids,
lubricants and important parts underhood.
TO open the hood, first pull
the handle inside the
vehicle.
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2.4L (CODE T) Engine
When you open the hood, you’ll see:
Brake Fluid Reservoir
B. Engine Oil Fill Cap G. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir
C. Engine Oil Dipstick M. Hydraulic Clutch Fluid Reservoir (if so equipped)
D. Automatic Transaxle Dipstick (if equipped) I. Air Cleaner
E. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir J. Battery
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3.1L (CODE M) Engine
When you open the hood, ou’ll see:
A. Engine Coolant Surge Tank
B. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir
C. Engine Oil Fill Cap
D. Engine Oil Dipstick
E. Automatic Transaxle Fluid Dipstick
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E Brake Fluid Reservoir
G. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir
H. Air Cleaner
I. Battery
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Checking the Fluid Level
' Park your vehicle on a level place. Keep the engine
running.
With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever
in
PARK (P). I
With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift
lever through each
gear range, pausing for about
three seconds in each range. Then, position the shift
lever in PARK (P).
0 Let the engine run at idle for three to five minutes. Then,
without shutting
off the engine, follow these
steps:
1. The automatic transaxle dipstick handle is red. Pull
out the dipstick
and wipe it with a clean rag or paper
towel.
2. hsh it back in all the way, wait three seconds and
then pull it back out again.
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~~~
~~~~ NOTICE:
~ ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~
When using concentrated washer fluid,
follow the manufacturer’s instructions for
adding water.
e Don’t mix water with ready-to-use washer’
fluid. Water can cause the solution to freeze
and damage your washer fluid tank and
other parts
of the washer system. Also,
water doesn’t clean
as well as washer fluid.
Fill your washer fluid tank only 3/4 full
when it’s very cold, This allows for
expansion, which could damage the tank
if
it is completely full.
windshield washer.
It can damage your
washer system and paint,
Don’t use radiator antifreeze in your
Brakes
Brake Fluid
Your brake master cylinder reservoir is here. It is filled
with
DOT-3 brake fluid.
There are only two reasons why the brake fluid level in
the reservoir might go down. The first is that the brake
fluid goes down to
an acceptable level during normal
brake lining wear. When new linings
are put in, the fluid
level goes
back up. The other reas’on is that fluid is
leaking out of the brake system, If it is, you should have
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your brake system fixed, since a leak means that sooner
or later your brakes won’t work well,
or won’t work
at
all.
So, it isn’t a good idea to “top off’ your brake fluid.
Adding brake fluid won’t correct
a leak. If you add fluid
when your linings are worn, then you’ll have too much
fluid when you get new brake linings. You should add
(or remove) brake fluid, as necessary, only when work is
done on the brake hydraulic system.
enough. You or others could be burned, and your
vehicle could be damaged. Add brake fluid only
when work is done on the brake hydraulic
When your brake fluid falls
to a low level, your brake
warning light will come
on.
See “Brake System Warning
Light”
in the Index.
~~
What to Add
When you do need brake fluid, use only DOT-3 brake
fluid
-- such as Delco Supreme 11 @ (GM Part
No. 1052535). Use new brake fluid from a sealed
container only,
and always clean the brake fluid
reservoir cap before removing
it.
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With the wrong kind,of fluid in your brake
system, your brakes
may not work well, or they
may not even work
at all, This could cause a
crash. Always use the moper brake fluid.
NOTICE:
Using the wrong fluid can badly damage
brake system park.
For example, just a few
drops
of mineral-based oil, such as engine
oil, in your brake system can damage brake
system
parts so badly that they’ll have to be
replaced. Don’t
let someone put in the
wrong kind of fluid.
If you spill brake fluid on your vehicle’s
painted surfaces, the paint
finish can be
damaged. Be careful not to spill brake fluid on
your vehicle, If you do, wash it off immediately.
See “Appearance Care” in
the Index.
i ‘I I .- ’;/
Brake Wear
Your Pontiac has front disc brakes and sear drum brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that make
a high-pitched warning sound whew the brake pads are
worn and new pads are needed. The sound may come
and go or be heard all the time your vehicle is moving
(ex’cept when
you are pushing on.the brake pedal
firmly).
The brake wear warning sound means that
sooner
or later your brakes wonY work well.
That could lead
to an accident. When you hear
the brake wear warning sound, have your vehicle
serviced.
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NOTICE:
I I
Continuing to drive with worn-out brake pads
could result in costly brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when the brakes
are first applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean something
is wrong with
your brakes.
Free movement
of brake calipers and properly torqued
wheel nuts are necessary to help prevent brake
pulsation. When tires are rotated, inspect brake calipers
for movement, brake pads for wear, and evenly torque
wheel nuts in the proper sequence to
GM specifications.
Your rear drum brakes don't have wear indicators, but
if
you ever hear a rear brake rubbing noise, have the rear
brake linings inspected.
Also, the rear brake drums
should be removed and inspected each time the tires
are
removed for rotation or changing. When you have the
front brakes replaced, have the rear brakes inspected, too.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not return to
normal height, or if there is a rapid increase in pedal
travel. This could be a sign
of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you make a moderate brake stop, your disc
brakes adjust for wear.
If you rarely make a moderate ar
heavier stop, then your brakes might not adjust correctly.
If you drive in that way, then -- very carefully -- make
a few moderate brake stops about every 1,000 miles
(1 600 km), so your brakes will adjust properly.
If your brake pedal goes down farther than normal, your
rear drum brakes may need adjustment. Adjust them by
backing up
'and firmly applying the brakes a few times.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a modem vehicle is complex. Its
many parts have to be
of top quality and work well
together
if the vehicle is to have really good braking.
Vehicles we design and teSt have top-quality
GM brake
parts in them,
as your Pontiac does when it is new.
When you replace parts
of your 'braking system -- for
example, when your brake linings wear down and you
have to have new
ones put in -- be sure you get new
genuine
GM replacement parts. If you don't, your
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