light PONTIAC GRAND-AM 1996 Workshop Manual

Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your Pontiac in good shape for winter.
a You may want to put winter emergency supplies in
your trunk.
Include an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a supply
of windshield washer fluid, a rag, some winter outer
clothing, a small shovel, a flashlight, a red cloth and a
couple of reflective warning triangles. And,
if you will
be driving under severe conditions, include a small bag of sand, a piece of old carpet
or a couple of burlap bags
to help provide traction. Be sure you properly secure
these items in
your vehicle.
ProCarManuals.com

Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little faster
than just idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly. This
uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the
battery charged. You will need a well-charged battery to
rest& the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on
with your headlamps. Let the heater run for awhile.
Then, shut the engine
off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again
and repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortable
from the co1d:But do it as little as possible. Preserve the
fuel
as long as you can. To help keep warm, you can get
out of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or
so until help comes.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
There may be times when you want to tow your Pontiac
behind another vehicle for use at your destination. Be
sure
to use the proper towing equipment designed for
recreational towing. Follow the instructions for the
towing equipment.
Towing Your Vehicle from the Front
Follow these steps:
1. Put the front wheels on a dolly.
i '_ .-
4-29
ProCarManuals.com

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 woulddt be able to
start your Pontiac, and the bad grounding could
You could be injured if the vehicles roll. Set the
parking brake firrnly on each vehicle. Put on automatic transaxle in
PARK (P) or a manual
transaxle
in NEUTRAL (N).
1 damage the electrical systems.
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
unnecessary accessories plugged into the cigarette lighter.
Turn off all lamps that aren’t needed as well
as radios. This will avoid sparks and help save both
batteries. In addition,
it could save your radio!
I NOTICE:
.If you leave your radio on, it could be badly
damaged. The repairs wouldn’t be covered
by
your warranty.
An electric fan can start up even when the engine
is not running and can injure
you. Keep hands,
clothing and tools.away from any underhood electric fan.
4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries.
5. Find the positive (+) and negative (-) terminals on
each battery.
5-3
ProCarManuals.com

6. 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 positive (+) to negative (-) or you’ll
get a short that would damage the battery and maybe
other
parts, too.
Using
a match
near a battery can cause battery
gas to explode. People have been hurt doing this,
and some have been blinded. Use
a flashlight if
you need more light.
~ Be sure the battery has enough water. You don’t
need to add water
to the Delco Freedom@ battery
installed in every new
GM vehicle. But if a
battery has filler caps, be sure the right amount
of fluid is there. If it is low, add water to take care
of that first. If you don’t, explosive gas could be
present.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn
you.
Don’t get it on you. If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or on your skin, flush the place with
water and get medical help immediately. Fans
or other moving engine
parts can injure you
badly. Keep your hands away from moving parts
once the engines are running.
5-4
ProCarManuals.com

Front Towing
Before hooking up to a tow truck, be sure to read all the
information in “Towing Your Vehicle” earlier in this
section.
NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or
fascidfog light damage will occur. Use wheel-lift
or
car carrier equipment. Additional ramping
may be required for car carrier equipment.
NOTICE:
Towing a vehicle over rough surfaces could
damage
a vehicle. Damage can occur from vehicle
to ground or vehicle to wheel-lift equipment.
To
help avoid damage, install a towing dolly and
raise the vehicle until adequate clearance
is
obtained between the ground and/or wheel-lift
equipment.
Do not attach winch cables or ‘J-hooks to
suspension components when using car carrier
equipment. Always use
T-hooks inserted in the
T-hook slots.
5-9
ProCarManuals.com

Engine Overheating .
You will find a coolant temperature g.age and a low
coolant warning light on your Pontiac’s instrument
panel. See
“Engine Coolant Temperature Gage” and
“Low Coolant Warning Light” in the Index.
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
Steam from an overheated engine can burn you
badly, even if you just open the hood. Stay away
from the engine if you
see or hear steam coming
~ from it. Just turn it off and get everyone away
from the vehicle until it cools down. Wait until
there
is no sign of steam or coolant before
opening the
hood,
If you keep driving when your engine is
overheated, the liquids in it can catch fire, You or
others could
be badly burned. Stop your engine if
it overheats, and get out of the vehicle until the
engine is cool.
1 NOTICE:
~ ~~
If your engine catches fire because you keep
driving with no coolant, your vehicle can be
badly damaged. The costly repairs would not be
covered by your warranty.
5-12
ProCarManuals.com

If You’re Stuck: In Sand,,Mud, Ice or
Snow
What you don’t want to do when your vehicle is stuck is
to spin your wheels too fast. The method known a,s
“rocking” can help you get out when you’re stuck, but
you must use caution.
/d CAUTION:
If you your .es spin at high speed, they can
explode, and you or others could be injured. And,
the tran,saxle or other parts of the vehicle can
overheat.
That could cause an engine compartment
fire or other damage. When you’re stuck, spin the
wheels
as little as possible. Don’t spin the wheels
above35 mph
(55 kdh) as shown on the
speedqmeter. Spinning
your wheels can destroy
parts of your
vehicle as well
as the tires. If you spin the wheels
too fast while shifting your transaxle back and
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle,
see “Tire Chains” in the Index.
Rocking y---r vehick ID get it out:
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the pea around your front wheels. If your vehicle
has the Enhanced Traction System, you should turn
the system
off. (See “Enhanced Traction System’’
in the Index.) Then shift back and forth between
REVERSE (R) and a forward gear
(or with a manual
transaxle, between FIRST
(1) or SECOND (2) and
REVERSE
(R)), spinning the wheels as little as
possible. Release the accelerator pedal
while you shift,
and press lightly on the accelerator pedal when the
transaxle is in gear.
If that doesn’t get you out after a
few tries, you may need to be towed out. If you do need
to be towe’d out, see “Towing Your Vehicle” in the
Index.
5-32
ProCarManuals.com

Engine Oil
CHECK
OIL
If the CHECK OIL light on
the instrument
panel comes
on,
it means you need to
check your engine oil level
right away. For more
information,
see “Check Oil
Light”
in the Index. You
should check your engine
oil
level regularly; this is an
added reminder.
It’s a good idea to check your engine oil every time you
get fuel. In order to get an accurate reading, the oil must 2.4L Engine
be warm and the vehicle must be on level ground.
6-10
k . 1
ProCarManuals.com

When to Check and What to Use
Refer to the Maintenance
Schedule
to determine how
often you should check the
fluid level
in your clutch
master cylinder reservoir and for
the proper fluid.
See “Owner Checks
and Services” and
“Recommended Fluids
and Lubricants” in the
How tu Check
The proper fluid should be added if the level is at or
below the
STEP mark on the reservoir cap. See the
instructions
on the reservoir cap.
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in your vehicle is filled with new
DEX-COOL TM (orange-colored, silicate-free) engine
coolant.
This coolant is designed to remain in your
vehicle
for 5 years or 100,000 miles (166 000 h),
whichever occurs first. The
following explains
your cooling system and how to
add coolant when it is low. If you have a problem with
engine overheating, see “Engine Overheating”
in the
Index.
A Sol50 mixture of water and the proper coolant for
your Pontiac will:
Give freezing protection down to -34°F (-37°C).
Give boiling protection up to 265 9 F ( 129 O C).
Protect against rust and corrosion.
0 Help keep the proper engine temperature.
Let the warning lights and gages work as they
should.
6-22
ProCarManuals.com

A CAUTION:
Turning the surge tank pressure cap when the
engine and radiator are hot can allow steam and
scalding liquids to blow out and burn you badly.
Never turn the surge tank pressure cap
-- even a
little -- when the engine and radiator are hot.
When your engine is cold, the coolant level should be at
the FULL
COLD mark, or a little higher.
If this light comes on,
means you’re low on engine
coolant.
See “LOW coolant Warning
Light” in the Index.
Adding Coolant
If you need more coolant, add the proper mix at the
surge tank, but only when the engine is cool.
I A CAUTION:
You can be burned if you spill coolant on hot
engine parts. Coolant contains ethylene glycol,
and it will burn if the engine parts are .hot
enough. Don’t spill coolant on
a hot engine.
~~
When replacing the pressure cap, make sure it is tight.
ProCarManuals.com