lock PONTIAC GRAND-AM 1996 Repair Manual

When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition key
OFF. The steering wheel should be clamped in a
straight-ahead position, with
a clamping device
designed for towing service. Do not use the vehicle's
steering column lock
for this. The transaxle should be in
NEUTRAL (N) and the parking brake released.
The ignition key must be in the
OFF position to keep the
automatic
door locks from locking during towing.
Don't have your vehicle towed on the front wheels,
unless
you 'must. If the vehicle must be towed on the
front wheels,' (see speed and distance restrictions
later in
this section) farther than 50 miles (80 km) your
transaxle will be damaged. If these limits must be
exceeded, then
the front wheels have to be supported on
a
dolly.
r
A vehicle can fall from a car carr if it isn't
adequately secured.
This can cause a collision,
1 serious personal injury and vehicle damage. The
' vehicle should be tightly secured with chains or
steel cables before it is transported.
Don't use substitutes (ropes, leather straps,
canvas webbing, etc.) that can
be cut by sharp
edges underneath the towed vehicle. Always use
T-hooks inserted in the T-hook slots. Never use
J-hooks. They will damage drivetrain and
suspension components.
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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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Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
The following steps will tell you how to use the jack and
change a tire, The
eaubhent
vou’ll AI
need is in the t&. Pull
the carpeting from the
floor of the tnxnk. Turn the
center retainer nut on the
compact spare cover
c’ounterclockwise to
remove it.
Lift
and remove the cover. See “Compact Spare Tire”
later in this section for more information about the
compact
spare.
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Turn the wing nut
counterclockwise and
remove it. Then lift
off
the spacer and remove
the spare tire.
Remove the
jack and wheel wrench from the trunk. Your
vehicle’s jack
and wheel wrench are stored in a foam
tray.
Remove the band around the jack.
’ I *,
’. .
The tools you’ll be using include the jack (A) and wheel
wrench
(B).
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NOTICE:
Raising your vehicle with the jack improperly
positioned will damage the vehicle or
may allow
the vehicle to fall off the jack. Be sure to fit the
jack lift head into the proper location before
raising your vehicle.
I NOTICE:
I
Do not jack or lift vehicle using the oil pan. Pans
could crack and begin to leak fluid. 4. Raise the vehicle by rotating the wheel wrench
clockwise. Raise the vehicle far enough off the
ground so there is enough room for the spare tire
to fit.
5. Remove all of the wheel nuts.
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I A CAUTION:
Never use oil or grease on studs or nuts. If you
do, the nuts might come loose. Your wheel could fall off, causing a serious accident.,
% '
j !. ', . , , ,.
8. Replace the wheel nuts
with the rounded end
o'f
the nuts toward the
wheel. Tighten each nut
by hand until the wheel
is held against the hub.
i L
9. Lower the vehicle by rotating the wheel wrench
counterclockwise. Lower the jack completely.
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While refueling, hang the tethered cap inside the fuel
door.
To take off the cap, turn it slowly to the left
(counterclockwise).
~~ ~ ~
If you get gasoline on yourself and then
something -ignites it, you could be badly burned.
Gasoline can spray out on you if you open the
fuei filler cap too quickly. This spray can happen
if your tank
is nearly full, and is more likely in
hot weather. Open the fuel filler cap slowly and
wait for any
“hiss” noise to stop. Then unscrew
the cap
all the way.
Be careful not td spill gasoline. Clean gasoline from
painted surfaces as soon as possible. See “Cleaning the
Outside of Your Pontiac” in theJndex.
When you put the cap back on, turn it to the right until
you
hear at least three clicks. Make sure you fully install
the cap.;The diagnostic system can determine
if the fuel
cap has been left
off or improperly installed. This would
‘allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere. See
“Malfunction Indicator Lamp” in the Index.
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When to Add Oil
If the oil is at or below the ADD line, then you’ll need
to add some oil. But you must use the right’kind, This
part explains what kind of oil to use. For crankcase
capacity, see “Capacities and Specifications” in the
Index.
NOTICE:
Don’t add too much oil, If your engine has so
much oil that the oil level gets above ‘the upper
mark that shows the proper operating range,
your engine could be damaged, 2,4L Engine
The 2.4L engine oil fill cap is located on the passenger
side of the engine compartment on the engine block,
6-12
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3. Check both sides of the dipstick and read the lower
level. The fluid level
must be between the ADD and
FULL marks. (Note: Fluid may appear at the bottom
of the dipstick even when the fluid level is several
pints low.)
4. If the fluid level is where it should be, push the
dipstick back in all the way and flip the handle
down. If
the fluid level is low, add more fluid as
described in the next steps.
How to Add Fluid
Here’s how to add fluid. Refer to the Maintenance
Schedule to determine what kind of fluid to use. See
“Recommended Fluids and Lubricants” in the Index.
’, 1. Remove the dipstick by flipping the handle up and
then pulling the dipstick out.
2. Add fluid at the dipstick hole.
Add only enough fluid to bring the fluid level. up
to
I the FULL mark on the dipstick.
3. Push the dipstick back in all the way; then flip the
handle down to lock the dipstick in place.
Hydraulic Clutch
The hydraulic clutch linkage in your vehicle is
self-adjusting. The clutch master cylinder reservoir is
filled with hydraulic clutch fluid.
.
It isn’t a good idea to “top off’ your clutch fluid. Adding
fluid won’t correct a leak.
A fluid loss in this system could indicate a problem.
Have the system inspected and repaired.
I
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* 6-21
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1
4. Lift the headlamp assembly out of the mounting
bracket
5. Twist the bulb assembly counterclockwise one-sixth
of a turn and pull out the bulb assembly.
6. Unclip the bulb assembly from the wiring harness.
7. Reverse Steps 1 through 5 to replace the bulb
assembly and headlamp housing.
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