ignition PONTIAC GRAND AM 1998 Owner's Manual

Illuminated Entry System Front Reading Lamps (If Equipped)
When you lift
the outside handle of either front door or
open a rear door, the lamps inside your vehicle will go
on. These lamps will fade out after about
40 seconds, or
when the ignition is turned
on after all doors have been
closed.
If the ignition was recently turned off, the lamps
will fade out after four seconds. These lamps will also
go on when you press the
DOOR or UNLOCK button
on the optional keyless entry transmitter.
If the ignition has been off for less than two minutes, the
lamps inside your vehicle will stay on for
15 seconds
when your key is removed from the ignition switch to
provide
an illuminated exit.
These lamps and the interior courtesy lamps will come on when you open the doors.
To turn
on a reading lamp when the doors are closed,
press the button. Press it again to turn the lamp
off.
Front Map Lamps (If Equipped)
If your vehicle has a sunroof, it will have a &ew mirror
with lamps built
in. The lamps go on when you open the
doors. When the doors are closed, turn the lamps on and off
with the switches located below the face of the mirror.
2-45

Rear Reading Lamps (If Equipped)
These overhead lamps and the interior courtesy lamps
will come on when you open the doors.
To turn
on a reading lamp when the doors are closed,
press the button. Press
it again to turn off the lamp.
Trunk Lamp
This lamp comes on when you open your trunk.
Battery Saver
Your vehicle is equipped with a battery saver feature
designed
to protect your vehicle's battery.
When any interior lamp
(trunk, reading, footwell or
glove box) is left on when the ignition is turned off, the
battery saver system will automatically shut the lamp
off
after 20 minutes. This will avoid draining the battery.
To reactivate
the interior lamps, either:
0 The ignition must be turned on,
The activated lamp switch must be turned off and
then
on or
0 A front door must be opened.
The battery saver feature will also
be activated when
any door
of your vehicle is left open.
2-46

Your instrument panel is designed to let you know at a glance how \
your vehicle is running. You’ll know how fast
you’re going, how much
fuel you’re using, and many other things you’ll need to drive \
safely and economically.
The main components of your instrument panel are:
A. Fuse Panel
B. Vent
C. Turn SignaVMultifunction Lever
D. Horn
E. Hazard Warning Flashers Switch F. Instrument Cluster
G. Windshield WipersNasher Stalk
H. Audio System
I. Side Window Defogger Vent
J. Glove Box
K. Climate Control System L. Gear Shift Lever
M. CupholdedAshtray (If Equipped)
N. Enhanced Traction System (ETS) Switch
0. Accessory Power
Outlenighter (If Equipped)
(If Equipped)
P. Ignition Switch
Q. Tilt Steering Wheel Lever (If Equipped)
R. Fog Lamp Switch
S. Hood
Release Handle
T. Instrument Panel Intensity ControlDnterior
Lamps Switch
2-53

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 is
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
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.
This light will come on
when you start your engine,
and it will flash for a few
seconds. Then the light
should go out. This means
the system is ready.
If the air bag readiness light stays on after you start the
engine or comes on when you are driving, your
air bag
system may not work properly. Have your vehicle
serviced right away.
The
air bag readiness light should flash for a few
seconds 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.
BAG
2-57

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. The light will
go out when the engine
is started.
If it stays on when your engine is running, or 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 must drive a short distance with the light on, be
certain to turn off all your accessories, such as the radio
and air conditioner.
Brake System Warning Light
Your vehicle’s hydraulic brake system is divided into
two parts. If one part isn’t working, the other part can
still work and stop you. For good braking, though, you
need
both parts working well.
If the warning light comes on, there is a brake problem.
Have your brake system inspected right away.
BRAKE
United States Canada
This light should come on briefly when you turn the
ignition 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.
2-58

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 for service. (See “Towing Your Vehicle”
in the Index.)
I A CAUTION:
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake system warning light is on. Driving
with the brake system warning light on can lead to an accident.
If the light is still on after you’ve
pulled off the road and stopped carefully, bqve
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 parking 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 to OFF. Or, if the
light comes on when you’re driving, stop
as soon as
possible and turn the ignition off. Then start the engine
again to reset the system.
If the light still stays on, or
comes on
again while you’re driving, your vehicle 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 section.
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.
2-59

Enhanced Traction System Active Light
When your Enhanced Traction System is limiting wheel spin,
this light will LOW
.TRAC
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
too hot!
red area, your engine
is
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.
2-61

Low Coolant Warning Light
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.
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Check Engine Light)
CHECK
Your vehicle 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.
Have your vehicle serviced as soon
as you can.
This system is called OBD 11 (On-Board
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. 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. This may prevent more
serious damage to
your vehicle. This system is also
designed to assist your service technician
in correctly
diagnosing
any malfunction.
2-62

NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle with this light on, after a while, your emission controls may not
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:
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 may be required.
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis and
service may be required.
0 Light On Steady -- An emission control system
If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
0 Reducing vehicle speed.
0 Avoiding hard accelerations.
0 Avoiding steep uphill grades.
0 If you are 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. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
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.
2-63

Fuel Gage
Your fuel gage tells you
about how much fuel you
have left, when the ignition
is on. When the indicator
nears EMPTY (E), you still
have a little fuel left, but
~ you should get more soon.
Here are four things that some owners ask about. None
of these show a problem with your fuel gage:
0
0
0
An amber light will come on below the gage when the
fuel
tank is near EMPTY (E).
0
At the service station, the gas pump shuts off before
the gage reads FULL (F).
It takes a little more or less fuel to fill up than the
gage indicated. For example, the gage may have
indicated the tank was half full, but
it actually took a
little more
or less than half the tank’s capacity to fill
the tank.
The gage moves a little when you turn a corner or
speed up.
The gage doesn’t go back to EMPTY
(E) when you
turn off the ignition.