tow PONTIAC GRAND AM 1998 Service Manual

If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
If you get the overheat warning but see or hear no
steam, the problem may not be too serious. Sometimes
the engine can get a little too hot when you:
0 Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high-speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign
of steam,
try
this for a minute or so:
1. If you have an air conditioner, turn it off.
?. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window as necessary.
3. If you’re in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving
-- AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (a) or
THIRD (3) for automatic transaxles.
If you no longer have the overheat warning, you
can drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about
10 minutes. If the warning doesn’t come back on,
you can drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop,
and park your
vehicle right away.
If there’s still
no sign of steam, you can idle the engine
for two or three minutes while you’re parked, to see if
the warning stops. But then, if you still have the
warning,
turn o@the engine and get everyone out of the
vehicle
until it cools down.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
5-15

If a Tire Goes Flat Changing a Flat Tire
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out” while you’re driving, If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage
especially
if you maintain your tires properly. If air goes by driving slowly to a level place. Turn on your hazard
out of a tire, it’s much more likely to leak out slowly. warning fla\
shers.
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 any 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 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.
5-23

6. Remove the wheel cover from the wheel, if your flat
tire
has one. Then take off the flat tire.
7. Remove any rust or dirt
from the wheel bolts,
mounting surfaces
and
spare wheel.
/11 CAUTl -1:
Rust or dirt on the wheel, or on the parts to
which it is fastened, can make the wheel nuts
become loose after
a time. The wheel could come
off and cause an accident. When you change a
wheel, remove any rust or dirt from the places
where the wheel attaches to the vehicle. In an
emergency, you can use a cloth or a paper towel
to
do this; but be sure to use a scraper or wire
brush later,
if you need to, to get all the rust or
dirt off.
5-28

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.
8. Replace the wheel nuts
I with the rounded end of
the nuts toward the
wheel. Tighten each nut
by hand until the wheel is held against the hub.
n
9. Lower the vehicle by rotating the wheel wrench to
the left. Lower the jack completely.
5-29

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 as
“rocking” can help you get out when you’re stuck, but
you must use caution.
If you let your tires spin at high speed, they can
explode, and you or others could be injured. And,
the transaxle 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 above
35 mph (5$ k@h) as shown
on the speedometer.
NOTICE:
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
forth,
you can destroy your transaxle.
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle,
see
“Tire Chains” in the Index.
Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area 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
mRST (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 towed out, see “Towing
Your Vehicle” in
the Index.
5-34

Engine Oil Additives
Don’t add anything to your oil. Your dealer is ready to
advise
if you think something should be added.
When to Change Engine Oil
If any one of these is true for you, use the short triplcity
maintenance schedule:
0
0
0
0
0
Most trips are less than 5 to 10 miles (8 to 16 km).
This is particularly important when outside
temperatures are below freezing.
Most trips include extensive idling (such as frequent
driving in stop-and-go traffic).
Most trips are through dusty areas.
You frequently tow a trailer or use a carrier
on top of
your vehicle.
The vehicle is used for delivery service, police,
taxi
or other commercial application.
Driving under these conditions causes engine oil to
break
down sooner. If any one of these is true for your
vehicle, then
you need to change your oil and filter
every
3,000 miles (5 000 km) or 3 months -- whichever
occurs first.
If none of them is true, use the long triphighway
maintenance schedule. Change the
oil and filter every
7,500 miles (12 500 km) or 12 months -- whichever
occurs first. Driving a vehicle with a fully warmed
engine under highway conditions causes engine oil to
break down slower.
What to Do with Used Oil
Did you know that used engine oil contains certain
elements that may be unhealthy for your skin and could
even cause cancer? Don’t let used oil stay on your
skin
for very long. Clean your skin and nails with soap and
water,
or a good hand cleaner. Wash or properly throw
away clothing or rags containing used engine oil. (See
the manufacturer’s warnings about the use and disposal
of oil products.)
Used oil
can be a real threat to the environment. If you
change your own oil, be sure to drain all free-flowing oil
from the filter before disposal. Don’t ever dispose
of oil
by putting
it in the trash, pouring it on the ground, into
sewers, or into streams or bodies of water. Instead,
recycle
it by taking it to a place that collects used oil. If
you have a problem properly disposing of your used oil,
ask your dealer, a service station or a local recycling
center for help.
6-18

Automatic Transaxle Fluid
When to Check and Change
A good time to check your automatic transaxle fluid
level is when the engine oil is changed.
Change both the fluid and filter
every 50,000 miles
(83 000 km) if the vehicle is mainly driven under one
or more
of these conditions:
0 In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
0 In hilly or mountainous terrain.
When doing frequent trailer towing.
regularly reaches
90°F (32°C) or
higher.
0 Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any
of these
conditions, the fluid and filter do not require changing.
See “Scheduled Maintenance Services” in the Index.
How to Check
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you may
choose
to have this done at your Pontiac dealership
Service Department.
If you do it yourself, be sure to follow all the
instructions here, or you could get a false reading on
the dipstick.
NOTICE:
Too much or too little fluid can damage your
transaxle.
Too much can mean that some of the
fluid could come out and
fall on hot engine parts
or exhaust system parts, starting
a fire. Be sure to
get an accurate reading if you check your
transaxle fluid.
6-20

Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the transaxle
fluid level if you have been driving:
0 When outside temperatures are above 90°F (32°C).
At high speed for quite a while.
In heavy traffic -- especially in hot weather.
0 While pulling a trailer.
To get the right reading, the fluid should be at normal
operating temperature, which is 180°F to 200°F
(82°C to 93°C).
Get the vehicle warmed up by driving about 15 miles
(24 km) when outside temperatures are above 50°F
(10°C). If it's colder than 50°F ( lO"C), you may have
to drive longer.
Checking the Fluid Level
Park your vehicle on a level place. Keep the
With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever
engine running.
in
PARK (P).
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).
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. Push it back in all the way, wait three seconds and
then pull it back out again.
6-21

Manual Transaxle Fluid
When to Check
A good time to have it checked is when the engine oil is
changed. However, the fluid
in your manual transaxle
doesn’t require changing.
How to Check
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you may
choose to have this done at your Pontiac dealership Service Department.
If you do it yourself, be sure
to follow all the
instructions here, or you could get a false reading Check the fluid level only when your engine is
off, the
vehicle is parked on a level place and the manual
transaxle is cool enough for you to rest your fingers on
the transaxle case.
Then, follow these steps:
I
manual transaxle. Too much can mean that some
of the fluid could come out and fall
on hot engine
parts or exhaust system
parts, starting a fire. Be
sure to get an accurate reading if you check your
transaxle fluid.
1. The manual transaxle dipstick is white and is located
on the driver’s side rear
of the engine. Flip the
handle up and then pull out the dipstick and clean it
with a rag or paper towel.
2. Push it back in all the way and remove it.
6-23

x
When rotating your tires, always use the correct rotation
pattern shown here.
Don’t include the compact spare tire
in your
tire rotation.
After the tires have been rotated, adjust the front and
rear inflation pressures
as shown on the Tire-Loading
Information label. Make certain that all wheel nuts are
properly tightened. See “Wheel Nut Torque”
in
the Index.
P
CAUTION:
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the parts to which
it
is fastened, can make wheel nuts become loose
after a time. The wheel could come
off and cause
an accident. When you change a wheel, remove
any
rust or dirt from places where the wheel
attaches to the vehicle.
In an emergency, you can
use a cloth or a paper towel
to do this; but be
sure to use
a scraper or wire brush later, if you
need to, to get all the rust or dirt
off. (See
“Changing a Flat Tire” in the Index.)
6-44