warning light PONTIAC GRAND-PRIX 1993 User Guide

8..
Features & Controls
Low Fuel Warning Light
If your fuel is low, a light will come on.
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The warning will not go off until you
add fuel. It will also come on for a few
seconds when
you first turn on the
ignition as a check to show you it is
working. If it doesn’t come on then,
have it fixed.
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Light
This light tells you that your engine
coolant has overheated or your radiator
cooling fan is not working. If you have
been operating your vehicle under
normal driving conditions, you should
pull off the road, stop your vehicle and
turn the engine off
as soon as possible.
HOT
COOLANT CAN BURN YOU
BADLY!
In Problems on the Road, this manual
shows what to do.
See the Index under
Engine Overheating.
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Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
You have a gage that shows the engine
coolant temperature.
If the gage pointer
moves into the red area, your engine
is
too hot! That
reading means the same thing as
the warning light.
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.
HOT COOLANT CAN BURN YOU
BADLY!
In Problems on the Road, this manual
shows what to
do. See the Index under
Engine Overheating.
Low Coolant Warning Light
If this light comes on, your system is
low on coolant and the engine may
overheat. See the
Index under Engine
Coolant and have your vehicle serviced
as soon as you can.
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Features & Controls
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Oil Warning Light
If you have a problem with your oil, this
light may stay on after you start
your
engine, or come on when you are
driving. This indicates that oil
is not
going through your engine quickly
enough to
keep it lubricated. The
engine
could be low on oil, or could
have some other oil problem. Have it
fixed right away.
3 00
The oil light could also come on in three
other situations:
When the ignition is but the engine
is not running, the light will come on
as a test to show you it is working,
but the light
will go out when you
turn the ignition to Start. If it doesn’t
come on with the ignition on, you
may have a problem with the fuse or
bulb.
Have it fixed right away.
Sometimes when the engine is idling
at
a stop, the light may blink on and
off. This is normal.
If you make a hard stop, the light may
come on for ‘a moment. This is
normal.
Don’t keep driving if the oil
pressure is low. If you do,
your engine can become so hot that
it catches he. You or others could
be burned. Check your oil as soon
as possible and have yaw vehicle
NOTICE
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Oil Pressure Indicator (OPTION)
This indicator tells you if there could be
a problem with your engine oil pressure.
The pointer should be above the red
zone when the engine is running.
I CAUTION
Readings in the red area tell you that
the engine is low on oil, or that you
might have some other oil problem. See
the
Index under Engine Oil.
Don't keep driving if the oil
pressure is low.
If you do,
your engine can become
so hot that
it catches fire, You or others could
be burned. Check your oil as soon
as possible and have your vehicle
serviced.
Battery Warning Light
The charging system light will come on
briefly when you turn on the ignition
as
a check to show you it is working. Then
it should go out.
If it stays on, 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.
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Voltmeter (OPTION)
When the engine is running, the gage
shows the condition
of the charging
system. Readings between the red
warning zones indicate the normal
operating range.
Readings in either red warning zone
indicate a possible problem in the
electrical system. Have your vehicle
serviced immediately.
When your engine
is not running, but
the ignition is
on (in the Run position),
the gage shows your battery’s state
of
charge.
Brake System Warning Light
Your Pontiac’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 bralung,
though, you need both parts working
well.
If the warning light goes on, there
could be a brake problem.
Have your brake system inspected right
away.
This light should come on as you start
the vehicle.
If it doesn’t come on then,
have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn
you
if there’s a problem.
This light will also come on when you
set your
parking brake, and 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.
If the light comes on while driving, pull
off the road and stop carefully. You maJ
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 the
Index under Towing
Your Pontiac.)
1 CAUTION
Your brake system may not
be working properly if the .
WIMC warning light is on. Driving
with the brake warning light ora can
lead to an accident. If the light is
still on after you’ve pulled off the
road and stopped carefully, have
I the vehicle towed €or senrice.
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Anti-Lock Brake System Warning
Light (OPTION)
With anti-lock, this light will go on
when you start your engine and it will
stay on for three seconds. That’s
normal.
If the light doesn’t come on,
have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn
you if there is a problem.
If the light stays on or comes on when
you’re driving,
stop as soon as possible
and turn the key off. Then start the
engine to reset the system. If the light
still stays
on, or comes on again while
you’re driving, your Pontiac needs
service. Unless the regular brake system
warning light
is also on, you will still
have brakes, but not anti-lock brakes.
If
the regular brake system warning light
is also on, see the Index under Brake
System Warning Light.
If the anti-lock brake system warning
light ever flashes, your anti-lock brake
system is still working but needs service
as soon as possible.
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Features & Controls
Head-Up Display (OPTION)
If you have the optional Head-Up
Display (HUD), you can see the
speedometer reading,
in English or
metric units, displayed “through” the
windshield. The HUD
also shows:
* Turn signal indicator lights.
A high beam indicator symbol.
A CHECK GAUGES message. (For
low oil pressure, high coolant
t.emperature, and high or low battery
voltage.).
A low fuel warning symbol.
HUD shows these lights when they are
lit on the instrument panel. When you
sit straight in your seat, the HUD image
will appear slightly to the right.
When the ignition key
is turned to Run,
all possible HUD images will! come on
and look like this. Then the Head-Up
Display will operate normally. Although
the HUD image appears
to be near the front
of the vehicle,
do not use it as a parking aid. The
HUD was
not designed for that
purpose.
If you try to use it that
way, such as in a parking lot, you
may misjudge distance and run
r,y, into something. R
A If you never look at your
,A instrument panel, you rnL
not see something important, si1
as a warning light. So be sure tc
scan your displays and controls
an
th’e driving environment ju,st as xou --. W n a car w- out UD. .:g:~$ I. A,..+-
.- -. rA .-
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REVERSIBLE LANE ON MULTILANE ROADWAY
Many city roads and expressways, and
even bridges, use reversible-lane traffic
control during rush hours. A red
X light
above a lane means
no driving in that
lane at that time.
A green arrow means
you may drive in that lane. Look for the
signs posted to warn drivers what hours
and days these systems are in effect.
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NO PASSING ZONE
Pavement Markings
Pavement markings add to traffic signs
and signals. They give information to
drivers without taking attention from
the roadway. A solid yellow line on your
side
of the road or lane means Don’t
Cross.
Your Own Signals
Drivers signal to others, too. It’s not
only more polite,
it’s safer to let other
drivers know what you are doing.
And
in some places the law requires driver
signals.
Turn and Lane Change Signals:
Always signal when you plan to turn or
change lanes.
If necessary, you can use hand signals
out the window: Left arm straight out
for a left turn,
down for slow or about-
to-stop, and up for a right turn.
Slowing Down: If time allows, tap the
brake pedal once or twice in advance
of
slowing or stopping. This warns the
driver behind you.
Disabled: Your four-way flashers
signal that your vehicle
is disabled or is
a hazard. See the
Index under Hazard
Warning Flashers.
Traffic Officer
The traffic police officer is also a source
of important information. The officer’s
signals govern, no matter what the
traffic lights
or other signs say.
The next section discusses some of the
road conditions you
may encounter.
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ma.
Your Driving and the Road
Anti-lock Brakes (CONT.)
And this light on the instrument panel
will
go on when you start your vehicle.
When you start your vehicle and begin
to drive away you may hear a
momentary motor or clicking noise and
you may even notice that your brake
pedal moves a little while this is going
on. This is the ABS system testing itself.
If you have your foot on the brake
pedal, this check won't happen until the
vehicle goes about
4 mph (6 ltm/h) or
until you take your foot off the brake
pedal.
After
an ABS stop, you may hear a
clicking noise the next time the vehicle
goes about 4 mph (6 ltdh).
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If there's a problem with the anti-lock
brake system, the anti-lock brake
system warning light will stay on or
flash. See the
Index under Anti-Lock
Brake
System Warning Light.
Here's how anti-lock works. Let's say
the road is wet. You're driving safely.
Suddenly an animal jumps out in front
You slam on the brakes. Here's what
happens with
ABS.
A computer senses that wheels are
slowing down. The computer separately
works the brakes at each front wheel
and at the rear wheels.
The anti-lock system can change the
brake pressure faster than any driver
could. The computer is programmed to
make the most
of available tire and road
conditions.
of you.
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recognize warning clues-such as
enough water, ice or packed snow
on
the road to make a “mirrored
surface”-and slow down when you
have any doubt.
If you have the anti-lock braking
system, remember: It helps avoid only
the braking skid.
If you do not have
anti-lock, then in a braking skid (where
the wheels are no longer rolling),
release enough pressure on the brakes
to get the wheels rolling again. This
restores steering control. Push the
brake pedal down steadily when you
have to stop suddenly. As long as the
wheels are rolling, you will have steering control. Steer the way you
want to go.
Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than
day driving. One reason is that some
drivers are likely to be impaired-
by alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems, or by fatigue.
Here are some tips on night driving.
Drive defensively. Remember, this is
the most dangerous time.
Don’t drink and drive. (See the Index
under Drunken Driving for more on
this problem.)
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to
reduce the glare hom headlights
behind you.
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Since you can’t see as well, you may
need to slow down and keep more
space between you and other vehicles.
It’s hard to tell how fast the vehicle
ahead is going just by looking at its
taillights.
speed roads. Your headlights
can light
up only
so much road ahead.
Slow down, especially on higher
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you’re tired, pull off the road in a
safe place and rest.
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