warning PONTIAC GRAND-PRIX 1993 Owner's Guide

Here you’ll find what to do about
some problems that can occur on the
road
.
Part 5
Problems on the Road
Hazard Warning Flashers ........................................................................\
........ 184
Towing Your Pontiac ........................................................................\
............... 189
Engine Overheating ........................................................................\
................. 193
If a Tire Goes Flat ........................................................................\
.................... 200
Changing a Flat Tire ........................................................................\
................ 200
Compact Spare Tire ........................................................................\
................. 207
If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud. Ice or Snow .................................................. 208
Jump Starting ........................................................................\
........................... 185
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Problems on the Road
Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning flashers let you
warn others. They also let police know
you have a problem. Your front and rear
turn signal lights will flash on and off.
184
Slide the switch up to make your front
and rear turn signal lights flash
on and
off.
Your hazard warning flashers work no
matter what position your key is in, and
even if the key isn’t in.
To turn off the flashers, slide the switch
down.
When the hazard warning flashers are
on, your turn signals won’t work.
Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can
set one
up at the side of the road about
300 feet (100 m) behind your vehicle.
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A
B
C
X51 01
Towing Your Pontiac
Try to have a GM dealer or a
professional towing service tow your
Pontiac. The usual towing equipment is:
(A) Sling-type tow truck
(B) Wheel-lift tow truck
(C) Car carrier
If your vehicle has been changed or
modified since it was factory-new by
adding aftermarket items like fog lamps,
aero skirting, or special tires and
wheels, these instructions and
illustrations may not be correct.
Before you do anything, turn on the
hazard warning flashers. When you call, tell
the towing service:
That your vehicle cannot be towed
from the front or rear with sling-type
equipment.
drive.
vehicle.
lever.
damaged.
That your vehicle has front-wheel
The make, model, and year of your
Whether you can still move the shift
If there was an accident, what was
When the towing service arrives, let the
tow operator know that this manual
contains detailed towing instructions
and illustrations. The operator may
want to see them.
To help avoid injury to you
or others:
* Never let passengers ride in a
vehicle that is being towed.
Never tow faster thar -3fe
posted speeds.
Never tow with damaged part
not fully secured.
Never get under your vehicle after
it
has been lifted by the tow
truck.
Always use separate safety chains
hooks instead. '
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Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature
gage or the warning light about
a hot
engine
on your Pontiac's instrument
panel.
You may also find a low coolant
warning light
on your Pontiac's
instrument panel.
r
If Steam is Coming from Your Engine:
L Steam from an overheated
- b 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
DP eoolant 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
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:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer.
-
!
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Problems on the Road
Engine Overheafing ICONT.)
If you get the overheat warning with no
sign
of steam, try this for a minute or
1. Turn off your air conditioner.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the
SO:
highest fan speed and open the
window as necessary.
3. Try to keep your engine under load
(in a drive gear where the engine
runs slower).
If you no longer have the overheat
warning,
you can drive. Just to be safe,
drive slower for about ten minutes. If
the warning doesn’t come back
on, you
can drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, 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 OFF THE
ENGINEANDGETEVERYONEOUT
OF THE IrEp3[1CLE until it cools down.
You may decide not to lift the hood but
to get servioe
help right away.
a
An electric fan under the
L L hood 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. I
stop, and park your vehicle right away. I I
Cooling System
When you decide it’s safe to lift the
hood, here’s what you’ll see:
(A) Coolant recovery tank
(B) Radiator pressure cap
(C) Electric engine fan
If the coolant inside the coolant
recovery tank is boiling, don’t do
anything else until it cools down.
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The coolant level should be at or above
the
COLD mark. If it isn’t, you may
have a leak in the radiator hoses, heater
hoses, radiator, water pump or
somewhere else in the cooling system.
~ CAUTION
A
Heater and radiator hoses,
and other
engine parts, can
be very hot. Don’t touch them. If
you do, you can be burned.
Don’$ run the engine if there is a
leak. If you run the engine, it could
lose all coolant. That could cause
an engine fire, and you could be
burned. Get any leak fixed before
I vou drive the vehicle.
If there seems to be no leak, check to
see if the electric engine fan is running.
If the engine is overheating, the fan
should be running. If it isn’t, your
vehicle needs service.
How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery Tank:
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but
the coolant level isn’t at or above
COLD, add a 50/50 mixture of clean
water (preferably distilled) and a proper
antifreeze at the coolant recovery tank.
(See the
Index under Engine Coolant
for more information about the proper
coolant mix.)
A
Adding only plain water to
your cooling system
can be
dangerous. Plain water,
or some I
other liquid like alcohol, can boil
before the proper coolant
mix will.
Your vehicle’s coolant warning
system
is set for the proper coolant
mix. With plain water or the wrong
mix, your engine could get too hot
but you wouldn’t get the overheat
warning. Your engine could catch
fire and
you or others could be
burned. Use a
50/50 mix of clean
water and a proper antifreeze.
cold weather, water can free-
d crack the engine, radiatnr
ater core and other parts.
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I
Problems on the Road
You can be burned ifp~
l spill coolant on hot engine
parts. Coolant contains ethylene
glycol
and it will bum if the engine
parts are hot enough. Don't spill
coolant on a hat engine.
When the coolant in the coolant
recovery tank
is at or above COLD,
start your vehicle.
If the overheat warning continues,
there's one more
thing you can try. You
can add the proper coolant mix directly
to
the radiator, but be sure the cooling
system is cool before you do it.
'I 96
A Steam and scalding liquids
L from a hot cooling system dm
b.,,v out and burn you badly. They
are under pressure, and if you turn
the radiator pressure cap-even a
little-they can come out at high
speed. Never turn the pressure cap
when the cooling system, including
the radiator pressure cap, is hot.
Wait for the cooling system and
radiator pressure cap tu cool if you
ever have to turn the pressure-cap.
How to Add Coolant to the Radiator:
Your engine has a specific radiator
fill procedure. Failure
to follow the
procedure
could cause your engine
to overheat and be severely
damaged.
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Problems on the Road
.I.
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, then gently brake to a stop
well out of the traffic lane.
2010
A rear blowout, particularly cm a curve,
acts
much like a skid and may require
the same correction
you’d use in a skid.
In any rear blowout, remove pur bot
from the accelerator pedal. G,et 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 your tire goes flat, the next se’ction
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.
A 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: I
I (Continued)
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Compact Spare Tire
Although the compact spare was fully
inflated when your vehicle was new, it
can lose air after a time. Check the
inflation pressure regularly. It should be
60 psi (420 1tPa). The compact spare is
made to go up to 3,000 miles (5 000 lm),
so you can finish your trip and have
your full-size tire repaired or replaced
where you want. Of course, it’s best to
replace your spare with a full-size tire as
soon as you can. Your spare will last
longer and be in good shape in case you
need it again. Your anti-lock brake
system warning light may come on
when
you are driving with a compact
spare. See the
Index under Anti-Lock
Brake System Warning Light.
take your compact spare
through an automatic car wash
with guide rails. The compac
spare can get caught
on the r
That can damage the tire and
wheel, and ma
your vehicle
Don’t use your compact spare on some
other vehicle.
And don’t mix your compact spare or
wheel with other wheels or tires. They
won’t fit. Keep your spare and its wheel
together.
NU I IL‘t
Tire chains won’t fit your compact
spare. Using
them will damage
your vehicle and destroy the chains
too. Don’t use tire chai
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Service & Appearance Cam
Hydraulic Clutch Fluid (CONTJ
How to Check
The proper fluid should be added if the
level does not reach the bottom
of the
diaphragm when it’s in place in the
reservoir. See the instructions on the
reservoir cap.
230
Engine Coolant
The following explains your cooling
system and
how to add coolant when it
is low. If you have a problem with
engine overheating or
if you need to add
coolant to your radiator, see the Index
under Engine Overheuling.
The proper coolant for your Pontia’c
will:
Give freezing protection do;wn to
Give boiling protection up to 262°F
Protect against rust and corrosion.
Help keep the proper engine
Let the warning lights work as they
What to Use:
Use a mixture of one-half dean water
(preferably distilled) and one-half
antifreeze that meets
“GM Specification
1825-M,” which won’t darnage
-34°F (-3 7 “C) .
(12S°C).
temperature.
should.
aluminum parts. You can also use a
recycled coolant conforming to
GM
Specification 1825-M with a complete
coolant flush and refill. If you use this
mixture, you don’t need to add
anything else.
Adding only plain water
to
your cooling system can be
dangerous. Plain water, or some
other liquid like alcohol, can boil
before the proper coolant mix will.
Your vehicle’s coolant warning
system is set for the proper coolant
mix. With plain water or the wrong
mix, your engine could get
too hot
but you wouldn’t get the overheat
warning. Your engine could catch
fire and you or others could be
burned. Use a
50/50 mix of clean
water and
a Droner antifreeze.
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