check engine PONTIAC GRAND PRIX 1998 Owner's Manual

Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Here you will find information about the care of your vehicle. This section begins with service and fuel informa\
tion,
and then it shows how to check important fluid and lubricant \
levels. There
is also technical information about your
vehicle, and
a part devoted to its appearance care.
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6-44 Service
Fuel
Fuels in Foreign Countries
Filling Your Tank
Filling a Portable Fuel Container Checking Things Under the Hood
Engine Oil Air Cleaner
Automatic Transaxle Fluid
.
Engine Coolant
Windshield Washer Fluid
Brakes
Battery
Bulb Replacement
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement 6-44
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6-70 Tires
Appearance Care
Cleaning the Inside of
Your Vehicle
Care
of the Safety Belts and Built-in Child
Restraint Harness Cleaning the Outside
of Your Vehicle
Cleaning Aluminum Wheels
(If Equipped)
Underbody Maintenance
Appearance Care Materials Chart
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
Service
Parts Identification Label
Electrical System
Capacities and Specifications Normal Maintenance Replacement
Parts
Air Conditioning Refrigerants

A CAUTION:
You can be injured and your vehicle c!!!d be
damaged
if you try to do service work on a
vehicle without knowing enough about it.
Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, the proper replacement parts
and tools before you attempt any vehicle
maintenance task.
Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts and
other fasteners. “English” and “metric”
fasteners can be easily confused.
If you use
the wrong fasteners,
parts can later break
or fall
off. You could be hurt.
Adding Equipment to the
Outside
of Your Vehicle
Things you might add to the outside of your vehicle can
affect the airflow around
it. This may cause wind noise
and affect windshield washer performance. Check with
your dealer before adding equipment to the outside of
your vehicle.
Fuel
The 8th digit of your vehicle identification number
(VIN) shows the code letter for your engine. You will
find the VIN at the top
left of your instrument panel.
(See “Vehicle Identification Number” in the Index.)
If you have the 3100 engine (VIN Code M) or 3800
engine (VIN Code K), use regular unleaded gasoline
rated at
87 octane or higher. If you’re using fuel rated at
the recommended octane or higher and you hear heavy
knocking, your engine needs service. But don’t worry
if
you hear a little pinging noise when you’re accelerating
or driving up a hill. That’s
normal, and you don’t have
to buy a higher octane
fuel to get rid of pinging. It’s the
heavy, constant knock
that means you have a problem.
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If you have the 3800 Supercharged engine (VIN
Code l), use premium unleaded gasoline rated at
91 octane or higher. With the 3800 Supercharged
engine, in
an emergency, you may be able to use a
lower octane
-- as low as 87 -- if heavy knocking
does not occur. If you are using 91 or higher octane
unleaded gasoline and you hear heavy knocking, your engine needs service.
At a minimum, the gasoline you
use should meet
specifications
ASTM D4814 in the United States and
CGSB 3.5-M93 in Canada. Improved gasoline
specifications have been developed by the American
Automobile Manufacturers Association
(AAMA) for
better vehicle performance and engine protection. Gasolines meeting
the AAMA specification could
provide improved driveability and emission control system protection compared to other gasolines.
Be sure the posted octane for premium
is at least 91
(at least 89 for middle grade and 87 for regular). If the
octane is less than
87, you may get a heavy knocking
noise
when you drive. If it’s bad enough, it can damage
your engine.
If your vehicle is certified to meet California Emission
Standards (indicated on the underhood emission control
label), it is designed to operate on fuels that meet
California specifications. If such fuels are not available
in states adopting California emissions standards, your
vehicle will operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting
federal specifications, but emission control system
performance may be
affected. The malfunction indicator
lamp on your instrument panel may turn on andor
your vehicle may fail a smog-check test.
If this occurs,
return to your authorized Pontiac dealer for diagnosis
to determine the cause of failure.
In the event it is
determined that the cause
of the condition is the type of
fuels used, repairs may not be covered by your warranty.
Some gasolines that are not reformulated for low
emissions contain
an octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl
(MMT);
ask your service station operator whether or not his fuel
contains
MMT. General Motors does not recommend the
use
of such gasolines. If fuels containing MMT are used,
spark plug life may be reduced and your emission
control system performance may be affected. The
malfunction indicator lamp on your instrument panel
may turn on. If
this occurs, return to your authorized
Pontiac dealer for service.
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To provide cleaner air, all gasolines in the United States
are now required to contain additives that will help
prevent deposits from forming in your engine and fuel system, allowing your emission control system to
function properly. Therefore, you should not have to add
anythmg to the fuel. In addition, gasolines containing
oxygenates, such as ethers and ethanol, and
reformulated gasolines may be available in your area to
help clean the
air. General Motors recommends that you
use these gasolines if they comply with the specifications described earlier.
NOTICE:
Your vehicle was not designed for fuel that
contains methanol. Don’t use it. It can corrode
metal parts in your fuel system and
also damage
plastic and rubber parts. That damage wouldn’t
be covered under your warranty.
Fuels in Foreign Countries
If you plan on driving in another country outside the
United States or Canada, the proper fuel may be hard to
find. Never use leaded gasoline
or any other fuel not
recommended in the previous text on fuel.
Costly repairs
caused by use
of improper fuel wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
To check on fuel availability, ask an auto club, or
contact a major oil company that does business in the
country where you’ll be driving.
You can
also write us at the following address for
advice. Just tell us where you’re going and give your
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
General Motors Overseas Distribution Corporation
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario L1H 8P7
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Filling a Portable Fuel Container
A CAUTION:
Never fill a portable fuel container while it is in
your vehicle. Static electricity discharge from the
container can ignite the gasoline vapor. You can
be badly burned and your vehicle damaged
if this
occurs.
To help avoid injury to you and others:
Dispense gasoline only into approved
containers.
0 Do not fill a container while it is inside a
vehicle, in a vehicle’s trunk, pickup bed
or
on any surface other than the ground.
0 Bring the fill nozzle in contact with the
1 inside of the fill opening before operating
the nozzle. Contact should be maintained
1 until the filling is complete.
~ 0 Don’t smoke while pumping gasoline.
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Checking Things Under the Hood
A CAUTION: I
An electric fan under the hood can start up and
injure you even when the engine
is not running.
Keep hands, clothing and tools away from any
underhood electric fan.
Things that burn can get on hot engine parts and
start a fire. These include liquids like gasoline,
1 oil, coolant, brake fluid, windshield washer and
other fluids, and plastic
or rubber. You or others
could be burned. Be careful not to drop or
spill
things that will burn onto a hot engine.
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Before closing the hood, be sure all the filler caps are
on properly. Then just pull the hood down and close
it fiiy.
3800 Supercharged Engine
(If Equipped)
Your vehicle may have a 3800 Supercharged engine.
The supercharger is a device which is designed to pump
more air into the engine than it would normally use.
This air, mixed with fuel, creates increased engine
power. Since the supercharger is a pump and is driven
from an engine accessory drive belt, increased pressure
is available at all driving conditions.
The Powertrain Control Module (PCM) works with a
vacuum control to regulate the increased pressure
required during specific driving conditions. When this
increased pressure or boost is not desired, such as during
idling and light throttle cruising, the excess air that the supercharger is pumping is routed through a bypass.
All of these controls working together provide high
performance character and fuel efficiency
in the
3800 Supercharged engine.
Engine Oil
LOW OIL
LEVEL
If the LOW OIL LEVEL
light on the instrument
panel comes on, it means
you need to check
your
engine oil level right away.
For more information, see “Low
Oil Level Light” in the
Index. You should check your engine oil level regularly;
this is an added reminder.
It’s a good idea to check your engine oil every time you
get fuel. In order to get an accurate reading, the oil must
be warm and the vehicle must be on level ground.
The engine oil dipstick
handle is the yellow loop
near the front of the engine.
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3 Checking Engine Oil
3800 or 3800 Supercharged Engine
Turn off the engine and give the oil a few minutes to
drain back into the oil pan.
If you don’t, the oil dipstick
might
not show the actual level. Pull out the dipstick
and clean
it with a paper towel or
cloth, then push it back in all the way. Remove it again,
keeping the tip
down, and check the level.
3100 Engine
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Air Cleaner
To check or replace the air cleaner filter:
1. Loosen the wing nut on
the air duct.
2. Lift up on the two clips
located
on top of the
filter cover.
3. Disconnect the duct and reposition it while removing
4. Pull out the filter. Be sure to install the air filter and
install the cover tightly when you are finished. the side cover.
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine when
to
replace the air filter.
See “Scheduled Maintenance Services” in the Index.
I A CAUTION:
Operating the engine with the air cleaner off can
cause you
or others to be burned. The air cleaner
not
only cleans the air, it stops flame if the engine
backfires.
If it isn’t there, and the engine
backfires, you could be burned. Don’t drive with
it
off, and be careful working on the engine with
the air cleaner
off.
I NOTICE:
If the air cleaner is off, a backfire can cause a
damaging engine fire. And,
dirt can easily get
into your engine, which will damage it. Always
have the
air cleaner in place when you’re driving.
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Supercharger Oil
Unless you are technically qualified and have the proper
tools,
you should let your dealer or a qualified service
center perform this maintenance.
When to Check
Check oil level every 30,000 miles (50 000 km) or every
36 months, whichever occurs first.
What Kind of Oil to Use
See “Recommended Fluids and Lubricants” in the Index
and use only the recommended oil,
How to Check and Add Oil
Check oil only when the engine is cold. Allow the
engine to cool two to
three hours after running.
A CAUTION:
If you remove the supercharger oil fill plug while
the engine is hot, pressure may cause hot
oil to
blow out
of the oil fill hole. You may be burned.
Do not remove the plug until the engine cools.
1. Clean the area around the oil fill plug before
2. Remove the oil fill plug using a 3/16 inch
3. The oil level is correct when it just reaches the
bottom
of the threads of the inspection hole.
removing
it.
Allen wrench.
4. Replace the oil plug with the O-ring in place. Torque
to
88 lb-in (10 N-m).
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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
In hilly or mountainous terrain.
regularly reaches
90” F (32 O C) or higher.
0 When doing frequent trailer towing.
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.
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