engine PONTIAC GRAND PRIX 1999 Owner's Guide

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2-80 Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
You have a gage that shows
the engine coolant
temperature. If the gage
pointer moves into the red
area, the engine is too hot!
That reading means the same thing as the warning light.
It means that the engine coolant has overheated. If you
have been operating the vehicle under normal driving
conditions, you should pull off the road, stop the vehicle
and turn off the engine as soon as possible.
In ªProblems on the Road,º this manual shows what to
do. See ªEngine Overheatingº in the Index.
Low Coolant Warning Light
If this light comes on, the
system is low on coolant
and the engine may
overheat.
See ªEngine Coolantº in the Index and have the vehicle
serviced as soon as you can.
Fuel Gage
The fuel gage tells you
about how much fuel you
have left when the ignition
is on. When the indicator
nears E (EMPTY), you still
have a little fuel left, but
you should get more soon.

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2-83
When the ignition key is turned to RUN, the HUD
image will come on. Then the Head
-Up Display will
operate normally.
NOTICE:
Although the HUD image appears yo 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
into something.
When the HUD is on, the speedometer reading will be
displayed continually. The current radio station or CD
track number will only be displayed for three seconds
after the radio or CD track status changes. This will
happen whenever one of the radio controls is pressed,
either on the radio itself or on the optional steering
wheel controls.To adjust the HUD so you can see it properly:
1. Start your engine and turn the DIM dial to the
desired HUD image brightness.
2. Adjust your seat, if necessary, to a
comfortable position.
3. Press the top of the UP/DN switch until the HUD
image stops moving. Then press the bottom of the
switch until the image is as low as possible but in
full view.

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2-87 Functions
: If one of the doors is ajar, a light will appear
next to that door on the vehicle outline.
CHANGE OIL SOON: This light will appear when the
system predicts that the oil's remaining useful life is
almost up. The system predicts remaining oil life using
inputs from length of drives, coolant temperature,
engine rpm and vehicle speed. It alerts you to change
the oil on a schedule consistent with the vehicle's
driving conditions.
After changing the oil, the system must be reset. With
the ignition key in ON but the engine off, fully push and
release the accelerator pedal slowly three times within
five seconds. If the CHANGE OIL SOON light flashes,
the system is resetting. Turn the ignition key to OFF,
then start the vehicle. If the CHANGE OIL SOON light
comes back on, the Oil Life Monitor has not reset.
Repeat the procedure.LOW: This light will come on when the ignition is
on and the fluid container is low.
AJAR: This light alerts you that the trunk is not
fully closed.
LOW TRAC: This light will come on when the
Traction Control System is limiting wheel spin. See
ªTrac Systemº or ªLow Traction Lightº in the Index.
TRAC OFF: This light lets you know that the Traction
Control System has been disabled and will not limit
wheel spin. See ªEnhanced Traction System Warning
Lightº or ªLow Traction Lightº in the Index.
TRAC switch: If the vehicle has the Traction Control
System, you will have a disable switch on the far right
side of the Driver Information Center. The Traction
Control System is automatically activated when you turn
the ignition on. This switch will activate/deactivate the
Traction Control System. If you need to disable the
system, such as when you are stuck and are rocking the
vehicle back and forth, push this switch. See ªStuck: In
Sand, Mud, Ice or Snowº in the Index.

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2-88
Trip Computer (If Equipped)
3100 and 3800 Engines
When you start the engine, the trip computer will display a mode. A lighted oval will appear to the left of the mode
currently being used.

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2-89
3800 Supercharged Engine
When you start the engine, the trip computer will display a mode. A lighted oval will appear to the left of the mode
currently being used.

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2-90 Control Buttons
The trip computer has three buttons that control its
functions.
ENG/MET: Press this button to change the display from
English to metric units or metric to English.
RESET: Press this button for two seconds to reset the
mode displayed.
MODE: Press this button to change the mode
being displayed.
Functions
PERFORMANCE SHIFT: This light comes on when
you press the performance shift button (located on the
console shift) to indicate that the vehicle is in
performance shifting mode.
See ªPerformance Shiftingº in the Index.
FUEL USED: Shows the total amount of fuel used
since you last reset this mode. The amount can be
displayed in gallons or liters.AVG ECON: Shows the average fuel economy since
you last reset this mode.
OIL LIFE: Shows a percentage of the oil's remaining
useful life. The system predicts remaining oil life using
inputs from length of drives, coolant temperature,
engine rpm and vehicle speed. Each time you get an oil
change, be sure to reset this function so that it will give
you an accurate percentage. See ªHow to Reset the Oil
Life Monitorº in the Index.
RANGE: Shows how much farther you can travel with
the fuel you have before refueling. When the range
displays L
, for 40 to 50 miles (64.36 to 80.45 km), the
display will flash the word LOW continuously and the
vehicle will chime three times. The range is calculated
from the average econ value times the fuel remaining in
the tank.
LOW: This light will come on when the ignition is
on and the fluid container is low.

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2-91
DOOR AJAR: If one of the doors is left ajar, a light
will appear next to that door on the vehicle outline.
BOOST GAGE: If you have the 3800 supercharged
engine, this gage will show the amount of boost the
engine is receiving.
TRUNK AJAR: If the trunk is not fully closed or open,
a light will outline the trunk area on the vehicle outline.
LOW TRAC: This light will come on when the
Traction Control System is limiting wheel spin. See
ªTraction Control Systemº or ªLow Traction Lightº in
the Index.TRAC/TCS OFF: This light lets you know that the
Traction Control System has been disabled and will not
limit wheel spin. See ªTraction Control System Warning
Lightº or ªLow Traction Lightº in the Index.
TRAC/TCS SWITCH: If the vehicle has the Traction
Control System, you will have a disable switch on the
far right side of the Trip Computer. The Traction
Control System is automatically activated when you turn
the ignition on. This switch will activate/deactivate the
Traction Control System. If you need to disable the
system, such as when you are stuck and are rocking the
vehicle back and forth, push this switch. See ªStuck: In
Sand, Mud, Ice or Snowº in the Index.

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3-4
Heating
On cold days use FLOOR with the temperature knob all
the way in the red area. The system will bring in outside
air, heat it and send it to the floor ducts.
If your vehicle has an engine coolant heater, you can use
it to help your system provide warm air faster when it's
cold outside 0
F (
-18
C) or lower. An engine coolant
heater warms the coolant your engine and heating
system use to provide heat. See ªEngine Coolant
Heaterº in the Index.
Ventilation
For mild outside temperatures when little heating or
cooling is needed, use UPPER, with the A/C button off,
to direct outside air through your vehicle. Your vehicle
also has the flow
-through ventilation system described
later in this section.
Defogging and Defrosting
Your system has two settings for clearing the front and
side windows. To defrost the windows quickly, use
DEFROST with the temperature knob all the way in the
red area. To warm passengers while keeping the
windows clean, use DEFOG.
Air Conditioning with Automatic and
Auxiliary Temperature Control
(If Equipped)
With this system, you set a ªdesired cabinº temperature.
You can then either let the system automatically control
airflow direction and amount (to maintain the desired
cabin temperature) or you can manually adjust it. The
system works best if you keep your windows closed
while using it.

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3-5 Automatic Control
For the most efficient operation, you should set the
system temperature and press AUTO. The system will
select the best fan speed and airflow settings to keep you
comfortable. The air conditioning compressor will run if
the outside temperature is above 38
F (3.3
C). You may
notice a delay of three to four minutes before the fan
comes on.
Driver's Temperature Knob
The left knob sets the temperature for the entire system
when the light on DUAL button isn't lit. If the light is
lit, the knob sets the temperature for the driver. Turn the
knob toward red (clockwise) to raise the desired cabin
temperature. Turn it toward blue (counterclockwise) to
lower the temperature. The display will show your
selection for a few seconds, then the outside temperature
will show or be displayed.
Passenger's Temperature Knob
The right knob sets the desired cabin temperature for the
passenger and will automatically force the system into a
dual zone operation, lighting the dual zone button light.
Turn the right knob toward red (clockwise) to raise the
temperature. Turn it toward blue (counterclockwise) to
lower the temperature.Dual Zone Button Light
The dual zone button light indicates whether the system
is in single zone or dual zone operation. When there is
no desire for dual zone operation, push the lit dual zone
button to return to single zone operation. The dual zone
button light will go off.
The system will operate to achieve your comfort set
point as quick as possible. If you set the temperature for
60
F (16
C) or 90
F (32
C), the fan will go to its
highest speed, unless you manually select a lower speed.
The system will maintain full cold or full hot operation
at these settings.
Cold Weather Example: When you start the vehicle in
cold weather, (below freezing) or after being parked
overnight. If your Driver Set Temperature is 73
F
(23
C) and you are in Full Automatic mode, the system
will automatically move the temperature doors to full
hot. The blower will start out at a low speed and the
blower speed will increase as the engine warms up. The
air will be delivered to the floor. As the interior of the
vehicle warms up to your desired comfort point, the
blower will decrease and the temperature door will
move to a cooler position to maintain your desired
comfort. As the cabin warms up or the sun load
increases the system could switch to air delivered to the
individual to the windshield and the floor (Defog mode).

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3-8
Heating
On cold days use LOWER. The system will bring in
outside air, heat it and send it to the floor ducts.
If your vehicle has an engine coolant heater, you can use
it to help your system provide warm air faster when it's
cold outside 0
F (
-18
C) or lower. An engine coolant
heater warms the coolant your engine and heating
system uses to provide heat. See ªEngine Coolant
Heaterº in the Index.
Ventilation
For mild, outside temperatures when little heating or
cooling is needed, use UPPER with the A/C button off,
to direct outside air through your vehicle. Your vehicle
also has the flow
-through ventilation system described
later in this section.
Defogging and Defrosting
Your system has two settings for clearing the front and
side windows. To defrost the windows quickly, use DEF.
To warm passengers while keeping the windows clean,
use DEFOG.
Rear Window Defogger
Your comfort control system has a button to operate
your rear window defogger. The electronic comfort
control system has a button marked REAR. The system
with automatic temperature control has a button
marked R.DEF.