cooling PONTIAC GRAND PRIX 2003 User Guide

Checking Coolant
coo It n ture. water or e
wrongmixture, 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 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and
DEX-COOL@ coolant.
Notice: If you use an improper coolant mixture,
your engine could overheat and be badly damaged.
The repair cost wouldn’t be covered by your
warranty.
Too much water in the mixture can freeze
and crack the engine, radiator, heater core and
other parts.
If you have to add coolant more than four times a year,
have your dealer check your cooling system.
Notice: If you use the proper coolant, you don’t
have to add extra inhibitors or additives which claim
to improve the system. These can be harmful. The
coolant recovery tank is located in the engine
compartment toward the rear of the engine
on
the passenger’s side of the vehicle.
See Engine Compartment Overview on page
5-12 for
more information on location. The vehicle must be on
a level surface.
When your engine is
cold, the coolant level
should be
at the COLD
mark or a little higher.
When your engine is
warm, the level should
be up to the HOT mark
or a little higher.
When your engine is warm, the level should be up to
the HOT mark or a little higher.
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Adding Coolant
If you need more coolant, add the proper DEX-COOL@
coolant mixture at the coolant recovery tank, but be
careful not to spill it.
If the coolant recovery tank is completely empty, add
coolant to the radiator. See Engine Overheating
on page 5-33.
Turning -.le radiator pressure cap when the engine and radiator are hot can allow steam and scalding liquids to blow out and burn
you badly.
With the coolant recovery tank,
you will almost never have to add coolant at
the radiator. Never turn the radiator pressure
cap
-- even a little -- when the engine and
radiator are hot. You can be burned if you
spill coolant on hot
engine parts. Coolant contains ethylene glycol,
and
it will burn if the engine parts are hot
enough. Don’t spill coolant on a hot engine.
Occasionally check the coolant level in the radiator.
For information on how to add coolant to the radiator,
see Cooling System
on page 5-36.
5-32

Cooling System
When you decide it’s safe to lift the hood, here’s what
you’ll see:
I
3100 V6 Engine
A. Coolant Recovery Tank
B. Electric Engine Cooling Fans
C. Radiator Pressure Cap
5-36

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.
If the coolant inside the coolant recovery tank is boiling,
don’t do anything else until it cools down. The vehicle
should be parked on a level surface. When
the engine is cold,
the coolant level should be
at or above the
COLD
mark on the coolant
recovery tank.
If it isn’t, you may have a leak at the pressure cap or in
the radiator hoses, heater hoses, radiator, water
pump or somewhere else in the cooling system.
5-37

He !r : I r8 r hoses, ar other engine
parts, can be very hot. Don’t touch them. If you
do, you can be burned.
Don’t 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 you drive the
vehicle.
If there seems to be no leak, with the engine on, check
to see
if the electric engine cooling fans are running.
If the engine is overheating, both fans should be
running.
If they aren’t, your vehicle needs service.
Notice: Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn’t covered by your warranty. See “Overheated Engine Protection Operating
Mode’’
in the Index for information on driving to a
safe place
in an emergency.
Notice: When adding coolant, it is important that
you use only
DEX-COOL@ (silicate-free) coolant.
If coolant other than DEX-COOL@
is added to
the system, premature engine, heater core or radiator corrosion may result. In addition, the engine
coolant will require change sooner
- at 30,000 miles
(50 000 km) or 24 months, whichever occurs first.
Damage caused by the
use of coolant other
than DEX-COOL@ is not covered by your new
vehicle warranty.
How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery Tank
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but the coolant level
isn’t at the COLD mark, add a
50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL@ engine coolant at
the coolant recovery tank. See
Engine Coolant on
page 5-30 for more information.
5-38

Notice: In cold weather, water can freeze and crack
the engine, radiator, heater core and other parts.
Use the recommended coolant and the proper
coolant mixture. Adding only plain water to your cooling
system can be dangerous. Plain water, or
some other liquid such as alcohol, can boil
before the proper coolant mixture will. Your
vehicle’s coolant warning system is set for the
proper coolant mixture. With plain water or the
wrong mixture, 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 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and
DEX COOL@ coolant.
You car.
._e burnec. .. you spi-. :oolant on hot
engine parts. Coolant contains ethylene glycol
and
it will burn if the engine parts are hot
enough. Don’t
spill coolant on a hot engine.
When the coolant in the coolant recovery tank
is at the
COLD mark, start your vehicle.
5-39

If the overheat warning continues, there’s one more
thing you can try. You can add the proper coolant
mixture directly to the radiator, but be sure the cooling
system is cool before you do it.
Steam and scalding liquids from a hot cooling
~
system can blow 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 cap when the
cooling system, including the radiator pressure
cap,
is hot. Wait for the cooling system and
radiator pressure cap to cool if you ever have
to turn the pressure cap.
5-40

40w to Add Coolant to the Radiator The radiator pressure cap is located on the passenger’s
side of the vehicle
in the front of the engine
dotice: Your engine has a specific radiator compartment, near the battery and the diagonal cross
ill procedure. Failure to follow this procedure could brace. See Engine Compartment Overview on page 5-12
:ause your engine to overheat and be severely for more information on location.
lamaged. You can remove the radiator pressure cap when the
cooling system, including the radiator pressure cap and
upper radiator hose, is no longer hot.
1. Turn the pressure cap slowly counterclockwise until
it first stops. (Don’t press down while turning the
pressure cap).
If you hear a hiss, wait for that to stop. A hiss
means there is still some pressure left.
5-4 1

8. Then fill the coolant recovery tank to COLD mark.
9. Put the cap back on the coolant recovery tank,
but leave the pressure cap
off.
10. Start the engine and let it run until you can feel the
upper radiator hose getting hot. Watch out for the
engine cooling fans.
11. By this time, the coolant level inside the radiator
filler neck may be lower.
If the level is lower, add
more
of the proper DEX-COOL@ coolant mixture
through the filler neck until the level reaches
the base of the filler neck.
5-45

If you need to replace any of your wheels, wheel bolts
or wheel nuts, replace them only with new
GM
original equipment parts. This way, you will be sure to
have the right wheel, wheel bolts and wheel nuts
for your vehicle.
Using the wrong replacement wheels, wheel
bolts or wheel nuts on your vehicle can be
dangerous.
It could affect the braking and
handling
of your vehicle, make your tires lose
air and make you lose control. You could have
a collision
in which you or others could be
injured. Always use the correct wheel, wheel
bolts and wheel
nuts for replacement.
Notice: The wrong wheel can also cause problems
with bearing life, brake cooling, speedometer or odometer calibration, headlamp aim, bumper height.
vehicle ground clearance and tire or tire chain clearance to the body and chassis.
See Changing a Flat
Tire on page 5-76 for more
information.
Used Replacement Wheels
I
Puttin, -1 used wheel on your vehicle is
dangerous. You can’t know how it’s been used
or how far
it’s been driven. It could fail suddenly
and cause a crash.
If you have to replace a
wheel, use a new
GM original equipment wheel.
5-74