oil dipstick PONTIAC GRAND PRIX 2004 Owners Manual

A. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. (SeeWindshield
Washer Fluid on page 5-43.)
B. Remote Positive (+) Battery Terminal. (See
Jump
Starting on page 5-49.)
C. Battery. (See
Battery on page 5-48).
D. Underhood Fuse Block. (See
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers on page 5-99.)
E. Radiator Pressure Cap. (See
Cooling System on
page 5-32).
F. Engine Coolant Recovery Tank. (See ªChecking
Coolantº under
Cooling System on page 5-32.)
G. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir (low in engine
compartment). (See
Power Steering Fluid on
page 5-42.)H. Electric Cooling Fan. (See
Cooling System on
page 5-32.)
I. Engine Oil Dipstick. (See
Engine Oil on page 5-16.)
J. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See
Engine Oil on page 5-16.
K. Automatic Transaxle Fluid Dipstick. (See
Automatic
Transaxle Fluid on page 5-24.)
L. Engine Coolant Bleed Valve. (See ªHow to Add
Coolant to the Radiatorº under
Cooling System on
page 5-32.)
M. Brake Master Cylinder. (See ªBrake Fluidº under
Brakes on page 5-45.)
N. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. (See
Engine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 5-22.)
5-13

A. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. (SeeWindshield
Washer Fluid on page 5-43.)
B. Remote Positive (+) Battery Terminal. (See
Jump
Starting on page 5-49.)
C. Battery. (See
Battery on page 5-48.)
D. Underhood Fuse Block. (See
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers on page 5-99.)
E. Radiator Pressure Cap. (See
Cooling System on
page 5-32.)
F. Engine Coolant Recovery Tank. (See ªChecking
Coolantº under
Cooling System on page 5-32.)
G. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir (low in engine
compartment). (See
Power Steering Fluid on
page 5-42.)
H. Supercharger Oil Fill Location. (See
Supercharger
Oil on page 5-21.)I. Electric Cooling Fan. (See
Cooling System on
page 5-32.)
J. Engine Oil Dipstick. (See
Engine Oil on page 5-16.)
K. Engine Oil Fill Cap. (See
Engine Oil on page 5-16.)
L. Engine Coolant Bleed Valve. (See ªHow to Add
Coolant to the Radiatorº under
Cooling System on
page 5-32.)
M. Automatic Transaxle Fluid Dipstick. (See
Automatic
Transaxle Fluid on page 5-24.)
N. Brake Master Cylinder. (See ªBrake Fluidº under
Brakes on page 5-45.)
O. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. (See
Engine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 5-22.)
5-15

Engine Oil
If this symbol, along with
the LOW OIL LEVEL
message appears on the
Driver Information
Center (DIC), it means you
need to check your
engine oil level right away.
For more information, see ªLOW OIL LEVELº under
DIC
Warnings and Messages on page 3-65.
You should check your engine oil level regularly; this is
an added reminder.
Checking Engine Oil
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 a yellow loop. See
Engine Compartment Overview on page 5-12for
the location of the engine oil dipstick.
Turn off the engine and give the oil several 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.
5-16

When to Add Engine Oil
If the oil is at or below the cross-hatched area at the tip
of the dipstick, then you'll need to add at least one
quart of oil. But you must use the right kind. This section
explains what kind of oil to use. For engine oil
crankcase capacity, see
Capacities and Speci®cations
on page 5-104.
Notice:Don't add too much oil. If your engine has
so much oil that the oil level gets above the
cross-hatched area that shows the proper operating
range, your engine could be damaged.See
Engine Compartment
Overview on page 5-12for
the location of the
engine oil ®ll cap.
Be sure to add enough oil to put the level somewhere in
the proper operating range in the cross-hatched area.
Push the dipstick all the way back in when you're through.
5-17

Automatic Transaxle Fluid
When to Check and Change
A good time to check your automatic transaxle ¯uid
level is when the engine oil is changed.
Change both the ¯uid and ®lter every 50,000 miles
(83 000 km) if the vehicle is mainly driven under one or
more of these conditions:
·In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
regularly reaches 90ÉF (32ÉC) or higher.
·In hilly or mountainous terrain.
·When doing frequent trailer towing.
·Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery
service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, change the ¯uid and ®lter at
100,000 miles (166 000 km).
See
Part A: Scheduled Maintenance Services on
page 6-4.
How to Check
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you may
choose to have this done at the 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 ¯uid can damage
your transaxle. Too much can mean that some of the
¯uid could come out and fall on hot engine or
exhaust system parts, starting a ®re. Too little ¯uid
could cause the transaxle to overheat. Be sure
to get an accurate reading if you check your
transaxle ¯uid.
Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the transaxle
¯uid level if you have been driving:
·When outside temperatures are above 90ÉF (32ÉC).
·At high speed for quite a while.
·In heavy traffic ± especially in hot weather.
·While pulling a trailer.
5-24