fuel PONTIAC GRAND PRIX 2006 User Guide

Malfunction Indicator Lamp
Check Engine Light
Your vehicle is equipped
with a computer which
monitors operation of the
fuel, ignition, and emission
control systems.
This system is called OBD II (On-Board
Diagnostics-Second Generation) and is intended to
assure that emissions are at acceptable levels for the
life of the vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner
environment. The check engine light comes on to
indicate that there is a problem and service is required.
Malfunctions often will be indicated by the system
before any problem is apparent. This may prevent more
serious damage to your vehicle. This system is also
designed to assist your service technician in correctly
diagnosing any malfunction.
Notice:If you keep driving your vehicle with this
light on, after awhile, your emission controls
may not work as well, your fuel economy may not
be as good, and your engine may not run as
smoothly. This could lead to costly repairs that may
not be covered by your warranty.Notice:Modications made to the engine,
transaxle, exhaust, intake, or fuel system of your
vehicle or the replacement of the original tires with
other than those of the same Tire Performance
Criteria (TPC) can affect your vehicle’s emission
controls and may cause this light to come on.
Modications to these systems could lead to costly
repairs not covered by your warranty. This may
also result in a failure to pass a required Emission
Inspection/Maintenance test. SeeAccessories
and Modifications on page 5-3.
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is
not running. If the light does not come on, have it
repaired. This light will also come on during a
malfunction in one of two ways:
Light Flashing— A misre condition has been
detected. A misre increases vehicle emissions
and may damage the emission control system on
your vehicle. Diagnosis and service may be
required.
Light On Steady— An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Diagnosis and service may be required.
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If the Light is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
Reducing vehicle speed
Avoiding hard accelerations
Avoiding steep uphill grades
If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible
If the light stops ashing and remains on steady, see “If
the Light Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to ash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart
the engine. If the light remains on steady, see “If
the Light Is On Steady” following. If the light is still
ashing, follow the previous steps, and see your dealer
for service as soon as possible.
If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. SeeFilling the Tank on page 5-7. The
diagnostic system can determine if the fuel cap has
been left off or improperly installed. A loose or missing
fuel cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap properly installed
should turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.
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Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel. See
Gasoline Octane on page 5-5. Poor fuel quality will
cause your engine not to run as efficiently as designed.
You may notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling
when you put the vehicle into gear, misring, hesitation
on acceleration, or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditions may go away once the engine is warmed up.)
This will be detected by the system and cause the
light to turn on.
If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use. It will require at least
one full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
your dealer can check the vehicle. Your dealer has
the proper test equipment and diagnostic tools to x any
mechanical or electrical problems that may have
developed.Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance Programs
Some state/provincial and local governments have or
may begin programs to inspect the emission control
equipment on your vehicle. Failure to pass this
inspection could prevent you from getting a vehicle
registration.
Here are some things you need to know to help your
vehicle pass an inspection:
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the check
engine light is on or not working properly.
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the OBD
(on-board diagnostic) system determines that critical
emission control systems have not been completely
diagnosed by the system. The vehicle would be
considered not ready for inspection. This can happen if
you have recently replaced your battery or if your
battery has run down. The diagnostic system is
designed to evaluate critical emission control systems
during normal driving. This may take several days
of routine driving. If you have done this and your vehicle
still does not pass the inspection for lack of OBD
system readiness, your GM dealer can prepare the
vehicle for inspection.
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Cruise Control Light
This light comes on
whenever you set your
cruise control.
The light will go out when the cruise control is turned
off. SeeCruise Control on page 3-11for more
information.
Highbeam On Light
This light comes on
whenever the high-beam
headlamps are on.
See “Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer” under
Exterior Lamps on page 3-15for additional information.
Fuel Gage
The fuel gage shows
about how much fuel is left
in the fuel tank when the
ignition is on.
When the indicator nears empty, there is still a little fuel
left, but you should get more soon.
Here are four things owners usually ask about the fuel
gage. All these situations are normal and do not
indicate a problem with the fuel gage:
At the gas station the pump shuts off before the
gage reads full.
It takes more or less fuel to ll up than the gage
indicates. For example, the gage reads half full,
but it took more or less than half the tank’s capacity
to ll it.
The gage pointer may move while cornering,
braking or speeding up.
The gage may not indicate full when the ignition is
turned off.
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DIC Controls and Displays (Uplevel
DIC with Trip Computer)
The Driver Information Center (DIC) control buttons and
the message display screen are located above the
radio. The DIC gives important safety and maintenance
facts concerning the vehicle. The status of many of
the vehicle’s systems along with driver personalization
menus and warning messages about the vehicle’s
systems may display on the DIC screen.
The outside temperature automatically appears on the
bottom right corner of the DIC display screen. If the
outside temperature is below 38°F (3°C), the temperature
reading will toggle between displaying the outside
temperature and the word ICE for two minutes. If there is
a problem with the system that controls the temperature
display, the letters OC (Open Circuit) or SC (Short
Circuit) will appear on the display. If this occurs, have the
vehicle serviced by
your GM dealer.
The vehicle’s transaxle position and the direction the
vehicle is traveling will also appear on the DIC screen.The compass is self-calibrating, which eliminates the
need to manually set the compass. However, under
certain circumstances, such as during a long distance
cross-country trip, it will be necessary to compensate for
compass variance and reset the zone through the
DIC. See “Setting the Compass” later in this section for
more information.
The buttons on the DIC trip computer are gages, trip
odometer, set/reset, options, and fuel.
Gages
2(Gages):Press this button to access the OIL LIFE
REMAINING, TRANSMISSION FLUID TEMPERATURE,
BATTERY, ENGINE HOURS, ENGINE BOOST, and
MAXIMUM Gs modes.
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To adjust for compass variance, use the following
procedure:
1. Find the vehicle’s current location and variance
zone number on the map.
2. Press the set/reset button to scroll through and
select the appropriate variance zone.
3. Press the options button to advance to the
calibration screen.
4. Drive the vehicle in a circle two times to activate
the compass.The direction the vehicle is moving will be displayed in
the bottom left corner of the screen, and will appear
in the gages, fuel, trip, and some of the options modes.
Press the options button again to advance to the
next screen.
Personal Programming Mode Screens
PERSONAL PROGRAMMING MODE:This menu
allows you to customize several features on your
vehicle. These adjustments can only be made while the
vehicle is in PARK (P). Press the set/reset button to
display the rst screen.
Press the options button to access these modes:
EXTERIOR LIGHTING DELAY:This screen allows this
feature to be turned off, or allows the selection of the
number of seconds the headlamps, sidelamps, taillamps,
fog lamps, and back-up lamps are turned on after the
key is removed from the ignition, or the vehicle is
unlocked using the remote keyless entry transmitter.
If OFF is selected, the exterior lamps will not turn on.
If a time delay is chosen, the lamps will turn on for
the selected time. The time delay will be cancelled and
the exterior lamps will turn on automatically when
the key is removed from the ignition, or the vehicle is
unlocked using the remote keyless entry transmitter.
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Fuel
.(Fuel):Press this button to access the Average
Fuel Economy, Instantaneous Fuel Economy, and Fuel
Range modes.
AVG ECONOMY (Average Fuel Economy):This
screen will display the approximate average miles per
gallon (mpg) or liters per 100 kilometers (L/100 km). This
number is calculated based on the number of mpg
(L/100 km) recorded since the last time this menu item
was reset.
To reset the average fuel economy for the vehicle,
follow this procedure:
1. Press the set/reset button to reset to zero.
2. Press the fuel button again to advance to the
next screen.
INST ECONOMY (Instantaneous Fuel
Economy):This screen displays the current fuel
economy at a particular moment and will change
frequently as driving conditions change. Unlike average
fuel economy, this screen cannot be reset.
Press the fuel button again to advance to the next
screen.RANGE:This screen displays the approximate number
of remaining miles or kilometers the vehicle can be
driven without refueling. This estimate is based on the
average fuel economy for the amount of fuel remaining
in the fuel tank and the current driving conditions.
This estimate will change if driving conditions change.
For example, if driving in traffic and making frequent
stops, the display may read one number, but if the
vehicle is driven on a freeway the number may change
even though the same amount of fuel is in the fuel
tank. This is because different driving conditions produce
different fuel economies. Generally, freeway driving
produces better fuel economy than city driving.
If the fuel tank contains less than 2 gallons (7.6 L), the
LOW FUEL message will appear on the DIC screen.
Fill the fuel tank as soon as possible to avoid running
out of fuel. See “Low Fuel” underDIC Warnings
and Messages on page 3-72.
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CHECK GAS CAP
This warning message comes on when the gas cap is
not on, or is not fully tightened. Check the gas cap
to ensure it is on and properly tightened. The diagnostic
system can determine if the fuel cap has been left off
or improperly installed. A loose or missing fuel cap
will allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere. A few
driving trips with the cap properly installed should
turn this message off. SeeFilling the Tank on page 5-7
for more information.
This message will display while the ignition is in RUN. A
chime will sound for two seconds when this message
is displayed and then the message continues to display.
Press the set/reset button to acknowledge this
message and to clear it from the screen.
This message will continue to display for three seconds
if it has not been acknowledged when the engine is
turned off. It will also re-display for three seconds if the
message has been acknowledged, but the condition
still exists when the engine is turned off.
If the condition still exists, the message will re-appear
when the engine is turned on.
CHECK TIRE PRESSURE
This symbol comes
on with the CHECK
TIRE PRESSURE
warning message.
If the vehicle has ABS brakes, this warning message
will appear when the air pressure in one of the tires
is too low or too high. Check the vehicle’s tire pressure
as soon as possible, and ll or deate the affected
tire to the appropriate level. The correct tire ination
pressure should be set to those shown on the
tire-loading information label on the vehicle. See
Loading Your Vehicle on page 4-33for more information.
The CHECK TIRE PRESSURE screen is reset when
it is acknowledged. However, the TIRE INFLATION
MONITOR SYSTEM screen, located under the option
menu in the DIC, must also be reset. See “Tire Ination
Monitor System” in the options section underDIC
Controls and Displays (Base Level DIC) on page 3-52
orDIC Controls and Displays (Uplevel DIC with Trip
Computer) on page 3-60for more information.
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LOW FUEL
This symbol comes on
with the LOW FUEL
warning message.
This warning message will appear when the vehicle is
low on fuel. Rell the fuel tank as soon as possible.
This message will display while the ignition is in RUN. A
chime will sound for two seconds when this message
is displayed. Press the set/reset button to acknowledge
this message and to clear it from the screen.
This message will continue to display if it has not been
acknowledged when the engine is turned off. It will
also re-display for three seconds if the message has
been acknowledged, but the condition still exists
when the engine is turned off.
If the condition still exists, the message will re-appear
when the engine is turned on.
LOW OIL LEVEL
This symbol comes on with
the LOW OIL LEVEL
warning message.
On some vehicles, this warning message appears when
the vehicle’s engine oil is low. Fill the oil to the proper
level as soon as possible. SeeEngine Compartment
Overview on page 5-12for engine oil ll location. Also,
seeEngine Oil on page 5-16for information on the
kind of oil to use and proper oil level. SeeSupercharger
Oil on page 5-20if the vehicle has a supercharged
engine for information on the kind of oil to use
and proper oil level.
This message will display while the ignition is in RUN. A
chime will sound for two seconds when this message
is displayed. Press the set/reset button to acknowledge
this message and to clear it from the screen.
This message will continue to display if it has not been
acknowledged when the engine is turned off. It will
also re-display for three seconds if the message has
been acknowledged, but the condition still exists
when the engine is turned off.
If the condition still exists, the message will re-appear
when the engine is turned on.
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Here are some things you can check before a trip:
Windshield Washer Fluid:Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blades:Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids:Have you checked
all levels?
Lamps:Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
Tires:They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip. Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are the tires all inated to the
recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts:What is the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip a
short time to avoid a major storm system?
Maps:Do you have up-to-date maps?
Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as highway hypnosis?
Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel? Call it
highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch of road with
the same scenery, along with the hum of the tires on the
road, the drone of the engine, and the rush of the
wind against the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Do
not let it happen to you! If it does, your vehicle can
leave the road in less than a second, and you could
crash and be injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be
aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:
Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and
to the sides. Check your rearview mirrors and your
instruments frequently.
If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest,
service, or parking area and take a nap, get some
exercise, or both. For safety, treat drowsiness
on the highway as an emergency.
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