PONTIAC PONTIAC 1996 Owners Manual
Manufacturer: PONTIAC, Model Year: 1996, Model line: PONTIAC, Model: PONTIAC PONTIAC 1996Pages: 370, PDF Size: 17.69 MB
Page 271 of 370

Center High-Mounted Stoplamp
(2-Door Models)
iy
1. Remove two screws and the cover.
2. Unclip the bulb carrier and pull it out.
To remove the stoplamp lens to clean the
window, remove the two nuts on either side of
the housing.
3. Pull out the bulb.
4. Push in a new bulb.
5. Clip the bulb carrier back into place.
6. Replace the cover and screws.
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Page 272 of 370

Center High-Mounted Stoplamp
(&Door Models)
4. Pull out the bulb.
5. Pushin a new bulb.
1. Remove the two screws from the cover.
2. Pull down the cover.
3. Lift the tabs at the
top and bottom
of the
socket and pull it from
the housing.
6. Push the socket back into the housing. Make sure the
7. Replace the cover and screws.
tabs snap in place.
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Page 273 of 370

Taillamps
1. Remove the plastic
retainers
and pull the
carpet
away from the
rear
of the trunk.,
2. If the socket has a tab, squeeze it. Turn the socket
3. Pull out the socket.
counterclockwise.
4. Pull
the bulb out of the socket.
5. Push in a new bulb.
6. Replace the socket into the housing and
7. Reposition the carpet and install the plastic retainers.
turn clockwise.
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Page 274 of 370

Rear Lamp Bar
Q
5
L
LA
1. Remove the plastic retainers and pull the carpet
2. Remove the wing nuts.
3. Pull the housing away from the body of the vehicle.
away
from the rear of the trunk.
4. Turn the socket
counterclockwise until it
pops loose
from ,the housing.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Pull out the socket.
Pull the,bulb out
ofthe socket.
Push
in a new bulb.
Replace the socket into the housing and
turn clockwise.
Replace the housing to the body
of the vehicle:
Install the wing nuts.
Reposition the carpet and install the
plastic
retainers.
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Page 275 of 370

Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
1. Pull the windshield wiper arm away from
the windshield.
2. Lift the release clip with a screwdriver and pull the
blade
off the wiper arm.
3. Push the new wiper blade securely onto the wiper arm.
For information on replacement blade length and type,
see “Replacement
Parts” in the Index.
Tires
We don’t make tires. Your new Pontiac comes with
high-quality tires made by
a leading tire manufac%urer.
If
you ever have questions about your tire warranty and
where to obtain service, see your Pontiac Warranty
booklet for details.
A CAUTION:
Poorly maintained and improperly used tires
are dangerous.
0 Overloading your tires can cause
overheating
as a result of too much friction.
You could have an air-out and a serious
accident. See “Loading
Your Vehicle” in
the Index.
CAUTION: (Continued)
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Page 276 of 370

Underinflated tires pose the same danger as
overloaded tires. The resulting accident
could cause serious injury. Check all tires
frequently to maintain the recommended
pressure. Tire pressure should be checked
when your tires are cold.
cut, punctured or broken by
a sudden
impact
-- such as when you hit a pothole.
Keep tires at the recommended pressure.
Worn, old tires can cause accidents. If your
tread is badly worn, or
if your tires have
been damaged, replace them.
Overinflated tires are more likely to be
InflatiIn -- Tire Pressure
The Tire-Loading rnrormation label, located on the
inside of the trunk lid, shows the correct inflation
pressures
for your tires when they’re cold. “Cold”
means your vehicle has been sitting for at least
three hours or driven no more than 1 mile (1.6 km).
NOTICE:
Don’t let anyone tell you that underinflation or
overinflation is all right.
It’s not. If your tires
don’t have enough air (underinflation), you can
get the following:
Too much flexing
Too much heat
0 Tire overloading
Bad wear
Bad handling
Bad fuel economy.
If your tires have too much air (overinflation),
you can get the following:
Unusual wear
Bad handling
Rough ride
Needless damage from road hazards.
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Page 277 of 370

When to Check.
Check your tires once a month or more. ~
Don? forget your compact spare tire. It should be at
60 psi (420 @a).
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire
pressure.
You can’t tell if your tires awproperly inflated
simply
by looking at them. Radial tires may look
properly inflated even when they’re underinflated.
Be sure to put the valve caps back on the valve
stems. They help prevent leaks by keeping out dirt
and moisture.
Tire Inspection and Rotation I
Tires should be inspected every 6,000 to 8,000 miles
(1.0 000 to 13 000 Ian) for any signs of unusual wear.
If unusual wear is present, rotate your tires as soon as
pos-sible and check wheel alignment.
Also check for
damaged tires or wheels. See “When It’s Time for
New
Tires” and “Wheel Replacement” later in this section for
more information. The
purpose
of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear for all tires on the vehicle. The first
rotation
is the most important. See “Scheduled
Maintenance Services” in the Index for scheduled
rotation intervals.
When rotating your tires, always use the correct rotation
pattern shown here.
. ,. ...
Don’t include the compact spare tire in your
tire rotation.
.L ., !. . ’ I I. .( ’ ’
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After the tires have been rotated, adjust the front and
rear inflation pressures as shown on the Tire-Loading
Information label. Make certain that all wheel nuts are
properly tightened. See “Wheel Nut Torque” in
the Index.
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the parts to-which
it is fastened, can make wheel nuts become loose
after a time. The wheel could come
off and cause
an accident. When you change a wheel, remove
any rust or dirt from places where the wheel
attaches to the vehicle. In an emergency, you can
use a cloth or
a paper towel to do this; but be
sure to use a scraper or wire brush later,
if you
need to, to get all the rust or dirt ‘off. (See
“Changing a Flat Tire” in the Index.)
/ I
I 1 I
Then It’s Time for New Tires
One way to tell when it’s
time for new tires is to
check the treadwear
indicators, which will
appear when your tires have
only
11/16 inch (I .6 mm) or
less of tread remaining.
ll.
You needknwt.re if any of the following statements
are true:
You can see. the indicators at three or more places
You can see cord or fabric showing through the
The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut or snagged deep
~~
around the tire.
tire’s rubber.
6,’ . 1. ‘ 1 enough to show cord or fabric. -. . . ..
;C I ., The tire has a bump, bulge or split.
-1 P. The tire has a puncture, cut or other damage that
can’t be repaired well because
of the size or location
of the damage.
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Buying New Tires
To find out what lund and size of tires you need, look at
the Tire-Loading Information.labe1.
The tires installed on your vehicle w
a Tire Performance Criteria Specification ("PC Spec)
number on each .tire's sidewall. When you get
new tires,
get ones with that same
TPC Spec number. That way
your vehicle will continue to have tires that are designed
to give proper endurance, handling, speed rating,
traction, ride and other things during normal sen;ice on
your vehicle.
If your tires have an all-season tread
design, the
TPC number will be followed by an "MS" '
(for mud and snow).
If you ever replace your tires with tho'se not having a
TPC Spec number, make sure they are the same size,
load range, speed rating and construction type (bias,
bias-belted or radial) as your original tires.
Mixing tires could cause you to lose control while
driving.
If ,you mix tires of different sizes or types
(radial and bias-belted tires), the vehicle may not
handle properly, and you could have
a crash.
Using tires
of different sizes may also cause
damage to your vehicle. Be sure to use the same
size and type tires
on all wheels. ,( ' . ; I :* ' '.i i.!;:; i
It's all right to drive with your compact spare,
though. It was developed for use on your vehicle.
.. i- 4 . .. .-
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Uniform Tire Quality Grading
The following information relates to the system developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance. (This
applies only to vehicles sold in the United States.) The
grades are molded on the sidewalls of most passenger
car tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading system does
not apply to deep tread, winter-type snow tires,
space-saver or temporary use spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm),
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate
of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions
on a specified government test course. For
example, a tire graded
150 would wear one and a half 1
(1 1/2) times as well on the-government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use, however, and
may depart significantly from the norm due to variations
in driving habits, service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.
I.
or to some limited-production tires. ;,*?;;x.,< .
. .'-I '.'Traction -- A, B, C
While the tires available on General Motors passenger 1
cars and light trucks may vary with respect to these The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are A, B, and
grades,, they must also conform to Federal safety
C, and they represent the tire's' ability to stop on wet
requirements and additional General Motors Tire pavement as measured under controlled conditioa
on
Peiformance Criteria (TPC) standards. specified government test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned
to this tire is based
on braking (straightahead) traction tests and does not
include cornering (turning) traction.
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