headlamp PONTIAC PONTIAC 1996 Owners Manual

’hrn Signal and Lane Change Indicator
The turn signal has two upward (for right) and two
downward (for left) positions. These positions allow
you
to signal a turn or a lane change.
To signal a turn, move the lever all the way up or down,
When the turn is finished, the lever will return automatically.
An arrow on the instrument
panel will flash in the
direction of the turn or
lane change.
To signal a lane change, just raise or lower the lever
until the arrow starts to flash. Hold
it there until you
complete your lane change. Thelever will return by
itself when you release it.
As you signal a turn or a lane change, if the arrows don’t
flash but just stay
on, a signal bulb may be burned out
and other drivers
won’t see your turn signal.
If a bulb is burned out, replace it to help avoid an
accident.
If the arrows don’t go on at all when you
signal a turn, check for burned-out bulbs and then check
the fuse (see “Fuses and Circuit Breakers” in the Indes).
A chime will sound if you leave your
turn signal on for
more than 1/2 mile (0.8 km).
Headlamp HigldLow Beam Changer
To change your headlamps
from low
beam to high
beam, or high to low, pull
the multifunction lever all
the way toward you. Then
release it. When the high
beams
are on, a. light on the
instrument panel also will
be on.
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Lamps
The lamp controls are on the instrument panel.Vhey
control these systems:
Headlamps
Taillamps
Parking Lamps
0 License Lamps
Sidemarker Lamps
0 Instrument Panel Lights
0 Courtesy Lamps
0 Fog Lamps
-:q- Turn the knob to this symbol (B) to turn on the
headlamps and other operating lamps.
pf Turn the knob to this symbol (A) to turn on the
parking
and other operating lamps without the
headlamps.
Turn the knob to OFF to turn off the lamps.
A warning chime will sound when you turn the ignition
switch to the
OFF, LOCK or ACC position with the
lamps on.
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Daytime Running Lamps (Option)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front
of your vehicle during the day.
DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful in the
short periods after dawn and before sunset.
A light sensor on top of the instrument panel makes the
DRL work, so be sure it isn’t covered.
The DRL system will make your low-beam headlamps
come on at a reduced brightness when:
0 The ignition is on,
0 The headlamp switch is off, and
0 The parking brake is released.
When
the DRL aye on, only your low-beam headlamps
will be on. The taillamps, sidemarker and other lamps
won’t be on.
Your instrument panel won’t be lit up either.
When it’s dark enough outside, your low-beam headlamps
will change to
full brightness. The other lamps that come
on with your headlamps will also
come on. When
it’s bright enough outside, the regular lamps will
go out, and your low-beam headlamps will change to
the reduced brightness of DRL.
To idle your vehicle with the DIU off, set the parking
brake while the ignition is in the
OFF or LOCK
position. Then start your vehicle. The DRL will stay
off until you release the parking brake.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
Fog Lamps
To turn the fog lamps on, press the top of the fog lamp
switch
(C). Press the bottom of the switch to turn the fog
lamps
off. Your parking lamps must be on, or your fog
lamps won’t come on.
The fog lamps will
go off whenever you change to
high-beam headlamps. When you return to low beams,
the fog lamps will come on again.
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Mirrors Manual Outside Mirrors
To reduce glare from headlamps behind you, push the
lever away from
you (to the night position). To return
the
mirror back to the day position, pull the lever
toward
you.
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When you sit straight in your seat, the HUD image will
appear straight ahead near the front bumper.
When the ignition key is turned to RUN, all possible
HUD images will come on. Then the Head-Up Display
will operate normally.
NOTICE: ,
Although the HUD'image appears to 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.
To adjust the HUD so you can see it properly:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Start your engine and turn the HUD dial all the way up.
When the headlamps are off, the HUD image will
0 When the headlamps are on, the HUD image
Adjust your seat, if necessary, to a
comfortable position.
Press the top of the
IMAGE 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.
Turn the HUD dial down until the HUD image
is no
brighter than necessary.
To turn the HUD off, turn
the HUD dial all the way down.
be
at a preset daytime brightness.
brightness is controlled by the dimmer control.
If the sun comes out, it becomes cloudy, or if you turn
on your headlamps, you may need to adjust the
HUD
brightness again. Polarizing sunglasses could make the
HUD image harder to see.
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Here are some tips on night driving.
0 Drive defensively.
0 Don’t drink and dnve.
0 ,Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
Since you can’t see as well, you may need to slow
glare from headlamps behind you.
down and ke,ep more space between you and
other vehicles.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light up only
so much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
0 If you’re tired, pull off the road in a safe place
and rest.
Night Vision
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as
we get older these differences increase.
A 50-year-old
driver may require at least twice as much light to see the
same thing at night as a 20-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also affect your night
vision. For example, if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes will
have less trouble adjusting to night. But if you’re
driving, don’t wear sunglasses at night. They may cut
down on glare from headlamps, but they
also make a lot
of things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps. It can take a second or two,
or even several
seconds, for your eyes to readjust to the dark. When
you
are faced with severe glare (as from a driver who
doesn’t lower the high beams, or a vehicle with
misaimed headlamps), slow down a little. Avoid staring
directly into the approaching headlamps.
Keep your windshield and
all the glass on your vehicle
clean
-- inside and out. Glare at night is made much
worse by dirt
on the glass. Even the inside of the glass
can build
up a film caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and flash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that your headlamps light
up far less of a
roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep your
eyes moving; that way, it’s easier to pick out dimly
lighted objects. Just as your headlamps should be
checked regularly for proper aim,
so should your eyes
be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from night
blindness
-- the inability to see in dim light -- and
aren’t even aware
of it.
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Hydroplaning . ., ... 1, , , 2 ,2-,a7:-~+.,: <. .:< ’. -- ’.
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up
under your’tires that they can actually ride
on the water.
This can happen if the road is wet enough and you’re
going fast enough. When your vehicle
is hydroplaning,
it has little or no contact with the road.
Hydroplaning doesn’t happen often. But it can
if your
, tires haven’t much tread or if the pressure in one or
more is low.
It can happen if a lot of water is standing on
the road. If you can see reflections from trees, telephone
poles or other vehicles, and raindrops “dimple” the
water’s surface, there could be hydroplaning,
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There
just isn’t
a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning. The
best advice is to slow down when
it is raining.
Driving Through Deep Standing Water
NOTICE:
If you drive too quickly through deep puddles or
standing water, water can come in through your
engine’s air intake and badly damage your
.engine. Never drive through water that is slightly
lower than the underbody
of your vehicle. If you
can’t avoid deep puddles or standing water, drive
through them very slowly.
S,ome Other Rainy Weather Tips
Turri on your low-beam headlamps -- not just
your
parking lamps -- to help make you more visible
to others.
Besides slowing down, allow some extra following
distance. And be especially careful when
you pass
another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear room
ahead, and be prepared
to have your view restricted
by road spray.
Have good tires with proper tread depth. (See
“Tires” in
the Index.)
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Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine,.
make it go a little faster
than just idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly.
This
uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the
battery charged.
You will need a well-charged battery to
restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on
with your headlamps. Let the heater
run for awhile.
Then, shut the engine
off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again
and repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortable
from the cold. But do it as little as possible. Preserve the
fuel as long as you can.
To help keep warm,'you can get
out of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or so until help comes.
.
Loading Your Vehicle
TI!RE-LBADING INFORMATION
VEHICLE
CAP. WT.
FRT, CTR. RR TOTAL LBS.
MAX. LOADING & GVWR SAME AS VEHICLE
CAPACITY
WEIGHT XXX COLD TIRE
TIRE SIZE SPEED PRESSURE
RTG ' PSI/KPa
FRT.
RR.
SPA.
IF TIRES ARE HOT, ADD 4PW28KPa
SEE OWNER'S MANUAL FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION k
Two labels on your vehicle show how much weight it
may properly
carry, The Tire-Loading Information label
is
on the inside of the trunk lid. The label tells you the
proper size, speed rating and recommended inflation
pressures for the tires on your vehicle. It also gives you
important
irmformation about the numb'er of people that
can be
in your vehicle and the total weight you can
carry.
This weight is called' the vehicle capacity weight
and includes the weight
of all occupants, cargo and all
nonfactory-installed options.
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Bulb Replacement
In this section you'll find directions for changing the
bulbs in some of the lamps on your Pontiac. See
"Replacement Bulbs" in the Index
to find the type of
bulb you should use.
Halogen Bulbs
I
I /r CAUTION:
Halogen bulbs have pressurized gas inside and
can burst if you drop or scratch the bulb. You or
others could be injured. Be sure to read and
follow the instructions on the bulb package.
Headlamps (2-Door Models)
1. Open the headlamp panel.
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/ 2. Remove the screw at
the top
of the headlamp
support panel. Loosen
the two screws at the
bottom
of the panel.
Loosen these two screws
until they
are out of the
headlamp frame, but still
in the brackets on
the
headlamp assembly.
3. Carefully lift the headlamp assembly and
support panel.
4. Lift the plastic locking tabs on the electrical connector
and pull the connector from the headlamp socket.
0 Note which way the socket is pointing before
you disconnect
it. You’ll need to install the
new headlamp
so the socket points in the
same direction.
5. Set the headlamp assembly on a work surface with
the lens facing you.
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