check engine PONTIAC PONTIAC 1997 User Guide

ENG/MET RESET
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0 AVG ECON ORANGE CHECK
PRESS
TRAC INFORMATION
3800 Supercharged Engine
When
you start your engine, the trip computer will display a mode. A lighted oval will appear to the left of the mode
currently being used.
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Control Buttons
The trip computer has three buttons that control
its functions.
ENG/MET: Press this button to change the display from
English to metric units
or metric t’o English.
RESET Press this button for two seconds to reset the
mode displayed.
MODE: Press this button to change the mode
being displayed.
Functions
FUEL USED: Shows the total amount of fuel used
since you last reset this mode. The amount can be
displayed in gallons or liters.
AVG ECON: Shows your average fuel economy since
you last reset this mode.
OIL LIFE: Shows a percentage of the oil’s remaining
useful life. The system predicts remaining
oil life using
inputs from length of drives, coolant temperature,
engine rpm and vehicle speed. Each time
you get an oil
change,
be sure to reset this function so that it will give
you an accurate percentage.
To reset the ail life indicator after the oil has been
changed, press the mode button until the light appears
next to
O’IL LIFE. Press and hold the reset button for
three seconds. The oil life percentage should change
to
100%.
RANGE: Shows how much farther you can travel with
the fuel you have before refueling.
CHECK TIRE PREISS: This light alerts you that a tire
is low or flat, See “Check Tire Pressure Light” in
the Index.
LOW WASHER FLUID: This light will come on when
your ignition is on and the fluid container
is low.
DOOR A JAR: If one of your ‘doors is left ajar, a light
will appear next to that
door on the vehicle outline.
PERFORMANCE SHIFT This light comes on when
you press the performance shift button (located on the
console shift)
to indicate that your vehicle is in
performance shifting mode, See “Performance Shifting”
in the Index.
BOOST GAGE: If you have the supercharged engine,
this gage will show the amount of boost your engine
is receiving.
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Understanding Radio Reception
FM Stereo
FM stereo will give you the best sound. But FM signals
will reach only about 10 to
40 miles I( 16 to 65 km). Tall
buildings or hills can interfere with
FM signals, causing
the sound to come and go.
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM,
especially at night. The longer range, however, can
cause stations to interfere with each other.
AM can pick
up noise from things like storms and power lines. Try
reducing
the treble to reduce this noise if you ever get it.
Tips About Your Audio System
Hearing damage from loud noise is almost undetecrade
until
it is too late. Your hearing can adapt to higher
volumes
of sound. Sound that seems normal can be loud
and harmful to
your hearing. Take precautions by
adjusting
the volume control on your radio to a safe
sound level before your hearing adapts to it.
To help avoid hearing loss or damage:
0 Adjust the volume control to the lowest setting.
0 Increase volume slowly until you hear comfortably
and clearly.
NOTICE:
Before you add any sound equipment to your
vehicle
-- like a tape player, CB radio, mobile
telephone or two-way radio
-- be sure you can add
what you want.
If you can, it’s very important to
do
it properly. Added sound equipment may
interfere with the operation of your vehicle’s
engine, Delco radio
or other systems, and even
damage them. Your vehicle’s systems may
interfere with the operation of sound equipment
that
has been added improperly.
So, before adding sound equipment, check with
your dealer and be sure
to check Federal rules
covering mobile radio and telephone units.
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Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts
-- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
-- rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is a
mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool between
hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much faster if you
do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace with the
traffic and allow realistic following distances, you will
eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking. That means
better braking and longer brake life.
If
your engine ever stops while you’re driving, brake
normally but don’t pump your brakes.
If you do, the
pedal may get harder to push down.
If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But
you
will use it when you brake. Once the power assist is
used up, it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder to push.
Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
When you start your engine, or when you
begin to drive
away, your anti-lock brake system will check itself. You
may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while
this test is going on, and you may even notice that your
brake pedal moves a little. This is normal.
If there’s a problem with the
anti-lock brake system, this
warning light will stay on or
flash. See “Anti-Lock
Brake System Warning
Light” in the Index.
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Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your
shoulder to make sure there isn’t another vehicle in your
“blind” spot.
Once you
are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow
a reasonable following distance. Expect to move
slightly slower at night.
When you want to leave the freeway, move to the proper
lane well in advance. If you miss your exit, do not,
under any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive
on to
the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit speed is usually posted.
Reduce your speed according
to your speedometer, not
to your sense
of motion. After driving for any distance
at higher speeds, you may t’end to think you are
going
slower than you actually are.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you’re ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must start when you’re not
fresh -- such as after a day’s
work
-- don’t plan to make too many miles that first part
of the journey. Wear Comfortable clothing and shoes you
can
easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it’s ready to
go. If it needs
service, have it done before starting out. Of course,
you’ll find experienced and able service experts
in
Pontiac dealerships all across North America. They’ll be
ready and willing to help
if you need it.
Here are some things you can check before a
trip:
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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 inflated to the
recommended pressure?
Weather Furecasts: What’s 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?
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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. Don’t 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.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving in flat or rolling terrain.
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If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you’re
planning
to visit there, here are some tips that can make
your
trips safer and more enjoyable.
Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid
levels
and also the brakes, tires, cooling system
and transaxle. These
parts can work hard on
mountain roads.
Know how to go down hills. The most important
thing
to know is this: let your engine do some of the
slowing down. Shift to
a lower gear when you go
down
a steep or long hill.
If you don’t shift down, your brakes could get
so hot that they wouldn’t work well. You would
then have poor braking or even none going
down
a hill. You could crash. Shift down to let
your engine assist your brakes
OIJ a,qteep
downhill slope. I ,. +;‘ . ..
<,r:. ,. . I .’ I ; ..:, .h.=;. 2-l:.
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Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with the
ignition off is dangerous. Your brakes will have to
do all the work of slowing down. They could get so
hot that they wouldn’t work well. You would then
have poor
braking or even none going down a hill. ,
You could crash. Always have your engine running
and your vehicle in gear when you go downhill.
I
Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift down
to a lower gear. The lower gears help cool your engine
and transaxle, and
you can climb the hill better.
Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads
in hills or mountains. Don’t swing wide or cut
across the center
of the road. Drive at speeds that let
you stay in your own lane.
As you go over the top of a hill, be alert, There could be
something in your lane, like a stalled car or an acci’dent.
You may see highway signs on mountain,s that warn of
special problems. Examples are long grades, passing or
no-passing zones,
a falling rocks area or winding
roads.
Be alert to these and take appropriate action.
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Tie a sed cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you've been stopped
by the snow.
Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket 'aro'und you.
If you have no blankets or extra clothing, make body
insulators from newspapers, burlap bags, rags, floor
mats
-- anything you can wrap around yourself or
tuck under your clothing to keep
warm.
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle.
This can cause deadly
GO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get inside.
GO could overcome you and kill
you. You can't see it or smell
it, so you might not
know
it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the
base of your vehicle, especially any
that is blocking
your exhaust pipe. And check
around
again from time to time to be sure snow
doesn't collect there.
Open
a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that's away from the wind. This will help
keep
CO out.
i
You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful,
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Making Turns
I NOTICE:
Making very sharp turns while trailering could cause the trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged. Avoid making very sharp turns while trailering.
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider turns than
normal.
Do this so your trailer won’t strike soft shoulders,
curbs, road signs, trees or other objects. Avoid jerky or
sudden maneuvers. Signal well in advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle may need a
different turn signal flasher andlor extra wiring. Check
with your Pontiac dealer. The green arrows on your
instrument panel will flash whenever you signal a turn
or lane change. Properly hooked up, the trailer lamps
will also flash, telling other drivers you’re about to turn,
change lanes or stop. When towing
a trailer, the green
arrows on your
instrument panel will flash for turns even if the bulbs on
the trailer are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers
behind you are seeing your signal when they are not. It’s
important to check occasionally to be
sure the trailer
bulbs
are still working.
Your vehicle has bulb warning lights. When you plug
a
trailer lighting system into your vehicle’s lighting
system, its bulb warning lights may not
let you know if
one of your lamps goes out. So, when you have a trailer
lighting system plugged in, be sure to check your
vehicle and trailer lamps
from time to time to be sure
they’re all working. Once you disconnect the trailer
lamps, the bulb warning lights again can tell you if one
of your vehicle lamps is out.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start
down a long or steep downgrade. If you don’t shift
down, you might have to use your brakes
so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
On
a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce your
speed to around
45 mph (70 kd) to reduce the
possibility
of engine and transaxle overheating.
If you have Overdrive, you may want to drive in
THIRD (3), instead of DRIVE (D),
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Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle, with a trailer
attached,
on a hill. If something goes wrong, your rig
could start to move. People
can be injured, and both
your vehicle and the trailer can be damaged.
But
if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s
how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your parking
brake, and then shift to
FARM (P).
5. Release the regular brakes.
PARK (P) yet,
When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
0 Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling
a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transaxle fluid (don’t overfill),
engine oil, belts, belt, cooling system and brake
adjustment. Each
of these is covered in this manual, and
the Index will
help you find them quickly. If you’re
trailering, it’s a good idea to review these sections
before you start your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
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