check oil PONTIAC PONTIAC 1997 Owners Manual

Oil Warning Light
If you have a problem with
your oil pressure, this light
may stay on after you start
your engine, or come on
when you are driving.
This indicates that oil is not going through your engine
quickly enough to keep it lubricated. The engine could
be low on oil or could have some other
oil problem.
Have it fixed right away.
The
oil light could also come on in two other situations:
0 When the ignition is on but the engine is not running,
the light will come on as a test to show you it is
working, but the light will
go out when you turn the
ignition to
START. If it doesn’t come on with the
ignition
on, you may have a problem with the fuse or
bulb. Have it fixed right away.
If you make a hard stop, the light may come on for a
moment.
This is normal.
Don’t keep driving if the oil pressure is low. If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches fire. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon
as possible and have your
vehicle serviced.
NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and
is not covered by
your warranty.
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Low Oil Level Light
Your engine is equipped
with an oil level monitoring
system. When the ignition
key
is turned on, the LOW
OIL
LEVEL light will
briefly flash. If the light
does not flash, have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn
you if there’s
a problem.
Engine Coolant Temperature Light
TEMP
This light tells you that your
engine coolant has
overheated or your radiator
cooling fan is not working.
If the light stays on, stop th’e vehicle on a level surface
and
turn the engine off, Check the oil level using the
engine oil dipstick, (See “Engine Oil” in
the Index.)
The
oil level monitoring system only checks oil level
during the brief period between key ‘on and engine
crank. It
does not monitor engine oil level when the
engine
is running. Additionally, an oil level check is
only performed if the engine has been turned off for a
considerable period of time, allowing the oil normally in
circulation to drain back into the oil pan.
If you have been operating your vehicle under normal
driving conditions, you should pull
off the road, stop
your vehicle and turn
off the engine as soon as possible.
In “Problems on the Road,” this manual shows what to
do.
See “Engine Overheating” in the Index.
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Functions
CHANGE OIL SOON: This light will appear when the
system predicts that the oil’s remaining useful life
is
almost up. The system predicts remaining oil life using
inputs from length of drives, coolant temperature,
engine rpm, and vehicle speed. It alerts you to change
the oil on a schedule consistent with your vehicle’s driving conditions.
To reset your change oil soon system after an oil change,
turn the key to the
ON position, without the engine
running and pump the accelerator
3 times within
5 seconds.
LOW WASHER FLUID: This light will come on when
your ignition is on and the fluid container is low.
CHECK TIRE PRESS: This light alerts you that a tire
is low or flat. See “Check Tire Pressure Light” in
the Index.
TRUNK A JAR: This light alerts you that your trunk is
not fully closed.
DOOR AJAR: If one of your doors is left ajar, a light
will appear next to that door on the vehicle outline.
TRAC SWITCH: If your vehicle has the Trac System
(this is not available with the
3800 Supercharged
engine), you will have
a disable switch on the far right
side of your Driver Information Center.
Your Trac
System is automatically activated when you turn the
ignition on. This switch will activate/deactivate the Trac
System.
If you need to disable the system, such as when
you
are stuck and are rocking your vehicle back and
forth, push this switch. See “Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or
Snow” in the Index.
LOW TRAC: This light will come on when your Trac
System is limiting wheel spin or when your anti-lock
brake system
is active. See “Trac System” or “Low
Traction Light” in the Index.
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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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The HUD will display the “Check Gage” when the
following are lit on the instrument panel:
Oil warning Symbol
0 Coolant Temperature Symbol
0 Charging System Symbol
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, the HUD
image 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.
When the HUD is on, the speedometer reading will be
displayed continually. The current radio station or
CD
track number will only be displayed for three seconds
after the radio or
CD track status changes. This will
happen whenever one
of the radio controls is pressed,
either on the radio itself or on the optional steering
wheel controls.
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Care of Your Compact Discs
Handle discs carefully. Store them in their original cases
or other protective cases and away from direct sunlight
and dust.
If the surface of a disc is soiled, dampen a
clean, soft cloth in a mild, neutral detergent solution
and clean it, wiping from the center to the edge.
Be sure never to touch the signal surface when handling
discs. Pick up discs by grasping the outer edges or the
edge of the hole and the outer edge.
Fixed Mast Antenna
The fixed mast antenna can withstand most car washes
without
being damaged. If the mast should ever become
slightly bent, you can straighten it out
by hand. If the
mast
is badly bent, as it might be by vandals, you should
replace
it.
Check every once in a while to be sure the mast is still
tightened to the rear quarter panel.
Backglass Antenna (If Equipped)
Your AM-FM antenna is now integrated with your rear
window defogger, into your rear window. Be sure that
the inside surface of the rear window is not scratched
and that the lines on the glass
are not damaged. If
the inside surface is damaged, it could interfere with
radio reception.
Because this antenna is built into your
rear window,
there
is a reduced risk of damage caused by car washes
and vandals.
If you choose to add a cellular telephone to your
Pontiac, and the antenna needs to be attached to the
glass, be sure
that you do not darnage the grid lines for
the AM-FM antenna. There is enough space between the
lines to attach
a cellular telephone antenna without
interfering with
radio reception.
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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:
0
0
e
0
e
e
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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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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I
An electric fan under the hood can start up even
when the engine is not running and can injure
you. Keep hands, clothing
and tools away from
any underhood electric fan.
If the coolant inside the coolant recovery tank is boiling,
don’t
do anything else until it cools down.
The coolant level should be at or above the COLD mark
on the overflow hose in the coolant recovery bottle. To
check the coolant level remove the cap on the coolant
recovery bottle. Make sure to check that the coolant
level is up to the
COLD fill level on the hose attached to
the cap.
If it isn’t, you may have a leak in the radiator
hoses, heater hoses, radiator, water
pump or somewhere
else in the cooling system.
Heater and radiator hoses, a i other engine
parts, can
be very hot. Don’t touch them. If you
do, you can be burned.
Don’t run the engine if there is a leak. If you run
the engine,
it could lose all coolant. That could
cause
an engine fire, and you could be burned.
Get any leak fixed before you drive the vehicle.
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NOTICE:
Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn’t covered
by your warranty.
_I
If there seems to be no leak, with the engine on, check to
see if the electric engine fans are running.
If the engine
is overheating and the key
is on, both fans should be
running. If they aren’t, your vehicle needs service.
How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery Tank
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but the coolant level
isn’t at the
COLD mark, add a 50/50 mixture of clean
water (preferably distilled) and DEX-COOL
antifreeze at the coolant recovery tank. (See “Engine
Coolant” in the Index for more information.)
Adding only plain water to your cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water, or some other
liquid like alcohol, can boil before the proper
coolant mix will. Your vehicle’s coolant warning
system is set for the proper coolant
mix.
With plain water or the wrong mix, your engine
could get too hot but you wouldn’t get the
overheat warning. Your engine could catch
fire
and you or others could be burned. Use a 50/50
mix of clean water and DEX-COOL antifreeze.
I NOTICE:
In cold weather, water can freeze and crack the
engine, radiator, heater core and other parts.
Use the recommended coolant and the proper
coolant mix.
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