1993 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE oil

3800 Engine (CODE L)
When you open the hood, you’ll see:
1. Engine Coolant Recovery Tank
2. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir
3. Automatic Transaxle Fluid Dipstick
4. Brake Fluid Reservoir
5. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir
6. Air Cleaner
7. Engine Oil Dipstick
8. Engine Oil Fill Cap
9. Radiator Pressure Cap
1 0. Battery
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Service & Appearance Care
. ... .. . 3800 SC Engine (CODE I)
When you open the hood, you'll see:
1. Engine Coolant Recovery Tank
2. Automatic Transaxle Fluid Dipstick
3. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir
4. Brake Fluid Reservoir
5. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir
6. Air Cleaner
7. Engine Oil Dipstick
8. Engine Oil Fill Cap
9. Radiator Pressure Cap
1 0. Battery
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Engine Oil
It’s a good idea to check your engine oil
every time you get fuel. In order to get
an accurate reading, the oil must be
warm and the vehicle must be on level
ground. Turn off the engine and give the
oil
a few minutes to drain back into the
oil pan. If you don’t, the oil dipstick
might
not show the actual level.
To Check Engine Oil:
Pull out the dipstick and clean it with a
paper towel or cloth, then push
it back
in all the way. Remove it again, keeping
the tip lower.
When to Add Oil:
If the oil is at or below the ADD line,
then you’ll need
to add some oil. But
you must use the right kind. This section explains what kind of oil to use.
For crankcase capacity, see the
Zr.z&x
under Capacities & Specijicatiow.
Don’t add too much oil. If your
engine has
so much oil that the oil
level gets above the cross-hatched
area that shows the proper
operating range, your engine could
be damaged.
I
Just fill it enough to put the level
somewhere
in the proper operating
range. Push
the dipstick all the way
back
in when you’re through.
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Service tS Appearance Care
What Kind of Oil to Use
Look for Three Things:
SG
“SG” must be on the oil container,
either by itself or combined with other
quality designations, such as
“SGICC,”
“SGICD,” “SF, SG, CC,”
etc. These letters show American
Petroleum Institute (API) levels of
1 quality.
If you use oils that don’t have the
“SG” designation, you can cause
engine damage not covered
by your
warranty.
’,”,, .
For best fuel economy and cold starting,
select the
lowest SAE viscosity grade oil ’;,:;:?,:!
for the expected temperature range,:?$’:&,:, 4 , ,,
IF NEITHER SAE 5W-30 NOR SAE 1OW-30
GRADE OILS ARE AVAILABLE, SAE 30 ’
GRADE MAY BE USED AT TEMPERATURES ’ ,
ABOVE 40 DEGREES F (4 DEGREES C). .,
ANY OTHER GRADE OIL NOT RECOMMENDED.
DO
NOT USE
SAE 1OW-40, SAE 20W-50 OR ’ i’
,,
SAE low-30
As shown in the viscosity chart,
SAE
1OW-30 is best for your vehicle.
However, you can use SAE
5W-30 if
it’s going to be colder than 60°F
(16°C) before your next oil change.
When it’s very cold, below
0°F
(-18”C), you should use SAE 5W-30.
These numbers on an oil container
show its viscosity, or thickness. Do
not use other viscosity
oils such as
SAE 1OW-40 or SAE 20W-50.
Energy Conserving 11
Oils with these words on the container
will help you save fuel.
This doughnut-shaped logo (symbol) is
used on most oil containers to help you select the correct oil.
You should look for this on the oil
container, and use
only those oils that
display the logo.
GM Goodwrench@ Oil (in Canada, GM
Engine Oil) meets all the requirements
for your vehicle.
Engine Oil Additives
Don’t add anything to your oil. Your
Pontiac dealer is ready to advise if you
think something should be added.
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When to Change Engine Oil
See if any one of these is true for you:
Most trips are less than 4 miles (6 km).
It’s below freezing outside and most
trips are less than
10 miles (16 km).
The engine is at low speed most of the
time (as
in door-to-door delivery, or in
stop-and-go traffic).
You tow a trailer often.
Most trips are through dusty places.
If any one of these is true for your
vehicle, you need to change your oil
and
filter every 3,000 miles (5 000 km) or 3
months-whichever comes first.
If none of them is true, change the oil
every
7,500 miles (12 500 km) or 12
months-whichever comes first. Change
the filter at the first oil change and at
every other oil change after that.
Engine Block Heater
An engine block heater can be a big
help if you have to park outside
in very
cold weather,
0°F (-18OC) or colder. If
your vehicle has this option, see the
Index under Engine Block Heater.
What to Do with Used Oil Air Cleaner
things that have caused skin
1 cancer in laboratory animals. Don’t
let used
oil stay on your skin fbr
very long. Clean your skin and
nails with soaQ and water, or a
good hand cleaner. Wash or
properly throw away clothing or
rags containing used engine oil. Refer
to the Maintenance Schedule to
determine when to replace the air filter.
See the
Index under Scheduled
Maintenance Services.
Used oil can be a real threat to the I
environment. If you change your own
oil, be sure
to drain all free-flowing oil
from the filter before disposal. Don’t
ever dispose of oil by pouring it on the
ground,
into sewers, or into streams or
bodies
of water. Instead, recycle it by
taking it to a place that collects used oil.
If you have a problem properly
disposing
of your used oil, ask your
dealer, a service station or a local
recycling center for help.
1%
CAUTION
Operating the engine with the
air cleaner
off can cause you
uz others to be burned. The air
cleaner not
only cleans the air, it
stops flame if the engine backfires.
If it isn’t there, and the engine
backfires, you could be burned.
I Don’t drive with it off, and be
I careful working on the engine with
I the air cleaner off. I
If the air cleaner is off, a backfire
can cause a damaging engine fire.
And, dirt can easily get into your
engine, which will damage it.
Always have
the air cleaner in
place when you’re driving.
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Service & Appearance Care
Automatic Transax/e Fluid
When to Check and Change:
A good time to check your automatic
transaxle fluid level is when the engine
oil is changed. Refer to the Maintenance
Schedule to determine when to change
your fluid. See the
Index under
Scheduled Maintenance Services.
How to Check:
Because this operation can be a little
difficult, you may choose to have this
done at a dealership Service
Department. If
you do it yourself, be
sure to follow all the instructions here,
or you could get a false reading on the
dipstick.
Too much or too little fluid can
damage your transaxle.
Too much
can mean that some of the fluid
could come
out and fall on hot
engine parts, starting
a fire. Be
sure to get an accurate reading if
you check your transaxle fluid.
Wait at least
30 minutes before checking
the transaxle fluid level if
you have been
driving:
When outside temperatures are above
At high speed for quite a while.
In heavy traffic-especially in hot
While pulling a trailer.
90" F (32" C).
weather.
To get the right reading, the fluid should
be at normal operating temperature,
which is
180°F to 200°F (82°C to
93" C).
Get the vehicle warmed up by driving
about
15 miles (24 km) when outside
temperatures are above
50" F (10" C). If
it's colder than
50°F (lO°C), you may
have
to drive longer.
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Service & Appearance Care
Automatic Transaxle Fluid (CONTJ
How to Add Fluid:
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to
determine what kind
of transaxle fluid to
use. See the
Index under Fluids &
Lubricants.
If the fluid level is low, add only enough
of the proper fluid to bring
the level up
into the cross-hatched area on the
dipstick. It doesn't take much fluid,
generally less than a pint
(0.5 L). Don't
overfill. We recommend that you use
only fluid labeled DEXRON@-IIE,
because fluids with that label are made
especially for your automatic transaxle.
Damage caused by fluid other than
DEXRON@-IIE is not covered by your
new vehicle warranty. After adding
fluid, recheck the fluid
level as described under
How to Check.
When the correct fluid level is obtained,
push the dipstick back
in all the way.
Engine Coolant
The following explains your cooling
system and how to add coolant when
it
is low. If you have a problem with
engine overheating, see the Index under
Engine Overheating.
The proper coolant for your Pontiac
will:
Give freezing protection down to
Give boiling protection up to 262°F
Protect against rust and corrosion.
-34°F (-37°C).
(128" C).
Help keep the proper engine
temperature.
a
Let the warning lights work as they
should.
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What to Use:
Use a mixture of one-half clean water
‘preferably distilled) and one-half
intifreeze that meets
“GM Specification
1825-M,” which won’t damage
aluminum parts. You can also use a
recycled coolant conforming to
GM
Specification 1825-M with a complete
2oolant flush and refill. If you use this
mixture, you don’t need to add anything
:1 se .
Adding only plain water to
your cooling system can be
wgerous. Plain water, or some
other liquid like alcohol, can boil
:fore 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 couId 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 S0/50 mix
of clean water and a proper
antifreeze.
If you use an improper coolant
mix, your engine could overheat
and be badly damaged. The repair
cost wouldn’t be covered by your
warranty.
Too much water in the
mix can freeze and crack the
engine, radiator, heater core
other parts.
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