1993 PONTIAC GRAND-AM Owners Manual

Features & Controls
Engine Block Heater (oPnoN)
In very cold weather, 0" F (-18" C) or
colder, the engine block heater can help.
You'll get easier starting and better fuel
economy during engine warm-up.
To Use the Block Heater:
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded
electrical
cord.
110-volt outlet. Plugging the cord into an
ungrounded outlet could cause
an electrical shock. Also, the
wrong kind of extension cord
could overheat and cause a fire.
You could be seriously injured.
1
Plug the cord into a properly
grounded three-prong 110-volt
outlet.
If the cord won't reach, use
a heavy-duty three-prong extension
cord rated for at least
15 amps.
I NOTICE
After you've used the block heater, , ;
be sure to store the cord as it was., ,(
moving engine parts. If you don't,
.. before, to keep it away from ,~
it could be damaged, ~".',:; ,"::,:;s ':,:';:::':;
How long should you keep the block
heater plugged in? The answer depends
on the weather, the kind
of oil you have,
and some other things. Instead of trying
to list everything here, we ask that you contact a Pontiac dealer in the area
where you'll be parking your vehicle.
The dealer can give you the best advice
for that particular area.
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Shifting the Automatic Transaxle
Your automatic transaxle has a shift
lever located on the console between the
seats.
There are several different positions for
your shift lever. In this manual, these
are referred
to by the commonly used
symbols in the right column below:
Park P
Reverse R
Neutral N
Drive D
Second 2
First 1
Park
P (hrk): This locks your front wheels.
It’s the best position to use when you
start your engine because your vehicle
can’t move easily.
I I
It can be dangerous to get out
b of your vehicle if the shift
hever is not fully in
P (Park) with
the parking brake firmly
set v-*7
vehicle can roll
Don’t leave your venue
WI I me
engine is running unless you llavr
to. If you have left the engine
running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be
injured. To be sure your vehicle
won’t move, when you’re on fair1
level ground, always set your
parking brake and move the shift
lever to
P (Park). See the Index
under Shifting into P (Park). If you
are parking
on a hill, or if you’re
pulling a trailer, also see the
Index
under Parking on Hills or %wing a
Trailer.
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Features & Controls
Park (CONT.)
Ensure the shift lever is fully in P (Park)
range before starting the engine. Your
Pontiac has a brake-transaxle shift
interlock. You have
to apply your
regular brake
before you can shift from
P (Park) when the ignition key is in the
Run position. If you cannot shift out of
P (Park), ease pressure on the shift
lever-push the shift lever all the way
into
P (Park)-as you maintain brake
application. Then move the shift lever
into the gear you wish. (Press the shift
lever button before moving the shift
lever,) See
Shifting Out of P (Park) later
in this section.
Reverse
R (Reverse): Use this gear to back up.
Shifting to
R (Reverse) while your
vehicle
is moving forward could
damage your transaxle. Shift
to
R only after your vehicle is
stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to
get out of
snow, ice or sand without
damaging your transaxle,
see the Index
under If You ’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow.
Neutral
N (Neutral): In this position, your
engine doesn’t connect with the wheels.
To restart when you’re already moving,
use
N (Neutral) only. Also, use N when
your vehicle is being towed.
A Shifting out of P (Park) or
1 N (Neutral) while your engine I
‘racing” (running at high speed)
is dangerous. Unless your foot is
firmly on the brake pedal, your
vehicle could move very rapidly. You
could lose control and hit people
or objects. Don’t shift out
of
P (Park) or N (Neutral) while your
engine is racing.
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Forwad Gears
D (Drive): This position is for normal
driving.
2
Y(
e(
hc
st
a1
W
b
(Second Gear): This position gives
IU more power but lower fuel
:onomy. You can use 2 on hills. It can
:lp control your speed as you go down
eep mountain roads, but then
you
rould also want to use your brakes off
Id on.
59 ...
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Forward Gears (CONT.)
1 (First Gear): This position gives you
even more power (but lower fuel
economy) than
2. You can use it on very
steep hills,
or in deep snow or mud. If
the selector lever is put in 1, the
transaxle won’t shift into
first gear until
the vehicle is going slowly enough. If your front wheels can’t rotate,
don’t
try to drive. This might
happen if you were stuck in very
deep sand or mud or were up
against a solid object. You could
damage your transaxle.
Also, if you stop when going
uphill, don’t hold your vehicle
there with only the accelerator
pedal. This could overheat and
damage the transaxle. Use your
,.brakes
or shift into P (Park) to
:hold your vehicle
in position on a ’ hill.
PN2033.
..
Shiftins the Five-Speed
Manual Transaxle
There are seven different positions:
N Neutral
1 First Gear
2 Second Gear
3 Third Gear
4 Fourth Gear
5 Fifth Gear
R Reverse
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1 3 5
2 4 R
This is your shift pattern. Here’s how to
operate your transaxle:
1 (First Gear): Press the clutch pedal
and shift into
1. Then, slowly let up on
the clutch pedal as you press the accelerator pedal.
You can shift into
1 when you’re going
less than
20 mph (32 km/h). If you’ve
come to a complete stop and it’s hard to
shift into
1, put the shift lever in
N (Neutral) and let up on the clutch.
Press the clutch pedal back down. Then
shift into
1.
2 (Second Gear): Press the clutch pedal
as you let up on the accelerator pedal
and shift into
2. Then, slowly let up on
the clutch pedal as you press the
accelerator pedal.
3,4 and 5 (Third, Fourth and Fifth
Gears): Shift into 3, 4 and 5 the same
way you do for
2. Slowly let up on the
clutch pedal as you press the accelerator
pedal.
To Stop: Let up on the accelerator pedal
and press the brake pedal. Just before
the vehicle stops, press the clutch pedal and the brake pedal, and shift into
N (Neutral).
N (Neutral): Use this position when
you
start or idle your engine.
R (Reverse): To back up, press the
clutch pedal and shift into
R. Let up on
the clutch pedal slowly while pressing
the accelerator pedal.
Shift to
R (Reverse) only after your
vehicle is stopped. Shifting to
R (Reverse) while your vehicle is
moving could damage your
transaxle.
Also, use
R (Reverse), along with the
parking brake, for parking your vehicle.
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Features & Controls
Shift Light (MANUAL TRANSAXLE)
If you have a manual transaxle, you have
a SHIFT light. This light will show you
when to shift to the next higher gear for
best fuel economy.
When this light comes
on, you can shift
to the next higher gear if weather, road
and traffic conditions let you. For the
best fuel economy, accelerate slowly and
shift when the light comes on.
While you accelerate, it is normal for
the light to go on and off if you quickly
change the position of the accelerator.
Ignore the
SHIFT light when you
downshift.
Shift Speeds (MANUAL TRANSAXLE)
This chart shows when to shift to the
next higher gear for best fuel economy.
Acceleration Shift Speeds for 2.3L
OHC and 2.3L High Output Quad 4
Engines (Codes 3 and A):
Ist to 2nd 15 mph (24 km/h)
2nd to 3rd 25 mph (40 km/h)
3rd to 4th 40 mph
(64 km/h)
4th to 5th 45 mph (72 km/h)
If your speed drops below 20 mph
(32 km/h), or if the engine is not
running smoothly, you should downshift
to the next lower gear. You may have to
downshift two or more gears to keep the
engine running smoothly or for good
performance.
If you skip more than one gear
when you downshift, or
if you race
the engine when
you downshift,
you can damage the clutch
or
transaxle.
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1.
Parking Brake
To Set the Parking Brake:
Hold the regular brake pedal down with
your right foot. Push down the parking
brake pedal with your left foot.
If the
ignition is
on, the brake system warning
light will come on.
To Release the Parking Brake:
Hold the regular brake pedal down. Pull
the
BRAKE RELEASE lever.
%riving with the parking
can cause your
rear
overheat. You may have to replace
them,
and you could also damage
other parts of your vehicle.
If You are on a Hill:
See the Index under Parking on Hills.
That section shows how to turn your
front wheels.
If You are Towing a Trailer and are
Parking on a Hill:
See the Index under Towing a Trailer.
That section shows what to do first to
keep the trailer from moving.
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