1993 PONTIAC GRAND-AM engine coolant

How to Use this Manual
Vehicle Symbols (CONT.:)
These symbols are on some of your
controls:
Windshield Wipers
Windshield Washer
Windshield Defroster
Rear Window Defogger
Ventilating Fan
Power Window
These symbols are used on warning and
Here are some other symbols you may
indicator lights: see:
Engine Coolant
Temperature
Battery Charging
System
Fuel
Engine Oil Pressure
Brake
Anti-Lock Brakes Fuse
(0)
Speaker
(@I
Hood Release
... 6
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Fuel Gage
Your fuel gage tells you about how
much fuel you have left, when the
ignition is on. When the indicator nears
E (Empty), you still have a little fuel
left, but you should get more soon.
Here are four things that some owners
ask about. None
of these show a
problem with
your fuel gage:
At the gas station, the gas pump shuts
off before the gage reads
F (Full).
It takes a little more or less fuel to fill
up than the gage indicated. For
example, the gage may have indicated
the
tank was half full, but it actually
took a little more or less than half the
tank’s capacity to fill the tank.
The gage moves a little when you turn
The gage doesn’t go back to E when
For your fuel tank capacity, see
Service
Station Information
on the last page of
this manual. a
corner or speed up.
you turn off the ignition.
Engine Coolant Temperature
Warning Light
This light tells you that your engine
coolant has overheated or your radiator
cooling fan is not working.
If you have been operating your vehicle
under normal driving conditions, you
should pull off the road, stop your
vehicle and turn the engine
off as soon
as possible.
HOT
COOLANT CAN BURN YOU
BADLY!
In Problems on the Road, this manual
shows what to do. See the
Index under
Engine Overheating.
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Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
This gage shows the engine coolant
temperature. If the gage pointer moves
into the red area, your engine is too hot!
That reading means the same thing as
the warning light. It means that your
engine coolant has overheated.
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.
HOT
COOLANT CAN BURN YOU
BADLY!
In Problems on the Road, this manual
shows what to do. See the
Index under
Engine Overheating.
Low Coolant Warning light
If this light comes on, your system is
low on coolant and the engine may
overheat. See the
Index under Engine
Overheating
and have your vehicle
serviced as
soon as you can.
Oil Warning Llght
If you have a problem with your oil, 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.
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Comfort Controls & Audio Systems
Climate Control System
With this system, you can control the
ventilation and heating in your vehicle.
Your vehicle also has the flow-through
ventilation system described later in this
section.
$$ : The left control knob sets the
fan speed.
To select the force of air you
want, turn the knob. The fan
is always
running unless the mode control
is
moved to OFF’.
Temperature Control: The center
control knob regulates the temperature
of the air coming through the system.
Mode Control: The right control knob
changes the functions
of your system.
N3058
12 (Bi-Level): Use on cool, but
;unny days. This setting brings in the
3utside air, but directs it in two ways.
rhe cool air is directed to the upper
2ortion
of your body through the
instrument panel outlets, but slightly
warmer air
is directed through the
heater ducts and defroster vents. At
times this temperature difference may be
more apparent than others.
temperatures are mild, and little heating
or cooling is needed. Air flow is through
the instrument panel outlets. Set the
center control
knob to the temperature
desired.
2 (Vent): Use when outside
lA (Heater): This setting brings heated
air through the heater ducts, and some
through the windshield defroster vents.
[f you have the optional engine block
heater and use it during cold weather,
0°F (-18°C) or lower, your heating
system will more quickly provide heat
because the engine coolant is already
warmed. See the
Index under Engine
Block Heater.
flow equally between the heater ducts
and the windshield defroster vents.
most air through the windshield
defroster vents, and some through the
heater ducts.
(Blend): This setting divides air
(Defrost): This setting directs
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Comfort Controls & Audio Systems
Air Conditionina (CONI) -.
qg (Bi-Level): Use on cool, but
sunny days. This setting brings in the
outside air, but directs it in two ways.
The cool air is directed to the upper
portion of your body through the
instrument panel outlets, but slightly
warmer air is directed through the
heater ducts and defroster vents. At
times this temperature difference may be
more apparent than others.
The air conditioner compressor operates
in all three air conditioning positions. It
also operates in (Defrost) when
the outside temperature is higher than
about
40°F (4.5"C).
Ventilation
Use when outside temperatures are
mild, and little heating or cooling is
needed. Turn the right control knob to
2 (Vent). Air flow is directed
through the instrument panel outlets. Set
the center control knob to the
temperature desired.
Heating
Turning the right control knob to
72 (Heater) and the center control
knob clockwise will send heated air
through the heater ducts, and some
through the defroster vents.
3 (Vent) and (Heater) are
economical positions because the air
conditioner compressor doesn't run in
these two settings. This reduces engine
load, resulting in improved fuel
economy. If either setting fails to keep you
comfortable, or causes your windows
to fog up, turn the right control knob to
one of the air conditioning positions, or
to
(j@ (Defrost).
If you have the optional engine block
heater and use it during cold weather,
0°F (-18°C) or lower, your heating
system will more quickly provide heat
because the engine coolant is already
warmed. See the
Index under Engine
Block Heater.
flow equally between the heater ducts
and the windshield defroster vents.
vg (Blend): This setting divides air
Defrosting
The (@ (Defrost) setting directs most
air through the defroster vents, and
some through the heater ducts.
8.8 104
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Your Driving and the Road
Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your Pontiac in good shape for
winter. Be sure your engine coolant
mix is correct.
Snow tires can help in loose snow, but
they may give you less traction on ice
than regular tires. If you do not expect
to be driving in deep snow, but may
have to travel over ice, you may not
want to switch to snow tires at all.
.a. 156
You may want to put winter
emergency supplies in your trunk.
Include an ice scraper, a small brush
or broom, a supply of windshield
washer fluid, a rag, some winter outer
clothing, a small shovel, a flashlight, a
red cloth, and a couple of reflective
warning triangles. And, if
you will be
driving under severe conditions,
include a small bag of sand, a piece of
old carpet or a couple of burlap bags
to help provide traction. Be sure you
properly secure these items in your
vehicle.
Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where
your tires meet the road probably have
good traction.
However, if there is snow or ice
between your tires and
the road, you can
have a very slippery situation. You’ll
have a lot less traction
or “grip” and
will need to be very careful.
What’s the
worst time for this? “Wet
ice.” Very cold snow or ice can be slick
and hard to drive on. But wet ice can be
even more trouble because it may offer
the least traction of all. You can get wet
ice when it’s about freezing
(32°F; OOC)
and freezing rain begins to fall. Try to
avoid driving on wet ice until salt and
sand crews can get there.
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Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature gage
or the warning light about
a hot engine
on your Pontiac’s instrument panel. See
the
Index under Coolant Temperature
Gage
and Coolant Temperature Warning
Light.
You will also find a low coolant warning
light on your Pontiac’s instrument panel.
If Steam is Coming from Your Engine:
/1 Steam from an overheated
L L engine can burn you badly,
even
if you just open the hood. Stay
away from the engine if you see or
hear steam coming from
it. Just
turn it off and get everyone away
from the vehicle
until it cools down.
Wait until there is no sign of steam
or coolant before opening the hood.
If you keep driving when your
engine
is overheated, the liquids in
it can catch fire. You or others could
be badly burned. Stop your engine
if it overheats, and get out of the
vehicle until the engine is cool.
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Cooling System
When you decide it’s safe to lift the
hood, here’s what you’ll see:
(A) Coolant surge tank with pressure cap
(B) Electric engine fan
bAU I IVIV
1 /r An electric fan under the hood
- b 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.
[f the coolant inside the coolant surge
tank is boiling, don’t do anything else
until
it cools down.
’he coolant level should be at or above
TJLL COLD.
f it isn’t, you may have a leak in the
adiator hoses, heater hoses, radiator,
dater pump or somewhere else
in the
ooling system.
A
Heater and radiator hoses, and
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. Engine damage
from
runni
engine without coolant isn’
covered by your warranty.
there seems to be no leak, check
to
x if the electric engine fan is running.
C the engine is overheating, the fan
hould be running.
If it isn’t, your
chicle needs service.
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