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Jump Statting
If your battery has run down, you may
want to use another vehicle and some
jumper cables to
start your Pontiac. But
please follow the steps here to do it
safely.
Batteries can hurt you. They
. They contain acid that can burn
They contain gas that can
They contain enough electricity
If you don’t follow these steps
exactly, some
or all of these things
can hurt you.
- can be dangerous because:
you
*
explode or ignite.
to bum
you.
Ignoring these steps could result in
costly damage
to your vehicle that
wouldn’t be covered by your
warranty.
Trying to
start your Pontiac by
pushing or pulling it could damage
your vehicle, even if
you have a
manual transaxle. And if you have
an automatic transaxle, it won’t
start that way.
To Jump Start Your Pontiac:
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have
a 12-volt battery with
a negative
ground system.
If the other system isn’t a 12-volt
system
with a negative ground,
both vehicles can be damaged.
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Page 173 of 306
Jump Starting (CONTJ
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the
jumper cables can reach, but be sure
the vehicles aren’t touching each
other.
If they are, it could cause a
ground connection you don’t want.
You wouldn’t be able to
start your
Pontiac, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
I; vehicles roll. Set the parking
brake
firmly on each vehicle. Put
an automatic transaxle in
P (Park)
or a manual transaxle in
N (Neutral). I I
3. Turn off the ignition on both
vehicles. Turn
off all lights that aren’t
needed, and radios.
This will avoid
sparks and help save both batteries.
And it could save your radio!
. 8. r ~
I If you leave your radio on, it could
4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries.
An electric fan can start up
e engine is not
running and can injure you. Keep
hands, clothing and tools away
from any underhood electric fan.
Find the positive (+) and negative
(-) terminals on each battery,
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A
1 I water. Using
a match near
a battery
can cause battery
gas to
explode. ,People have been hurt
doing
this, and some have been
blinded.
Use a flashlight if you
need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough
You don’t need to add water to the
Delco Freedom@ battery installed
in every new GM vehicle. But if a
battery has fdler caps, be sure the
right amount of fluid is there.
If it
is low, add water to take care
of
that first. If you don’t, explosive
gas could be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that
can
burn you. Don’t get it on you. If
you accidentally get it in your eyes
or on your skin, flush the place
with water and get medical help
immediately.
1
5. Check that the jumper cables don’t
have loose or missing insulation.
If
they do, you could get a shock. The
vehicles could be damaged, too.
Before you connect the cables, here are
some things you should know. Positive
(+) will go to positive (+) and negative
(-) will go to negative (-) or a metal
engine part.
Don’t connect
(+) to (-) or you’ll get a
short that would damage the battery and
maybe other parts, too. Fans
or other moving engine
parts can injure you badly.
Keep your hands away from
moving parts once the engines are
running.
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Problems on the Road
Jump Starting (CONI)
6. Connect the red positive (+) cable to
the positive
(+) terminal of the
vehicle with the dead battery.
Use a remote positive
(+) terminal if
the vehicle has one.
I74
7. Don’t let the other end touch metal.
Connect it to the positive
(+)
terminal of the good battery.
Use a remote positive
(+) terminal if
the vehicle has one.
8. Now connect the black negative (-)
cable to the good battery’s negative
(-) terminal.
Don’t let the other end touch anything
until the next step. The other end
of the
negative cable
doesn’t go to the dead
battery. It goes to a heavy unpainted
metal part on the engine of the vehicle
with the dead battery.
9. Attach the cable at least 18 inches
(45 cm) away from the dead battery,
but not near engine parts that move.
The electrical connection is just as
good there, but the chance
of sparks
getting back to the battery is much
less.
1 0. Now start the vehicle with the good
battery and run the engine for a
while.
11. Try to start the vehicle with the dead battery.
If it won’t
start after a few tries, it
probably needs service.
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Battery
Every new Pontiac has a Delco
Freedom@ battery.
You never have to
add water to one of these. When it’s
time for a new battery,
we recommend a
Delco Freedom@ battery. Get one that
has the catalog number shown
on the
original battery’s label.
Jump
Starting
For jump starting instructions, see the
Index under Jump Starting.
Vehicle Storage
If you’re not going to drive your vehicle
for 25 days or more, take off the black
negative
(-) cable from the battery.
This will help keep your battery from
running down.
I
A
Batteries have acid that can
burn you and gas that can
explode.
You can be badly hurt if
you aren’t careful. See the Index
under Jump Starting for tips on
working around a battery without
getting hurt.
Contact your dealer to learn how to
prepare your vehicle for longer storage
periods.
Yalogen Bulbs
A Halogen bulbs have
burst if you drop or scratch the
bulb.
You or others could be
injured. Take special care when
handling and disposing of halogen
bulbs.
L pressurized gas inside and can
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