1993 PONTIAC GRAND-PRIX Owners Manual

Problems on the Road
Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning flashers let you
warn others. They also let police know
you have a problem. Your front and rear
turn signal lights will flash on and off.
184
Slide the switch up to make your front
and rear turn signal lights flash
on and
off.
Your hazard warning flashers work no
matter what position your key is in, and
even if the key isn’t in.
To turn off the flashers, slide the switch
down.
When the hazard warning flashers are
on, your turn signals won’t work.
Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can
set one
up at the side of the road about
300 feet (100 m) behind your vehicle.
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Jump Starting
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.
CAUTION ~~
I * Batteries can hurt you. They
b can be dangerous because: II
0 lney contain acid that can burn
* They contain gas that can
you.
explode or ignite.
They contain
enough electricity
to burn you.
If you don’t follow these steps
exactly,
some or all of these things
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 systerr, At a 12-vali
system with
a negative ground,
both vehicles can be damaged.
U
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Problems on the Road
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the 3. Turn off the ignition on both
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
Pentiac, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
CAUTION I
You could be injured if the
b vehicles roll. Set the parking
brake firmly on each vehicle. Put an
automatic transaxle in
P (Park) or a
manual transaxle in N (Neutral).
4. Open the hoods and locate the
vehicles. Turn
off all lights that aren’t batteries.
needed, and radios. This
will avoid
sparks and help save both b’atteries.
1, CAUTION
And it could save your radio!
II
If you leave your radio on, it could
be badly damaged. The repairs
wouldn’t be covered
bv your --
warranty.
I
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~,~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ij Find the positive (+) and negative (-)
terminals on each battery. Your Pontiac
has a remote positive
(+) jump starting
terminal. The terminal is on the same
side
of the engine compartment as your
battery.
You should always
use the remote
positive
(+) terminal instead of the
positive
(+) terminal on your battery.
To uncover the remote positive
(+)
terminal, lift the red plastic cap.
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A Using a match near a battery I
I can cause battery ga
explode. People have been nurI
doing this, and some have been
blinded. Use a flashlight
if vou nccL
more light.
Be sure the
ua enougn
you accidentally get it in your e
or
on your skin, flush the place
with water and get medical help
immediately.
? ih. w-m I
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.
engine part. Don’t connect
(+) to (-) or
you’ll get a short that would damage the
battery and maybe other parts, too.
Before you
connect the cables, here are
water.
You doll L IIGW to addware some things you should know. Positive
to the Delco Freedom@ battery
(+) will go to positive (+) and negative
installed in every new
GM vehicle (-) will go to negative (-) or a metal
But if a battery has filler caps, b
sure the right amount of fluid is
there.
If it is low,-add water to t
care of that first.
If you don’t,
explosive gas could be present.
Batte-ry fluid contains acid that
burn
you. Don’t get it on you. I
PA/ ITION I
A
Fans or other moving engine
parts can injure you badly.
Keep your hands away from
moving parts once the engines are
runnin-
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.
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Problems on the Road
hl’l~ sbrfing (CONT.)
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.
188
9. Attach the cable at least 18 inches
(45 crn) 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.
10. Now start the vehicle with the good
battery and run the engine for a
while.
1 1. Try to start the vehicle with the
dead battery.
If it won’t start after a few tries, it
probably needs service.
12. Remove the cables in reverse order
to prevent electrical shorting. Tale
care that they don’t touch each
other or any metal.
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A
B
C
X51 01
Towing Your Pontiac
Try to have a GM dealer or a
professional towing service tow your
Pontiac. The usual towing equipment is:
(A) Sling-type tow truck
(B) Wheel-lift tow truck
(C) Car carrier
If your vehicle has been changed or
modified since it was factory-new by
adding aftermarket items like fog lamps,
aero skirting, or special tires and
wheels, these instructions and
illustrations may not be correct.
Before you do anything, turn on the
hazard warning flashers. When you call, tell
the towing service:
That your vehicle cannot be towed
from the front or rear with sling-type
equipment.
drive.
vehicle.
lever.
damaged.
That your vehicle has front-wheel
The make, model, and year of your
Whether you can still move the shift
If there was an accident, what was
When the towing service arrives, let the
tow operator know that this manual
contains detailed towing instructions
and illustrations. The operator may
want to see them.
To help avoid injury to you
or others:
* Never let passengers ride in a
vehicle that is being towed.
Never tow faster thar -3fe
posted speeds.
Never tow with damaged part
not fully secured.
Never get under your vehicle after
it
has been lifted by the tow
truck.
Always use separate safety chains
hooks instead. '
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Problems on the Road
Towing Your P onfiac (c0N;T.j
When your vehicle is being towed!, have
the ignition key
off. The steering wheel
should be clamped
in a straight-ahead
position, with a clamping device
designed for
towing service. Do not use
the vehicle's steering
column lock for
this. The transaxle should be in
N [Neutral) and the parking brake
re1,eased.
Don't have your vehicle towed
on the
front wheels, unless
you must. If the
vehicle must be towed
on the front
wheels, don't go more than 35 mph
(56 km/h) or farther than 50 miles
(80 km) or your transaxle will be
damaged. If these limits must be
exceeded, then the front wheels have to
be supported on a dolly.
II
CAUTION
* A vehicle can fall from a car
scb,red. This can cause a collision,
serious personal injury and vehicle
damage. The vehicle should be
tightly secured with chains or steel
cables before it is transported.
Don't use substitutes (ropes,
leather straps, canvas webbing,
etc.) that can be cut
by sharp e('- :s
underneath the tou hicle .
I b carrier if it isn't properly
Towing from the Front-
Vehicle
Hook-up
Before hooking up to a tow truck, be
sure to read all the information on
Towing Your Pontiac earlier in this
section.
1. Attach T-hook chains into the side
slots in the cradle in front of the
wheels, on both sides.
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2. Attach a separate safety chain around
the outboard end of each lower
control arm.
r
191 .I.
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