1993 PONTIAC GRAND-PRIX engine

Here you’ll find what to do about
some problems that can occur on the
road
.
Part 5
Problems on the Road
Hazard Warning Flashers ........................................................................\
........ 184
Towing Your Pontiac ........................................................................\
............... 189
Engine Overheating ........................................................................\
................. 193
If a Tire Goes Flat ........................................................................\
.................... 200
Changing a Flat Tire ........................................................................\
................ 200
Compact Spare Tire ........................................................................\
................. 207
If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud. Ice or Snow .................................................. 208
Jump Starting ........................................................................\
........................... 185
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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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Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature
gage or the warning light about
a hot
engine
on your Pontiac's instrument
panel.
You may also find a low coolant
warning light
on your Pontiac's
instrument panel.
r
If Steam is Coming from Your Engine:
L Steam from an overheated
- b 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
DP eoolant 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
1
If No Steam is Coming from Your
Engine:
If you get the overheat warning but see
or hear no steam, the problem may not
be too serious. Sometimes the engine
can get a little too hot when you:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer.
-
!
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Problems on the Road
Engine Overheafing ICONT.)
If you get the overheat warning with no
sign
of steam, try this for a minute or
1. Turn off your air conditioner.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the
SO:
highest fan speed and open the
window as necessary.
3. Try to keep your engine under load
(in a drive gear where the engine
runs slower).
If you no longer have the overheat
warning,
you can drive. Just to be safe,
drive slower for about ten minutes. If
the warning doesn’t come back
on, you
can drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, If
there’s still
no sign of steam, you can
idle
the engine for two or three minutes
while you’re parked, to
see if the
warning
stops. But then, if you still
have the warning,
TURN OFF THE
ENGINEANDGETEVERYONEOUT
OF THE IrEp3[1CLE until it cools down.
You may decide not to lift the hood but
to get servioe
help right away.
a
An electric fan under the
L L hood 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. I
stop, and park your vehicle right away. I I
Cooling System
When you decide it’s safe to lift the
hood, here’s what you’ll see:
(A) Coolant recovery tank
(B) Radiator pressure cap
(C) Electric engine fan
If the coolant inside the coolant
recovery tank is boiling, don’t do
anything else until it cools down.
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The coolant level should be at or above
the
COLD mark. If it isn’t, you may
have a leak in the radiator hoses, heater
hoses, radiator, water pump or
somewhere else in the cooling system.
~ CAUTION
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’$ 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
I vou drive the vehicle.
If there seems to be no leak, check to
see if the electric engine fan is running.
If the engine is overheating, the fan
should be running. If it isn’t, your
vehicle needs service.
How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery Tank:
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but
the coolant level isn’t at or above
COLD, add a 50/50 mixture of clean
water (preferably distilled) and a proper
antifreeze at the coolant recovery tank.
(See the
Index under Engine Coolant
for more information about the proper
coolant mix.)
A
Adding only plain water to
your cooling system
can be
dangerous. Plain water,
or some I
other liquid like alcohol, can boil
before 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 could 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
50/50 mix of clean
water and a proper antifreeze.
cold weather, water can free-
d crack the engine, radiatnr
ater core and other parts.
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I
Problems on the Road
You can be burned ifp~
l spill coolant on hot engine
parts. Coolant contains ethylene
glycol
and it will bum if the engine
parts are hot enough. Don't spill
coolant on a hat engine.
When the coolant in the coolant
recovery tank
is at or above COLD,
start your vehicle.
If the overheat warning continues,
there's one more
thing you can try. You
can add the proper coolant mix directly
to
the radiator, but be sure the cooling
system is cool before you do it.
'I 96
A Steam and scalding liquids
L from a hot cooling system dm
b.,,v out and burn you badly. They
are under pressure, and if you turn
the radiator pressure cap-even a
little-they can come out at high
speed. Never turn the pressure cap
when the cooling system, including
the radiator pressure cap, is hot.
Wait for the cooling system and
radiator pressure cap tu cool if you
ever have to turn the pressure-cap.
How to Add Coolant to the Radiator:
Your engine has a specific radiator
fill procedure. Failure
to follow the
procedure
could cause your engine
to overheat and be severely
damaged.
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