1993 PONTIAC GRAND-PRIX Owners Manual

If you drive too quickly through I
deep puddles or standing water,
water can come in through your
engine’s air intake and badly
damage your engine. If you can
avoid deep puddles or standin
water, dr&e through them ve
Engine Block Heater (OPTION)
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. Plug the
cord into a properly grounded
three-prong
1 10-volt outlet. If the
cord won’t reach, use a heavy-duty
three-prong extension cord rated
for at least 15 amps.
NOTICE
After you’ve used the block heater,
be sure to store the cord as it was
before, to keep it away from
moving engine parts.
If you dol
it could be damaged. .
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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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$;. +..* s.:
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. Shi ng the Automatic
Transale
Your automatic transaxle may have a
shift lever located on the steering
column or on the console between the
seats. Both are shown above.
Maximum engine speed
is limited on
automatic transaxle vehicles when
you’re
in D (Drive) or N (Neutral), to
protect driveline components from
improper operation.
h
There are six shift positions, seven if
you have Overdrive. In this manual,
these are referred to by the commonly
used symbols in the right column
below:
Park P
Reverse R
Neutral N
Overdrive (DI
Drive D
Second 2
First 1
Park
P (Park): This locks your front
wheels. It’s the best position to use
when you start your engine because
your vehicle can’t move
easily.
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Features & Controls
. ;. -c
I
It is dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the shift lever is not fully in
h P {Park} with the parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine
is running unless you have to. If you
h,ave 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 fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and move the shift lever to P (Park).
See th’e Index under Shifting Into P (Park). If you are parking on a hill, or if
you’re pulling a trailer, also e Index under Parking ~yt Hills or Towing a
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Reverse
R (Reverse): Use this gear to back up.
Shifting to
R (Reverse)
vehicle is moving forward could damage your transaxle. Shift to
R
only after your vehicle is stopped.
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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 .
PW2047
Neufral
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 (Neutral) when your vehicle is being
towed.
Ir Shifting out of P (Park) or
N (Neutral) while your
;ine
is “racing” (running at higl
I
speed) is dangerous. Unless your
foot is firmly on the brake pedal,
your vehicle could
move very
rapidly.
You could lose c
hit people or objects. Don’t
shi
out of P (Park) or N (Ne
while
yo mginc racin
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Farward Gears
mtdutornatic Overdrive): If your
autcmatic transaxle
has Automatic
Overdrive,
this position is for norma
&ivin,g. If you med more power for
pas.sing, and you're:
* Goling less than 35 mph (56 lmh) ,
push your accelerator pedal about
halfway
down.
Going about 35 mph [56 Wh) or
more, push the accelerator all the way
clhwn.
You'll shift down to the next gear and
have more power.
D (Third Gear): If your automatic
transaxle does not have Overdrive, this
position is for normal driving, at all
speeds,
in most street and highway
situations.
If your automatic transaxle has
Overdrive,
D is like m, but you never
go into Overdrive.
Here are some times you might choose
D instead of m:
When driving on hilly, winding roads.
When towing a trailer, so there is less
When going down a steep hill. shifting between gears.
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2 (Second Gear): This position gives
you more power but lower fuel
economy.
You can use 2 on hills. It can
help control your speed as
you go down
steep mountain roads, but then you
would also want to use your brakes off
and on.
NOTICE
Don't drive in 2 (Second Gear) for 1
more than 5 miles (8 km), or at
speeds over
55 mph (88 lun/h), or
you can damage your transaxle.
Use
D (m or D if your vehicle has
Overdrive)
as much as possible.
Don't shift into
2 unless you are
going slower than
65 mph
(105 kdh) , or you can damage
your engine.
Second-Gear Sfatf (omow
Your vehicle may be equipped with a
Second-Gear Start feature. Press 2ND
GEAR START to provide more
traction when
you are starting on ice or
other slippery surfaces. The transaxle
will be in second gear when the vehicle
begins
to move. After starting in second
gear the vehicle will upshift normally.
This feature is only for improved
traction when the road surface is
slippery and is not intended
for
continuous use. Always use NORMAL
for normal road conditions.
61
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Features & Controls
. Shzpng the Five-Speed
Manual Transaxle
There are seven different positions:
N Neutral
1 First Gear
2 Second Gear
3 ThirdGear
4 Fourth Gear
5 FifthGear
R Reverse
Maximum engine speed is limited on
manual transaxle vehicles to protect
driveline components from improper
operation.
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 pedai and the brake pedal, and
shift to
N (Neutral).
N (Neutral): Use this position when
you start
or idle your engine.
R (Reverse): To back up, press down
the clutch pedal and
shift into R. Let up
on the clutch pedal slowly while
pressing the accelerator pedal.
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[ou cannot go from 5 (Fifth Gear) into
R (Reverse). If you try, you will be
ocked out.
You must first shift to 1,2,
5 or 4 and then shift into R (Reverse).
rhis is
a safety feature.
Shift
to R (Reverse) only after your
vehicle is stopped. Shifting to
R (Reverse) while your vehicle is
moving
could damage your
transaxle.
Use, use R (Reverse), along with the
mlting brake, for parking your vehicle.
I
Shift Light
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.
I
Shift Speeds
(IWANUAL TRANSAXLE)
This chart shows when to shift to the
next higher gear for the best
fuel
economy.
Acceleration Shift Speeds €or 3.4L
(Code X) Engine:
1st to 2nd 17 mph (27Wh)
2nd to 3rd 30 mph (48 km/h)
3rd to 4th 39 mph {63 km/h)
4th to 5th 44 mph (71 km/h)
If your speed drops below 210 mph
(32 Wh), 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.
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