Page 186 of 338
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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Page 187 of 338

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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Page 188 of 338

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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Service & Appearance Care
Baftery
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 Sforage
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
- 1 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.
‘I
Contact your dealer to learn how to
prepare your vehicle for longer storage
periods.
Bulb Rephcement
In this section you’ll find directions for
changing the light bulbs
in some of the
lights
on your Pontiac. You’ll also find
directions for adjusting the alignment of
the mini-quad headlights’
if you have
this type.
Be sure to read the directions before
you begin to replace or adjust any
lights.
See the
Index under Replacement
Bulbs to find the type of bulb you need
to use.
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