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Features & Controls
Battery Warning Light
(CONT.)
If you must drive a short distance with the
light
on, be certain to turn off all your
accessories, such as
the radio and climate
control system.
Some clusters with gages do not have a
battery warning light. They have
a
“CHECK GAGES” warning to indicate a
problem. Vehicles with the supercharged
engine also have a similar battery warning
light.
SERVICE
ENGINE SOON
Malfunction Indicator
.amp (Service Engine
Soon Light)
1 computer monitors operation of your
uel, ignition and emission control
ystems. This light should come on when
he ignition is on, but the engine is not
unning, as a check
to show you it is
iorking. If
it does not come on at all,
ave
it fixed right away. If it stays on, or
: comes on while you are driving, the
omputer is indicating that you have
a
roblem. You should take your vehicle in
x- service soon.
NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle
with this light on, after a while the
emission controls won’t work as
well,
your fuel economy won’t be as
good and your engine may not
run
as smoothly. This could lead to
costly repairs not covered by your
warranty.
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Features & Controls
rn ANTILOCK (@)
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
With anti-lock, this light will come on
when you start your engine and may stay
on for several seconds. That’s normal. If
the light doesn’t come on, have it fixed
so
it will be ready to warn you if there is a
problem.
If the light stays on, turn the ignition off.
Or, if the light comes on when you’re
driving, stop as soon as possible and turn
the ignition
off. Then start the engine
again to reset the system. If the light still
stays on, or comes on again while you’re
driving, your Pontiac needs service. If the
regular brake system warning light isn’t
on, you still have brakes, but you don’t have anti-lock brakes.
If the regular brake
system warning light is also on, you don’t
have anti-lock brakes and there’s a
problem
with your regular brakes. See
“Brake System Warning Light” earlier
in
this part.
The anti-lock brake system warning light
may also come on when
you are driving
with a compact spare tire. If this happens,
the light means you won’t have anti-lock
until you replace the compact spare with a
full-size tire. If the warning light stays on
after you replace the compact spare with a
full-size tire, or
if it comes on again when
you’re driving, your Pontiac needs
service.
i TRACTION OFF
Traction Control System Warning Light
(omoN)
The “TRACTION OFF” warning light
means that the system is not working.
This warning light may come on for the
following reasons:
0 If the engine. cannot provide power
reduction for traction control, due to
an engine problem, the “TRACTION
OFF” warning light will come on and
stay on during that time.
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To prevent overheating, the traction control system will go off and the warning light will come on
until your
brakes cool down. The warning light
will come
on for varying periods of
time.
If
you turn the system off by pressing
the switch on the center console while
the vehicle is at any speed, the warning light will come
on and stay
on. To turn the system back on, press
the switch again at any vehicle speed.
The warning light should
go off. The
system
will also turn itself on if you
turn your ignition off and back on
again. When this warning light is
on, the
system
will not limit wheel spin. Adjust your
driving accordingly.
If the “TRACTION OFF” warning light
comes
on and stays on for an extended
period
of time, even when you’ve
switched the system on, your vehicle
needs service.
Gages
Your Pontiac may have many of the
following gages. Be sure to read about the
mes that came with your vehicle.
I
990..
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Features & Controls
CHECK GAGES
>heck Gages Warning
Jght
(OPTION)
‘his light will come on briefly when you
re starting the engine. If the light comes
n and stays on while you are driving,
heck your gages for fuel, coolant
:mperature, oil pressure or voltage. This
ght will stay on
if your engine is not
Inning.
loooooool
8YST MONl
UNLEADED
FUEL ONLY
Fuel Gage
You will either have this fuel gage or one
very similar.
Your fuel gage tells you
about how much fuel you have left, when
the ignition is on. When the gage reads in
the yellow band, a warning chime will
sound and the
“CHECK GAGES”
warning light will
go on, if you have this
option.
Here are five things that some owners ask
about. None
of these indicate a problem
with your fuel gage:
0 At the service station, the gas pump
shuts off before the gage reads
“F”
(Full).
It takes a little more or less fuel to fill
up than the gage indicated. For
example, the gage may have indicated
the tank was half full, but
it actually
took a little more or less than half the
tank’s capacity to
fill the tank.
The gage moves a little when you
turn
a corner, speed up, or make a hard
stop.
The gage doesn’t go back to
“E”
(Empty) when you turn off the
ignition.
If you have the large span
(220”)
gage, the needle moves more for a
given amount of fuel. This does not
indicate excessive fuel consumption,
and is normal.
For your fuel tank capacity, see “Service
Station Information” on the last page of
this manual.
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HOTCOOLANTCANBURNYOU BADLY!
In “Problems on the Road”, this manual
shows what to
do. See “Engine
Overheating”
in the Index.
H2a
Engine Coolant
Temperature Gage
This gage shows the engine coolant
temperature.
If the gage pointer moves into the red
area, your engine is too hot! The
“CHECK GAGES” light
will go on and a
warning chime will sound, if you have
this option.
It means that your engine
coolant has overheated.
If you have been
operating your vehicle under normal
driving conditions, you should pull off
thc
road, stop your vehicle and turn off the
engine
as soon as possible.
Oil Pressure Gage (omom-)
The oil pressure gage shows the engine
oil pressure
in psi (pounds per square
inch) when the engine is running.
Canadian vehicles indicate pressure
in
kPa (kiloPascals). Oil pressure may vary
with engine speed, outside temperature
and oil viscosity, but readings above the
red warning zone indicate the normal
operating range.
A reading in the red zone may be caused
by a dangerously
low oil level or another
problem causing low oil pressure. The
“CHECK GAGES” light
will go on and a
warning chime will sound,
if you have
this option.
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Features & Controls
Oi/ Pressure Gage (OPTION)
(CONK)
Driving your vehicle with low oil
pressure can cause extensive engine
damage.
Ih
I I NOTICE:
I
Damage to your engine from
neglected oil problems can be costly
and is not covered by your warranty.
. . . 102
lo
il
s:
a
ir
SI
H230!
Voltmeter (omoN)
Vhen the engine is running, the gage
hows the condition of the charging
ystem. Readings between the red
Iarning zones indicate the normal
perating range.
Leadings
in either red warning zone
ldicate
a possible problem in the electrical
ystem. The “CHECK
GAGES’ light will
lso come on, and a warning chime will
ound. Have your vehcle serviced
mediately.
Vhen your engine is not running, but the
pition is on (in the “Run” position), the
age shows your battery’s state
of charge
I DC volts.
300St Gage (OPTION)
khicles equipped with the supercharged
ngine have this boost gage that indicates
acuum during light to moderate throttle
nd boost under heavier throttle. The gage
isplays the air pressure level in psi going
]to the engine’s combustion chamber.
‘he gage is automatically centered at zero
si every time the engine is started.
,ctual vacuum or boost is displayed from
lis zero point. Changes in ambient
ressure, such as driving in mountains
nd changing weather, will slightly
hange the zero reading.
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