1994 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE Owners Manual

Service & Appearance Care
4 Tires
We don’t make tires. Your new vehicle
comes
with high quality tires made by a
leading tire manufacturer. These tires are
warranted by the tire manufacturers and
their warranties are delivered with every
new Pontiac. If your spare tire is a
different brand than your road tires, you
will have a tire warranty folder from each
of these manufacturers.
Inflation - Tire Pressure
The Tire-Loading Information label
which is on the rear edge
of the driver’s
door shows the correct inflation pressures
for your tires, when they’re cold. “Cold” means your
vehicle has been sitting for at
least three hours or driven no
more than a
mile.
NOTICE:
Don’t let anyone tell you that
underinflation or overinflation is all
right. It’s not. If your tires don’t
have enough air (underinflation)
you can get:
0 Too much flexing
0 Too much heat
0 Tire overloading
0 Bad wear
0 Bad handling
0 Bad fuel economy.
If your tires have too much air
(overinflation), you can get:
0 Unusual wear
0 Bad handling
0 Rough ride
0 Needless damage from road
hazards.
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When to Check
Check your tires once a month or more.
Don’t forget your compact spare tire. It
should be at
60 psi (420 kPa).
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type gage to
check tire pressure. Simply looking at the
tires will.not tell you the pressure,
especially
if you have radial tires --
which may look properly inflated even if
they’re underinflated.
If your tires have valve caps, be sure to
put them back on. They help prevent
leaks by keeping out dirt and moisture.
Tire lnspecfion and
Rotafion
To make your tires last longer, have them
inspected and rotated at the mileages
recommended
in the Maintenance
Schedule. See “Scheduled Maintenance Services” in the Index.
X5028
Use this rotation pattern.
After the tires have been rotated, adjust
the front and rear inflation pressure as
shown on the Tire-Loading Information
label. Make certain that all wheel nuts are
properly tightened. See “Wheel Nut
Torque” in the Index.
e
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Service, & Appearance Care
When It’s Time for New Tires
One way to tell when it’s time for new
tires is to check the treadwear indicators,
which will appear when your tires have
only
2/32 inch (1.6 mm) or less of tread
remaining,
You need a new tire if
You can see the indicators at three or
more places around the tire.
You can see cord or fabric showing
through the tire’s rubber.
The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut
or snagged deep enough to show cord
or fabric.
0 The tire has a bump, bulge or split.
The tire has a puncture, cut, or other
damage that can’t be repaired well
because of the size or location of the
damage.
Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires you
need,
look at the Tire-Loading
Information label.
The tires instaljed on your vehicle
when it
was new had a Tire Performance Criteria
Specification (TPC Spec) number on each
tire’s sidewall. When you get new tires,
get ones
with that same TPC Spec
number. That way, your vehicle will
zontinue to have tires that are designed to
give proper endurance, handling, speed
rating, traction, ride and other things
during normal service on your vehicle. If
your tires have an all-season tread design,
the
TPC number will be followed by a
“MS” (for mud and snow). If you
ever replace your tires with those
not having a TPC Spec number, make
sure they are the same size, load range,
speed rating and construction type (bias,
bias-belted or radial) as your original
tires.
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Uniform Tire Quality
Grading
The following information relates to the
system developed by the United States
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature
performance. (This applies only to
vehicles sold
in the United States.)
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative
rating based on the wear rate of the tire
when tested under controlled conditions
on a specified government test course. For
example, a tire graded
150 would wear
one and a half
(1 1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart significantly
from the norm due to variations in driving
habits, service practices and differences
in
road characteristics and climate.
Traction - A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to
lowest are: A,
B, and C. They represent
i the tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled conditions
on specified government test surfaces
of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked
C
may have poor traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to
this tire is based on braking (straight-ahead) traction tests and does
not include cornering (turning) traction.
Temperature - A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the
highest),
B, and C, representing the tire's
resistance to the generation of heat and its
ability
to dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions on a specified
indoor laboratory test wheel. Sustained
high temperature can cause the material
of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire
life, and excessive temperature can lead
to
sudden tire failure. The grade C
corresponds to a level of performance
which all passenger car tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard No.
109. Grades B and A
represent higher levels of performance on
the laboratory test wheel than the minimum required by law. Warning:
The temperature grade for this
tire
is established for a tire that is properly
inflated and not overloaded. Excessive
speed, underinflation, or excessive
loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause heat buildup and
possible tire failure.
These grades are molded on the sidewalls
of passenger car tires.
While the tires available as standard or
optional equipment on General Motors
vehicles may vary with respect to these
grades, all such tires meet General Motors
performance standards and have been
approved for use on General Motors
vehicles. All passenger type
(P Metric)
tires must conform
to Federal safety
requirements in addition
to these grades.
Wheel Alignment and Tire
Balance
The wheels on your vehicle were aligned
and balanced carefully at the factory to
give you the longest tire life and best
overall performance.
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Service & Appearance Care
Wheel Alignment and Tire
Balance
(CONT)
In most cases, you will not need to have
your wheels aligned again. However,
if
you notice unusual tire wear or your
vehicle pulling one way or the other, the
alignment may need to be reset.
If you
notice your vehicle vibrating when
driving on
a smooth road, your wheels
may need to be rebalanced.
Wheel Replacement
Replace any wheel that is bent, cracked or
badly rusted. If wheel nuts keep coming
loose, the wheel, wheel bolts, and wheel
nuts should be replaced. If the wheel
leaks air, replace
it (except some
aluminum wheels, which can sometimes
be repaired). See your Pontiac dealer
if
any of these conditions exist.
Your dealer
will know the kind of wheel
you need.
Each new wheel should have
the same
load carrying capacity, diameter, width,
offset, and be mounted the same way as
the one it replaces.
If you need to replace any of your wheels,
wheel bolts, or wheel nuts, replace them
only
with new GM original equipment
parts. This way, you will be sure to have
the right wheel, wheel bolts, and wheel
nuts
for your Pontiac model.
NOTICE:
The wrong wheel can also cause
problems with bearing life, brake cooling, speedometer/odometer
calibration, headlight aim, bumper
height, vehicle ground clearance,
and tire or tire chain clearance to the
body and chassis.
Used Replacement Wheels
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I Tire Chains
I
NOTICE:
Use tire chains only where legal and
only
when you must. Use only SAE
Class
“S” type chains that are the
proper size for your tires. Install
them on the front tires and tighten
them as tightly as possible
with the
ends securely fastened. Drive slowly
and follow the chain manufacturer’s
instructions. If you can hear
the
chains contacting your vehicle, stop
and retighten them. If the contact
continues,
slow down until it stops.
Driving too fast
with chains on will
damage your vehicle.
Appearance Care
Remember, cleaning products can be
hazardous. Some are toxic. Others can
burst into flame
if you strike a match or
get them on a hot part
of the vehicle.
Some are dangerous
if you breathe their
fumes
in a closed space. When you use
anything from a container to clean your
Pontiac, be sure to follow the
manufacturer’s warnings and instructions.
And always open your doors or windows
when you’re cleaning the inside. Never use
these to clean your vehicle:
0 Gasoline
0 Benzene
0 Naphtha
Carbon Tetrachloride
0 Acetone
0 Paint Thinner
0 Turpentine
0 Lacquer Thinner
Nail Polish Remover
They can all be hazardous
-- some more
than others
-- and they can all damage
your vehicle, too.
Don’t use any of these unless this manual
says you can. In many uses, these will
damage your vehicle:
Alcohol
Laundry Soap
0 Bleach
Reducing Agents
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Service & Appearance Care
H Cleaning the Znside of
Your Pontiac
Use a vacuum cleaner often to get rid of
dust and loose dirt. Wipe vinyl or leather
with a clean, damp cloth.
Your Pontiac dealer has two GM cleaners,
a solvent-type spot lifter and a foam-type
powdered cleaner. They will clean normal
spots and stains very well. Do not use
them on vinyl or leather.
Here are some cleaning tips:
0
0
0
0
0 Always read the instructions on the
cleaner label.
Clean up stains as soon as you can
--
before they set.
Use a clean cloth or sponge, and
change to a clean area often.
A soft
brush may be used if stains are
stubborn.
Use solvent-type cleaners in a
well-ventilated area only. If you use
them, don’t saturate the stained area.
If
a ring forms after spot cleaning,
clean the entire area immediately or it
will set.
Using Foam-Type Cleaner
on Fabric
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Vacuum and brush the area to remove
any loose dirt.
Always clean a whole trim panel or
section. Mask surrounding trim along
stitch or welt lines.
Mix Multi-Purpose Powdered Cleaner
following the directions on the
container label.
Use suds only and apply with a clean
sponge.
Don’t saturate the material.
Don’t rub it roughly.
As soon as you’ve cleaned the section,
use a sponge to remove the suds.
Rinse the section with a clean, wet
sponge.
Wipe off what’s left with a slightly
damp paper towel or cloth.
Then dry it immediately with a blow
dryer or a heat lamp.
NOTICE:
Be careful with a hair dryer or heat
lamp. You could scorch the fabric.
0
c
c
F.
c1
cl
If
Wipe with a clean cloth.
Jsing Solvent-Type
;leaner on Fabric
irst, see if you have to use solvent-type
.eaner at all. Some spots and stains will
ean off better with just water and mild
lap.
’ you need to use a solvent:
Gently scrape excess soil from the
trim material with a clean, dull knife
or scraper. Use very little cleaner, light
pressure and clean cloths (preferably
cheesecloth). Cleaning should start at
the outside of the stain, “feathering”
toward the center. Keep changing to a
clean section of the cloth.
When you clean a stain from fabric,
immediately dry the area with an air
hose, hair dryer, or heat lamp to help
prevent a cleaning ring. (See the
previous NOTICE.)
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Spec/al Cleaning Problems
Greasy or Oily Stains
Such as grease, oil, butter, margarine,
shoe polish, coffee with cream, chewing
gum, cosmetic creams, vegetable oils,
wax crayon, tar and asphalt.
0 Carefully scrape off excess stain.
Follow the solvent-type instructions
described earlier.
?, Shoe polish, wax crayon, tar and
asphalt
will stain if left on a vehicle
seat fabric. They should be removed
as soon as possible. Be careful,
because the cleaner will dissolve them
and may cause them to spread.
Non-Greasy Stains
Such as catsup, coffee (black), egg, fruit,
fruit juice, milk, soft drinks, wine, vomit,
urine and blood.
Carefully scrape off excess stain, then
sponge the soiled area with cool water.
If a stain remains, follow the
foam-type instructions described
earlier.
0 If an odor lingers after cleaning
vomit
or urine, treat the area with a
waterbaking soda solution:
1 teaspoon (5 ml) of baking soda to
1 cup (250 ml) of lukewarm water.
0 If needed, clean lightly with
solvent-type cleaner.
Combination Stains
Such as candy, ice cream, mayonnaise,
chili sauce and unknown stains.
0 Carefully scrape off excess stain, then
clean with cool water and allow to
dry.
If a stain remains, clean it with
solvent-type cleaner.
Cleaning Vinyl
Use warm water and a clean cloth.
0 Rub with a clean, damp cloth to
remove dirt.
YOU may have to do it
more than once.
0 Things like tar, asphalt and shoe
polish will stain if
you don’t get them
off quickly. Use a clean cloth and a
solvent-type
vinyl cleaner.
Cleaning Leather
Use a soft cloth with lukewarm water and
a mild soap or saddle soap.
For stubborn stains, use a mild
solution of
10% isopropyl alcohol
(rubbing alcohol) and
90% water.
Never use oils, varnishes,
solvent-based or abrasive cleaners,
furniture polish or shoe polish on
leather.
Soiled leather should be cleaned
immediately. If dirt is allowed to work
into finish, it can harm the leather.
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