1 Engine Coolant Heater (Engine Block Heater)
(OPTION)
In very cold weather, 0" F (- 18 O C) or
colder, the engine coolant heater can help.
You'll get easier starting and better fuel
economy during engine warm-up.
Usually, the coolant heater should be
plugged
in a minimum of four hours prior
to starting your vehicle.
To Use the Coolant Heater:
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the
electrical cord.,
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded
110-volt outlet.
NOTICE:
After you've used the coolant
heater, be sure
to store the cord as it
was before to keep
it away from
moving engine parts. If
you don't, it
could be damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant
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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Comfort Controls & Audio Systems
Standard Climate
Control
The air conditioner and heater work best
if you keep your windows closed while
using them.
% : Selects the force of air you want.
The fan is always running unless the
mode control is moved to
“OFF”.
Temperature Control: The center
control regulates the temperature of the
air coming through the system.
Mode Control: The right control has
settings for air conditioning and non-air
conditioning modes.
Air Conditioning Settings
There are three air conditioning settings.
On very hot days, open the windows long
enough
to let hot inside air escape. This
reduces the time your air conditioner’s
compressor will have to run, which
should help fuel economy.
MAX: Provides maximum cooling or
quick cool-down
on very hot days. This
setting recirculates much of the air inside
your vehicle, and
it should not be used for
long periods because the air may become
too cold and dry.
A/C: Use for normal cooling on hot days.
This setting cools outside air and directs
it
through the instrument panel outlets.
‘H (Bi-Level): Use on cool, but sunny
days. This setting brings in the outside air,
but directs it in two ways. The cool air is
directed to the upper portion
of your body
through the instrument panel outlets, but
warmed air
is directed through the heater
ducts and defroster vents. At times this
temperature difference may be more
apparent than others.
The air conditioner compressor operates
in all air conditioner positions, and in
A0
we
(Defrost) and ’# (Defog) when the
outside temperature is above
42°F. When
the air conditioner is on,
you may
sometimes notice slight changes
in your
vehicle’s engine speed and power. This is
normal, because the system is designed to
cycle the compressor
on and off to keep
the desired cooling and help fuel
economy.
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Non-Air Conditioning
Settings
A0
r/ (Vent): This setting brings in the
outside air and directs
it to the upper
portion of your body through the
instrument panel outlets.
’N (Heat): This setting directs warmed
air through the heater ducts. Some warm
air is diverted to the windshield to
minimize fogging.
The air conditioner compressor doesn’t
run in the non-air conditioning settings.
This reduces engine load, resulting
in
improved fuel economy. If the non-air
conditioning settings do not maintain the
comfort of the air inside your vehicle,
move the selector to
“MAX” or “A/,”. If
your windows fog up, move the mode
selector tow (Defrost) or
“A/C”.
0
Defrosting
The %? (Defrost) setting directs most air
through the defroster vents, and some
through the heater ducts. Use this when
you have fog or ice on the windshield.
When it’s
42°F or warmer outside, you’ll
get cooled air.
Defogging Windows With Standard Climate Control
Move the temperature control to
maximum heat.
To quickly defog the windshield, set the
right selector to
%? (Defrost) and turn
the fan control to “HIGH’’.
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Comfort Controls & Audio Systems
Rear Vents
Slide the center control up to direct air
upward. Slide it down to direct air
downward. Slide the ridged vent control
levers sideways to direct air right or left.
Flow-Through Ventilation
System
Your Pontiac's flow-through ventilation
system supplies outside air into the
vehicle when it is moving. Outside air
will also enter the vehicle when the heate
or the air conditioning fan is running.
Ventilation Tips
0 Keep the hood and front air inlet free
of ice, snow, or any other obstruction
(such as leaves). The heater and
defroster will work far better, reducing
the chance of fogging the inside of
your windows.
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0
0
When you enter a vehicle with
Standard Climate Control in cold
weather, select a heater function that
blows air through the floor ducts.
Then
turn the blower fan to. “HI” for a
few moments before driving off. This
will blow moist air from the intake
ducts toward the floor, not the
windshield. It reduces the chance of
fogging the inside of your windows. If
you have the Electronic Climate
Control, the “AUTO” setting does this
for you.
Keep the air path under the front seats
clear of objects. This helps air to
circulate throughout your vehicle.
r-,ldio Systems
The following pages describe the audio
systems available for your Pontiac, and
how to get the best performance from
them. Please read about the system
in
your vehicle.
Hearing damage from loud noise is
almost undetectable
until it is too late.
Your hearing can adapt to higher volumes
of sound. Sound that seems normal can be
loud and harmful to your hearing. Take
precautions by adjusting the volume
control on your radio to a safe sound
level before your hearing adapts to it. To
help avoid hearing loss or damage:
0
0 Adjust the volume control to the
lowest setting.
Increase volume slowly
until you
hear comfortably and clearly.
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Put on extra clothing or wrap a
blanket around you. If you have no
blankets or extra clothing, make body
insulators from newspapers, burlap
bags, rags, floor mats
-- anything you
can wrap around yourself or tuck
under your clothing to keep warm.
You can
run the engine to keep warm, but
be careful. Run your
engine only as long as you
must. This saves fuel. When you run the
engine, make it go a little faster than just
idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly.
This uses less fuel for the heat that you
get and it keeps the battery charged. You
will need a well-charged battery
io restart
the vehicle, and possibly for signaling
later on with your headlights. Let, the
heater run for awhile.
Then, shut the engine off and close the
window almost all the way to preserve the
heat. Start the engine again and repeat this
only when you feel really uncomfortable
from the cold. But
do it as little as
possible. Preserve the fuel as long as you
can. To help keep warm, you can get out
of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous
exercises every half hour or
so until help
comes.
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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:
0 Climb a long hill on a hot day.
0 Stop after high speed driving.
0 Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer.
If you get the overheat warning with
no
sign of steam, try this for a minute or so:
1. Turn off your air conditioner.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the
highest fan speed and open the
window as necessary.
3. If you’re in a traffic jam, shift to “N”
(Neutral).
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, stop,
and park your vehicle right away.
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 ENGINE AND GET
EVERYONE OUT
OF THE VEHICLE
until it cools down.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to
get service help right away.
11
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
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Problems on the Ro,ad
... .
I
Cooling System (CONT.)
If the coolant inside the coolant recovery
tank is boiling, don’t do anything else
until it cools down.
The coolant level should be at or above
the “FULL 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.
NOTICE:
Engine damage from running your
engine without coolant isn’t covered
by your warranty.
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 the
“FULL COLD’ mark, add
a 50/50
mixture of clean water (preferably
distilled) and
a proper antifreeze at the
coolant recovery tank. (See “Engine Coolant”
in the Index for more
information about the proper coolant
mix.)
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