1994 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE weight

Features & Controls
Leaving Your Vehicle With
the Engine Running
If you have to leave your vehicle with the
engine running, be sure your vehicle is
in
“P” (Park) and your parking brake is
firmly set before you leave it. After
you’ve moved the shift lever into the
“P”
(Park) position, hold the regular brake
pedal down. Then, see
if you can move
the shift lever away from
“P” (Park)
without first pulling it toward you (or,
if
you have the console shift lever, without
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first pushing the button). If you can, it
means that the shift lever wasn’t fully
locked into
“P” (Park).
T~rque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t
shift your transaxle into
“P” (Park)
properly, the weight of the vehicle may
put too much force on
the parking pawl in
the transaxle. You may find it difficult to
pull
the shift lever out of “F’ (Park). This
is called “torque lock.” To prevent torque
lock, set the parking brake and then shift
into
“P” (Park) properly before you leave
the driver’s seat.
To find out how, see
“Shifting Into ‘P’ (Park)”
in the Index.
When you are ready to drive, move the
shift lever out of
“P’ (Park) BEFORE you
release the parking brake.
If “torque lock” does occur, you may
need to have another vehicle push yours a
little uphill to take some of the pressure
from the transaxle,
so you can pull the
shift lever out of
“P’ (Park).
Shifting Out of “P”
(Park)
Your Pontiac has a brake-transaxle shift
interlock. You have to fully a& your
regular brakes before you can shift from
“P” (Park) when the ignition is in the
“On” position. See “Shifting the
Automatic Transaxle” in the Index.
If you cannot shift out of “P” (Park), ease
pressure
on the shift lever - push the
shift lever ail the way into “P’ (Park) and
also release the shift lever button
on floor
shift models as you maintain brake
application. Then move the shift lever
into the gear you want. (Press the shift
lever button before moving the shift
lever.) If you ever hold the brake pedal
down but still can’t shift out of
“P’
(Park), try this:
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Your Driving and the Road
Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about
driving is: Drive defensively.
Please start with a very important safety
device
in your Pontiac: Buckle up. (See
“Safety Belts’’
in the Index.)
Defensive driving really means “be ready
for anything.” On city streets, rural roads,
or freeways,
it means “always expect the
unexpected.”
Assume that pedestrians or other drivers
are going to be careless and make
mistakes. Anticipate what they might do.
Be ready for their mistakes.
Rear-end collisions are about the most
preventable of accidents. Yet they are
common. Allow enough following
distance.
It’s the best defensive driving
maneuver,
in both city and rural driving.
You never know when the vehicle in front
of you is going to brake or turn suddenly.
Drunken Driving
Death and injury associated with drinking
and driving is a national tragedy.
It’s the
number one contributor to the highway
death toll, claiming thousands of victims
every year. Alcohol takes away three
things that anyone needs to drive a
vehicle:
Judgment
0 Muscular Coordination
0 Vision
Police records show that almost half of all
motor vehicle-related deaths involve
alcohol
- a driver, a passenger or
someone else, such as a pedestrian, had
been drinking. In most cases, these deaths
are the result of someone who was
drinking and driving. About
20,000 motor
vehicle-related deaths occur each year
because of alcohol, and thousands
of
people are injured. Just how much
alcohol is
too much if a
person plans to drive? Ideally, no one
should drink alcohol and then drive.
But
if one does, then what’s “too much”? It
can be a lot less than many might
think.
Although it depends on each person and
situation, here is some general
information on the problem.
The Blood Alcohol Content (BAC)
of
someone who is drinking depends upon
four things:
0
How much alcohol is in the drink.
The drinker’s body weight.
The amount
of food that is consumed
before and during drinking.
The length
of time it has taken the
drinker to consume the alcohol.
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According to the American Medical
Association, a 180-pound (82 kg) person
who drinks three 12-ounce
(355 ml)
bottles
of beer in an hour will end up witk
a BAC of about 0.06 percent. The person
would reach the same BAC
by drinking
three 4-ounce
( 120 ml) glasses of wine or
three mixed drinks if each had 1-1/2
ounces (45 ml) of a liquor like whiskey,
gin or vodka.
It’s the amount of alcohol that counts.
For
example, if the same person drank three
double martinis
(3 ounces or 90 ml of
liquor each) within an hour, the person’s
BAC would be close to 0.12 percent. A
person who consumes food just before or
during drinking will have a slightly lower
BAC level.
NUMBER OF DRINKS (as in picture)
RESULT IN A BAC OF O.O5O/o
IN THE TIME SHOWN
3 HOURS
2 HOURS
1 HOUR
100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240
BODY WEIGHT IN POUNDS
rhe law in most U.S. states sets the legal to six drinks (in one hour). Of course, as
imit at a BAC of 0.10 percent. In Canada we’ve seen, it depends on how much
he limit
is 0.08 percent, and in some alcohol is in the drinks, and how quickly
Ither countries it’s lower than that. The the person drinks them.
3AC will be over
0.10 percent after three
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Your Driving and the Road
If You’re Stuck in Deep
Snow
This manual explains how to get the
vehicle out of deep snow without
damaging it. See “Rocking Your Vehicle”
in the Index.
Towing a Trailer
NOTICE:
Pulling a trailer improperly can
damage your vehicle and result in costly repairs not covered by your
warranty.
To pull a trailer correctly,
follow the advice in this section, and
see your Pontiac dealer for
important information about towing
a trailer with your vehicle. Your Pontiac can tow
a trailer
if it is
equipped with proper trailer towing
equipment. To identify what the vehicle
trailering capacity is for your vehicle, you
should read the information
in “Weight of
the Trailer” that appears later
in this section.
But trailering
is different than just driving
your vehicle by itself. Trailering means
changes in handling, durability, and fuel
economy. Successful, safe trailering takes
correct equipment, and it has to
be used
properly.
That’s the reason for this section. In it are
many time-tested, important trailering
tips and safety rules. Many
of these are
important for your safety and that of your
passengers.
So please read this section
carefully before you pull a trailer.
Load-pulling components such as the
engine, transaxle, wheel assemblies, and tires are forced to work harder against the
drag of the added weight. The engine is
required to operate at relatively higher
speeds and under greater loads, generating
extra heat. What’s more, the trailer adds considerably to wind resistance, increasing
the pulling requirements.
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If You Do Decide to Pull a
Trailer
If you do, here are some important points.
0
0
There are many different laws,
including speed
limit restrictions,
having to do with trailering. Make
sure your rig
will be legal, not only
where you live but also where you'll
be
driving. A good source for this
information can
be state or provincial
police.
Consider using a sway control.
(You
can ask a hitch dealer about sway
controls.)
Don't tow a trailer at
all during the
first
1000 miles ( 1600 km) your new
vehicle is driven. Your engine, axle or
other parts could be damaged.
Then, during the first
500 miles
(800 km) that you tow a trailer, don't
drive over
50 mph (80 km/h) and don't
make starts at
full throttle. This helps
your engine and other parts of
your
vehicle wear in at the heavier loads.
0 Obey speed limit restrictions when
towing a trailer. Don't drive faster than
the maximum posted speed for trailers
(or no more than
55 mph (90 km/h)) to
save wear on your vehicle's parts.
Three important considerations have to do
with weight:
Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It should never weigh more than
1,000 pounds (450 kg). But even that can
be too heavy.
It depends on how you plan
to use your
rig. For example, speed, altitude, road
grades, outside temperature and how
much your vehicle is used to pull a trailer
are all important. And,
it can also depend
on any special equipment that you have
on your vehicle.
You can ask your dealer for our trailering
information or advice, or you can write
us at:
Customer Assistance Center
Pontiac Division
One Pontiac Plaza
Pontiac,
MI 48340-2952
In Canada, write to:
General Motors of Canada Limited,
Customer Assistance Center
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario
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Your Driving and the Road
A B
Weight of the Trailer
Tongue
The tongue load (A) of any trailer is an
important weight to measure because
it
affects the total capacity weight of your
vehicle. The capacity weight includes the
curb weight of the vehicle, any cargo
you
may carry in it, and the people who will
be riding in the vehicle. And if you will
tow a trailer,
you must subtract the
tongue load from your vehicle’s capacity
weight because your vehicle will be
carrying that weight, too. See “Loading
Your Vehicle” in the Index for more
information about your vehicle’s
maximum load capacity. If
you’re using a “dead-weight” hitch, thc
trailer tongue
(A) should weigh 10% of
the total loaded trailer weight
(B). If you
have a “weight-distributing” hitch, the
trailer tongue
(A) should weigh 12% of
the total loaded trailer weight
(B).
After you’ve loaded your trailer, weigh
the trailer and then the tongue, separately,
to see if the weights are proper. If they
aren’t,
you may be able to get them right
simply by moving some items around in
the trailer.
Total Weight on Your
Vehicle’s Tires
Be sure your vehicle’s tires are inflated to
the limit for cold tires. You’ll find these
numbers on the Certification label at the rear edge of the driver’s door or see
“Loading Your Vehicle” in the Index.
Then be sure
you don’t go over the GVW
limit for your vehicle.
Hitches
It’s important to have the correct hitch
equipment. Crosswinds, large trucks
going by, and rough roads are a few
reasons why you’ll need the right hitch. Here are some rules to follow:
0 Will you have to make any holes in
the body of your vehicle when
you
install a trailer hitch? If you do, then
be sure to seal the holes iater when
you remove the hitch. If
you don’t
seal them, deadly carbon monoxide (CO) from your exhaust can get into
your vehicle (see “Carbon Monoxide” in the Index).
Dirt and water can, too.
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The bumpers on yaur vehicfe are not
intended for hitches.
Do not attach
rental hitches or other bumper-type
hitches to them. Use
only a
frame-mounted hitch that does not
attach to the bumper.
Safety Chains
You should always attach chains- between
your vehicle and your trailer. Cross the
safety chains under the tongue of.the
trailer
so that the tongue will not drop to
the road
if it becomes separated from the
hitch. Instructions about safety chains
may be provided by the hitch
manufacturer or by the trailer
manufacturer. Follow the manufacturer’s
recommendation for attaching safety
chains. Always leave just enough slack
so
you can turn with your rig. And, never
allow safety chains to drag
on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
Does your trailer have its own brakes? Be
sure to read and follow the instructions
for the trailer brakes
so you’ll be able to
install, adjust and maintain them properly.
Because you have anti-lock brakes, do not
try to tap into your vehicle’s brake
system. If you do both brakes systems
won’t work well, or at all.
Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount
of experience. Before setting out for the
open road, you’ll want to get to know
your rig. Acquaint yourself with the feel
of handling and braking with the added
weight of the trailer. And always keep in
mind that the vehicle
you are driving is
now a good deal longer and not nearly
so
responsive as your vehicle is by itself. Before you
start, check the trailer hitch
and platform, safety chains, electrical
Eonnector, lights, tires and mirror
adjustment.
If the trailer has electric
brakes, start your vehicle and trailer
moving and then apply ‘the trailer brake
controller by hand to be sure the brakes
are working. This lets you check your
electrical connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionakky to be
sure that the load is secure, and that the
lights and any trailer brakes are still
working.
i.
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Service & Appearance Care
Taillight Bulb
Seplacement
(CONT.)
I. Rotate the bulb housing 1/8 turn and
1. To remove bulb, push in and rotate it
counterclockwise.
i. Replace the bulb.
i. Reverse the steps to reassemble the
remove
it.
taillight.
:og Light Bulb
qeplacement
F you have fog lights, don’t change your
lg light bulbs unless you have the proper
iming equipment. See your Pontiac
ealer if you have any further questions.
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Windshield Wiper Blade
Replacement
Replacement blades come in different
types and are removed
in different ways.
Here’s how
to remove the type with a
release clip:
1.
2.
3.
Pull the windshield wiper arm away
from the windshield.
Lift the release clip with a screwdriver
and pull the blade assembly off the
wiper arm.
Push the new wiper blade securely on
the wiper arm.
Loading Your Vehicle
Two labels on your vehicle show how
much weight
it may properly carry. The
Tire-Loading Information label found on
the rear edge
of the driver’s door tells you
the proper size, speed rating and
recommended inflation pressures for the
tires on your vehicle. It also gives you
important information about the number
of people that can be in your vehicle and
the total weight that
you can carry. This
weight is called the Vehicle Capacity
Weight and includes the weight of all
occupants, cargo, and all
nonfactory-installed options.
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