1994 PONTIAC GRAND-AM Owners Manual

Features & Controls
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The Instrument
Panel-Your Information System
Your instrument panel is designed to let
you know at a glance how
your vehicle is
running. You’ll know how fast you’re
going, how much fuel you’re using, and
many other things you’ll need to drive
safely and economically.
The main components of your instrument
panel are:
1. Fog Light Switch
2. Instrument Panel Intensity Control,’
Interior Lights Switch
3. Side Vent
4. Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
5. Hazard Warning Flashers Switch
6. Instrument Cluster
7. Windshield Wipersmasher Stalk
8. Center Vent
9. Audio System
10. Side Vent
11. Side Window Defogger Vent
12. Glove Box
13. Climate Control System
14. Ashtraybighter
15. Gear Shift Lever
16. Rear Window Defogger (Option)
17. Ignition Switch
18. SRS - Supplemental Restraint
System (Air Bag)
19. Horns
20. Tilt Steering Wheel Lever (Option)
21. Parking Brake Release Lever
22. Hood Release Handle
23. Fuse Panel
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Features & Controls
Instrument Panel Clusters
Your Pontiac is equipped with one of these instrument panel clusters, which includes
indicator warning lights and gages that are explained on the foilowing pages. Be sure to
read about those that apply to the instrument panel cluster for your vehicle.
Standard Cluster
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Optional Cluster L
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Features & Controls
Speedometer and
Odometer
Your speedometer lets you see your speed
in both miles per hour (mph) and
kilometers per hour (km/h). Your
odometer shows how far your vehicle has
been driven, in either miles (used in the
U.S.) or kilometers (used in Canada).
Tamper Resistant
Odometer
Your Pontiac has a tamper resistant
odometer.
If you see silver lines between
the numbers, you’ll know that someone
has probably tried to turn it back,
so the
numbers may not be true.
You may wonder what happens if your
vehicle needs a new odometer installed.
If
the new one can be set to the mileage total
of the old odometer, then it must be. But
if
it can’t, then it’s set at zero and a label
must be put
on the driver’s door to show
the old mileage reading when the new
odometer was installed.
Trip Odometer
The trip odometer can tell you how far
you have driven since you last reset it.
To
reset the trip odometer to zero, press the
knob to the right of the gage.
Tachometer (OPTION)
The tachometer shows your engine speed
in revolutions per minute (rpm).
I NOTICE:
I
Do not run your engine at speeds in
the red area, or engine damage may
I
I Occur.
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Warning Lights, Gages
and Indicators
This section describes the warning lights
and gages that may be on your vehicle. The pictures will help you locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that
something is wroug before it becomes
serious enough to cause an expensive
repair or replacement. Paying attention to
your warning lights and gages could also
save you
or others from injury.
Warning lights go on when there may be
Dr is a problem with one of your vehicle’s
functions. As you will see
in the details
on the next few pages, some warning
lights come on briefly
when you turn the
ignition key just to let you know they’re
working. If you are familiar with this
section, you should not be alarmed when
this happens.
Gages can indicate when there may be or
is a problem with one of your vehicle’s
functions. Often gages and warning lights
work together to let you know when
there’s a problem with your vehicle.
When one of the warning lights comes on
and stays on when you are driving, or
when one of the gages shows there may
be a problem, check the section that tells
you what to do about
it. Please follow the
manual’s advice. Waiting to do repairs
can
be costly -- and even dangerous. So
please get to know your warning lights
and gages. They’re
a big help.
Fuel Gage
Your fuel gage tells you about how much
fuel you have left, when the ignition is on.
When
the indicator nears “E” (Empty),
you still have a little
fuel left, but you
should get more soon.
Here are four things that some owners ask
about. None of these show a problem with
your fuel gage:
At the service station, the gas pump
shuts off before the gage reads “F”
(Full).
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Features & Controls
Fuel Gage (CONT.)
0 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.
0 The gage moves a little when you turn
a corner or speed up.
0 The gage doesn’t go back to “E” when
you turn off the ignition.
For your fuel tank capacity, see “Service
Station Information”
on the last page of
this manual.
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning
Light
This light tells you that your engine
coolant has overheated or your radiator
cooling fan is not working.
If you have been operating your vehicle
under normal driving conditions, you should pull
off the road, stop your vehicle
and
turn the engine off as soon as possible
HOT COOLANT CAN BURN YOU
BADLY!
In “Problems on the Road”, this manual
shows what to do. See “Engine
Overheating” in the Index.
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!
That reading means the same thing as the
warning light. It means that your engine
coolant has overheated.
If you have been operating your vehicle
under normal driving conditions, you
should pull
off the road, stop your vehicle
and
turn off the engine as soon as possible.
HOT COOLANT CAN BURN YOU
BADLY!
In “Problems on the Road”, this manual shows what to do. See “Engine
Overheating” in the Index.
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LOW
COOLANT
Low Coolant Warning
Light
F this light comes on and stays on, the
ehicle should be promptly pulled off the
Dad and the coolant level checked. See
Engine Coolant” in the Index. If there
re visible signs of steam see “Engine
herheating” in the Index before opening
le hood.
V6 Engine
Low Engine
Oil Level
Warning Light
Your vehicle may be equipped with an oil
level monitoring system. When the
ignition key is turned on, the light will
briefly flash. If the light stays on, stop the
vehicle on a level surface and turn the
engine off. Check the oil level using the
engine oil dipstick. (See the Index under
“Engine Oil.”) If the light does not flash,
have the low oil level sensor system
repaired
so it will be ready to warn you if
there’s a problem.
NOTE: The oil level monitoring system
only checks oil level during the brief
period between key on and and engine
crank.. It does not monitor engine ail level
when the engine
is running. Additionally,
an oil level check is only performed if the
engine has been turned off for a
considerable period of time allowing the
oil normally in circulation to drain back
into the oil pan.
Oiil Warning Light
If you have a problem with your oil, this
light may stay on after you start your
engine, or come on when you are driving.
This indicates that oil is not going through
your engine quickly enough to
keep it
lubricated. The engine could be low on
oil, or could have some other oil problem.
Have
it fixed right away.
The oil light could also come on in three
other situations:
0 When the ignition is on but the engine
is not running, the light will come on
as a test to show you it is working, but
the light will go out when you turn the
ignition to “Start”. If it doesn’t come
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