
FUNCTION MONITOR: This lets you know  if you 
are  low  on  fluids or have a problem with a vehicle 
function: 
0 
0 
0 
0 
CHECK  OIL LEVEL: This message could mean 
you oil level  is  low. If it comes on  for more than 
three  seconds,  see “Check Oil Level  Warning Light” 
in  the  Index. 
WASHER  FLUID: This message means  your 
washer  fluid tank is less than about 
30% full.  The 
windshield  portion of the  vehicle outline  will also 
glow. 
If these come on, see “Windshield  Washer 
Fluid”  in the  Index. 
LOW  COOLANT This message means  your 
coolant level  has fallen 
to about  half full.  If it comes 
on, see “Engine Coolant” 
in the  Index. 
CHECK GAGES: If this light comes on and  stays 
on while  you  are driving, check your gages for fuel, 
coolant temperature, 
oil pressure or battery voltage. 
SECURITY: You’ll  get a DOOR AJAR message  if a 
door 
is not  fully  closed.  The vehicle outline  will  show 
you  which  door it is. 
You will also get a HOOD AJAR 
or TRUNK AJAR message if the hood  or the trunk isn’t 
fully closed.  The vehicle outline  will also  show  you 
these  are ajar. 
LAMP  MONITOR: Whenever  you  try to use  one  of 
the following lamps the LAMP MONITOR  will  tell you 
if 
a bulb  is out. 
Head  Lamp  (Low and High  Beam) 
Turn  SignaWarWStop 
Park Lamp/Side Marker 
Brake  Lamp  and Center 
High Mounted Stop Lamp 
Back-up  Lamp 
Tail  Lamp/Turn/Side  MarkerLicense 
If 
a bulb is out, you will see  a message,  such as PARK 
LAMP, and you  will  also see where the  problem is on 
the vehicle outline. The message stays on until  the 
problem  is fixed.  See “Replacement Bulbs”  in  the  Index 
for  bulb details. 
2-67 
ProCarManuals.com 

Once  you  are  moving on the freeway,  make certain  you 
allow  a  reasonable  following distance. Expect to move 
slightly  slower 
at night. 
When  you  want  to leave the  freeway,  move to the  proper 
lane  well  in  advance. 
If you  miss  your  exit  do not,  under 
any  circumstances,  stop and back  up.  Drive on to the 
next  exit. 
The  exit  ramp  can  be curved,  sometimes  quite sharply. 
The  exit  speed  is usually  posted. 
Reduce  your  speed according  to your speedometer,  not 
to  your  sense 
of motion.  After  driving  for any  distance 
at  higher  speeds,  you  may  tend  to think  you are going 
slower  than  you  actually  are. 
Before  Leaving on a Long Trip 
Make sure you’re  ready.  Try  to be  well  rested.  If  you 
must  start  when  you’re not fresh 
-- such  as  after  a  day’s 
work 
-- don’t  plan to make too many  miles  that  first part 
of the journey.  Wear  comfortable clothing  and shoes  you 
can  easily  drive in. 
Is your  vehicle  ready  for a long  trip? If you keep it 
serviced  and  maintained,  it’s  ready  to go. If it needs 
service,  have 
it done before  starting  out. Of course, 
you’ll  find experienced  and  able  service  experts  in  Pontiac dealerships 
all across North  America.  They’ll  be 
ready  and  willing to help  if  you  need it. 
Here are some  things  you can check before  a  trip: 
0 
0 
0 
e 
0 
0 
0 
Windshield  Washer  Fluid: Is  the  reservoir  full? Are 
all  windows  clean  inside and outside? 
Wiper  Blades: Are  they  in  good  shape? 
Fuel,  Engine  Oil,  Other  Fluids: Have  you  checked 
all  levels? 
Lamps: Are  they  all  working?  Are the lenses  clean? 
Tires: They are  vitally  important  to a  safe, 
trouble-free  trip. 
Is the  tread  good  enough for 
long-distance  driving? Are the  tires  all  inflated 
to the 
recommended  pressure? 
Weather  Forecasts: What’s the weather  outlook 
along  your route?  Should you  delay  your  trip  a  short 
time to  avoid  a  major  storm system? 
Maps: Do you  have  up-to-date  maps? 
4-21 
ProCarManuals.com 

Parking on Hills 
You really should  not  park  your  vehicle,  with a trailer 
attached,  on 
a hill. If something  goes  wrong,  your  rig 
could  start  to move.  People  can  be injured,  and  both 
your  vehicle  and  the trailer can  be damaged. 
But 
if you  ever  have  to  park  your rig on a  hill,  here’s 
how  to  do it: 
1.  Apply  your regular  brakes, but don’t  shift into 
PARK  (P) yet. 
2. Have someone  place chocks  under  the  trailer  wheels. 
3. When  the wheel  chocks are in  place,  release  the 
regular  brakes  until  the chocks  absorb  the  load. 
4. Reapply  the regular  brakes. Then apply  your parking 
brake,  and  then  shift  to 
PARK (P). 
5. Release the  regular  brakes. 
When You Are  Ready to Leave  After 
Parking 
on a  Hill 
1.  Apply  your regular  brakes  and  hold the pedal down 
while  you: 
Start  your engine; 
Shift into  a gear;  and 
Release the parking  brake. 
2. Let up on the  brake  pedal. 
3. Drive  slowly  until  the trailer is clear  of the chocks. 
4. Stop  and have someone pick  up  and store the chocks. 
Maintenance  When  Trailer  Towing 
Your vehicle  will  need  service  more  often  when  you’re 
pulling  a  trailer.  See  the  Maintenance  Schedule  for  more 
on this. Things that  are  especially  important in trailer 
operation  are  automatic  transaxle  fluid  (don’t  overfill), 
engine 
oil, belts, cooling system,  and  brake  adjustment. 
Each 
of these is covered in this  manual,  and  the Index will 
help  you  find  them  quickly. If you’re  trailering,  it’s  a  good 
idea 
to review  these  sections  before  you start your trip. 
Check  periodically to see that all hitch nuts  and  bolts 
are  tight. 
4-36 
ProCarManuals.com 

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  with the engine  an, check  to 
see  if the  electric  engine fans  are running.  If the  engine 
is overheating,  both fans should be running. If they 
aren’t, 
your vehicle  needs  service. 
5-14 
ProCarManuals.com 

Gasolines for Cleaner Air 
Your use of gasoline  with  deposit  control  additives  will 
help  prevent  deposits from forming  in your engine  and 
fuel system. That helps keep  your engine  in  tune  and 
your  emission  control system working  properly.  It’s 
good  for  your  vehicle,  and  you’ll  be  doing  your 
part for 
cleaner  air. 
Many  gasolines  are now blended  with  oxygenates. 
General  Motors recommends that  you use gasolines  with 
these  blending  materials,  such  as  MTBE and  ethanol.  By 
doing 
so, you  can  help  clean the air, especially  in  those 
parts 
of the  country  that  have  high carbon  monoxide 
levels. 
In  addition,  some  gasoline suppliers are now  producing 
reformulated  gasolines.  These gasolines  are specially 
designed  to  reduce  vehicle  emissions. General  Motors 
recommends  that  you  use  reformulated  gasoline.  By 
doing 
so, you can  help  clean  the  air,  especially  in those 
parts  of  the  country  that  have  high ozone levels. 
You should ask your service  station  operators  if their 
gasolines  contain  deposit control additives  and 
oxygenates,  and  if 
they have been reformulated  to 
reduce  vehicle  emissions. 
Fuels in  Foreign  Countries 
If you  plan  on driving  in another  country  outside the 
U.S. or Canada,  unleaded  fuel may  be  hard to find. Do 
not  use  leaded gasoline.  If  you use even  one  tankful, 
your  emission  controls won’t  work  well or at  all.  With 
continuous  use,  spark  plugs can get fouled, the exhaust 
system  can  corrode, and  your engine  oil  can  deteriorate 
quickly.  Your  vehicle’s  oxygen sensor will  be damaged. 
All 
of that  means  costly repairs  that wouldn’t  be  covered 
by  your  warranty. 
To check on fuel availability,  ask an auto club, or 
contact  a  major oil company  that does business  in the 
country  where  you’ll  be  driving. 
You can also write  us at the following address  for 
advice.  Just tell us where  you’re  going and give your 
Vehicle  Identification  Number 
(VIN). 
General Motors Overseas  Distribution Corporation 
North  American  Export  Sales (NAES) 
1908  Colonel  Sam Drive 
Oshawa,  Ontario 
LlH 8P7 
6-6 
ProCarManuals.com 

Engine  Accessory Belt coolant pump and air conditioning compressor. Each 
belt has  its own tensioner and idler  pulley. 
1. Front Belt C. Crank 
2. Back Belt D. Supercharger 
A.  Alternator 
E. Coolant Pump 
B. Power Steering E Air  Conditioning 
The Supercharged 
38800 engine  uses two accessory drive 
belts.  One  belt drives  the generator and the power 
steering  pump. The second belt drives the supercharger,  See 
“Maintenance Schedule”  in 
the Index for when to 
check the accessory  drive belts and  Supercharger  oil 
level. Have  your dealer check the  oil  level in the 
Supercharger. 
Engine Oil 
CHECK OIL 
LEVEL 
If the CHECK QIL LEVEL light  on  the  instrument 
panel comes 
on, it means  you need  to check  your engine 
oil level 
right away.  for more information,  see “Check 
Oil Level Light”  in 
the Index. You should check your 
engine 
oil level regularly; this  is an  added  reminder. 
6-12 
ProCarManuals.com 

It’s a good idea to check your engine oil every time  you 
get  fuel. 
In order to get  an accurate reading, the  oil must 
be 
warm and  the vehicle must be on  level ground. 
~ The engine oil dipstick 
is directly behind the 
i engine fan area. 
Turn 
off the engine and  give the oil  a few  minutes  to 
drain back into  the oil pan.  If  you  don’t,  the oil dipstick 
might not  show the actual level. 
To Check Engine Oil 
Pull out the dipstick and clean it  with  a paper towel  or 
cloth, then push  it back in all the  way. Remove  it again, 
keeping 
the tip down, and check the level. 
When to  Add Oil 
If  the oil  is at or  below the ADD line, then you’ll  need 
to add some oil. But  you must use the right  kind. This 
part explains what kind  of oil  to  use. 
For crankcase 
capacity,  see “Capacities and Specifications”  in the 
Index. 
t 
I NOTICE: 
Don’t  add  too  much  oil. If your  engine  has so 
much  oil  that  the  oil  level  gets  above  the 
cross-hatched  area  that  shows  the  proper 
operating  range,  your  engine  could  be  damaged. 
Just fill  it enough to put  the  level  somewhere  in  the 
proper operating range.  Push the dipstick 
all the way 
back in when you’re through. 
ProCarManuals.com 

What Kind of Oil to Use 
Oils of the  proper  quality for your vehicle  can  be 
identified  by  looking for the  “Starburst”  symbol.  The 
“Starburst”  symbol indicates  that 
the oil  has  been 
certified  by the  American Petroleum  Institute  (API),  and 
is  preferred  for use in your  gasoline  engine. 
** 
L 
t 
t L 
4 
If you change  your  own oil, be sure you use oil that has 
the “Starburst” symbol on the front of the  oil  container. 
If you have  your oil changed for you, be  sure the oil put 
into  your  engine is American  Petroleum  Institute 
certified  for gasoline  engines. 
You  should  also  use 
the proper  viscosity  oil  for your 
vehicle, 
as shown in  the  following  chart: 
~ 
RECOMMENDED  SAE VISCOSITY GRADE ENGINE OILS 
FOR BEST  FUEL  ECONOMY AND COLD STARTINB, SELECT THE LOWEST 
SAL VISCOSITY GRADE OIL FOR THE EXPECTED  TEMPERATURE  RANGE. 
HOT 
WEATHER 7 
“C 
+ 38 
+ 27 
+ 16 
t4 
-1 
- 18 
M 
LOOK 
FOR THIS 1 
SYMBOL 
I E ERRRED 1OW-30 
mve 0°F (-1 8°C) 
WEATHER 
DO NOT USE SAE 2OW.50 OR ANY OTHER GRADE OIL NOT RECOMMENDED 
6-14 
ProCarManuals.com