Page 178 of 338

Making Thms 
NOTICE: 
Making  very  sharp  turns  while  trailering  could cause  the  trailer  to  come  in  contact  with  the vehicle.  Your  vehicle  could  be  damaged.  Avoid 
making  very  sharp  turns  while  trailering. 
When you’re turning  with a trailer, make  wider turns 
than normal. 
Do this so your trailer  won’t strike soft 
shoulders, curbs,  road signs, trees, or other objects. 
Avoid  jerky or sudden  maneuvers. Signal  well in 
Tldvance. 
’Ibrn Signals When Towing a Trailer 
When  you  tow a trailer, your vehicle  has  to have a 
different  turn signal flasher and extra wiring.  The green 
arrows on  your instrument panel  will flash  whenever 
you  signal a turn  or lane change. Properly  hooked up, 
the trailer lamps will also  flash, telling other drivers 
you’re  about to turn, change lanes or stop. 
When towing  a trailer, the green  arrows  on your 
instrument panel will flash  for turns  even if the bulbs on 
the trailer are burned out. 
Thus, you  may  think  drivers behind 
you are seeing your signal when  they are not.  It’s 
important to check occasionally to be sure  the trailer 
bulbs are still working. 
Your  vehicle has bulb warning lights. When  you  plug a 
trailer lighting system  into your  vehicle’s  lighting 
system, its bulb warning lights  may not let  you  know  if 
one  of your  lamps goes  out. 
So, when  you have a trailer 
lighting system  plugged in, be sure to  check  your 
vehicle and trailer lamps  from time to time to  be sure 
they’re all working. Once you disconnect the trailer  lamps, the bulb warning  lights again can tell  you  if one 
of  your vehicle  larnps is out. 
Driving On Grades 
Reduce speed and shift  to a lower gear before you start 
down a long  or steep downgrade. 
If you don’t shift 
down,  you might have  to  use your brakes 
so much  that 
they  would get hot and 
no longer  work well. 
On a long uphill grade, shift down to DRIVE (@) and 
reduce  your speed to around 45 mph (70 kmph) to 
reduce the possibility of engine  and transaxle 
overheating. 
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        Page 191 of 338
Engine Overheating 
You will find  a coolant  temperature  gage or the warning 
light  about  a hot 
engine on  your  Pontiac’s  instrument 
panel.  See “Coolant  Temperature  Gage”  and  “Coolant 
Temperature  Warning  Light” 
in the Index. 
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine 
I NOTICE: 
If your  engine catches fire because you keep 
driving  with  no  coolant,  your  vehicle  can be 
badly damaged. The costly repairs would  not be 
covered by your warranty. 
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: 
Climb a long  hill on a hot day. 
Stop after  high  speed  driving. 
Idle for long periods in traffic. 
Tow a  trailer. 
5-12 
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        Page 193 of 338
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 
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        Page 235 of 338

Engine Coolant 
The following explains your cooling system and how  to 
add 
coolant when it  is  low.  If  you  have a problem  with 
engine  overheating,  see “Engine Overheating” in the 
Index. 
The proper co’olant  for your Pontiac  will: 
0 Give freezing protection down to -34°F (-37°C). 
0 Give boiling protection up  to 262°F (128 “C). 
0 Protect against rust and corrosion. 
Help keep the proper engine temperature. 
Let the warning Sights work as they should. 
What to Use 
Use a mixture of one-half clean water (preferably 
distilled) and one-half  antifreeze that meets 
“GM 
Specification 1825M,?’ which  won’t damage aluminum 
parts. You can also use a recycled coolant conforming  to 
GM specification 1825M with a complete coolant flush 
and refill. Use GM Engine Coolant Supplement (sealer) 
with 
any complete coolant flush and refill.  If  you use 
this  mixture, 
you don’t  need to add anything else. 
NOTICE: 
If you use an  improper coolant nrsix, yuur engine 
could overheat and be  badly damaged. The 
repair cast wouldn’t be mvmd by your 
warranty. T~o much water in the mix em freeze 
and crack the engine, radiabl; heater core  an’d 
other 
pa 
6-22 
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        Page 237 of 338
To Add  Coolant 
If you need more coolant, add the  proper mix at the 
coolant  recovery tank. 
Add  coolant  mix  at  the recovery  tank, but be careful  not 
to spill it. 
Radiator Pressure Cap 
NOTICE: 
Your  radiator  cap is a 15 psi (105 kPa) 
pressure-type  cap  and  must  be  tightly  installed  to 
prevent  coolant 
loss and  possible  engine  damage 
from  overheating.  Be  sure  the  arrows  on  the  cap 
line  up  with  the  overflow  tube  on  the  radiator 
filler neck. 
When you replace your  radiator pressure cap, an AC@ 
cap is recommended. 
Thermostat 
Engine coolant  temperature is controlled by a  thermostat 
in  the engine coolant  system. The thermostat  stops 
the 
flow of coolant  through  the  radiator until  the  coolant 
reaches  a  preset  temperature. 
When you replace your thermostat, an AC@ thermostat 
is  recommended. 
6-24 
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        Page 329 of 338

Drive Position.  Automatic  Transaxle ................ 2-21 
Driver  Information  Center 
........................ 2-66 
Driving 
On Grades. With  a Trailer .................. 4-35 
Driving  AtNight 
................................... 4-14 
City 
....................................... 4-19 
Defensive 
................................... 4-1 
Drunken 
.................................... 4-2 
Freeway 
.................................... 4-20 
In a  Blizzard ................................ 4-26 
In Foreign  Countries ........................... 6-6 
In the Rain .................................. 4-  16 
OnCurves 
................................... 4-9 
On  Hill and  Mountain  Roads 
................... 4-22 
On Snow and Ice ............................. 4-25 
Through  Deep Standing  Water .................. 2-17 
Winter 
..................................... 4-24 
With  a Trailer 
............................... 4-34 
Drunken  Driving 
................................ 4-2 
Electrical  Equipment,  Adding 
.......... 2-16, 3-18,  6-48 
Electronic  Climate Control 
........................ 3-4 
Automatic  Mode 
.............................. 3-4 
ManualMode 
................................ 3-5 
Electronic  Compass 
............................. 2-68 
Engine Accessory  Belt 
........................... 6- 11 
Engine Accessory  Belt,  Supercharged ............... 6- 12 
Engine  Coolant 
................................. 6-22 
Checking ................................... 6-23 
Engine  Coolant  Heater 
...................... 2-17, 6-15 
Adding 
.................................... 6-23 
Engine  Coolant  Temperature  Gage 
................. 2-56  Engine 
Coolant  Temperature  Warning  Light 
.......... 2-55 
Engine  Exhaust ................................ 2-28 
Engine  Identification 
............................ 6-48 
Engineoil 
.................................... 6-12 
Adding 
.................................... 6-13 
Additives 
................................... 6-15 
Checking 
................................... 6-13 
What  Kind to Use ............................ 6-14 
What  to do with  Used Oil 
...................... 6-16 
Whentochange 
............................. 6-15 
Engine  Overheating ............................. 5-12 
Engine,  Running  It  While You’re Parked 
............ 2-28 
Engine,  Starting 
................................ 2-15 
Engine,  Supercharged 
........................... 6-11 
Ethanol (In Fuel) ................................ 6-5 
Exhaust,  Engine ................................ 2-28 
Expectant  Mothers, Use of Safety  Belts ............. 1-22 
Extender,  Safety Belt ............................ 1-42 
Fabric  Cleaning 
............................... 6-41 
FillingYourTank 
................................ 6-7 
Fi 1 ter  Aircleaner 
................................. 6-16 
EngineOil .................................. 6-15 
Finishcare 
.................................... 6-44 
Finish  Damage ................................. 6-45 
First  Gear,  Automatic  Transaxle 
................... 2-21 
Fixed  Mast  Antenna 
............................. 3-20 
Flat  Tire,  Changing 
............................. 5-22 
Fog  Lamp 
Bulb Replacement ..................... 6-32 
Flashers,  Hazard  Warning ......................... 5-1 
FogLamps .................................... 2-39 
9-4 
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