1995 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE Owners Manual

Your anti-lock brakes improve your ability to make a
hard stop on a slippery road. Even though you have the
anti-lock braking system, you’ll want to begin stopping
sooner than you would on dry pavement. See
“Anti-Lock” in the Index.
Allow greater following distance on any slippery
road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be fine
until you hit
a spot that’s covered with ice. On an
otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in
shaded areas where the sun can’t reach: around
clumps
of trees, behind buildings, or under bridges.
Sometimes the surface
of a curve or an overpass may
remain icy when the surrounding roads are clear. If
you see a patch of ice ahead of you, brake before you
are on it. Try not to brake while you’re actually on
the ice, and avoid sudden steering maneuvers.
If You’re Caught in a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a
serious situation. You should probably stay with your
vehicle
unless you know for sure that you are near help
and you can hike through the snow. Here
are some
things to
do to summon help and keep yourself and your
passengers safe: Turn on your hazard flashers. Tie a red
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clo'th to your vehicle to alert police that you've been
stopped by the snow. 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
to
restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on
with your headlamps. Let the heater run for awhile.
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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 wm, you can get
out of the vehlcle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or
so until help comes.
Loading Your Vehicle
d OCCUPANTS VEHICLE CAP. WT.
FRT. CTR. RR. TOTAL LBS. KG
TIRE-LOADING INFORMATION
MAX.
LOADING & GVWR SAME AS VEHICLE
CAPACITY WEIGHT XXX COLD TIRE
TIRE SIZE SPEED PRESSURE
RTG
PSI/KPa
FRT.
RR.
SPA.
IF TIRES ARE HOT, ADD 4PS1/28KRa
SEE OWNER‘S MANUAL FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATiON
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.
MFD BY GENERAL MOTORS CORP
DATE GVWR GAWR FRT GAWR RR
THIS VEHICLE CONFORMS TO ALL APPLI-
CABLE U.S. FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE
SAFETY,
BUMPER, AND THEFT PREVENTION
STANDARDS
IN EFFECT ON THE DATE OF
MANUFACTURE SHOWN ABOVE.
The other label is the Certification label, found on the
rear edge
of the driver’s door. It tells you the gross
weight capacity
of your vehicle, called the GVWR
(Gross Vehicle Weight Rating). The GVWR includes the
weight of the vehicle,
all occupants, fuel and cargo.
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Never exceed the GVWR for your vehicle, or the Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for either the front or rear
axle.
And, if you do have a heavy load, you should spread it
out. Don’t carry more than 176 lbs. (80 kg) in your trunk.
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Towing a Trailer
I 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 part, and see your Pontiac
dealer for important information about towing
a
trailer with your vehicle.
Your vehicle can tow a trailer if it is equipped with the
SE package and proper trailer towing equipment. Do not
tow a trailer with the SSE package. To identify what the
vehcle tmilering 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 part. 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 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.
0
0
0
Don’t tow a trailer at all during the first 1000 miles
(1 600 km) your new vehicle is driven. Your engine,
axle or other parts could be damaged.
Then, during the first
500 miles (808 km) that you
tow
a trailer, don’t drive over 50 mph (80 kmk) and
don’t make starts at
full throttle. This helps your
engine and other parts
of your vehicle wear in at the
heavier loads.
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
L1H 8P7
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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, the trailer tongue
(A) should weigh 10% of the total loaded trailer weight
(B). If you have a “weight-distributing” hitch, the tmik
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
recommended pressure 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, including the weight
of the trailer
tongue.
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Hitches Safety Chains
.. . ,.- ..
-$ ’. . .. .
It’s important to have the correct hitch equipment.
Crosswinds, large trucks going by, and rough roads are a
few reasons why you’ll nee’d the right hitch. Here are
some rules to follow:
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 later 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.
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.
The bumpers on your vehicle are not intended for
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 and do not attach them to the bumper. 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 brake
systems won’t work well, or
at all.
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