1995 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE Owners Manual

c
Towing Your Pontiac
12. Remove the cables in reverse order to prevent
electrical shorting. Take
care that they don't touch
each other or any other metal.
DEAD BAlTERY
Try to have a GM dealer or a professional towing service
tow
your Pontiac. The usual towing equipment is:
(A) Sling-type tow truck
(B) Wheel-lift
(C) Car carrier
5-6
ProCarManuals.com

If your vehicle has been changed or modified since it
was factory-new by adding aftermarket items like fog
lamps, aero skirting, or special tires and wheels, these
instructions and illustrations may not be correct.
Before you do anything, turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
When you call, tell the towing service:
0
0
0
0
0
That, if you have the SSE model, your vehicle
cannot be towed from the front with sling-type
equipment.
That your vehicle has front-wheel drive.
The make, model, and year
of your vehicle.
Whether
you can still move the shift lever.
If there was an accident, what was damaged.
When the towing service arrives, let the tow operator
know that this manual contains detailed towing
instructions and illustrations. The operator may want to
see them.
5-7
ProCarManuals.com

When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition key
off. The steering wheel should be clamped in a
straight-ahead position, with a clamping device
designed for towing service.
Do not use the vehicle’s
steering column
lock for this. The transaxle should be in
NEUTRAL (N) and the parking brake released.
Don’t have
your vehicle towed on the front wheels,
unless you must. If the vehicle must be towed on the
front wheels, don’t
go more than 35 mph (56 km/h) or
farther than
50 miles (80 km) or your transaxle will be
damaged.
If these limits must be exceeded, then the
front wheels have to be supported on a dolly.
ProCarManuals.com

Front Towing Hookups (Except SSE)
Before hooking up to a tow truck, be sure to read all the
information about “Towing Your Pontiac” earlier in
this
section.
Attach T-hook chains into the bottom slots in the cradle
behind the front wheels, on both sides.
Across sling chains, position a
4 x 4 wood beam against
the bottom
of the radiator support behind the front
bumper.
Attach a separate safety chain around the outboard end
of each control arm.
ProCarManuals.com

Front Towing Hookups (SSE Only)
Use wheel-lift or car carrier equipment. Additional
ramping may be required for the car carrier equipment.
Use safety chains and wheel straps.
NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or
fascidfog lamp damage
will occur. Towing a
vehicle over rough surfaces could damage
a
vehicle. Damage can occur from vehicle to
ground or vehicle to wheel-lift equipment. To
help avoid damage, install a towing dolly and
raise vehicle until adequate clearance is obtained
between the ground and/or wheel-lift equipment.
Do not attach winch cables or J-hooks to
suspension components when using car carrier
equipment. Always
use T-'hooks inserted in the
T-hook slots.
ProCarManuals.com

Rear Towing Hookups (All)
TOW LIMITS -- 55 MPH and 500 Miles
Attach T-hook chains in the slotted holes in the floor
pan support rails on both sides, just ahead
of the rear
wheels.
Position the lower sling crossbar directly under the rear
bumper.
Attach a separate safety chain around the outboard end
of each lower control arm.
c-11
ProCarManuals.com

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
ProCarManuals.com

If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try
this for a minute or so:
1. Turn off your air conditioner.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window as necessary.
3. If you’re in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while driving --
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (@) or DRIVE (D).
If y’ou no longer have the overheat warning, you can
drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about ten minutes.
If the warning doesn’t come back
on, you can drive
normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your
vehicle right away.
If there’s still
no sign of steam, you can idle the engine
for two or three minutes while you’re parked, to see if
the warning stops. But then, if you still have the
warning,
turn off the engine and get everyone out of the
vehicle until it cools down.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
Cooling System
When you decide it’s safe to lift the hood, here’s what
you’ll see:
Coolant recovery tank
0 Radiator pressure cap
0 Electric engine fans
5-13
ProCarManuals.com