1995 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE Owners Manual

When it’s Time for New Tires
One way to tell when it’s
time for new tires is to
check the treadwear
indicators, which will appear when your tires have
only 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) or
less
of tread remaining.
You need a new tire
if
You can see the indicators at three or more places
around the tire.
You can see cord or fabric showing through the tire’s
rubber.
The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut or snagged deep
enough to show cord or fabric.
The tire has a bump, bulge or split.
The tire has a puncture, cut, or other damage that
can’t be repaired well because of the size
or location
of the damage.
Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires you need, look at
the Tire-Loading Information label.
The tires installed on your vehicle when it was new had
a Tire Performance Criteria Specification (TPC Spec)
number on each tire’s sidewall. When you get new tires,
get ones with that same
TPC Spec number. That way,
your vehicle will continue to have tires that are designed
to give proper endurance, handling, speed rating,
traction, ride and other things during normal service on
your vehicle. If your tires have an all-season tread
design, the TPC number will
be followed by an “MS”
(for mud and snow).
If you ever replace your tires with those not having a
TPC Spec number, make sure they are the same size,
load range, speed rating and construction type (bias,
bias-belted or radial) as your original tires.
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Treadwear
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
The following information relates to the system
developed
by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety-Administration which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance.
(This
applies only to vehicles sold in the United States.) The
treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions
on a specified government test course. For
example, a tire graded
150 would wear one and a half
( 1 1/2) times as well on the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use, however, and
may depart significantly from the norm due to variations
in driving habits, service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.
Traction - A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest are: A, B,
and c. They represent the tire’s ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces
of asphalt and
concrete. A tire marked C may have poor traction
performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to this tire is based
on braking (straight-ahead) traction tests and does not
include cornering (turning) traction.
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Temperature - A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire’s resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions
on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause the
material
of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure.
The grade
C corresponds to a level of performance
which all passenger car tires must meet under the
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades
B and A represent higher levels of performance on the
laboratory test wheel than the minimum required by law.
Warning: The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation, or
excessive loading, either separately or in combination,
can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
These grades
are molded on the sidewalls of passenger
car tires.
While
the tires available as standard or optional
equipment on General Motors vehicles
may vary with
respect to these grades, all such tires meet General
Motors performance standards and have been approved
for use on General Motors vehicles. All passenger type
(P Metric) tires must conform to Federal safety
requirements in addition to these grades.
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
The wheels on your vehicle were aligned and balanced
carefully at
the factory to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
In most cases, you will not need to have your wheels
aligned again. However, if
you notice unusual tire wear
or your vehicle pulling one way or the other, the
alignment may need to be reset. If you notice your
vehicle vibrating when driving on a smooth road, your
wheels may need to be rebalanced.
Wheel Replacement
Replace any wheel that is bent, cracked, or badly rusted
or corroded.
If wheel nuts keep coming loose, the wheel,
wheel bolts, and wheel nuts should be replaced.
If the
wheel leaks air, replace it (except some aluminum
wheels, which can sometimes be repaired). See
your
Pontiac dealer if any of these conditions exist.
Your dealer will know the kind
of wheel you need.
Each new wheel should have the same load carrying
capacity, diameter, width, offset, and be mounted the
same way
as the one it replaces.
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If you need to replace any of your wheels, wheel bolts,
or wheel nuts, replace them only with new GM original
equipment parts. This way, you will be sure
to have the
right wheel, wheel bolts, and wheel nuts for your
Pontiac model.
NOTICE:
The wrong wheel can also cause problems with
bearing life, brake cooling, speedometer/odometer
calibration, headlamp aim, bumper height, vehicle
ground clearance, and tire or tire chain clearance
to the body and chassis. Used
Replacement Wheels
Tire Chains
NOTICE:
Use tire chains only where legal and only when
you must. Use only
SAE Class “S” type chains
that are the proper size for your tires. Install
them on the front tires and tighten them as
tightly as possible with the ends securely
fastened. Drive slowly and follow the chain
manufacturer’s instructions.
If you can hear the
chains contacting your vehicle, stop and retighten
them.
If the contact continues, slow down until it
stops. Driving too fast or spinning the wheeIs
with chains on will damage your vehicle.
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Appearance Care
Remember, cleaning products can be hazardous. Some
are toxic. Others can burst into flame if you strike a
match or get them on a hot part of the vehicle. Some are
dangerous if you breathe their fumes in a closed space.
When you use anything from
a container to clean your
Pontiac, be sure to follow the manufacturer’s warnings
and instructions. And always open your doors or
windows when you’re cleaning the inside.
Never use these to clean your vehicle:
Gasoline
0 Benzene
0 Naphtha
Carbon Tetrachloride
Acetone
Paint Thinner
Turpentine
Lacquer Thinner
Nail Polish Remover
They
can all be hazardous -- some more than
others
-- and they can all damage your vehicle, too.
Don’t use any of these unless this manual says you can.
In many uses, these will damage your vehicle:
Alcohol
Laundry Soap
Bleach
0 Reducing Agents
Cleaning the Inside of Your Pontiac
Use a vacuum cleaner often to get rid of dust and lo’ose
dirt. Wipe vinyl or leather with a clean, damp cloth.
Your Pontiac dealer has two
GM cleaners, a
solvent-type spot lifter and a foam-type powdered
cleaner. They will clean normal spots and stains very
well. Do not use them on
vinyl or leather.
Here are some cleaning tips:
Always read the instructions on the cleaner label.
Clean up stains as soon as you can -- before they set.
Use a clean cloth or sponge, and change to a clean area
Use solvent-type cleaners in a well-ventilated area
If a ring forms after spot cleaning, clean the entire
often. A soft brush may be used if stains are stubborn.
only.
If you use them, don’t saturate the stained area.
area immediately or it will set.
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Using Foam-Qpe Cleaner on Fabric
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Vacuum and brush the area to remove any loose dirt.
Always clean a whole trim panel or section. Mask
surrounding trim along stitch or welt lines.
Mix Multi-Purpose Powdered Cleaner following the
directions
on the container label.
Use suds only and apply with a clean sponge.
Don’t saturate the material.
Don’t rub it roughly.
As soon as you’ve cleaned the section, use a sponge
to remove the suds.
Rinse the section with a clean, wet sponge.
Wipe
off what’s left with a slightly damp paper towel
or cloth.
Then dry it immediately with a blow dryer or a heat
lamp.
NOTICE:
I Be careful. A blow dryer may scorch the fabric. I
Using Solvent-‘J[Srpe Cleaner on Fabric
First, see if you have to use solvent-type cleaner at all.
Some spots and stains will clean off better with just
water and mild soap.
If you need to use a solvent:
0 Gently scrape excess soil from the trim material with
a clean, dull knife or scraper. Use very little cleaner,
light pressure and clean cloths (preferably
cheesecloth). Cleaning should start at the outside of
the stain, “feathering” toward the center. Keep
changing
to a clean section of the cloth.
When you clean a stain from fabric, immediately dry
the area with a blow dryer to help prevent a cleaning
ring. (See the previous
NOTICE.)
Special Cleaning Problems
Greasy or Oily Stains
Such as grease, oil, butter, margarine, shoe polish,
coffee with cream, chewing gum, cosmetic creams,
vegetable oils, wax crayon, tar and asphalt.
0 Carefully scrape off excess stain.
0 Follow the solvent-type instructions described
earlier,
0 Wipe with a clean cloth.
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0 Shoe polish, wax crayon, tar and asphalt will stain if
left
on a vehicle seat fabric. They should be removed
as soon
as possible. Be careful, because the cleaner
will dissolve them and may cause them
to spread.
Non-Greasy Stains
Such as catsup, coffee (black), egg, fruit, fruit juice,
milk, soft drinks, wine, vomit, urine and blood.
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Carefully scrape off excess stain, then sponge the
soiled area with
cool water.
If a stain remains, follow the foam-type instructions
described earlier.
If an odor lingers after cleaning vomit or urine,
treat the area with
a waterhaking soda solution:
1 teaspoon (5 nil) of baking soda to 1 cup (250 1111)
of lukewarm water.
If needed, clean lightly with solvent-type cleaner.
Combination Stains
Such as candy, ice cream, mayonnaise, chili sauce and
unknown stains.
Carefully scrape off excess stain, then clean with
cool water and allow
to dry.
If a stain remains, clean it with solvent-type cleaner.
Cleaning Vinyl
Use warm water and a clean cloth.
Rub with a clean, damp cloth to remove dirt. YOLI
may have to do it more than once.
0 Things like tar, asphalt and shoe polish will stain if
you don’t get them off quickly. Use a clean cloth and
a GM VinyULeather Cleaner or equivalent product.
Cleaning Leather
Use a soft cloth with lukewarm water and a mild soap or
saddle soap.
0 For stubborn stains, use a GM Vinyl/Leather Cleaner
or equivalent product.
0 Never use oils, varnishes, solvent-based or abrasive
cleaners, furniture polish or
shoe polish on leather.
Soiled leather should be cleaned inmediately. If dirt
is allowed to work into finish, it can harm the leather,
Cleaning the Top of the Instrument Panel
Use only mild soap and water to clean the top surfaces
of the instrument panel. Sprays containing silicones or
waxes may cause annoying reflections in the windshield
and even make it difficult
to see through the windshield
under certain conditions.
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Care of Safety Belts
Keep belts clean and dry.
Glass
Glass should be cleaned often. GM Glass Cleaner (GM
Part No. 1050427) or a liquid household glass cleaner
will remove normal tobacco smoke and dust films.
Don’t use abrasive cleaners on glass, because they may
cause scratches. Avoid placing decals on the inside rear
window, since they may have to be scraped
off later. If
abrasive cleaners are used on the inside of the rear
window, an electric defogger element may be damaged.
Any temparary license should not be attached across the
defogger grid.
Cleaning the Outside of the
Windshield and Wiper Blades
If the windshield is not clear after using the windshield
washer, or if the wiper blade chatters when running, wax
or other material may be
on the blade or windshield.
Clean the outside of the windshield with
GM
Windshield Cleaner, Bon-Ami Powder@ (GM Part
No. 1050011). The windshield is clean if beads do not
form when you rinse it with water.
Clean the blade by wiping vigorously with a cloth
soaked in full strength windshield washer solvent. Then
rinse the blade with water.
Wiper blades should be checked on a regular basis and
replaced when worn.
Weatherstrips
Silicone grease on weatherstrips will make them last
longer, seal better, and not stick or squeak. Apply
silicone grease with a clean cloth at least every
six
months. During very cold, damp weather more frequent
application may be required. (See “Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants” in the Index.)
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