1995 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE Owners Manual

2. If it doesn’t start right away, hold your key in
START for about three to five seconds at a time until
your engine starts. Wait about
15 seconds between
each try
to help avoid draining your battery.
3. If your engine still won’t start (or starts but then
stops), it could be flooded with
too much gasoline.
Try pushing
your accelerator pedal all the way to the
floor and holding it there as you hold
the key in
START for about three seconds. If the vehicle starts
briefly but then stops again, do
the same thing, but
this
time keep the pedal down far five or six seconds.
This clears the extra gasoline €rom the engine. After
waiting about 15 seconds, repeat the nod starting
procedure.
NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work wkh the
electronics
in your vehicle. If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the way
the fuel injection system operates. Before adding
electrical equipment, check with your dealer.
If
you don’t, your engine might not perform
properly.
If you everhave to have your vehicle towed, see
the part of this manual that tells how to do it
without damaging your vehicle. See “Towing
Your Vehicle” in the lndex.
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Driving Through Deep Standing Water
NOTICE:
If you drive too quickly through deep puddles or
standing water, water can come in through your
engine's air intake and badly damage your
engine. Never drive through water that is slightly
lower than the underbody
of your vehicle. If you
can't avoid deep puddles
or standing water, drive
through them very slowly.
Engine Coolant Heater (Option)
In very cold weather, 0°F (- 18 "C) or colder, the engine
coolant heater can help.
You'll get easier starting and
better fuel economy during engine warm-up.
Usually,
the coolant heater should be plugged in a minimum of
four hours prior
to starting your vehicle.
To use the coolant heater:
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-volt outlet.
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1 NOTICE:
After you’ve used the coolant heater, be sure to
store the cord
as it was before to keep it away
from moving engine parts. If you don’t, it could
be damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends on the weather, the kind
of oil
you have, and some other things. Instead of trying to list
everything here, we ask that you contact your Pontiac
dealer in the area where you’ll be parking your vehicle.
The dealer can give
you the best advice for that
particular area.
Shifting the Automatic Transaxle
Your automatic transaxle may have a shift lever located
on the console betwe’en the seats
or on the steering
column.
There are several different positions for your shift lever.
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PARK (P): This locks your front wheels. It’s the best
position to use when
you start your engine because your
vehicle can’t move easily. Ensure the shift lever is fully in
PARK (P) range before
starting the engine. Your Pontiac has a brake-transaxle
shift interlock.
You have to fully apply your regular
brakes before you can shift from PARK when the ignition
key is in the
ON position. If you cannot shift out of
PARK (P), ease pressure
on the shift lever -- push t2ze
shift lever all the way into PARK and also release the
shift lever button on floor
shift console models as you
maintain brake application. Then move the shift lever
into the gear you wish. (Press the shift lever button before \
moving the shift lever on floor shift console models.) See
“Shifting Out of PARK (P)” later
in this section.
REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.
NOTICE:
Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle is
moving forward could damage your transaxle.
Shift to REVERSE
(R) only after your vehicle is
stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice or sand without damaging your transaxle, see “If
You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow” in the Index.
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NEUTRAL (N): In this position, your engine doesn’t
connect with the wheels.
To restart when you’re already
moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only. Also, use NEUTRAL
(N) when your vehicle is being towed.
I NOTICE: I
Damage to your transaxle caused by shifting out
of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) with the engine
racing isn’t
covered by your warranty.
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (@): This position is for
normal driving.
If you need more power for passing, and
you’re:
- Going less than about 35 mph (56 km/h), push your
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
- Going about 35 mph (56 lun/h) or more, push the
accelerator all the way down.
You’ll shift down to the next gear and have more
power.
I NOTICE:
If your vehicle seems to start up rather slowly, or
if it seems not to shift gears as you go faster,
something may
be wrong with a transaxle system
sensor.
If you drive very far that way, your
vehicle can be damaged.
So, if this happens, have
your vehicle serviced right away. Until then, you
can use
SECOND (2) when you are driving less
than 35 mph (56 kmh) and @ for higher speeds.
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DRIVE (D): This is like @, but you never go into
OVERDRIVE.
Here are some times you might choose DRIVE (D)
instead of
a:
- When driving on hilly, winding roads
- When towing a trailer, so there is less shifting
between gears
- When going down a steep hill
SECOND (2): This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy. You can
use SECOND (2) on hills.
It can help control your speed as you go down steep
mountain roads, but then you would also want to use
your brakes off and on.
NOTICE:
Don’t drive in SECOND (2) for more than 5
miles (8 km), or at speeds over 55 mph (88 km/h),
or you can damage your transaxle. Use
@ or
DRIVE (D) as much as possible.
Don’t shift into SECOND
(2) unless you are going
slower than
65 mph (105 kd), or you can
damage your engine. FIRST
(1): This
position gives you even more power
(but lower fuel economy) than SECOND
(2). You can
use it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud.
If the
selector lever is put in FIRST (l), the transaxle won’t
shift into first gear until
the vehicle is going slowly
enough.
NOTICE:
If your front wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might happen
if you were stuck in
very deep sand or mud or were up against
a solid
object. You could damage your transaxle.
Also,
if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold
your vehicle there with only the accelerator
pedal. This could overheat and damage the
transaxle. Use your brakes or shift into PARK (P)
to hold your vehicle in position on a hill.
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Performance Shifting (Option)
Press PERFORM SHIFT to allow the transaxle to shift
at higher engine speeds, increasing acceleration
performance. An indicator light on
the switch will glow
when performance shifting is in operation.
Downshifts will occur at a lower percentage of
accelerator application while you’re in the
PERFORM
SHIFT mode.
Press NORMAL
SHIFT to have the transaxle shift at
lower engine speeds, increasing fuel economy. An
indicator light on the switch will glow when normal
shifting
is in operation.
Computer Command Ride (Option)
Vehicles equipped with COMPUTER COMMAND
RIDE provide improved passenger ride comfort under a
variety of road and driving conditions.
For normal driving conditions, press the
TOURING
RIDE button to get a more refined comfortable ride.
When driving conditions require improved handling,
press the
PERFORM RIDE button to get a firm ride.
This mode minimizes how much the passenger
compartment leans in turns, and decreases the
up-and-down motion
of the front and rear of the vehicle
during acceleration or braking.
Note that even in the TOURING RIDE mode, the
system will adjust to rapid cornering, acceleration or
braking.
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Parking Brake
A
To set the parking brake, hold the regular brake pedal
down with your right foot. Push down the parking brake
pedal with your left foot.
If the ignition is on, the brake
system warning light will come on.
If you start to drive away with the parking brake set, a
chime
will sound after the vehicle has traveled 46 feet
(14 meters). To
release the parking brake, use the
PUSH TO
RELEASE park brake pedal. Hold the regular brake
pedal down with your right foot and push
the park brake
pedal with your left foot. This will unlock the pedal.
When you lift your left foot, the park brake pedal
will
follow it to the release position.
If you try to drive away with the parking brake on, the
brake light stays on and a chime sounds until you
release
the parking brake or recycle the ignition.
I NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake,on can cause
your rear brakes to overheat. You may have to
replace them, and you could also damage other
parts
of your vehicle.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking. on any hill,
see “Towing a Trailer” in the Index. That section shows
what to do first to keep the trailer
from moving.
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