Page 114 of 338

Fuel  Gage 
Your fuel gage tells you about  how much  fuel you have 
left, when  the ignition is on. When the gage reads  in the 
yellow band,  a warning chime  will sound and the 
CHECK GAGES warning  light will go on, if you have 
this option. 
Here are five things that  some owners ask about.  None 
of  these  show 
a problem  with your  fuel gage: 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
At the service station, the gas pump shuts off before 
the gage  reads full. 
It  takes  a  little more  or  less  fuel  to 
fill up than the 
gage indicated. For example, the  gage may have 
indicated the  tank was half  full,  but it actually took a 
little more  or less than  half the tank's  capacity  to fill 
the tank. 
The gage moves  a little when 
you turn  a corner, 
speed  up, or make  a  hard  stop. 
The  gage doesn't  go  back  to empty when you turn 
off 
the ignition. 
If you  have the large span (220") gage, the needle 
moves more  for 
a given amount  of fuel.  This does 
not indicate excessive  fuel consumption, and  is 
normal. 
Voltmeter (Option) 
You  may  have  a  voltmeter 
unless  you have the 
supercharged engine. 
When the engine  is not running, the gage shows  the 
condition 
of the  charging system. Readings outside the 
red  warning  zone indicate the normal operating range. 
Readings in  the red warning zone indicate  a possible 
problem in  the electrical system.  The 
CHECK GAGES 
light will also come on, and a warning chime will sound. 
Have  your vehicle serviced immediately. 
When your engine  is not  running,  but  the ignition  is on 
(in the RUN position), 
the gage shows your battery's 
state  of charge in 
DC volts. 
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        Page 171 of 338

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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        Page 173 of 338

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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        Page 220 of 338
Fuel Door Lock (Option) 
On a model equipped  with  the  Theft-Deterrent  System, 
the fuel  door is locked  and  unlocked  together  with  the 
power  door  locks. Therefore, to  unlock  the fuel filler 
door, you may  use  the  outside door  key  lock,  the  inside 
power 
door lock  button,  or the  Remote  Keyless  Entry 
key  chain  transmitter.  To  unlock 
the fuel  door,  unlock  all 
doors. 
If the  Remote  Keyless  Entry  Transmitter  is used, 
the  unlock  button  must  be  pressed  twice. 
While refueling,  hang 
the cap inside the fuel door. 
The cap 1s: behind  a  hinged  door on the left side of your TO take off the cap, turn it slowly  to the left 
vehicle.  (counterclockwise). 
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        Page 221 of 338
When  you put the cap back on, turn it to the right until 
you hear at least three clicks. 
I NOTICE: 
If you need a new  cap,  be  sure  to  get  the  right 
type.  Your  dealer 
can get  one for you. If you get 
the  wrong  type,  it  may  not  fit or  have  proper 
venting,  and  your 
fuel tank  and  emissions  system 
might  be  damaged. 
6-8 
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        Page 226 of 338

It’s a good idea to check your engine oil every time  you 
get  fuel. 
In order to get  an accurate reading, the  oil must 
be 
warm and  the vehicle must be on  level ground. 
~ The engine oil dipstick 
is directly behind the 
i engine fan area. 
Turn 
off the engine and  give the oil  a few  minutes  to 
drain back into  the oil pan.  If  you  don’t,  the oil dipstick 
might not  show the actual level. 
To Check Engine Oil 
Pull out the dipstick and clean it  with  a paper towel  or 
cloth, then push  it back in all the  way. Remove  it again, 
keeping 
the tip down, and check the level. 
When to  Add Oil 
If  the oil  is at or  below the ADD line, then you’ll  need 
to add some oil. But  you must use the right  kind. This 
part explains what kind  of oil  to  use. 
For crankcase 
capacity,  see “Capacities and Specifications”  in the 
Index. 
t 
I NOTICE: 
Don’t  add  too  much  oil. If your  engine  has so 
much  oil  that  the  oil  level  gets  above  the 
cross-hatched  area  that  shows  the  proper 
operating  range,  your  engine  could  be  damaged. 
Just fill  it enough to put  the  level  somewhere  in  the 
proper operating range.  Push the dipstick 
all the way 
back in when you’re through. 
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        Page 247 of 338

Inflation - Tire Pressure 
The Tire-Loading  Information label which is  on the rear 
edge 
of the driver’s door shows the correct inflation 
pressures  for your tires,  when  they’re  cold. 
“Cold” 
means  your  vehicle has been sitting for at  least three 
hours or driven  no more  than a mile. 
NOTICE: 
Don’t  let anyone  tell you  that  un’derinflation or 
overinflation is all right.  It’s  not. If your tires 
don’t 
have enough  air (underinflation]  you can 
get: 
0 Too much flexing ’ i . ’:+?,,% 
Too much heat 
Tire overloading 
Bad  wear 
Bad handling 
Bad  fuel  economy. 
. . . .> .’“’ 
NOTICE: (Continued) 
NOTICE:  (Continued) 
If’ your tires have too much air (overinflation), 
you  can get: 
Unusual wear 
Bad  handling 
0 Rough  ride 
Needless  damage from  road  hazards. 
When to Check 
Check your tires once  a month  or more. 
Don’t  forget  your compact spare tire.  It should be  at 
60 psi (420 Pa). 
How to Check 
Use a good  quality pocket-type  gage to check tire 
pressure.  Simply looking  at the tires will not tell you the 
pressure, especially  if  you have radial tires 
-- which 
may  look properly inflated  even if they’re underinflated. 
If  your tires have valve caps,  be  sure to put them  back 
on.  They help prevent leaks  by keeping 
out dirt and 
moisture. 
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        Page 268 of 338

Capacities  and  Specifications for Engine  Code K (L36) and  Code 1 (L67) 
Automatic  Transaxle AT 4T60E  (Overdrive) 
When  draining or replacing  torque convertec  more  fluid may be needed. 
Pan  Removal  and  Replacement .............................. 6 1/2 quarts 6.00 L 
After Complete  Overhaul ..................................... 11 quarts 10.50 L 
Coolingsystem .............................................. 13 quarts 12.00 L 
Air  Conditioning  Refrigerant  (R134a) ........................... See  refrigerant  charge  label  under  hood. 
............................... 
4.75 L 
Not all air conditioning refrigerants  are the same. If the air conditioning system  in your  vehicle  needs refrigerant, be  sure the 
proper  refrigerant  is used. 
If you’re  not sure, ask your  Pontiac  dealel:  For additional  information see  your “Warranty  and 
Owner  Assistance  Information 
” booklet. 
Enginecrankcase ........................................... 5 quarts 
Fuel Tank ................. 18 gallons 
Power Steering 
Oil change with  filter change. 
Pump Only ..... ................. 1 pint 0.50 L 
Complete  System ........................................... 1 11’2 pints 0.75 L 
68.00 L 
Tire Pressures,  Sizes .......................................... See  Tire-Loading  Information  label on 
Wheel Nut  Torque ... 100 lb-ft 
driver’s 
door. ,.. ... (140 Nam) 
NOTE: All  capacities  are  approximate.  When  adding,  be sure  to fill  to the  appropriate  level,  as  recommended  in  this manual. 
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