
Vehicle Symbols 
These are some of the  symbols  you may find on your  vehicle. 
For example, 
these symbols 
are  used  on 
an 
original  battery: 
POSSIBLE A 
CAUTION 
INJURY 
PROTECT  EYES  BY 
SHIELDING 
CAUSTIC 
ACID  COULD  BATTERY 
CAUSE 
BURNS 
AVOID 
SPARKS 
OR 
FLAMES 
SPARK 
OR ,\I/, 
COULD  FLAME 
EXPLODE  BAllERY 
These  symbols are 
important 
for  you and 
your  passengers 
whenever  your 
vehicle 
is 
driven: 
DOOR LOCK 
UNLOCK 
FASTEN  SEAT 
4 
BELTS 
POWER 
WINDNOW 
These  symbols 
have 
to do  with 
your lights: 
SIGNALS 9 
TURN 
HIGH 
LAMPSoR BEAM = =o 
FOG  LAMPS $0 
These  symbols 
are  on  some  of 
your  controls: 
WIPER w 
WINDsHIELDw DEFROSTER 
WINDOW 
DEFOGGER 
VENTILATING 
4 1 
FAN CI 
These  symbols  are  used  on 
warning 
and 
indicator  lights: 
COOLANT Fe 
TEMP -- 
ENGINE 
CHARGING 
I-1 
BATTERY  SYSTEM 
BRAKE 
(0) 
RADIATOR COOLANT 
a 
FUEL @ 
ENGINE OIL 
PRESSURE Wb 
TEMP  OIL 45 
ANTI-LOCK (@) 
BRAKE 
Here  are  some 
other  symbols 
you may  see: 
FUSE 
RADIO 
VOLUME 
CONDITIONING 
AIR 43 
TRUNK 
RELEASE 
t 
LIGHTER n 
SPEAKER 
V ProCarManuals.com 

Safety  Belts:  They’re  for  Everyone 
This part of the  manual  tells you  how  to use  safety  belts 
properly.  It  also tells  you  some things  you  should  not  do 
with  safety  belts. 
And 
it explains  the  Supplemental  Inflatable  Restraint,  or 
“air  bag”  system. 
Your  vehicle  has  a  light  that  comes  on as a  reminder  to 
buckle 
up. (See  “Safety  Belt Reminder  Light’’  in  the  Index.) 
In many states and Canadian  provinces, the law says to 
wear  safety  belts.  Here’s  why: They work. 
You never  know  if you’ll be in  a  crash. If you  do have  a 
crash,  you don’t  know 
if it will be a bad one. 
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so serious 
that  even  buckled up  a person  wouldn’t  survive.  But most 
crashes  are 
in between.  In many  of  them, people  who 
buckle  up  can  survive and sometimes  walk  away. 
Without 
belts  they could have been  badly  hurt or killed. 
After  more  than 
25 years  of  safety  belts  in vehicles,  the facts 
are clear. In most crashes buckling up does matter ... a lot! 
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There is an air bag 
readiness light 
on the 
instrument panel, which 
shows INFLfXTABLE 
RESTRAINT. 
The  system checks  the  air bag’s electrical system  for 
malfunctions.  The light  tells 
you if there is an electrical 
problem. 
See “Air Bag Readiness  Light”  in  the  Index 
for  more  information. 
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If you don’t cancel the security  lock feature, adults or 
older  children  who ride in the  rear  won’t  be able  to open 
the  rear  door  from  the inside.  You should  let adults  and 
older  children  know 
how these security  locks work,  and 
how  to cancel  the locks. 
To cancel  the  rear door  lock: 
1. Unlock  the  door  from  the  inside and  open  the door 
from  the  outside. 
2. Move  the lever  all  the way  down. 
3. Do the same  for the  other rear door. 
The  rear  door  locks  will 
now work normally. 
Glove Box 
Use the door  key to lock  and  unlock  the glove  box. To 
open,  lift the  latch  release on the left side of the  glove 
box door. 
Theft 
Vehicle  theft  is big  business,  especially  in some cities. 
Although  your  Pontiac has a  number  of  theft deterrent 
features, we  know  that  nothing  we put on 
it can make  it 
impossible  to steal.  However,  there are  ways 
you can 
help. 
Key in the Ignition 
If you  walk  away  from your vehicle  with  the  keys 
inside,  it’s  an  easy  target  for  joy riders or professional 
thieves 
-- so don’t  do it. 
When  you  park  your  Pontiac and open  the driver’s  door, 
you’ll  hear 
a tone reminding  you to remove your key 
from  the ignition  and 
take it with you. Always  do this. 
Your  steering  wheel  will  be  locked, and 
so will your 
ignition  and  transaxle.  And  remember 
to lock the doors. 
Parking at Night 
Park in a lighted  spot,  close all windows  and lock  your 
vehicle. Remember to keep your valuables out of sight. 
Put them  in a storage  area,  or  take them  with you. 
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Parking Lots 
If  you  park in a lot where someone will be watching 
your  vehicle, it’s best  to  lock  it up and take your keys. 
But  what  if  you have to leave your ignition key?  What if 
you have to leave something valuable  in your  vehicle? 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Put your  valuables in a storage area, like  your  trunk 
or glove box. 
Lock  the glove  box. 
Lock  all  the doors  except the driver’s. 
Then take the door key with you. 
Universal  Theft  Deterrent (Option) 
If  your  Pontiac  has this option,  it has  a theft deterrent 
alarm system. With this system, the 
SECURITY light 
will  flash  as  you  open the 
door (if  your  ignition  is off). 
This light reminds  you to activate the theft deterrent 
system  when leaving your vehicle. 
Activating the system: 
1. Open the  door. 
2. Lock the door with the power door  lock switch or 
Remote Keyless  Entry transmitter.  The SECURITY 
light should 
come on and stay on. 
3. Close all doors.  The SECURITY light  should go off 
after about 30 seconds and the system will then be 
armed. 
If  the SECURITY light  comes on for one minute and 
then shuts 
off while the ignition  is on,  the  security 
system has detected  a problem  with itself.  See your 
dealer  for service. 
If  a door  or  the  trunk is opened  without  the key or 
Remote Keyless Entry transmitter, the alarm  will 
go off. 
It will also go off if the trunk  lock is damaged.  Your 
vehicle’s  lamps will flash  and the horn  will sound  for 
three minutes, then will  go 
off to save battery  power. 
Remember,  the theft deterrent system won’t activate 
if 
you  lock the doors with  a key  or manual door lock.  It 
activates only  if  you 
use a  power door lock switch or 
Remote Keyless Entry transmitter. 
Avoid  setting 
off the alarm  by accident. 
If you  don’t want to activate the theft deterrent system, 
the  vehicle should be locked 
after the doors are closed. 
Always unlock 
a door with  a  key, or use the Remote 
Keyless Entry System  transmitter. 
Unbckirrg a door my 
other way will set  off the alarm. 
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during this time, the vehicle  will not start. This 
discourages  someone from randomly trying different 
keys  with different resistor pellets in  an attempt to make 
a  match. 
The  ignition key  must  be clean and 
dry before it’s 
inserted in  the ignition or  the engine may  not start.  If the 
engine  does not start and the SECURITY light  is on, the 
key  may  be  dirty  or wet. Turn the ignition 
off. 
Clean and dry the  key.  Wait  about three minutes and  try 
again. The  security light may remain  on during this 
time.  If the 
starter still  won’t  work,  and the key appears 
to  be  clean  and 
dry, wait  about three minutes and try 
another ignition  key.  At this time,  you  may also want to 
check the fuse (see  “Fuses and Circuit  Breakers” in the 
Index). If the starter  won’t work.with  the other key,  your 
vehicle  needs service.  If your vehicle  does start, the first 
ignition  key  may  be  faulty. 
See your Pontiac dealer  or a 
locksmith  who can service  the PASS-Key@II.  If 
you accidentally use  a key  that has 
a damaged  or 
missing resistor pellet,  the starter  won’t  work  and  the 
SECURITY  light will flash. But  you don’t have to  wait 
three minutes before trying another ignition  key. 
See  your  Pontiac dealer  or a  locksmith  who can service 
the  PASS-Key’II  to have 
a new  key made. 
If  you’re 
ever driving and  the SECURITY light comes 
on  and  remains on,  you will  be able to restart  your 
engine  if  you 
turn it off. Your PASS-K~Y~I system, 
however,  is not working properly  and must be serviced 
by  your  Pontiac  dealer.  Your  vehicle  is not  protected  by 
the  PASS-Key%  system. 
If  you  lose or  damage  a PASS-Key(%  ignition key, see 
your Pontiac dealer or  a locksmith who can service 
PASS-Key@II to have  a new  key made. In an 
emergency,  call the Pontiac  Roadside Assistance 
Program at 
1 -800-ROADSID& or 1-800-762-3743. 
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Ignition Switch 
With  the ignition key in the ignition switch,  you  can turn 
the switch to five  positions. 
ACCESSORY (A): An ON position  in which  you can 
operate your electrical power  accessories.  Press in the 
igniti’on switch as you turn the top of it toward you. 
LOCK (B): The only position  in which you can remove 
the key, This locks  your steering wheel,  ignition  and 
transaxle. 
OFF (e): Unlocks the steering wheel, ignition, and 
transaxle, but  does  not send  electrical power to any 
accessories. 
Use this position if your  vehicle me be 
pushed  or towed, but never try to push-start  your 
vehicle. 
A warning cbime will sound  if you open the 
driver’s  door when  the  ignition 
is off and the key is in 
the ignition. 
RUN 0): An ON position  to  which the switch returns 
after you start your  engine and release the switch. The 
switch stays  in the RUN position when the engine  is 
running. But  even  when the engine  is  not running, you 
accessories, 
and to  display some instrument  panel 
warning  lights. 
§TART (E): Starts the engine. When the  engine  starts, 
release  de key.  The ignition switch will return  to 
RUN 
for normal driving. 
Note  that  even if 
the engine is not running,  the positions 
ACCESSORY and RUN are ON positions  that allow 
you  to operate 
yom electrical accessories, such as the 
radio. 
Key Reminder Warning: If you  leave  your key in the 
ignition, in the OFF position, you will  hear  a  warning 
tone  when  you  open  the  driver’s door. 
CEUl Use Rm to QPe3Tit.e yOlar &C!T’kd power 
2-14 ProCarManuals.com 

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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