
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
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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
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Inside Manual Rearview Mirror Automatic Rearview Mirror
When
you are sitting in a comfortable driving position,
adjust the mirror
so you can see clearly behind your car.
Grip the mirror in the center to move it up or down and
side to side. The day-night adjustment allows you to
adjust the mirror to avoid glare from the lights behind
you. Pull the tab forward for daytime use. Push it back
for night use. The
mirror automatically changes to reduce glare when
set
in the ON position. One photocell on the back of the
mirror senses when it is becoming
dark outside. Another
photocell is built into the mirror surface
to sense
headlamps behind you.
The mirror will darken gradually
to reduce glare. This
change may
take a few moments.
Pressing the switch on the bottom of the
mirror turns off
the dayhight function. The mirror will stay in the day
setting.
To keep the photocells operating well, occasionally
clean them with a cotton swab
and glass cleaner.
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The Instrument Panel -- Your
Information System
Your instrument panel is designed to let you know at a
glance how your vehicle is running. You’ll know how
fast you’re going, how much fuel you’re using, and
many other things you’ll need to drive safely and
economically.
Instrument Panel Clusters
Your Pontiac is equipped with one of these instrument
panel clusters, which includes indicator warning lights
and gages that are explained on the following pages. Be
sure to read about those
that apply to the instrument
panel cluster for your vehicle.
Cluster with Gages Cluster
with Compass and Gages
I
I
Cluster with Compass and Boost Gage
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Tachometer (Option) Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
Warning
lights and gages can signal that something is
wrong before it becomes serious enough to cause an
expensive repair or replacement. Paying attention to
your warning lights and gages could also save
you or
others from injury.
Warning lights come on when there may be or is a
will see in the details on the next few pages, some
warning lights come on briefly when you
start the
engine just to let you know they’re working.
If you are
familiar with this section, you should not be alarmed
when this happens.
Gages can indicate when there may
be or is a problem
with one of your vehicle’s functions. Often gages and
30 problem with one of your vehicle’s functions. As you
The tachometer shows your engine speed in revolutions warning lights
work together to let you know when
per minute
(rpm). Do not run your engine at speeds in there’s a problem
with your vehicle.
the red area. When one
of the warning lights comes on and stays on
when you are driving, or when one of the gages shows
there may be a problem, check the section that tells you
what
to do about it. Please follow this manual’s advice.
Waiting to
do repairs can be costly -- and even
dangerous.
So please get to know your warning lights
and gages. They’re a big help.
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Boost Gage (Option)
Vehicles equipped with the supercharged engine have
this boost gage that indicates vacuum during light to
moderate throttle and boost under heavier throttle. The
gage displays the air pressure level in psi going into the
engine’s combustion chamber.
The gage is automatically centered at zero psi every
time the engine is started. Actual vacuum or
boost is
displayed from this zero point. Changes in ambient
pressure, such
as driving in mountains and changing
weather, will slightly change the zero reading.
Driver Information Center
) (-) INFORMATION
DRIVER
CHECK OIL LEVEL
WASHER
FLUID
LOW COOLANT
CHECK QAQES
HOOD DOOR
TRUNK AJAR
MILES
888888
I /w
7
LAMP
MONITOR
HI EEAM HEAD
PARK LAMP
TURN SIQNAL
BACK
UP TAIL
BRAKE LAMP
If you have the Driver Information Center, it gives you
important safety and maintenance facts. When you turn
the ignition on, the entire center lights
up for a few
seconds. Then it goes to work.
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0 Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to pass
while you’re awaiting an opportunity. For one thing,
foIl’owing too closely reduces your area of vision,
especially if you’re following a larger vehicle, Also,
you won’t have adequate space if the vehicle ahead
suddenly slows
or stops. Keep back a reasonable
distance.
When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up,
start to accelerate but stay in the right lane and don’t
get too close. Time your move
so you will be
increasing speed as the time comes to move into the
other lane. If the way is clear to pass, you will have a
“running start” that more than makes up for the
distance you would lose
by dropping back. And if
something happens to cause you to cancel your pass,
you need only slow down and drop back again and
wait for another opportunity.
If other cars are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait
your
turn. But take care that someone isn’t trying to
pass
you as you pull out to pass the slow vehicle.
Remember to glance over your shoulder and check
the blind spot.
0 Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and
start your left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough
ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front in your
inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal
and move back into the right lane. (Remember that
your right outside mirror
is convex. The vehicle you
just passed may seem to be farther away from you
than it really is.)
0 Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on
two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the next
vehicle.
0 Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lights
are not flashing, it may
be slowing down or starting to turn.
0 If you’re being passed, make it easy for the
following driver
to get ahead of you. Perhaps you
can ease a little to the right.
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Night Vision
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as
we get older these differences increase. A 50-year-old
driver may require at least twice as much light to see
the
same thing at night as a 20-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also affect your night
vision. For example, if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you
are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes will
have less trouble adjusting
to night. But if you’re
driving, don’t wear sunglasses at night. They may cut
down on glare from headlamps, but they also make a lot
of things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching lights. It
can take a second
or two, or even several seconds, €or
your eyes to readjust to the dark. When you are faced
with severe glare (as from
a driver who doesn’t lower
the high beams, or a vehicle with misaimed headlamps),
slow down a little. Avoid staring directly into the
approaching
lights.
Keep your windshield and all the glass on your vehicle
clean
-- inside and out. Glare at night is made much
worse by dirt on the
glass. Even the inside of the glass
can build up a film caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and flash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that your headlamps light up far less
of a
roadway when you
are in a turn or curve. Keep your
eyes moving; that way, it’s easier to pick out dimly
lighted objects. Just as your headlamps should be
checked regularly for proper aim,
so should your eyes
be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from night
blindness
-- the inability to see in dim light -- and
aren’t even aware of it.
..
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