
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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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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Windshield  Washer 
At the top  of  the turn  signal/multifunction  lever  there’s  a 
paddle  with  the word 
PUSH on it. To spray  washer  fluid 
on the  windshield,  push  the  paddle  for less  than  a 
second. The  wipers  will clear  the  window  and  there 
either  stop  or  return  to your  preset  speed.  For more 
washer  cycles,  push  and  hold the  paddle.  Remember, 
driving  without  washer  fluid can be dangerous. 
A bad 
mud  splash  can  block  your  vision.  You could  hit  another 
vehicle  or 
go off the  road.  Check your  washer  fluid  level 
often. 
Some  models  have a 
WASHER FLUID warning,  that 
indicates 
if the  fluid  level  in the  windshield  washer  is 
low. See “Low Washer Fluid Warning Light” in the 
Index. 
NOTICE: 
When  using  concentrated  washer  fluid, 
follow  the  manufacturer’s  instructions  for 
adding  water. 
Don’t mix  water  with  ready-to-use  washer 
fluid.  Water  can  cause  the  solution  to  freeze 
and  damage  your  washer  fluid  tank  and 
other  parts 
of the  washer  system. Also, 
water  doesn’t  clean 
as well as  washer  fluid. 
Fill your  washer  fluid  tank  only 314 full 
when  it’s very  cold.  This allows  for 
expansion,  which  could  damage  the  tank 
if 
it is completely  full. 
windshield  washer. 
It can  damage  your 
washer  system  and  paint. 
Don’t  use radiator  antifreeze in your 
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Lamps  On  Reminder 
If you open the driver’s door while  leaving  the  lamps on 
and  the  ignition  off,  you  will  hear a warning  tone. 
Daytime  Running  Lamps  (Canada  Only) 
Daytime  Running Lamps (DRL) make it easier to see 
the front  of your vehicle during  the  day.  DRL  can be 
helpful  in  many  different driving conditions, 
but they 
can  be especially  helpful in the 
short periods  after dawn 
and  before  sunset. 
A light sensor  on top of the instrument panel makes the 
DRL  work, so be sure it  isn’t covered. The DRL system 
will  make  your  low-beam  headlamps  come on at a 
reduced  brightness  when: 
0 The  ignition  is  on, 
The  headlamp  switch is off, and 
The  transaxle  is not in PARK (P). 
When the DRL are on, only  your low-beam  headlamps 
will  be 
on. The taillamps, sidemarker  and other  lamps 
won’t be on. Your  instrument panel  won’t be lighted  either.  When  it’s  dark 
enough outside,  your  low-beam 
headlamps  will  change to full brightness.  The  other 
lamps  that  come on with  your headlamps  will also  come 
on. When  it’s  bright  enough outside,  the regular lamps 
will  go 
off, and  your  low-beam  headlamps  change to the 
reduced  brightness 
of DRL. 
To  idle your  vehicle with the DRL  off, shift  the 
transaxle  into 
PARK (P). The DRL will  stay off until 
you  shift  out of  PARK 
(P). 
As  with  any  vehicle,  you  should turn on the regular 
headlamp  system 
any time you  need it. 
At  night,  you  can turn off  all exterior  lamps when 
you 
are in PARK (P) by moving the twilight  sentinel  control 
all the way to OFF. If it was off, move  the control to the 
right 
to turn  it on,  then back off. The  lamps  will come 
back 
on when  you  put  the transaxle  in gear. 
Headlamp High-Low Beam  Changer 
To  change  the headlamps from low  beam  to  high or high 
to low,  pull the turn signal lever  all the  way  toward you. 
Then release it. 
When  the  high  beams are 
on, this blue light  on the 
instrument  panel  also  will 
be on. 
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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. 
ProCarManuals.com 

Brake System Warning  Light 
Your Pontiac’s  hydraulic 
brake system  is divided  into 
two parts. 
If one  part isn’t 
working,  the other part  can 
still  work  and stop you. 
For 
good braking,  though,  you 
need  both parts working 
well. 
If  the warning light comes  on, there could  be  a brake 
problem. Have your brake system  inspected right awav. 
This light should come on briefly as you start  the 
vehicle. 
If it  doesn’t come  on then,  have it fixed so it 
will be ready  to warn you if there’s  a  problem. 
If the light and chime come on while you are driving, 
pull 
off the road and stop  carefully. You  may notice that 
the  pedal  is harder  to push.  Or,  the pedal may go closer  to 
the  floor.  It may take longer  to stop.  If the light 
is still 
on, have the vehicle  towed for service. (See “Towing 
Your  Vehicle” in the Index.) 
The  brake system warning light will  also come  on when 
you set  your  parking brake, and it will stay  on if your 
parking brake doesn’t release  fully. 
If you try to drive 
off with  the parking brake  set, a chime will also come on 
until  you release the parking brake. If the light and 
chime stay  on after your parking brake  is fully released, 
it means  you have  a brake problem. 
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