1995 PONTIAC PONTIAC engine

Make sure the shift lever is fully into PARK Cp)
range before starting the engine. Your Pontiac has a
brake-transaxle sWt interlock. You must
fully apply
your regular brakes before you can shift from PARK
‘(I?)
when the ignition is in RUN. If you cannot shift out of
PARK (P), ease pressure on the shift lever by pushing it
all the way into PARK (9) while keeping the brake pedal
pushed down. Release the shift lever button if you have
a
console shift. Then move the shift lever out of PARK (P),
being sure to press the shift lever button if you have a
console shift. See “Shifting Out of
PARK (P)” in
the Index.
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
“Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice
or Snow” in the Index.
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.
NOTICE:
Damage to your transaxle caused by shifting out
of
PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) with the engine
racing isn’t covered by your warranty.
2-17
ProCarManuals.com

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 DRIVE
(D) or THIRD (3) as much as
possible.
Don’t shift into
SECOND (2) unless you are going
slower than
65 mph (105 km/h), 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
shift 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.
2-19
ProCarManuals.com

Console Shift
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) position like
set the
parking brake.
this:
Hold in the button on the
lever, and push the
lever all
the way toward the front of
your vehicle.
3. Move the ignition key to LOCK.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
walk away from your vehicle with the ignition key
in your hand, your vehicle is in PARK (P).
Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and your
parking brake is firmly set before you leave it. After
you’ve moved the shift lever into the PARK (P)
position, hold the regular brake pedal down. Then, see
if you can move the shift lever away from PARK (P)
without first pulling it toward you (or, if you have. a
console shift lever, without first pushing the button). If
you can, it means that the shift lever wasn’t fully locked
into PARK (P).
2-23
ProCarManuals.com

Parking Over Things That Burn Engine Exhaust
2-25
ProCarManuals.com

Running Your Engine WhiIe You’re
Parked
It’s better not to park with the engine running. But if you
ever have
to, here are some things to how.
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle won’t
move. See “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in the Index.
If you are parking on a hill and if you’re pulling a
trailer, also see “Towing a Trailer”
in the Index.
2-26
ProCarManuals.com

Speedometer/Odometer
Your speedometer lets you see your speed in both miles
per hour (mph) and kilometers per hour
(km/h). Your
odometer shows how far your vehicle has been driven in
either miles (used
in the United States) or in kilometers
(used in Canada).
Your Pontiac has a tamper-resistant odometer.
If you see
silver lines between the numbers, you’ll know someone
has probably tampered with it and the numbers may not
be true.
You may wonder what happens if your vehicle needs a
new odometer installed.
If the new one can be set to the
mileage total of the old odometer, then it must be. But if
it can’t, then it’s set at zero and a label must be put on
the driver’s door to show the old mileage reading when
the new odometer was installed.
Trip Odo~ der
Your trip odometer tells how far you have driven since
you last reset
it. To set it to zero, press the RESET
button
on the right side of the instrument cluster.
Tachometer
RPM xho
II rn
LJ
3.1L Shown, 3.4L Similar
The tachometer displays the engine speed in thousands
of revolutions per minute (rpm).
I NOTICE:
Do not operate the engine with the tachometer in
the red area,
or engine damage may occur.
2-47 ProCarManuals.com

Warning Lights, Gages and
Indicators
This part describes the warning lights and gages that
may be
on your vehicle. The pictures will help you
locate them.
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 waming lights and gages could also save you or
others from injury.
Warning lights come on when there may be or is
a
problem with one of your vehicle’s functions. As you
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
warning lights work together to let you know when
there’s a problem with your vehicle.
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 ac~ xe.
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.
2-48
ProCarManuals.com

Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
(Option)
2801 0 With the anti-lock brake
0 system, this light will come
RPM x1 000 on when you start your
engine and it
will stay on
for three seconds. That’s
normal. If the light doesn’t
come on, have it fixed
so it
will be ready to warn you if
there is a problem.
If the light flashes when you’re driving, you don’t have
anti-lock brakes and there could be a problem with your
regular brakes. 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.
Have the vehicle towed for service. (See “Towing Your
Vehicle” in the Index.) If
the anti-lock brake system warning light stays
on
longer than normal after you’ve started your engine, turn
the ignition off. Or, if the light comes on and stays on
when you’re driving, stop as soon as possible and turn
the ignition
off. Then start the engine again to reset the
system.
If the light still stays on, or comes on again
while you’re driving, your Pontiac needs service.
If the
light is
on but not flashing and the regular brake system
warning light isn’t on, you still have brakes, but you
don’t have anti-lock brakes.
2-53
ProCarManuals.com