Page 106 of 354
Rear Ashtrays
To remove the rear console
ashtray, open it, push down
on the snuffer and pull the
ashtray out
of the console.
To remove the rear door
ashtray, open and pull up on
the ashtray door.
I NOTICE:
Don’t put papers and other things that burn into
your ashtrays.
If you do, cigarettes or other
smoking materials could set them on fire, causing
damage.
Cigarette Lighter
To use the lighter, just push it in all the way and let go.
When it’s ready, it will pop back by itself.
L
NOTICE:
Don’t hold a cigarette lighter in with your hand
while it is heating.
If you do, it won’t be able to
back away from the heating element when it’s
ready. That can make it overheat, damaging the
lighter and the heating element.
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Page 109 of 354

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.
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Page 110 of 354
Fuel Gage Low Fuel Light
Your
fuel gage tells you
about how much fuel you
have left when the ignition
is on. When the indicator
nears
EMPTY (E), you still
have a little fuel left, but
you should get more soon.
Here are some things owners ask about. All these
situations are normal and
do not show a problem with
your fuel gage:
At the service station, the pump shuts off before the
gage
reads FULL (F).
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 it.
The gage moves a little when you turn a corner or
speed up. If
your fuel is low, a light
will come on and stay
on
until you add fuel. It will
also come on for
a few
seconds when you first turn
on the ignition as a check
to
show you it’s working. If it
doesn’t come on then, have
it fixed.
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Page 111 of 354
Charging System Light
The charging system light
will come on briefly when
you turn
on the ignition, as
a check to, show you it’s
working. Then it should
go
out.
If it stays on, or comes on while you are driving, you
may have a problem with the charging system. It could
indicate that you have a loose drive belt
or another
electrical problem. Have it checked right away. Driving
while this light is on could drain your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with the light on, be certain to
turn off all your accessories, such as the radio
and
air conditioner.
Safety Belt Reminder Light
When the key is turned to
RUN or START, a chime
will come on for about eight
seconds to remind people to
fasten their safety belts,
unless the driver’s safety
belt is already buckled.
I-
The safety belt light will also come on and stay on until
the driver’s belt is buckled.
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Page 112 of 354
Air Bag Readiness Light You will see this light flash
for a few seconds when you
There is an
air bag readiness light on the instrument
turn your ignition to RUN panel, which shows SRS AIR BAG or the air bag or START. Then the light
symbol. The system checks the
air bag’s electrical
should go out. This means system for malfunctions. The light tells you if there is an the system is ready.
electrical problem. The system check includes the air
bag sensors and modules, the wiring and the diagnostic
module. For more information on the air bag system, see
“Air Bag” in the Index.
If the air bag readiness light doesn’t come on when you
start your vehicle, or stays on, or comes on when you
are driving, your air bag system may not work properly.
Have your vehicle serviced right away.
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Page 113 of 354

Brake System Warning Light
I
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 away.
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 comes 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, or if the
anti-lock brake system warning light
is flashing, have
the vehicle towed for service. (See “Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light” and “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 it stays on after
your parking brake is fully released, it means you have a
brake problem.
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Page 114 of 354

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.
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Page 115 of 354

Anti-Lock Brake System Active Light
(Option)
When your anti-lock system
is adjusting brake pressure
to help avoid a braking skid,
the
LOW TRAC light will
come on.
Slippery road conditions will exist
if this light comes on,
so adjust your driving accordingly. The light will stay on
for a few seconds after the system stops adjusting brake
pressure.
The
LOW TRAC light also comes on briefly, as a bulb
check, when the engine is started. If the light doesn’t
come on then, have it fixed
so it will be there to tell you
when the system is active.
Engine Coolant Temperature Light
4b 100
This light tells you that
your engine coolant has
overheated
or your radiator
cooling fan is not working.
-k
If you have been operating your vehicle under normal
driving conditions, you should pull
off the road, stop
your vehicle and turn off the engine as soon as possible.
Hot Coolant Can Burn You Badly!
In “Problems on the Road,” this manual shows what to
do. See “Engine Overheating’’ in the Index.
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