
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  BATTERY 
These symbols 
are  important 
for 
you and 
your passengers 
whenever your 
vehicle is 
driven: 
DOOR  LOCK 
UNLOCK 
FASTEN  SEAT 
BELTS 
S 
These symbols 
have to 
do with 
your lights: 
SIGNALS e 
TURN 
HIGH 
LAMPSoR BEAM = =o 
FOG  LAMPS $0 
These symbols 
are 
011 some of 
your controls: 
WINDSHIELD  WIPER 
WINDSHIELD  DEFROSTER 
WINDOW 
DEFOGGER 
VENTILATING 
a+ 
FAN w* 
These  symbols 
are  used 
on 
warning and 
indicator lights: 
COOLANT F- 
ENGINE 
TEMP 
- k 
CHARGING BATTERY 
SYSTEM 
BRAKE 
(0) 
RADIATOR COOLANT 
a 
FUEL 
ENGINE  OIL 
PRESSURE 
Wb 
TEMP  OIL & 
ANTI-LOCK (@) 
BRAKE 
Here  are some 
other symbols 
you may see: 
FUSE 
RELEASE  RADIO 
k 
VOLUME a 
CONDITIONING AIR 33 
RELEASE TRUNK ru 
t 
LIGHTER m 
SPEAKER 
b 
V 
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Engine Coolant  Heater  (Option) 
In  very cold weather, 0 OF (- 1 8 O 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 1 10-volt outlet. 
NOTICE: 
After you’ve used the  coolant  heater,  be sure to 
store the cord as it was before to keep it away 
from moving engine parts. If you don’t, it could 
be  damaged. 
How long should  you  keep the coolant heater  plugged 
in?  The  answer depends  on the  weather,  the kind 
of oil 
you  have,  and  some  other things.  Instead 
of trying  to list 
everything  here,  we 
ask that  you contact your Pontiac 
dealer  in the area  where you’ll 
be parking  your  vehicle. 
The  dealer can give 
you the best  advice for that 
particular area. 
2-15 
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Oil Warning Light 
If you have  a  problem  with 
your  oil,  this  light may  stay 
on  after  you  start  your 
engine, 
or come  on  when 
you  are  driving. 
This  indicates  that oil  is  not  going  through  your  engine 
quickly  enough  to keep  it lubricated.  The engine  could 
be  low  on oil  or could  have  some other oil problem. 
Have  it fixed  right  away. 
The oil light  could  also come on  in  three  other 
situations: 
0 When  the ignition  is  on  but  the  engine is not  running, 
the  light  will come on  as a  test  to  show  you  it is 
working,  but  the  light will go out  when  you  turn  the 
ignition  to 
START. If it doesn’t  come on  with  the 
ignition  on, you  may  have a  problem  with  the  fuse or 
bulb.  Have  it fixed  right  away. 
0 Sometimes  when  the  engine  is idling  at a  stop,  the 
light  may  blink  on 
and off. This is normal. 
If you  make a hard  stop,  the  light  may  come on for a 
moment.  This is normal. 
NOTICE: 
Damage  to  your  engine from neglected  oil 
problems  can  be  costly  and 
is not  covered  by  your 
warranty. 
2-57 
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Low  Oil Level Light Security  Light 
Your engine is equipped 
with  an  oil level  monitoring 
system.  When  the  ignition 
key  is turned  on,  the  LOW 
OIL LEVEL  light  will 
briefly  flash.  If  the  light 
does  not  flash,  have  it fixed 
so it will  be  ready  to  warn 
you  if  there’s 
a problem. 
If  the  light  stays  on,  stop  the vehicle  on a  level  surface 
and 
turn the  engine off. Check  the  oil level using  the 
This light  will come on 
when  you  turn  the  key  to 
START  and  stay  on  until  the 
vehicle  starts.  It will  also 
come  on  and  stay  on  if  your 
key  is too 
dirty or  wet  for 
the  PASS-Key@II  system  to 
read  the  resistor  pellet. 
If the  resistor  pellet  is damaged  or missing,  the  light  will 
flash. 
engine  oil  dipstick.  (See  “Engine  Oil”  in  the  Index.)  If  you’re  driving  and  the  light  comes  on  and  remains  on, 
If‘ the  light  does  not  flash, have the  low  oil  level  sensor your PASS,Key~II system is not working properly. 
a  problem.  and you system  repaired SO it will  be  ready  to  warn  you if there’s Your vehicle is  not protected by 
should  see  your  dealer. 
The 
oil level  monitoring  system  only  checks  oil level 
during  the brief  period  between  key  on and  engine 
crank. 
It does  not  monitor  engine  oil level  when  the 
engine  is running.  Additionally,  an  oil level  check  is 
only  performed 
if the  engine  has  been  turned off for  a 
considerable  period  of  time,  allowing  the  oil  normally 
in 
circulation  to  drain  back  into  the  oil  pan. 
2-58 
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Control Buttons 
The trip  calculator  has three  buttons  that  control  its 
functions. 
MODE: Press  this  button  to change  the  mode  being 
displayed. 
EM: Press  this  button  to change  the  display  from 
English  to  metric  units  or metric  to  English. 
RESET Press  this  button  for  one second  to  reset  the 
mode  displayed. 
If you  push  and  hold  RESET  for more 
than  five seconds,  all  the  modes  will  reset.  You can’t 
reset 
INST ECON,  RANGE  or EXT TEMP. 
Head-Up Display (Option) 
If  you  have the  Head-Up 
Display  (HUD),  you  can  see 
the  speedometer  reading,  in 
English  or metric  units, 
displayed  “through”  the 
windshield.  The 
HUD also  shows  these  lights  when  they  are 
lit on 
the  instrument  panel: 
Turn  Signal  Indicators 
0 High-Beam  Indicator  Symbol 
Low Fuel  Symbol 
0 Oil  Warning  Symbol 
0 Coolant  Temperature  Symbol 
Charging  System  Symbol 
When  you  sit  straight  in  your  seat,  the  HUD  image  will  appear  straight  ahead  near  the  front  bumper. 
When  the  ignition  key  is  turned 
to RUN, all  possible 
HUD  images  will  come  on.  Then  the  Head-Up  Display 
will  operate  normally. 
NOTICE: 
Although  the HUD image  appears  to  be  near  the 
front 
of the  vehicle,  do  not use it  as  a  parking  aid. 
The 
HUD was  not  designed  for  that  purpose. If 
you  try  to  use  it  that  way,  such as in  a  parking 
lot,  you  may  misjudge  distance  and  run  into 
something. 
2-60 
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Care of Your Cassette Tape Player 
A  tape  player  that  is not  cleaned  regularly  is subject  to 
reduced  sound  quality,  ruining  the  cassette, 
or damaging 
the  mechanism.  Tape  cassettes  that  are not  properly 
stored  in  their  plastic  cases  away  from contaminants, 
direct  sunlight,  and  extreme  heat  may  not  operate 
properly  and  could  cause premature  failure 
of the  tape 
player. 
Your  tape player  should  be  cleaned  with  every 
50 hours 
of  use  to provide  optimum  performance.  Your radio  may 
display  Cln  to indicate  that  you  have used  your  tape 
player  for 
50 hours  without  resetting  the  tape  clean 
timer.  If  you  notice  a  reduction  in  sound  quality, 
regardless  of  when  the  tape  player  was  last cleaned,  try 
playing  a  different  cassette  to see  if the  tape  or the  tape 
player  is at fault.  If  the  second  cassette  results  in  no 
improvement  in  sound  quality,  try  cleaning  the  tape 
player. 
Proper  tape  player  cleaning  should  be  done with  a 
scrubbing  action,  nonabrasive  cleaner  cassette.  This  is a 
wet-type  cleaning  system  that  uses  a  cleaning  cassette 
with  pads  which  scrub  the  tape  head  as  the  hubs  of the 
cleaner  cassette  turn. 
To properly  clean  your  tape  player, 
follow  the  instructions  with  the  cleaning  cassette.  If  you 
use  this  type 
of cleaner,  the radio  may  display  an  error 
and  eject  the  cartridge.  This 
is normal  and is the  result 
of an added  feature in the  tape  player  that  detects  broken 
tapes. 
If an  error  occurs,  you  will  need  to  insert  the 
cleaning  cassette  at  least  three  times  to  thoroughly  clean  the  tape  player. 
You  may  prefer  to  use  a  non-scrubbing  action,  wet-type 
cleaner. 
This type  of  cleaner  uses  a  fabric  belt  to  clean 
the  tape  head. 
This type of cleaner  cassette  will  not 
cause  an  error,  but  it may  not  clean  the  tape  player  as 
thoroughly  as  the  scrubbing  type  cleaner. 
A scrubbing  action  cleaner  is available  through  your 
dealer 
(GM Part No. 12344600). 
Cassettes  are subject  to wear  and  the  sound  quality  may 
degrade  over  time.  Always  verify  that  the  cassette  tape  is  in  good  condition  and  the  tape  player  is clean  before 
obtaining  service 
on your  tape  player. 
Care of Your Compact  Discs 
Handle  discs  carefully.  Store  them  in  their  original  cases 
or  other  protective  cases  and  away  from direct  sunlight 
and  dust.  If  the  surface  of a  disc  is soiled,  dampen  a 
clean,  soft  cloth  in a  mild,  neutral  detergent  solution  and 
clean  it, wiping  from the  center  to  the  edge. 
Be  sure  never  to  touch  the  signal  surface  when  handling 
discs.  Pick  up  discs  by grasping  the  outer  edges  or the 
edge  of the  hole  and  the  outer  edge. 
3-15 
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Once you are moving on the freeway,  make certain you 
allow 
a reasonable following distance, Expect to  move 
slightly  slower  at 
night. 
When  you  want  to leave the freeway,  move  to the proper 
lane  well  in advance. 
If you miss your  exit do not,  under 
any  circumstances, stop  and  back  up.  Drive  on  to the 
next  exit. 
The exit  ramp  can  be  curved, sometimes  quite sharply. 
The exit speed  is usually  posted. 
Reduce 
your speed  according  to  your  speedometer,  not 
to  your  sense  of  motion. After driving 
for any distance 
at  higher  speeds,  you  may  tend  to  think  you  are  going 
slower  than you  actually  are. 
Before  Leaving on a Long Trip 
Make sure you’re  ready. Try to be  well  rested. If you 
must  start when  you’re  not fresh 
-- such  as after a  day’s 
work 
-- don’t  plan  to make  too many  miles  that  first part 
of the journey.  Wear comfortable  clothing  and  shoes  you 
can  easily drive in. 
Is your  vehicle  ready  for a long trip? If you  keep it 
serviced  and  maintained,  it’s  ready to go. If it needs 
service, 
have it  done before starting out. Of course, 
you’ll find experienced  and  able service  experts  in 
Pontiac  dealers 
all across  North  America.  They’ll..be 
ready  and  willing 
to help if you  need  it. 
Here  are some  things  you  can check before a trip: 
e 
0 
0 
0 
0 
e 
0 
Windshield  Washer  Fluid: Is the  reservoir  full? Are 
all  windows  clean inside  and outside? 
Wiper  Blades: Are they in good  shape? 
Fuel,  Engine  Oil,  Other Fluids: Have  you  checked 
all levels? 
Lamps: Are  they  all working?  Are  the lenses clean? 
Tires: They are vitally  important to a safe, 
trouble-free  trip. 
Is the tread  good  enough  for 
long-distance driving?  Are the tires  all inflated to  the 
recommended  pressure? 
Weather  Forecasts: What’s  the  weather  outlook 
along  your  route? Should  you  delay  your 
trip a short 
time  to avoid  a major  storm system? 
Maps: Do you  have  up-to-date  maps? 
4-20 
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When  You Are Ready to Leave After 
Parking on a Hill 
1. Apply  your regular brakes  and  hold the  pedal  down 
while  you: 
Start  your engine; 
0 Shift into a gear;  and 
0 Release  the  parking  brake. 
2. Let up on the  brake  pedal. 
3. Drive  slowly  until  the trailer is clear of the  chocks. 
4. Stop  and  have  someone  pick up  and  store the chocks. 
Maintenance When Trailer Towing 
Your vehicle  will  need  service  more  often when you’re 
pulling 
a trailer.  See the Maintenance  Schedule  for more 
on  this.  Things  that  are especially  important  in  trailer 
operation  are automatic  transaxle  fluid (don’t  overfill), 
engine  oil, belt,  cooling  system,  and  brake  adjustment. 
Each 
of these is  covered  in  this  manual, and the Index 
will  help  you  find them  quickly. 
If you’re  trailering,  it’s 
a  good  idea to  review  these  sections  before 
you start 
your  trip. 
Check  periodically  to  see that  all hitch  nuts  and  bolts  are 
tight. 
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