1996 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE Owners Manual

Shifting Out of PARK (P)
Your Pontiac has a brake-transaxle shift interlock. You
have to fully
apply your regular brake before you can
shift
from PARK (P) when the ignition is in the RUN
position. See “Automatic Transaxle” in the Index.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever
-- push the shift lever all the way into
PARK (I?) as you maintain brake application. Then
move the shift lever into the gear you want.
‘If you ever
hold the brake pedal down but still can’t
shift out of
PARK (P), try this:
1. Turn the key OFF. Open and close the driver’s door
to turn off the Retained Accessory Power feature, if
you have it.
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
3. Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the vehicle and then shift to the drive gear
5. Have the vehicle fiied as soon as you can.
you want.
Parking Over Things That Burn
Things that can burn could touch hot exhaust
parts under your vehicle and ignite. Don’t park
over papers, leaves, dry grass or other things that
can, burn.
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Engine Exhaust
E
Running Your Engine While
You’re Parked
It’s better not to park with the engine running. But if you
ever have to, here
are some things to know.
Engine exhaust can kill. It contains the gas
carbon monoxide
(CO), which you can’t see or
smell. It can cause unconsciousness and death.
You might have exhaust coming in if:
Your exhaust system sounds strange
Your vehicle gets rusty underneath.
0 Your vehicle was damaged in a collision.
Your vehicle was damaged when driving over
high points
on the road or over road debris.
Repairs weren’t done correctly.
Your vehicle or exhaust system had been
If you ever suspect exhaust is coming into
your vehicle:
Drive it only with all the windows down to
Have your vehicle fixed immediately.
or
different.
modified improperly. blow out any
CO; and
-
A CAUTION:,
Idling the engine with the air system control off
could allow dangerous exhaust into your vehicle
(see the eqrlier Caution under “Engine
Exhaust”).
Also, idling in a closed-in place can let deadly
carbon monoxide (CO) into your vehicle even if
the fan switch
is at the highest setting. One place
this can happen is
a garage. Exhaust -- with
CO -- can come in easily. NEVER park in a
garage with the engine running.
Another closed-in place can be
a blizzard.
(See “Blizzard” in the Index.)
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It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the
shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake
firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine
is
running unless you have to. If you’ve left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured.
To be sure your
vehicle won’t move, even when you’re an fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the
shift lever to PARK (P).
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.
Windows
Power Windows
Switches on the driver’s door panel control each of the
windows when the ignition is
on or when Retained
Accessory
Power is active. In addition, each passenger
door has a control switch for its own window.
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Express-Down Window
When the driver's window switch is held rearward for
more than a half second, the window will lower
completely. The window can be qpened in smaller
amounts by pressing the switch rearward and releasing
it immediately.
To stop the window while it is lowering, press the
switch again, then release.
To raise the window, hold the
switch forward.
Horn
You can sound the horn by pressing anywhere on the
pads with the horn symbols
on your steering wheel.
Tilt Wheel
A tilt steering wheel allows you to adjust the steering
wheel before you drive.
You can also raise it to the highest level to give your
legs more room when you exit and enter the vehicle.
To tilt the wheel, hold the steering wheel and pull the
lever. Move the steering wheel to a comfortable level,
then release the lever
to lock the wheel in place.
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Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
The lever on the left side of the steering column
includes
your:
0 Turn Signal and Lane Change Signals
0 Headlamp HighLow Beam Changer
Flash-to-Pass
Windshield Wipers
0 Windshield Washer
Cruise Control
Turn and Lane Change Signals
The turn signal has two upward (for right) and two
downward (for left) positions. These positions allow
you
to signal a turn or a lane change.
To signal
a tum, move the lever all the way up or down.
When the turn is finished, the lever will return automatically.
An mow on the instrument
panel will flash
in the
direction
of the turn or
lane change.
To signal a lane change, just raise or lower the lever
until the arrow starts to flash. Hold it there until you
complete your lane change. The lever will
return by
itself when you release it.
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As you signal a turn or a lane change, if the arrows don’t
flash but just stay on, a signal bulb may be burned out
and other drivers won’t see your turn signal. If you have
the Driver Information Center, it
will tell you if you
have a burned out bulb. See “Driver Information
Center” in the Index.
If a bulb is burned out, replace it to help avoid an
accident.
If the arrows don’t go on at all when you
signal a turn, check the fuse and for burned-out bulbs.
See “Fuses and Circuit Breakers” in the Index.
nrn Signal On Chime
If your turn signal is left on for more than 3/4 of a mile
(1.2 km), a chime will sound at each flash of the turn
signal. To turn
off the chime, move the turn signal lever
to the
off position.
Headlamp HighlLow Beam Changer
To change the headlamps
from
low b’eam to high
beam or high beam
to low
beam, pull the turn
signal
lever toward you. Then
release it. When the high
beams are
on, this light 011.
the instrument panel will also be on.
Flash-To-Pass Feature
This feature lets you use your high-beam headlamps to
signal a driver
in front of you that you want to pass. It
works even if your headlamps are off.
To use it, pull the turn signal lever toward you a little,
but not
so far that you hear a click.
If your headlamps are off or on low beam, your
high-beam headlamps
will turn on. They’ll stay on -
as long as you hold the lever toward you and the
high-beam indicator
on the dash will come on. Release
the lever to turn the high-beam headlamps
off.
I-
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Windshield Wipers For a single wiping cycle, turn the band to MIST. Hold
it there until the wipers start, then let go. The wipers will
stop after one cycle.
If you want mure cycles, hold the
band on
MIST longer.
For steady wiping at low speed,
turn the band away
from you to the LO position. For high-speed wiping,
turn the band further, to HI. To stop the wipers, move
the band to OFF.
The windshield wipers are controlled by turning the
band marked
WER.
The wiper speed may be set for a long or short delay
between wipes.
This can be very useful in light rain or
snow. Turn the band to choose the delay time. The
closer to LO, the shorter: the delay.
Heavy snow
or ice can overload your wiper motor. A
circuit breaker will stop the motor until it cools. Clear
away snow or ice to prevent m overload
Keep in mind that damaged wiper blades may prevent
you from seeing well enough to drive safely. To avoid
damage, be
sure to clear ice and snow from the wiper
blades before
using them. If your blades do become
damaged,
get new blades or blade inserts.
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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 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
reservoir is low. See “Low Washer Fluid Warning Light”
in
the Index.
A CAUTION:
In freezing weather, don’t use your washer until
the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the washer fluid can form ice on the windshield, blocking
your vision.
Cruise Control
on the accelerator. his can
really help
on long trips.
Cruise control does not work at speeds below about
25 mph (40 km/h).
When you apply your brakes, the cruise control
shuts
off.
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