1996 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE engine

Starting Your 3.8 Liter Engine
1. Without pushing the accelerator pedal, turn your
ignition key to
START. When the engine starts, let
go of the key. The idle speed will go down as your
engine gets warm.
.
NOTICE:
Holding your key in START for longer than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to be
drained much sooner. And the excessive heat can
damage your starter motor.
2. I€ it doesn’t start right away, hold your key in
START for about three to five seconds at a time until
your engine
starts. Wait about 15 seconds between
each
try to help avoid draining your battery.
3. If your engine still won’t start (or starts but then
stops), it could
be flooded with too much gasoline.
Try pushing your accelerator pedal all the way to the
floor and holding it there as you hold the key in
START for about three seconds. If the vehicle starts
briefly but then stops again, do the same thing, but
this time keep the pedal down for five or
six seconds.
This clears the extra gasoline from the engine.
After waiting about 15 seconds, repeat the nomd
starting procedure.
NOTICE:
I
Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your y,ehicle.
If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the way
the engine operates. Before
adding electrical
equipment, check with your dealer.
If you don’t,
your engine might not perform properly.
If you ever have to have your vehicle towed, see
the part of this manual that tells how to do it
without damaging your vehicle. See “Towing
Your Vehicle”
m the Index.
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Engine CoolantKeater (Option)
In very cold weather, 0" F (- 18 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 you 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 AC outlet.
A. CAUTION:
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause an electrical shock.
Also, the wrong
kind
of extension cord could overheat and cause
a fire. You could be seriously injured. Plug the
cord into
a properly grounded three-prong
110-volt
AC outlet. If the cord won't reach, use a
heavy-duty three-prong extension cord rated for
at least 15 amps.
,
4. After you've used the coolant heater? be sure to store
the cord as it was before to keep it away fiom moving
engine parts.
If you don't, it could be damaged.
How long should YQU keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends on the outside temperature, the
kind of oil you have, and some other things. Instead of
trying to list everything here, we ask that you contact
your Pontkc dealer
in the area where you'll be parking
your vehicle. The dealer can give you the best advice for
that particular mea.
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Automatic Transaxle Operation
Your automatic transaxle may have a shift lever
located on the console between the seats or on the
steering column.
There are several different positions for your shift lever.
PARK (P): This locks your front wheels. It’s the best
position to use when you start your engine because your
vehicle
can’t move easily. It
is 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 have 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
on fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the
shift lever to PARK (P).
See “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in the Index. If
you’re pulling
a trailer, see “Towing a Trailer” in
the Index.
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Ensure the shft lever is fully in PARK (P) range before
starting the engine.
Your Pontiac has a brake-transaxle
shift interlock. You have to fully
apply your regular
brakes
before you can shift from PARK (P) when the
ignition key is in the on position.
If you cannot shift out
of PARK (P), ease pressure on the shift lever -- push the
shift lever all the way into PARK (P) and also release the
shift lever button on floor shift console models as you
maintain brake application. Then move the shift lever
into the gear you wish. (Press the
shift lever button before
moving the shift lever on floor shift console models.) See
“Shifting Out of PARK (P)” later in this section.
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.
A CAUTION:
Shifting out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) while
your engine is “racing” (running at high speed) is
dangerous. Unless your foot is firmly
on the
brake pedal,
your vehicle could move very
rapidly.
You could lose control and hit people
or objects. Don’t shift out of
PARK (P) or
NEUTRAL (N) while your engine is racing.
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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.
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(D): This position is for
normal driving. If you need more power for passing,
and you’re:
- Going less than about 35 mph (56 km/h), push your
- Going about 35 mph (56 h/h) or more, push the
You’ll shift down to the next gear and have more power.
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
accelerator
all the way down.
NOTICE:
If your vehicle seems to start up rather slowly, or
if it seems not to shift gears as you
go faster,
something may be wrong with
a transaxle system
sensor.
If you drive very far that way, your
vehicle can be damaged.
So, if this happens, have
your, vehicle serviced right away. Until then,
you
can use SECOND (2) when you are driving less
than
35 mph (56 kdh) and AUTOMATIC
OVERDRIVE
(0) for higher speeds.
DRIVE (D): This position
is also used for normal
driving, however, it offers more power
and lower fuel
economy than AUTOMATIC
OVERDRIVE (@).
Here are some times you might choose DRIVE (D)
instead of AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (@):
- When driving on hilly, winding roads
- When towing a trailer, so there is less shifting
between gears
- When going down a steep hill
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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 SEC.OND (2) for more than
5 miles (8 km), or at speeds over 55 mph
(88 kdh), or you can damage your transaxle.
Use
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (0) or
DRIVE (D) as much as possible.
Don't shift into
SECOND (2) unless you are going
slower than 65 mph (105 km/h), dr you can
damage your engine.
%IRST (1): This position gives you even more power (but
lower he1 economy) than
SECOND (2). You can use it on
very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If the selector
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.
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Performance Shifting (Option) Computer Command Ride (Option)
Press PERFORM SHIFT to allow the transaxle to shift
at higher engine speeds, increasing acceleration
performance.
An indicator light on the switch will glow
when performance shifting is in operation.
Vehicles equipped with computer command ride provide
improved passenger ride
comfort under a variety of road
and driving conditions.
Downshifts will occur at a lower percentage of accelerator
application while you're
in the PERFORM SHIFI' mode.
Press NORMAL SHIFT to have the transaxle shift at
lower engine speeds, increasing fuel economy.
An I
indicator light on the switch will glow when normal
shifting is in operation. For normal driving conditions, press the
TOURING
RIDE button to get a more refined comfortable ride.
When driving conditions require improved handling,
press the PERFORM
RIDE button to get a firm ride.
This mode minimizes how much the passenger compartment leans in
turns, and decreases the
up-and-down motion
of the front and rear of the vehicle
during acceleration or braking.
Note that even
in the TOURING RIDE mode, the
system
will adjust to rapid cornering, acceleration
or braking.
If the computer command ride detects a problem in the
system, the lights on the TOURING
RIDE and
PERFORM RIDE buttons will both come on. If this
happens, have your vehicle serviced.
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Shifting Into PARK (P)
I
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.
If you have 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 on fairly level ground, use the steps
that follow.
If you’re pulling a trailer, see
“Towing
a Trailer” in the Index.
Steering Column Shift Lever
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) position like this:
Pdl the lever toward you.
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