1996 PONTIAC GRAND-AM Owners Manual

Fog Lamp Bulb Replacement
Don’t change your fog lamp bulbs unless you have the
proper aiming equipment. See your Pontiac dealer
if you
have any further questions.
Taillamp Bulb Replacement
For the type of bulb, see “Replacement Bulbs’’ in the
Index.
1. Pull back the trunk trim.
2. Remove the four wing bolts which fasten the
taillamp lens
to the vehicle.
3. Carefully remove the taillamp lens from the body
and avoid scratching the paint or dropping it.
-
4. To remove a socket, push in the lock tab and turn the
socket counterclockwise
to pull it out.
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5. To remove a bulb, gently push in and turn the bulb
counterclockwise.
6. Reverse Steps 1 through 5 to reassemble the
taillamp.
Dome Lamp Bulb Replacement
It may not be obvious how to change your dome lamp
bulb. Here’s
how: Grasp the center front and center rear
portion of the housing and squeeze firmly but gently.
The
housing should pop off.
If this doesn’t, work, you hay need to use a small
flat-head screwdriver under the side of the housing to
help pry it
off.
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
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Replacement blades come in different types and are removed in different ways. Here’s how to remove the
type with a release clip:
1. Pull the windshield wiper am away from the ‘
2. Lift the release clip with a screwdriver and pull the
3. Push the new wiper blade securely on the wiper arm.
For the proper type and size, see “Capacities and
Specifications”
in the Index.
windshield.
blade assembly
off the wiper arm.
Tires
We don’t make tires. Your new Pontiac comes with
highquality tires made by a leading tire manufacturer. If
you ever have questions about your tire warranty and
where to obtain service, see your Pontiac Warranty
booklet for details.
.-
Poorly maintained and improperly used tires are
dangerous.
Overloading your tires can cause
overheating as
a result of too much friction.
You could have an air-out and a serious
accident. See “Loading Your Vehicle” in the
Index.
Underinflated tires pose the same danger as
overloaded tires. The resulting accident
could cause serious injury.
Check all tires
frequently
to maintain the recommended
pressure. Tire pressure should be checked
when your tires are cold.
Overinflated tires are more likely
to be
cut, punctured or broken
by a sudden
impact
-- such as when you hit a pothole.
Keep tires at the recommended pressure.
Worn, old tires can cause accidents.
If your
tread is badly worn, or
if your tires have
been damaged, replace
them.
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Inflation - Tire Pressure
The Tire-Lo,ading Information label which is on the rear
edge
of the driver’s door shows the correct inflation
preissures for your tires when they’re
cold. “Cold”
means your vehicle has
been sitting for at least three
hours or driven no more than 1 mile (1.6 km).
~~ ~~ ~~
NOTICE:
Don’t let anyone tell you that underinflation or
overinflation is all right. It’s not. 1% your tires
don’t have enough air (underinflation),, you can
get the following:
0 Too much flexing
0 Too much heat
0 Tire overloading
Bad wear
Bad handling
Bad fuel economy.
NOTICE: (Continued)
~~ ~~
NOTICE: (Continued)
If
your tires
have too much air (overinflation),
you can get the following:’
e Unusual wear
* Bad handling
* Rough ride
e Needless damage from road hazards.
When to Check
Check your tires once a month or more.
Don’t forget your compact spare tire. It should
be at
60 psi (420 Wa).
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire
pressure.
You can’t tell if your tires are properly inflated
simply
by looking at them. Radial tires may look
properly inflated even when they’re underinflated.
Be sure
to put the valve caps back on the valve stems.
They help prevent leaks by keeping out dirt and
moisture.
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Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be inspected every 6,000 to 8,000 miles
(10 000 to 13 000 km) for any signs of unusual wear.
If unusual wear is present, rotate your tires as soon as
possible and check wheel alignment. Also check for damaged tires or wheels. See “When It’s Time for New
Tires” and “Wheel Replacement” later in this section for
more information. When rotating your tires, always use the correct rotation
pattern shown here.
Don’t include
the compact.spa.re tire in your tire
rotation.
After the tires have been rotated, adjust the front and
rear inflation pressures as shown on the Tire-Loading
Information label. Make certain that all wheel nuts are
properly tightened. See “Wheel Nut Torque” in the
Index.
I
The purpose of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniforrn wear for all tires on the vehicle. The first
rotation is the most important. See “Scheduled Maintenance Services”
in the Index for scheduled
rotation intervals.
--
Rust or dirt on a wheel, lr on the part D which
it is fastened, can make wheel nuts become loose
after
a time. The wheel could come off and cause
an accident. When
you change a wheel, remove
any rust or- dirt from places where the wheel
attaches to the vehicle. In an emergency,
you can
use
a cloth or a paper towel to do this; but be
sure to use
a scraper or wire brush later, if you
need to, to get all the rust or dirt off. (See
“Changing
a Flat Tire” in the ‘Index.)
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When It’s Time for New Tires
I One wav to tell when it’s
time
fcinew tiies is to
check the treadwear
indicators, which will
,.
appear when your tires have
only 1/16 inch (1.6 rrim) or
less
of tread remaining.
I
You need a new tire if any of the following statements
are true:
, 1, .” ! , .
You cdsee the indicators at three or more places
.. .. . . (. , ;.--.-$ _. . .I :: , L. -. , &&&
-. .. . .I , .I 1 -
around the tire.
You can see cord or fabric showing through the tire’s
The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut or snagged deep
rubber.
enough to
show cord or fabric.
The tire has a bump, bulge or split.
The tire h’as a puncture, cut or other damage that
can’t be repaired
well because of the size or lo’cation
of the damage.
Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires you need, look at
the Tire-Loading Information label.
The
tires installed on your vehicle when it was new had
a Tire Performance Criteria Specification (TPC Spec)
number
on each tire’s sidewall. When you get new tires,
get ones with that same
TPC Spec number. That way
your vehicle will continue to have tires that are designed
to give proper endurance, handling, speed rating,
traction, ride
and other thing’s during normal service on
your vehicle. If your tires have an all-season tread
design, the
TPC number will be followed by an “MS”
(for mud and snow).
If you ever replace your tires with those not having a
TPC Spec nuhber, make sure they are the same size,
load
range, speed rating &d construction type (bias,
bias-belted
or radial) as your original tires.
..
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Mixing tires could cause you to lose control while
driving. If you mix tires of different sizes or types
(radial and bias-belted tires), the vehicle may not
handle properly, and you could.have
a crash.
Using tires of different sizes may also cause
damage to your vehicle. Be sure to use the same
size and type tires on all four wheels.
It's all right to drive with your compact spare,
though. It was developed for use on your vehicle.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance. (This applies only to'vehicles sold in the United States.)
The
grades are molded on the sidewalls of most passenger car tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading system does
not apply to deep tread, winter-type snow tires,
space-saver or temporqy use spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm),
or to some limited-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors passenger cars and light trucks may vary with respect to these
grades, they must also conform to Federal safety
requirements and additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) standards.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate
of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified government test course. For
example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and a half
(1 1/2) times as well on the government course as a tire
graded
100. The relative performance of'tires depends "
upon the actual conditions of their use, however, and
may depart significantly from the norm due to variations
in driving habits, service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.
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Traction - A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are A, B,
and C, and they represent the tire's ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under controlled conditions on specified government test surfaces of asphalt and
concrete.
A tire marked C may have poor traction
performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to this tire is based
on braking'(straightahead) traction tests
and does not
include cornering (turning) traction.
Temperature - A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire's resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high temperature
can cause the
material
of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead to sudden tire failure.
The grade
C corresponds to a level af performance which all passenger
car tires must meet under the
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades
€3 and A represent higher levels of performance on the
laboratory test wheel than
the minimum required by law.
Warning: The temperature gade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation, or
excessive loading, either separately or
in combination,
can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
The wheels osn your vehicle were aligned and balanced
carefully at the factory to give you the lo'ngest tire life and best overall performance.
In most cases, you..will not need to have your wheels
aligned again. However,
if you notice unusual tire wear
or your vehicle pulling one way or the other, the
alignment may need to be reset.
If you notice your
vehicle vibrating when
driving on a smooth road, your
wheels may need to be rebalanced.
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