1996 PONTIAC GRAND-AM engine

Enhanced Traction System Active Light
LOW
TRAC
When your Enhanced Traction System is limiting wheel spin, this light will
come on. Slippery road
conditions may exist
if the
Enhanced Traction System
active light comes on,
so
adjust your driving
accordingly.
The light
will stay on for a few seconds after the
Enhanced Traction System stops limiting wheel spin.
The Enhanced Traction System active light also comes
on briefly when you turn the ignition key to RUN. 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 Gage
This gage shows the engine
coolant temperature.
If the
gage pointer moves into the
red area,
your engine is too
hot!
A light will come on to the right of the gage when the
gage pointer moves beyond the normal operating zone.
It means that
your engine coolant has overheated.
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.
In “Problems on the Road,” this manual shows what to
do. See “Engine Overheating” in the Index.
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Low Coolant Warning Light
; I’ ,.
If this light comes on and
stays on, the vehicle should
be promptly pulled
off the
road and the coolant level
checked.
See “Engine
Coolant”
in the Index.
Malfunctilon Indicator Lamp
(Check Engine Light) ~ ..
0
CHECK
Your Pontiac is equipped
with a computer
which
monitors operation of the
fuel, ignition and emission
control systems.
If there are visible signs of steam see “Engine
Overheating” in the
Index before opening the hood. , . ’? --+ -- This system is called OBD I1 (On-Board .>. ’ I .;: . , Diagnostics-Second Generation) and is intended to
.-. . assure that emissions are at acceptable levels for the
life of the vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner
environment.
(In! Canada, OBD 11 is replaced by
Enhanced Diagnostics.) The CHECK ENGINE light
comes on to indicate that there is a problem and service
is required, Malfunctions often will
be indicated by the
system before
any problem is apparent, which may
prevent more serious damage to your vehicle. This
system is
also designed to assist your service technician
d . in correctly diagnosing any malfunction.
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I NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle with this light
on, after a while, your emission controls may nmot
work as well, your fuel economy may not be as
good and your engine may not run as smoothly.
This could lead to costly repairs that may not be
covered by your warranty.
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition
is on and the engine is not
running.
If the light doesn’t come on, have it repaired.
This
light will also come on during a malfunction’ in one
of two ways:
0 Light Flashing -- A misfire condition has been
detected.
A misfire increases vehicle emissions and
may damage the emission control system on your
vehicle. Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis
and service is required.
0 Light On Steady -- An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis and
service may be required.
If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent ml
your vehicle:
0 Reduce vehicle speed.
0 Avoid hard accelerations.
0 Avoid steep uphill grades.
e serious damage to
i
If towing a trailer, reduce the amount of cargo being
hauled as-soon as it is possible.
If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see “If
the Light Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Put your vehicle in PARK (P). Turn the
key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart the engine.
If the light remains on steady, see “If the Light Is On
Steady” following.
If the light is still flashing follow the
previous, steps, and drive the vehicle to
your dealer or
qualified service center for service.
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If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you just put fuel into your vehicle?
If
so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. The diagnostic system can determine if the fuel
cap has been left
off or improperly installed. This will
allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few
driving trips should turn the light,off.
Did you just
drive through a! deep puddle of water?
If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system dries out.
A few driving trips should turn the light off.
Are you low on fuel?
As your engine starts to run out of fuel, your engine may
not
run as efficiently as designed since small amounts of
air are sucked into the fuel line causing a misfire. The
system can detect this. Adding fuel should correct
this
condition. Make sure to install the fuel cap properly. It
will take a few driving trips to turn the light
off.
Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel (see
“Fuel” in the Index). Poor
fuel quality will cause your
engine not to run as efficiently as designed. You may
notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling when you
put the vehicle into gear, misfiring, hesitation on
acceleration or stumbling
on acceleration.. (These
conditions may go away once the engine
is warmed up.)
This will be detected by the system and cause the light
to turn on.
If you experience this condition, change the fuel brand
you use.
It will require at least one full tank of the
proper fuel to turn the light
off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
have your dealer or qualified service center check the
vehicle. Your dealer has the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to fix
any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.
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Oil Pressure 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 the following
situations:
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 On four cylinder engines, when the engine is idling
at
a stop, the light may blink on and off. In addition,
if you make a hard stop, the light may come on for a
moment. This is normal.
Don’t keep driving if the oil pressure is low.
If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches fire. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil
as soon as possible and have
your vehicle serviced.
I NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and
is not covered by your
warranty,
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Check Oil Light
. CHECK
OIL
This light should come on
briefly while you
are
starting your engine. If the
light does not come on,
have
it repaired. If the light
comes on and stays
on after
starting your vehicle, the oil
level should be checked.
Prior to checking the
oil level, be sure your vehicle has
been shut off for several minutes and is on a level
surface. Check the oil level on the dipstick and
bring it
to the proper level. See “Engine
Oil” in the Index.
NOTE: A false CHECK OIL light may be generated
when parking
on steep grades. The
oil level monitoring system only checks
oil level
during the brief period between key
on and engine start.
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.
Up Shift Light (Manual Transaxle)
This light comes on when
you need to shift to the next
higher gear. See
“Manual
Transaxle” in the Index,
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Passlock Warning Light Fuel Gage
THEFT
SYS
This light will come on
briefly when you turn the
key towards the START
position. The light will stay
on until the engine starts.
W
(3
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.
An amber
light
will come on below the
gage when the fuel
tank is
near
EMPTY (E).
If the light flashes,. the Passlock system has entered a
tamper mode. If the vehicle fails to start, see "Passlock"
in the Index.
If the light comes on continuously while driving and
stays on, there may
be a problem with the Passlock
system. Your vehicle will not be protecteil
by Passlock,
and you should see your dealer.
J
Here are four things that some owners ask about. None
of these show a problem with
your fuel gage:
At the service station, the gas pump shuts off b'efore
the gage reads
FULL (F). ' I
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 the tank.
The gage moves a little when you turn a, corner or
The gage doesn't go back to EMPTY (E) when you
speed up.
turn
off the ignition.
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Fan Knob
‘The left controlknob sets the fin speed. To select thle
force
of air you want, turn the knob. The fan is always
runhing unless the mode control is moved to OFF.
Temperature Knob
The center control knob regulates the temperature of the
air coming through the system. ,
Mode Knob
The right control knob changes the functions of your
system.
2 VENT Use when outside temperatures are mild,
and little heating or cooling is needed, Airflow is
through the instrument panel outlets. Set the center
control
hob to the temperature desired.
9 BI-LEVEL: Use on cool, but sunny days.
This setting
brings in the outside air, but directs it in
two
ways. Cooler air is directed to the upper portion of
your body through the instrument panel outlets; slightly
wanner
air is directed through the heater ducts and
defroster vents. At times, this‘temperature difference
may be more apparent than others,
d HEATER: This setting brings heated air through
the he’ater ducts and some through the windshield
defroster vents.
If you have the optional engine coolant heater (engine
block heater)
and use it during cold weather, 0°F
(- 18 O C) or lower, your heating system will more quickly
provide heat be’cause the engine coolant is already
warmed. See “Engine Coolant Heater” in
the Index.
9 BLEND: This setting divides airflow equally
between the heater ducts
and the windshield defroster ’
vents.
DEFROST
This setting directs air though the
windshield gefroster vents located on top of the
instrument panel,
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