1996 PONTIAC GRAND-AM check engine

If you par^ in a lot where someone will be wawung
your vehicle, it’s best to lock it
up and take your keys.
But what if you have to leave
your ignition key? What if
you have to leave something valuable. in your vehicle?
Put your valuables in a storage area, lie your trunk
Lock the glove box,
Lock all the doors except the driver’s.
or
glove
box,
e Then take the door key with you.
Passlock TM
Your venicle 1s equipped with the Passlock
theft-deterrent system.
Passlock
is a passive theft-deterrent system. The system
,is armed once the key is‘removed from the ignition.
Passlock enables fuel if the ignition lock cylinder is
turned
with a valid key. If a correct key is not used, fuel
is disabled.
During
normal operation, the THEFT SYS light will go
off after the engine is started. In the unlikely event that
the engine stalls and the THEFT SYS light flashes, wait
until the light stops flashing b’efose
trying to restart the
engine. Remember to release the key
from the START
position as soon as the engine starts. If after several tries
the vehicle still does
not start, the vehicle may need
service. At this time, you may
also want to check the
fuses (see “Fuses and Circuit Breakers” in the Index).
See your Pontiac dealer for service.
If the THEFT SYS light comes on while the engine is
running, a problem
has been detected and the system
may need service. See your dealer for service.
In an emergency, call the Bontiac Roadsi4e Assistance
Program at 1-8OO-RBADSIDE or 1-800-762-3743.
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Starting Your 2.4 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:
H’olding 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. If it doesn’t start right away, and if the weather is
very cold (below
-20°F or -29”C), push the
accelerator pedal about one-quarter of the way down
while
you turn the key to START. Do this until the
engine
starts. As soon as it does, let go of the key.
stops), it could be flooded with too much gasoline.
Try pushing your acc,elerator pedal all the way to the
3. If your engine still won’t start (or starts but then floor
and holding it there as you hold the key in
START for about three seconds. This clears the extra
gasoline
from the engine. If the vehcle starts briefly
but then
stops again, do the same thing, but this time
keep the pedal about one-quarter
of the way down
for five or
six seconds.
NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle.
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” in the Index.
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Starting Your 3.1 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. If your engine 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 up to 15 seconds, This clears the extra
gasoline from the engine.
NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle.
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” in the Index.
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Tachometer
The tachometer shows your
engine speed
in revolutions
per minute (rpm).
I NOTICE:
Do not run your engine at speeds in the red area,
or engine damage may occur.
Warning ,Lights, Gages and
Indicators
This part describes the warning lights and gages that
may be on your vehicle. The pictures will help you
locate them. Warning
lights and gages can signal that something is
wrong before
it becomes serious enough to cause an
expensive repair
or replacement. Paying attention to
your warning lights and gages could also save you or
others from injury.
Warning lights come on when there may be or
is a
problem with one of your vehicle’s functions. As you
will see
in the details on the next few pages, some
warning lights come on briefly when you start the
engine just to let
you know they’re working. If you are
familiar with this section, you should not be alarmed
when this happens.
Gages can indicate when there may be or
is a problem
with one of your vehicle’s functions. Often gages and
warning lights
work together to let you know when
there’s a problem with your vehicle.
When one of the warning lights comes on and stays on
when you are driving, or when one of the gages shows
there may be a problem, check the section that tells
you
what to do about it. Please follow this manual’s advice.
Waiting
to do repairs can be costly -- and even
dangerous.
So please get to know your warning lights
and gages. They’re a
big help.
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Charging System Indicator Light
The charging system
indicator light will come on
briefly when
you turn on the
ignition, but the engine
is
not running, as a check to
show you it is working.
Then it should go out. .. 1.
. I -1
If it stays on when your engine is running, OF comes on
while you are driving, you may have a problem with the
electrical charging system. It could indicate that you
have a loose generator drive belt or another electrical
problem. Have it checked right away. Driving while this
light
is on could drain your battery.
If you mast drive a short distance with the light on, be
certain to turn off all your accessories, such as themdio
and
air conditioner,
Brake System Warning Light
Your Pontiac’s hydraulic brake system is divided into
two parts. If one part isn’t working, the other part can
still w’ork and
stop you. For good braking, though, you
need both
parts workmg well.
If the warning light comes on, there could be a brake
problem. Have your brake system inspected right away.
BRAKE
This light should come ow
briefly when you turn the
ignitibn key
to RUN. If it
doesn’t come on then, have
it fixed so it will be ready to
warn
you if there’s a
problem,
If the light .comes on while you are driving, pull off the
road and stop carefully. You may notice that the pedal is
harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer to the floor,
It may take longer to stop. If the light is still on, have the
vehicle towed €or
service, (See “Towing Your Vehicle”
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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’ ““2-60
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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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