1996 PONTIAC PONTIAC bulb

’hrn Signal and Lane Change Indicator
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 turn, move the lever all the way up or down,
When the turn is finished, the lever will return automatically.
An arrow 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. Thelever will return by
itself when you release it.
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 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 for burned-out bulbs and then check
the fuse (see “Fuses and Circuit Breakers” in the Indes).
A chime will sound if you leave your
turn signal on for
more than 1/2 mile (0.8 km).
Headlamp HigldLow Beam Changer
To change your headlamps
from low
beam to high
beam, or high to low, pull
the multifunction lever all
the way toward you. Then
release it. When the high
beams
are on, a. light on the
instrument panel also will
be on.
ProCarManuals.com

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.
Oil Warnine Light
If you have a problem with
your oil, this light my 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 two other 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,
2-54 5
ProCarManuals.com

Turn Signals When Towing a Wailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle may need a
different turn signal flasher and/or extra wiring. Check
with your Pontiac dealer. The green arrows on your
instrument panel will
flash whenever you signal a turn
or lane change. Properly hooked up, the trailer lamps
will also flash, telling other drivers you’re about to
turn,
change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green arrows on your
instrument panel will, flash for turns even if the bulbs
on
the trailer are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers
behind you are seeing your signal when they are not.
It’s important to check occasionally
to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working.
Your vehicle has bulb warning lights. When you plug a
trailer lighting system into your vehicle’s lighting
system, its bulb warning lights may not let you
know if
one
of your lamps goes out. So, when you have a trailer
lighting system plugged
in, be sure to check your
vehicle and trailer lamps from time to time to be
sure
they’re all working. Once you disconnect the trailer
lhmps,
the bulb warning lights again can tell you if one
of your vehicle lamps is out.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start
down a long or steep downgrade. If you don’t shift
down, you might have to use your
brakes so much that
they wouJd get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce your
speed to around
45 mph (70 km/h) to reduce the
possibility
of engine and transaxle overheating.
If you have overdrive, you may want to drive in
THIRD (3), instead of DRIVE (D).
4-36
ProCarManuals.com

Bulb Replacement
In this section you'll find directions for changing the
bulbs in some of the lamps on your Pontiac. See
"Replacement Bulbs" in the Index
to find the type of
bulb you should use.
Halogen Bulbs
I
I /r CAUTION:
Halogen bulbs have pressurized gas inside and
can burst if you drop or scratch the bulb. You or
others could be injured. Be sure to read and
follow the instructions on the bulb package.
Headlamps (2-Door Models)
1. Open the headlamp panel.
I 6-31
ProCarManuals.com

Turn the socket
counterclockwise until it
pops loose
from the housing.
3. Pull out the bulb socket.
Headlamp Aiming
4. Lift the plastic locking tab on the electrical
connector and pull the connector from the
bulb socket.
5. Snap the electrical connector into a new bulb socket.
6. Replace the bulb socket into the housing and have a four-door Pontiac, see your dealer when your
This section only applies to two-door Pontiacs. If you
turn clockwise. headlamp aim needs to be checked
or adjusted.
7. Close the headlamp panel.
Your vehicle has the 55 x 135 mini-quad headlamp
system. These headlamps have horizontal and vertical
aim indicators. The aim has been pre-set at the factory
and should need
no further adjustment.
ProCarManuals.com

5. Pull the lamp bar housing away from the body of
the vehicle.
6. Squeeze the tab on the socket and turn the socket
counterclockwise.
7. Pull out the socket.
8. Pull the bulb out of the socket.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Push in a new bulb.
Replace the socket into the lamp bar assembly
and
turn clockwise.
Replace the lamp bar assembly to the body
of the
vehicle.
Install the wing nuts.
Put the covers back and install the pins.
ProCarManuals.com

Front Sidemarker (4-Door Models)
1.
2.
Remove the screws and
pull the sidemarker
housing
forward.
Turn the socket
counterclockwise and
pull
the socket out of
the housing.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Pull the bulb out of the socket.
Push in a new bulb.
Replace the socket into
the housing and
turn clockwise.
Replace the housing to
the vehicle.
Install the screws.
Front lbrn Signal (2-Door Models)
\er
1. Remove the pins from the cover above the turn
signal lamps.
6-40
ProCarManuals.com

2. Turn the socket
counterclockwise one-sixth of a turn until
it feels loose.
3. Pull out the socket.
4. Pull the bulb out of the socket.
5. Push in a new bulb.
6. Replace the socket into the housing and turn
7. Replace the cover and pins. clockwise until it snaps in place.
Front Turn Signal (4-DOor Models)
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
1.
2.
Remove the screws and
pull the turn signal
housing forward.
Turn the bulb socket
counterclockwise untiI
it pops loose from
the
housing.
Pull out the bulb socket.
Lift the plastic locking tab on the electrical
connector and pull .the connector from the
bulb socket.
Snap the electrical connector into a new bulb socket,
Replace the bulb socket into the housing and
turn clockwise.
Replace the housing to the vehicle.
Install the screws.
ProCarManuals.com