1996 PONTIAC PONTIAC check engine

When the PASS-Key I1 system senses that someone is
using the wrong key, it shuts down the vehicle’s starter
and fuel systems. For about three minutes, the starter
won’t work and fuel won’t
go to the engine. If someone
tries to start your vehicle again or uses another key
during this time, the vehicle will not start. This
discourages someone from randomly trying different
keys with different resistor pellets in an attempt to make
a match.
The ignition key must be clean and dry before it’s
inserted in the ignition or the engine may not start.
If the
engine does not start and the SECURITY light is on,
the
key may be dirty or wet. Turn the ignition off.
Clean and dry the, key. Wait about three minutes and try
again. The SECURITY light may remain on during this
time.
If the starter still won’t work, and the key appears
to be clean and dry, wait about
three minutes and try
another ignition key. At this time, you may also want to
check the fuse (see “Fuses and Circuit Breakers” in the
Index).
If the starter won’t work with the other key, your
vehicle needs ‘service. If your vehicle does start, the first
ignition key may
be faulty. See your Pontiac dealer or a
locksmith who can service
the PASS-Key 11.
If you accidentally use a key that has a damaged or
missing resistor pellet, the starter won’t work and the
SECURITY light will flash. But you don’t have to wait
three minutes before trying another ignition key.
See your Pontiac dealer
or a locksmith who can service
the PASS-Key
11 to have a new key made.
If you’re ever driving and
the SECURITY light comes
on, you will be able to restart your engine
if you turn
it off. Your PASS-Key 11 system, however, is not
working properly and must
be serviced by your
Pontiac dealer. Your vehicle is not protected by the
PASS-Key
I1 system.
If you lose or damage a PASS-Key
II ignition key,
see your Pontiac dealer or a locksmith who can service
PASS-Key I1 to have a new key made. In an emergency,
call the Pontiac Roadside Assistance Program at
1-800-ROADSIB or 1-800-762-3743.
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NOTICE:
Hdding 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.
4
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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Wslrr!ing Lights, Gages and Indicators
This part des’cribes 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 QT 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.
I!;.. ’ ’
I.
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.
Safety Belt Reminder Light
When the key is turned to RUN or START, a chime will
come on for about eight seconds to remind people to
fasten their safety belts, unless
the driver’s safety belt is
already buckled.
The safety belt light
will also come on and
, .!
stay on until the driver3
belt
is buckled.
,.
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Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Service Engine Soon Light)
SERVICE
ENGINE SOON
Your Pontiac is equipped
with
a computer which
monitors operation
of the
fuel, ignition and emission
control
systems.
This system is called OBD I1 (On-Board
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
SERVICE ENGINE SOON
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 s~ewice technician
NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle with this light
on, after a
while, your emission controls may not
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, Gave it repaired.
This light will also come on during a malfunction in one
of two ways:
fight Flashing -- A misfire condition has been
detected.
A misfire increases vehicle emissions and
may damage the epission control system on your
vehicle. Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis
and service
is required.
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.
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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,
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0 If you make a hard stop, the light may come on for a
moment. This is normal.
A CAUTION:
-
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: I
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and
is not covered by
your warranty.
Low Oil Level Light
LOW OIL
LEVEL
Your engine is equipped
with an oil level monitoring
system. When the ignition
key is turned on, the LOW
‘OIL LEVEL light will
briefly flash. If the light
does not, flash, have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn
you if there’s a problem.
If the light stays on, stop the vehicle on a level surface
and turn the engine
off. Check the oil level using the
engine oil dipstick. (See “Engine Oil” in the Index.)
If the light does not flash, have the low oil level sensor
system repaired
so it will be ready to warn you if there’s
a problem.
,
The oil level monitoring system only checks oil level
during the brief period between key on and engine

crank. 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.
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Low Fuel Light
Ill If your fuel is low, a light
LOW
FUEL
will come on and stay on
until you add fuel. It will
also
come on for a few
seconds when you first turn
on the ignition as
a check to
show you it's working. If it
doesn't come on then, have
it fixed.
Trip Calculator (Option)
b INSTECON
fi FMp b AVGECON 3 8:8 8:8.8 MVGMPH'F L/lOOh/h%
b TRIP b AVG SPEED
ELAPSED
b FUELUSED
RANGE
When you start your engine, the trip calculator will
display a mode. A lighted arrow shows which mode
is displayed.
INST ECON: Shows your fuel economy when you
select this mode. This display will update every second
and cannot be reset.
AVG ECON: Shows your average fuel economy since
you last reset this mode.
AVG SPEED: Shows your average speed since you last
reset
this mode. It counts anly the time the engine is
running. The display will be updated every three
seconds until you select another mode.
FUEL USED: Shows the total amount of fuel used
since you last reset this mode. The amount can be
displayed in gallons or liters.
RANGE: Shows how much farther you can travel with
the fuel you have before refueling.
I€ there is less than
one-eighth of a tank,
LOFUEL will be displayed. If
the fuel level
is low enough, LOFUEL will show on
the display in all modes. The message will flash for
60 seconds and then stay on until you add more fuel.
You can't reset RANGE mode. Range is updated
automatically when you reset AVG
ECON.
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Understanding Radio Reception
FM stereo will give you the best sound. But FM signals
will reach only about
10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 h). Tall
buildings or hills can interfere with
FM signals, causing
the sound to come and
go..
AM
The range for mast tatians is greater than for FM,
especially at night. nger range, however, can
cause stations to in with each other. AM can pick
up noise from things'like storms and power lines. Try
reducing the treble to reduce this noise if you ever get it.
Tips About Your Audio System
Hearing damage from loud noise is almost undetectable
until it is too late. Your hearing can adapt to higher
volumes of sound. Sound
that seems normal can be loud
and harrrrful to your hearing Take precautions by
adjusting
the volume control on your radio to a safe
sound level before your hearing adapts to it.
To help avoid hearing loss or damage:
0 Adjust the volume control to the lowest setting.
Increase volume slowly until you hear comfortably
and clearly.
NOTICE:
Before you add any sound equipment to your
vehicle
-- like a tape player, CB radio, mobile
telephone
or two-way raclio -- be sure you can
add what you want. If you can, it's very important
to do it properly. Added sound equipment may
interfere with the operation of your vehicle's
engine, Delco radio or other systems, and even
damage them.
Your vehicle's systems may
interfere
with the operation of sound equipment
that
Ras been added'improperly.
So, before adding sound equipment, check with
your dealer and be sure to check Federal rules
covering mobile radio and telephone units. 1
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