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L
Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle.
For example,
these symbols
are used on an
original battery:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
ACID COULD BATTERY
CAUSE
BURNS
AVOID
SPARKS
OR
FLAMES
SPARK
OR ,111,
COULD FLAME
EXPLODE BATTERY
These symbols are important
for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle
is
driven:'
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
FASTEN SEAT
BELTS
These symbols
have to
do with
your lamps:
SIGNALS e
TURN
FOG LAMPS # 0
These symbols
are on some
of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
WIPER
WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
VENTILATING
(
FAN
These symbols
are used on
warning and
indicator lights:
COOLANT -
TEMP -
CHARGING I-1
BAllERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE
(a)
COOLANT
a
ENGINE OIL
PRESSURE
-4
ANTI-LOCK (@)
BRAKES
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
t
LIGHTER a
HORN )tr
SPEAKER
b
FUEL p3
V
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Page 77 of 405
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and
store the cord as it was before to keep it away
from moving engine parts.
If you don’t, it could
be damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends on the outside temperature, the
kind of oil you have, and some other things. Instead of
trying to list everything here, we ask that you contact
your Pontiac dealer in the area where you’ll be parking
your vehicle. The dealer can give you the best advice for
that particular
area.
Automatic Transaxle Operation
Your automatic transaxle may have a shift lever
located on the console between the seats or
on the
steering column.
There are several different positions for your shift lever.
PARK (P): This locks your front wheels. It’s the best
position
to use when you start your engine because your
vehicle can’t move easily.
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Page 126 of 405

Oil Pressure Gage
0
h
120
The oil pressure gage shows
the engine oil pressure in
psi (pounds per square inch)
when the engine is running.
Canadian vehicles
indicate pressure in
kPa (kiloPascals).
Oil pressure may vary with engine speed, outside
temperature and oil viscosity, but readings above the red
warning zone indicate
the normal operating range.
A reading in the red zone may be caused by a
dangerously low oil level or other problem causing low
oil pressure. The
CHECK GAGES light will go on and a
warning chime will sound, if you have this option.
Driving your vehicle with low oil pressure can cause
extensive engine damage.
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 ass 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.
1
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Page 127 of 405
Check Oil Level Warning Light Low Washer Fluid Warning Light
CHECK OIL
LEVEL
The CHECK OIL LEVEL
light
turns on for three
seconds as
a bulb check
each time the ignition key is
turned to the
RUN position.
If the light doesn’t turn on,
have your vehicle serviced.
If the engine oil is more than one quart (0.95 L) low and
the engine has been shut off for at least eight minutes,
the
CHECK OIL LEVEL light will turn on for about
one minute and will then remain
0: il the next time
you start the vehicle.
If the CHECK OIL LEVEL light turns on, the engine oil
level should be checked at the dipstick then brought up
to the proper level, if necessary. See “Engine Oil” in
the Index.
WASHER FLUID
This light will come on
when
your windshield
washers
are working and the
fluid container is less than
one-third full.
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Page 128 of 405
Check Gages Warning Light (Option)
1
This light will come on
briefly when you are
starting the engine.
CHECK GAGES
Fuel Gage
UNLEADED
FUEL
ONLY
UNLEADED
FUEL ONLY
If the light comes on and stays on while you are driving,
check your gages
for fuel, coolant temperature, oil
pressure or voltage. This light will stay on if your engine
is not running.
Cluster with Gages Cluster with Compass
and Gages
When
the ignition is on, your fuel gage tells you about
how much fuel you have
left. When the gage reads in
the yellow band, a warning chime will sound and the
CHECK
GAGES warning light will go on, if you have
this option.
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Page 130 of 405

Head-Up Display (Option)
If the HUD image is too bright, or too high in
your field of view, it may take you more time to
see things you need to see when it’s dark outside.
Be sure to keep the HUD image dim and placed
low in
your field of view.
If you have the optional Head-Up Display (HUD), you
can see some of the driver information also available on
your instrument panel cluster. The information may be
displayed in English or metric units and appears as a
reflection on the windshield. The
HUD shows:
Speedometer reading
e Turn signal indicators
0 High-beam indicator symbol
0 CHECK GAGES message (for low oil pressure, high
0 Low fuel warning symbol.
coolant temperature, low oil level and
low fuel)
CHECK GAGES
HUD shows these images when they are lighted on the
instrument panel.
At
70 miles per hour, the speedometer may display a
variance of 3 miles per hour from the HUD. This
condition is normal.
When
you sit straight in your seat, the HUD image will
appear slightly to the right.
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Driver Information Centerloption
CHECK OIL LEVEL
WASHER FLUID
Law COOLANT
CHECK PAOEB
HOOD DOOR
TRUNK AJAR
I
MONITOR
LAMP I HI BEAM HEAD
PARK LAMP
TURN SIQNAL
BACK UP TAIL
BRAKE LAMP
TRIP
8 8 8 8.8
3
If you have the Driver Information Center, it gives you
important safety and maintenance facts. When you turn
the ignition on, the entire center lights up for a
few
seconds. Then it goes to work.
FUNCTION MONITOR: This lets you know if
you are low on fluids or have a problem with a
vehicle function:
a
a
CHECK OIL LEVEL: This message could mean
your oil level
is low. If it comes on for more than
three seconds, see “Check Oil Level Warning Light”
in the Index.
WASHER FLUID: This message means your
washer fluid tank is less than about 30% full. The
windshield portion
of the vehicle outline will also
glow. If these come on, see “Windshield Washer
Fluid”
in the Index.
LOW COOLANT This message means your
coolant level has fallen to about half full.
If it comes
on, see “Engine Coolant” in the Index.
CHECK GAGES: If this light comes on and stays
on while you are driving, check your gages for fuel,
coolant temperature, oil pressure or battery voltage.
SECURITY: You’ll get a DOOR AJAR message if a
door is not fully closled. The vehicle outline will show
you which door it is. You will also get a HOOD AJAR
or TRUNK AJAR message if the hood or the trunk isn’t
fully lclosed. The vehicle outline will also show you
these are ajar.
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Care of Your Cassette Tape Player
A tape player that is not cleaned regularly can cause
reduced sound quality, ruined cassettes or a damaged
mechanism. Cassette tapes should be stored in their
cases away from contaminants, direct sunlight and
extreme heat. If they aren’t, they may not operate
properly or may cause failure of the tape player.
Your tape player should be cleaned regularly after every
50 hours of use. Your radio may display CLN to indicate
that you have used your tape player for
50 hours without
resetting the tape clean timer. If this message appears
on the display, your cassette tape player needs to be
cleaned. It will still play tapes, but you should clean it as
soon as possible to prevent damage to your tapes and
player. If you notice a reduction in sound quality, try a
known good cassette to see if it is the tape or the tape
player at fault.
If this other cassette has no improvement
in sound quality, clean the tape player.
Cleaning may be done with
a scrubbing action,
non-abrasive cleaning cassette with pads which scrub
the tape head
as the hubs of the cleaner cassette turn.
Follow these steps to prevent the cassette from being ejected due to the CUT TAPE DETECTION feature:
1. Turn the radio off and the ignition on.
2. Press and hold the TAPEPLAY button for three
seconds (tape indicator will flash for two seconds).
3. Insert the cleaner cassette (a CD adapter kit may also
be inserted).
The radio will default back to CUT TAPE DETECTION
when the cleaner cassette (or CD adapter kit) is ejected.
You may also choose a non-scrubbing action, wet-type
cleaner which uses a cassette with a fabric belt to dean
the tape head.
It may not clean as thoroughly as the
scrubbing type cleaner.
After you clean the player, press and hold
EJECT for
five seconds to reset the CLN indicator. The radio will
display
--- to show the indicator was reset.
Cassettes are subject to wear and the sound quality may
degrade over time. Always make sure the cassette tape is
in
good condition before you have your tape player serviced.
Care of Your Compact Discs
Handle discs carefully. Store them in their original cases
or other protective cases and away from direct sunlight
and dust.
If the surface of a disc is soiled, dampen a
clean, soft cloth in a mild, neutral detergent solution and
clean it, wiping from the center to the edge.
Be sure never to touch the signal
surface when handling
discs. Pick up discs by grasping the outer edges or the
edge of the hole and the outer edge.
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