1997 PONTIAC GRAND AM Owners Manual

Starting Your 3100 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,
2-18

Engine Coolant Heater (If Equipped)
2.4L Engine
3100 Engine
In very cold weather, 0 OF (- 18 O C) or colder, the engine
coolant heater can help. You’ll get easier starting and
better fuel economy during engine warm-up. Usually,
the coolant heater should be plugged in a minimum
of
four hours prior to starting your vehicle.
2-19

To Use the Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-volt AC outlet.
A CAUTION:
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause an electrical shock. Also, the wrong
kind
of extension cord could overheat and cause
a fire. You could be seriously injured. Plug the
cord into
a properly grounded three-prong
110-volt AC outlet.
If the cord won’t reach, use a
heavy-duty three-prong extension cord rated for
at least
15 amps.
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.
2-20

Automatic Transaxle Operation
Your Pontiac may be equipped with a four-speed
automatic transaxle. The shift lever is located on the
console between the seats.
There are seven different
positions for the shift
lever
on the four-speed
N
[Dl
3
automatic transaxle.
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.
A CAUTION:
It is dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the
shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine
is
running unless you have to. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be sure your
vehicle won’t move, even when you’re on fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to
PARK (P).
See “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in the Index. If
you’re pulling a trailer, see “Towing a Trailer’’ in
the Index.
2-21

Ensure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P) range before
starting the engine. Your Pontiac has a brake-transaxle
shift interlock. You have to fully apply your regular
brakes before you can shift from PARK
(P) when the
ignition key is in the
RUN position. If you cannot shift
out
of PARK (P), ease pressure on the shift lever -- push
the shift lever all the way into PARK (P)
-- as you
maintain brake application. Then move the shift lever into the gear you wish. (Press the shift lever button
before moving the shift lever.) See “Shifting Out
of
PARK (P)” later in this section.
REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.
I NOTICE:
~~
1
Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle is
moving forward could damage your transaxle.
Shift to
REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle
is stopped.
1
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice or sand without damaging your transaxle, see
“If
You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow” in the Index.
NEUTRAL (N): In this position, your engine
doesn’t connect with the wheels.
To restart when you’re
already moving, use NEUTRAL
(N) only. Also, use
NEUTRAL
(N) when your vehicle is being towed.
I
Shifting out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) while
your engine
is “racing” (running at high speed) is
dangerous. Unless your foot is firmly on the
brake pedal, your vehicle could move very
rapidly. You could lose control and hit people or
objects. Don’t shift out
of PARK (P) or
NEUTRAL (N) while your engine is racing.
NOTICE:
Damage to your transaxle caused by shifting out
of
PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) with the engine
racing isn’t covered by your warranty.
r
2-22

AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D): This position is for
normal driving with the four-speed automatic transaxle.
If you need more power for passing, and you’re:
0 Going less than about 35 mph (55 km/h), push your
Going about 35 mph (55 km/h) or more, push the
The transaxle will automatically shift down
to the next
gear
and provide more power.
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
accelerator all
the way down. THIRD
(3): This position
is also used for normal
driving, however, it offers more power and lower fuel
economy than AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D). Here are some times you might choose THIRD
(3) instead of
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D):
0 When driving on hilly, winding roads.
When towing a trailer, so there is less shifting
When going down a steep hill.
between gears.
I NOTICE:
This NOTICE applies
only if you have an
automatic overdrive transaxle.
If your vehicle is
so equipped and if it seems to start up rather
slowly, or if it seems not to shift gears
as you go
faster, something may be wrong with a transaxle
system sensor.
If you drive very far that way,
your vehicle can be damaged.
So, if this happens,
have your vehicle serviced right away. Until then,
you can use SECOND
(2) when you are driving
less than
35 mph (56 km/h) and AUTOMATIC
OVERDRIVE
(@) for higher speeds.
2-23

SECOND (2): This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy. You can use SECOND
(2) on hills.
It can help control your speed as you go down steep
mountain roads, but then you would also want to use
your brakes off and
on.
NOTICE:
Don’t drive in SECOND (2) for more than
25 miles (41 km), or at speeds over 55 mph
(88 km/h), or you can damage your transaxle.
Use AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(@) or
THIRD
(3) as much as possible. Don’t shift into
SECOND
(2) unless you are going slower than
65 mph (105 km/h) or you can damage
your engine.
With automatic overdrive, SECOND
(2) will select
either first or second gear depending on vehicle speed.
If
your vehicle is slowing, the transaxle will downshift to
first gear at
20 to 25 miles per hour (32 to 40 km/h) for
engine braking. You may notice some variation in shift
speed in SECOND
(2) when accelerating or braking. FIRST
(1): This position gives
you even more power
(but lower fuel economy) than SECOND
(2). You can
use it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud.
If the
selector lever is put in
FIRST (l), the transaxle won’t
shift into first gear until the vehicle is going slowly
enough.
I NOTICE: 1
If your front wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might happen if you were stuck in
very deep sand or mud or were up against
a solid
object.
You can damage your transaxle.
~ Also, if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold
your vehicle there with only the accelerator
pedal. This could overheat and damage the
transaxle. Use your brakes or shift into PARK
(P)
to hold your vehicle in position on a hill.
2-24

Manual Transaxle Operation
1 3 5
2 w 4 R
This is your shift pattern. Here’s how
to operate your transaxle:
FIRST (1): Press the clutch pedal and shift into
FIRST
(1). Then, slowly let up on the clutch pedal as
you press the accelerator pedal.
You can shift into FIRST
(1) when you’re going less
than
20 mph (32 km/h). If you’ve come to a complete
stop and it’s hard to shift into FIRST
(l), put the shift
lever in NEUTRAL (N) and let up on the clutch. Press
the clutch pedal back down. Then shift into FIRST
(1).
SECOND (2): Press the clutch pedal as you let up on
the accelerator pedal and shift into
SECOND (2). Then
slowly let up on the clutch pedal as you press the
accelerator pedal.
THIRD (3), FOURTH (4) and FIFTH (5): Shift into
THIRD (3), FOURTH
(4) and FIFTH (5) the same way
you do for
SECOND (2). Slowly let up on the clutch
pedal as you press the accelerator pedal.
To stop, let up on the accelerator pedal and press the
brake pedal. Just before the vehicle stops, press the clutch pedal and the brake pedal, and shift into
NEUTRAL
(N).
NEUTRAL (N): Use this position when you start or
idle your engine.
2-25