1997 PONTIAC GRAND AM adding oil

1 A CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water, or some other
liquid like alcohol, can boil before the proper
coolant mix will. Your vehicle’s coolant warning
system is set for the proper coolant mix. With
plain water or the wrong mix, your engine could
get too hot but you wouldn’t get the overheat
warning. Your engine could catch fire and you or
others could be burned, Use
a 50/50 mix of clean
~ water and DEX-COOL@ coolant.
NOTICE:
r
In cold weather, water can freeze and crack the
engine, radiator, heater core and other parts,
So
use the recommended coolant. 1
5-19

3. Check both sides of
the dipstick, and
read the lower
level. The fluid
level must be in the
cross-hatched area.
4. If the fluid level is in the acceptable range, push the
dipstick back in all the way.
How to Add Fluid
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind
of transaxle fluid to use. See “Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants” in the Index.
If the fluid level is low, add only enough of the proper fluid to
bring the level into the cross-hatched area on the dipstick.
1. Pull out the dipstick.
2. Using a long-neck funnel, add enough fluid at the
dipstick hole to bring
it to the proper level.
It doesn’t take much fluid, generally less than one
pint
(0.5 L). Don’t overfill.
NOTICE:
We recommend you use only fluid labeled
DEXRON@-111, because fluid with that label
is
made especially for your automatic transaxle.
Damage caused by fluid other than DEXRON-I11
is not covered by your new vehicle warranty.
3. After adding fluid, recheck the fluid level as
described under
“How to Check.”
4. When the correct fluid level is obtained, push the
dipstick back in all the way.
Manual Transaxle Fluid
When to Check
A good time to have it checked is when the engine oil is
changed. However, the fluid in your manual transaxle
doesn’t require changing.
6-21

NOTICE:
When adding coolant, it is important that you use
only
DEX-COOL@ (silicate-free) coolant.
If coolant other than DEX-COOL@ is added to
the system, premature engine, heater core or
radiator corrosion may result. In addition, the
engine coolant
will require change sooner -- at
30,000 miles (50 000 km) or 24 months,
whichever occurs
first. Damage caused by the use
of coolant other than DEX-COOL@ is not
covered by your new vehicle warranty.
What to Use
Use a mixture of one-half clean water (preferably
distilled)
and one-half DEX-COOL@ coolant which
won’t damage aluminum parts.
If you use this mixture,
you don’t need to add anything else. Adding
only plain water to your cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water,
or some other
liquid like alcohol, can boil before the proper
coolant mix will. Your vehicle’s coolant warning
system
is set for the proper coolant mix. With
plain water or the wrong mix, your engine could
get too hot but you wouldn’t get the overheat
warning. Your engine could catch fire and you or
others could be burned. Use a
50/50 mix of clean
water and DEX-COOL@ coolant.

Easy Entry Seat ................................ 1-6
Electrical Equipment. Adding
...... 2.17. 2. 18. 3.24. 6-58
Electrical System
............................... 6-58
Engine
.................................. 6.10. 6.11
Coolant
..................................... 6-24
Coolant Heater
............................... 2- 19
Coolant Level Check
.......................... 7-41
Coolant Temperature Gage
..................... 2-63
Exhaust
................. 2-10.2-32,2-33.4-29. 4-38
Fuse Block
.................................. 6-62
Identification
................................ 6-58
OilLevelCheck
.............................. 7-41
Overheating
................................. 5 - 14
Running While Parked
......................... 2-33
Specifications
................................ 6-64
StartingYour
................................ 2-16
Engine Exhaust
............ 2-10.2-32,2-33,4-29,4-38 Engine Oil .................................... 6-12
Adding
..................................... 6-14
Additives
................................... 6- 17
Used
....................................... 6-17
What To Use
................................. 6-15
Enhanced Traction System
......................... 4-9
Enhanced Traction System Active Light
......... 2-63. 4-9
Enhanced Traction System Warning Light
...... 2-62. 4-10
Ethanol
........................................ 6-4
ETS Active Light
........................... 2-63, 4-9
ETS Warning Light
........................ 2-62. 4- 10
Exhaust, Engine
............ 2-10.2-32.2-33.4-29. 4-38
Exterior Lamps
................................. 2-43
Checking
................................... 6-13
Whentochange
.............................. 6-17 Fabric
Cleaning
............................... 6-50
Fifth Gear. Manual Transaxle
..................... 2-25
Filling Your Tank
................................ 6-5
Filter. Air
..................................... 6-18
Finish Care
.................................... 6-54
Finish Damage
................................. 6-56
First Gear, Automatic Transaxle
................... 2-24
First Gear, Manual Transaxle
...................... 2-25
Flashers, Hazard Warning
......................... 5-2
Flat Tire, Changing
............................. 5-22
Fluids and Lubricants
............................ 7-47
Following Distance when Towing a Trailer
........... 4-39
Foreign Countries, Fuel
........................... 6-4
Fourth Gear, Manual Transaxle
.................... 2-25
French Language Manual
........................... 11 *.
Front Map Lamps ............................... 2-47
Front Towing
.................................. 5-10
Fuel
........................................ 6-3
Gage
....................................... 2-69
In Foreign Countries
........................... 6-4
Fuses and Circuit Breakers
....................... 6-59
FogLamps
.................................... 2-45
Filling Your Tank
.... ...................... 6-5
Gages Engine Coolant Temperature
.................... 2-63
Fuel
....................................... 2-69
Tachometer
.................................. 2-58
GarmentHook
................................. 2-53
GAWR
....................................... 4-33
Gear Positions, Automatic Transaxle
................ 2-21
Gear Positions, Manual Transaxle
.................. 2-25
9-4