1997 PONTIAC PONTIAC Owners Manual

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, have it repaired.
This light will also come on during a malfunction in one
of two ways:
0 Light Flashing -- A misfire condition has been
detected.
A misfire increases vehicle emissions and
may damage the emission 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.
If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
Reducing vehicle speed.
Avoiding hard accelerations.
Avoiding steep uphill grades.
If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as
soon as it is possible.
If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see “If
the Light
Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do
so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart the
engine.
If the light remains on steady, see “If the Light
Is On Steady” following. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your
dealer or qualified service center for service.
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If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did
you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If
so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. The diagnostic system can determine if the fuel
cap has been left off or improperly installed.
A loose or
missing fuel cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the
atmosphere. A few driving trips with the cap properly
installed should turn the light off.
Did
you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If
so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out.
A few driving trips should turn the light off.
Are you low on fuel?
As your engine starts to run out of fuel, your engine may
not run as efficiently as designed since small amounts of
air are sucked into the fuel line causing a misfire. The
system can detect this. Adding fuel should correct this
condition. Make sure to install the fuel cap properly. It
will take a few driving trips to turn the light off. 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 one or more
of these conditions,
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.
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Oil Warning Light
If you have a problem with
your oil pressure, this light
may 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:
0 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.
If you make a hard stop, the light may come on for a
moment.
This is normal.
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.
NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and
is not covered by
your warranty.
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Low Oil Level Light
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.
Engine Coolant Temperature Light
TEMP
This light tells you that your
engine coolant has
overheated or your radiator
cooling fan is not working.
If the light stays on, stop th’e 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.)
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.
If you have been operating your vehicle under normal
driving conditions, you should pull
off the road, stop
your vehicle and turn
off the engine as soon as possible.
In “Problems on the Road,” this manual shows what to
do.
See “Engine Overheating” in the Index.
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Engine Coolant Temp’erature Gage
You have a gage that shows
the engine coolant temperature.
If the gage
pointer moves into the red
area, your engine is too hot!
That reading means the same thing as the warning light.
It means that your engine coolant has overheated. If you
have been operating your vehicle under normal driving
conditions, you should pull
off the road, stop your
vehicle and turn
off the engine as soon as possible.
In “Problems on the Road,’’ this manual shows what to
do.
See “Engine Overheating” in the Index.
Low Coolant Warning Light
LOW
COOLANT
If this light comes on, your
system is low on coolant
and the engine may
overheat.
See “Engine
Coolant” in the Index and
have your vehicle serviced
as soon as you
can.
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Low Washer Fluid Warning Light
LOW
This light will come on
when your ignition is
on
and the fluid container
is low.
Remember, driving without
washes fluid can be
dangerous.
A bad mud splash can block your vision.
You could collide with another vehicle. Check your
washer fluid often, and add only the proper fluid. See
“Windshield Washer Fluid” in
the Index.
Trunk Ajar Warning Light
e
AJAR
This light will come an
if your trunk is not
completely closed.
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Fuel Gage Low Fuel Light
Your fuel gage tells you
about how much fuel you
have left when the ignition
is on. When the indicator
nears
EMPTY (E), you still
have a little fuel left, but
you should get more soon.
Here are some things owners ask about. All these
situations are normal and do not show a problem with
your fuel gage:
At the service station, the pump shuts off before the
gage reads
FULL (F).
It takes a little more or less fuel to fill up than the gage
indicated. For example, the gage may have indicated
the
tank was half full, but it actually took a little more
or less than half the
tank’s capacity to fill it.
The gage moves a little when you turn a corner or
speed up. The gage needle should move no more
than
1/8 of a tank under any driving maneuver.
LOW
FUEL
If your fuel is low, a light
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, see
your dealer.
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Driver Information Center
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I
CHANGE OIL SOON c
Your Driver Information Center gives you important safety and maintenance facts, When you turn the ignition on, the
entire center lights ug.for a few seconds. Then it goes to work.
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