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When you open the hood of the 3800 engine, you’ll see:
A. Windshield Washer Fluid E Engine Oil Fill Cap
€3. Radiator Fill Cap G. Automatic Transaxle Dipstick
C. Remote Positive Battery Terminal H. Brake Fluid Reservoir
D. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir I. Engine Coolant Reservoir
E. Engine Oil Dipstick J. Air Cleaner
6-10
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When you open the hood of the 3800 Supercharged engine, you'll see:
- : I: .,,
A. Windshield Washer Fluid
B. Radiator Fill Cap
C. Remote Positive Battery Terminal
D. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir
E. Engine Oil Dipstick F,
Engine Oil Fill Cap
G. Automatic Transaxle Dipstick
H. Brake Fluid Reservoir
I. Engine Coolant Reservoir
J. Air Cleaner
6-11
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Page 293 of 419
Checking the Fluid Level
Park your vehicle on a level place. Keep the engine
0 With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever
With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift
running.
in
PARK (P).
lever through each gear range, pausing for about
three seconds in each range. Then, position the shift
lever in
PARK (P).
0 Let the engine run at idle for three to five minutes. Then, without shutting
off the
engine, follow these steps:
3100 Engine
The transaxle fluid dipstick
handle is
the red loop near
the back of the engine.
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Page 303 of 419
NOTICE:
0
0
0
0
When using concentrated washer fluid,
follow the manufacturer’s instructions for
adding water.
Don’t mix water
with ready-to-use washer
fluid. Water can cause the solution to freeze
and damage your washer fluid tank and
other parts of the washer system.
Also,
water doesn’t clean as well as washer fluid.
Fill your washer fluid tank only
three-quarters full when it’s very cold. This
allows for expansion, which could damage
the tank if it is completely full.
Don’t use radiator antifreeze in your
windshield washer. It can damage your
washer system and paint.
Brakes
Brake Fluid
Your brake master cylinder reservoir is here. It is filled
with DOT-3 brake fluid.
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There are only two reasons wny the brake fluid level in the
reservoir might go down. The first is that the brake fluid
goes down to an acceptable level during normal brake
lining wear. When new linings are put in, the fluid level
goes back
up. The other reason is that fluid is leaking out
of the brake system. If it is, you should have your brake
system fixed, since a leak means that sooner or later your
brakes won’t work well, or won’t work at all.
So, it isn’t a good idea to “top off’ y’our brake fluid.
Adding brake fluid won’t correct a leak. If you add fluid
when your linings are worn, then you’ll have
too much
fluid when
you get new brake linings. You should add
(or remove) brake fluid, as necessary, only when work
is
done on the brake hydraulic system.
If you have too much brake fluid, it can spill
on the engine. The fluid will burn
if the engine
is hot enough. You or others could be burned,
and your vehicle could be damaged. Add brake
fluid only when work
is done on the brake
hydraulic system. When your brake
fluid falls
to a low level, your brake
warning light will come on. See “Brake System Warning
Light” in the Index.
What
to Add
When you do need brake fluid,
use only DOT-3
brake fluid -- such as Delco Supreme 11 @ (GM Part
No. 12377967). Use new brake fluid from a sealed
container only.
Always clean the brake fluid reservoir cap and
the area
around the cap before removing
it, This will help keep
dirt from entering the reservoir.
With the wrong kind
of fluid in your brake
system, your
brakes may not work well, or they
may not even work at all. This could cause
a
crash. Always use the proper brake fluid.
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NOTICE:
Using the wrong fluid can badly damage
brake system parts.
For example, just a few
drops of mineral-based oil, such as engine
oil, in your brake system can damage brake
system parts
so badly that they’ll have to be
replaced. Don’t let someone put in the
wrong kind of fluid.
If you.spil1 brake fluid on your vehicle’s
painted surfaces, the paint finish can be
damaged. Be careful not to spill brake fluid
on your vehicle.
If you do, wash it off
immediately. See “Appearance Care” in
the Index.
Brake Wear
Your Pontiac has four-wheel disc brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that make a
high-pitched warning sound when the brake pads are
worn and new pads are needed. The sound may come and
go
or be heard all the time your vehicle is moving (except
when
you are pushing on the brake pedal firmly).
The brake wear warning sound means that soon
your brakes won’t work well. That could lead
to
an accident. When you hear the brake wear
warning sound, have your vehicle serviced.
NOTICE:
Continuing to drive with worn-out brake pads
could result in costly brake repair.
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Page 388 of 419

Part D: Recommended Fluids
and Lubricants
NOTE: Fluids and lubricants identified below by name,
part number or specification may be obtained from your
GM dealer.
USAGE
Engine Oil
Engine Coolant
FLUIDLLUBRICANT
Engine oil with the American
Petroleum Institute Certified For Gasoline Engines “Starburst”
symbol of the proper viscosity. To
determine the preferred viscosity
for your vehicle’s engi lne, see
“Engine Oil” in the Index.
50/50 mixture of clean water
(preferably distilled) and use only
GM Goodwrench@ DEX-COOL TM
or Hawline@ DEX-COOL TM
coolant. See “Engine Coolant” in
the Index.
USAGE FLUIDLUBRICANT
System (GM Part No, 12377967 or
equivalent DOT-3 brake fluid).
Power Steering
(GM Part No. 1052884 - 1 pint,
System
GM Power Steering Fluid
105001 7 - 1 auart, or equivalent).
DEXRON@-111 Automatic
Transaxle Transmission Fluid.
I
Key Lock
Cylinders Multi-Purpose lubricant, Superlube@ (GM Part No. 12346241
or equivalent).
Supercharger Supercharger
Oil (GM Part
No. 12345982). See “Supercharges
Oil” in the Index.
7-44
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v Section 9 Index
Accessory Power Outlet .................... 2.57. 2.59
AirBag
....................................... 1-22
How Does it Restrain
.......................... 1-26
How it Works
................................ 1-24
Location
.............. .......... 1-24
Readiness Light
......................... 1.23. 2.65
Servicing
................................... 1-27
What Makes it Inflate
.......................... 1-25
What Will
You See After it Inflates ............... 1-26
When
Should it Inflate ......................... 1-25
Air Cleaner
.................................... 6- 19
Air Conditioning ............................ 3.3. 3.7
Air Conditioning Refrigerants ..................... 6-73
Alignment and Balance. Tire ...................... 6-52
Aluminum Wheels. Cleaning
...................... 6-61
Antifreeze ..................................... 6-27
Anti-Lock
Brake System Warning Light
................ 2.67. 4.7
Brakes
...................................... 4.7
Anti.Theft. Radio .............................. 3-26
Appearance
Care ............................... 6-55
Appearance Care Materials ....................... 6-64
Arbitration Program
.............................. 8-9
Ashtrays ...................................... 2-58 Audio Controls. Steering Wheel
Touch Control
....... 3-29
Audio Equipment. Adding
........................ 3-30
Audio Systems
................................. 3-10
Auto-Down Window
............................ 2-31
Automatic
Auxiliary Temp Control
......... ........ 3-4
Check
...................................... 7-40
Door Locks
.............................. 2-6, 2-46
Electronic Climate Control
...................... 3-2
Fluid
....................................... 6-21
Operation
................................... 2-19
Overdrive
............................... 2-21
Park Mechanism Check . ......... 7-42
Back Glass Antenna ........ .... 3-32
Battery
....................................... 6-36
Jump Starting ................................. 5-3
Replacement, Remote Keyless Entry
.............. 2-10
Resynchronization, Remote Keyless Entry ......... 2-11
Warnings
................................ 5-3, 5-5
Battery Saver .................................. 2-42
BBB Auto Line ................................. 8-9
Better Business Bureau Mediation
................... 8-9
9-1
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