1997 PONTIAC PONTIAC instrument panel

Making Turns
I NOTICE:
Making very sharp turns while trailering could cause the trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged. Avoid making very sharp turns while trailering.
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider turns than
normal.
Do this so your trailer won’t strike soft shoulders,
curbs, road signs, trees or other objects. Avoid jerky or
sudden maneuvers. Signal well in advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle may need a
different turn signal flasher andlor extra wiring. Check
with your Pontiac dealer. The green arrows on your
instrument panel will flash whenever you signal a turn
or lane change. Properly hooked up, the trailer lamps
will also flash, telling other drivers you’re about to turn,
change lanes or stop. When towing
a trailer, the green
arrows on your
instrument panel will flash for turns even if the bulbs on
the trailer are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers
behind you are seeing your signal when they are not. It’s
important to check occasionally to be
sure the trailer
bulbs
are still working.
Your vehicle has bulb warning lights. When you plug
a
trailer lighting system into your vehicle’s lighting
system, its bulb warning lights may not
let you know if
one of your lamps goes out. So, when you have a trailer
lighting system plugged in, be sure to check your
vehicle and trailer lamps
from time to time to be sure
they’re all working. Once you disconnect the trailer
lamps, the bulb warning lights again can tell you if one
of your vehicle lamps is out.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start
down a long or steep downgrade. If you don’t shift
down, you might have to use your brakes
so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
On
a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce your
speed to around
45 mph (70 kd) to reduce the
possibility
of engine and transaxle overheating.
If you have Overdrive, you may want to drive in
THIRD (3), instead of DRIVE (D),
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Attach a separate safety
chain around the outboard
end
of both lateral arms.
Please take care not to
damage speed sensor
wires or brake
hoses
when attaching chains
l.1 and T-hooks. -
Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature gage and a warning
light about
a hot engine on your instrument panel. See
“Engine Coolant Temperature Gage” and “Engine
Coolant Temperature Warning Light” in the Index.
You
also have a low coolant light on your instrument panel.
Sed‘Low Coolant Light” in the Index.
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
Steam from an overheated engine can burn you
badly, even if you just open the hood. Stay away
from the engine if you see or hear steam coming
from it. Just turn it off and get everyone away
from the vehicle until it cools down. Wait until
CAUTION: (Continued)
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Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle
Things you might add to the outside of your vehicle can
affect the airflow around it. This may cause wind noise
and affect windshield washer performance. Check with
your Pontiac dealer before adding equipment to the
outside of your vehicle.
Fuel
The 8th digit of your vehicle identification number
(VIN) shows the code letter for your engine. You will
find the VIN at the top left
of your instrument panel.
(See “Vehicle Identification Number” in the Index.)
If you have the 3800 engine (VIN Code K), use regular
unleaded gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher. If you’re
using fuel rated at the recommended octane or higher
and you still hear heavy knocking, your engine needs
service. But don’t worry if you hear a little pinging
noise when you’re accelerating or driving up a hill.
That’s normal, and you don’t have to buy a higher
octane fuel to get rid of pinging. It’s the heavy, constant
knock that means you have
a problem.
If you have the 3800 Supercharged engine (VIN Code
l), use premium unleaded gasoline rated at 91 octane or
higher. With
the 3800 Supercharged engine, in an
emergency, you may be able
to use a lower octane -- as
low as 87
-- if heavy knocking does not occur. If you
are using 91 or higher octane unleaded gasoline and you
still hear heavy knocking, your engine needs service.
At
a minimum, the gasoline you use should meet
specifications ASTM D48
14 in the United States an’d
CGSB 3.5-M93 in Canada. Improved gasoline
specifications have been developed by the American
Automobile Manufacturers Association (AAMA) for
better vehicle performance and engine protection.
Gasolines meeting the AAMA specification could
provide improved driveability
and emission control
system protection compared to other gasolines.
Be sure the posted octane for premium is at least 91 (at
least 89 for middle grade and
87 for regular). If the
octane is less than 87, you may get a heavy knocking
noise when you drive.
If it’s bad enough, it can damage
your engine.
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If your vehicle is certified to meet California Emission
Standards (indicated on the underhood tune-up label),
it
is designed to operate on fuels that meet California
specifications. If such fuels
are not available in states
adopting California emissions standards, your vehicle
will operate satisfactorily on fuels
meeting federal
specifications, but emission control system performance
may be affected. The malfunction indicator lamp
on
your instrument panel may turn on and/or your vehicle
may fail a smog-check test.
If this occurs, return to your
authorized Pontiac dealer for diagnosis to determine
the
cause of failure. In the event it is determined that the
cause of
the condition is the type of fuels used, repairs
may not be covered by your warranty.
Some gasolines that
are not reformulated for low
emissions contain an octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadlenyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT); ask your service station operator whether or not his fuel
contains
MMT. General Motors does not recommend the
use of such gasolines. If fuels containing MMT are used,
spark plug life may be reduced and your ernissicrn
control
system performance may be affected. The
malfunction indicator lamp
on your instrument panel
may
turn on. If this occurs, return to your authorized
Pontiac dealer
€or service.
To provide cleaner ais, all gasolines in the United States
are now required to contain additives that will help
prevent deposits
from forming in your engine and fuel
system, allowing your emission control system to
function properly. Therefore,
you should not have to add
anything to the
fuel. In addition, gasolines containing
oxygenates, such as ethers and ethanol, and
reforrnulate'd gasolines may
be available in your area to
help clean the air. General Motors recommends that you
use these gasolines
if they comply with the
specifications described earlier.
~~
NOTICE:
Your vehicle was not designed for fuel that
contains methanol. Don't use it. It
can corrode
metal parts in
your fuel system and also damage
plastic and
rubber parts. That damage wouldn't
be covered under
your warranty.
_____~~
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Before closing the hood, be sure all the filler caps
are on properly. Then just pull the hood down and
close
it firmly.
3800 Supercharged Engine
(If Equipped)
Your Pontiac may have a 3800 Supercharged engine.
The supercharger is a device which is designed to pump
more air into the engine than it would normally
use.
This air mixed with fuel, creates increased engine
power. Since the supercharger is a pump and is driven
from an engine accessory drive belt, increased pressure
is available at all driving conditions.
The powertrain control module (PCM) works with a
vacuum control to regulate the increased pressure
required during specific driving conditions. When this
increased pressure or
boost is not desired, such as during
idling
and light throttle cruising, the excess air that the
supercharger is pumping is routed through
a bypass.
All
of these controls, working together provide high
performance character and fuel efficiency in the
3800 Supercharged engine.
Engine Oil
LOW OIL
LEVEL
If the LOW OIL LEVEL
light on the instrument
panel comes
on, it means
you need to check your
engine oil level right away.
For more information, see
“Low Oil Level Light” in
the Index. You should
check your engine
oil
level regularly; this is an
added reminder.
It’s a good idea to check your engine oil every time you
get fuel, In order to get an accurate reading, the
oil must
be warm and the vehicle must be on level ground.
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To calibrate the system:
1. Turn the ignition switch to ON.
2. The CALIBRATE TIRE PRESS button is under the
instrument panel, to the right of the steering column.
Press and hold the button for about three seconds.
The
CHECK TIRE PRFSS light will flash three
times and go out.
If the light doesn’t go out after you
press the
CALIBRATE TIRE PRESS button, see
your dealer for service.
3. The system completes the calibration process during
driving. During the first
10 to 20 miles (15 to 30 km)
of driving, the system will not alert you if a tire is
low or high. After
20 to 80 miles (30 to 125 km), the
system will only alert
you about pressure differences
of
12 psi (85 kPa) or more. After 80 miles (125 km)
of driving, the system will alert you if a tire is 8 psi
(55 Pa) different from the other three tires.
Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be rotated every 6,000 to 8,000 miles
(10 000 to 13 000 km). Any time you notice unusual
wear, rotate your tires as soon as possible and check
wheel alignment. Also check for damaged tires or
wheels. See “When
It’s Time for New Tires” and
“Wheel Replacement” later in this section for
more information. The
purpose
of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear for all tires on the vehicle. The first
rotation is the most important. See “Scheduled
Maintenance Services” in the Index for scheduled
rotation intervals.
When rotating your tires, always use
the correct rotation
pattern shown here.
Don’t include the compact spare tire in your tire rotation.
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Cleaning Leather
Use a soft cloth with lukewarm water and a mild soap or
saddle
soap and wipe dry with a soft cloth. Then, let the
leather dry naturally.
Do not use heat to dry.
For stubborn stains, use a leather cleaner. See your
dealer for this product.
Never use oils, varnishes, solvent-based or abrasive
cleaners, furniture polish or shoe polish on leather.
Soiled or stained leather should be cleaned
immediately. If dirt
is allowed to work into the
finish, it can harm the leather.
Cleaning the Top of the Instrument Panel
Use only mild soap and water to clean the top surfaces
of the instrument panel. Sprays containing silicones or
waxes may cause annoying reflections in the windshield
and even make
it difficult to see through the windshield
under certain conditions.
Cleaning the Built-In Child Restraint
Your built-in child restraint may be cleaned with mild
soap and lukewarm water. Don’t use household
cleaners.
They may weaken the harness or damage plastic parts.
The built-in child restraint pad
is attached to the child
restraint cushion and seatback with fastener
strips. You
can remove the pad, machine wash it in cold water on a
gentle cycle and tumble
dry it on a low heat setting.
Never bleach
or iron the pad, and don’t dry clean it.
Care of Safety Belts and Built-in
Child Restraint H’arness
Keep the safety belts and the built-in child restraint
harness clean and dry.
Do not bleach or dye safety belts or the built-in
child restraint harness.
If you do, they may be
severely weakened.
In a crash, they might not be
able to provide adequate protection. Clean the
safety belts and the child restraint
harness only
with
mild soap and lukewarm water. I
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Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
I
ENGINEA7 f ASSEMBLY
CODE MODEL YEAR PLANT
This is the legal identifier for your Pontiac. It appears on
a plate in the front corner
of the instrument panel, on the
driver’s side. You can see it if
you look through the
windshield
from outside your vehicle. The VIN also
appears on the Vehicle Certification and Service Parts
labels and the certificates of title and registration.
Engine Identification
The 8th character in your VIN is the engine code. This
code will help you identify your engine, specifications
and replacement parts.
Service Parts Identification Label
You’ll find this label on the underside of your trunk lid.
It’s very helpful if
you ever need to order parts. On this
label
is:
your VIN,
the model designation,
paint information and
0 a list of all production options and special equipment.
Be
sure that this label is not removed from the vehicle.
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