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.
_____~~
6-4
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