1998 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE Owners Manual

Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transaxle into
PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl in
the transaxle. You may find it difficult to pull the
shift
lever out of PARK (P). This is called “torque lock.” To
prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then shift
into
PARK (P) properly before you leave the driver’s
seat.
To find out how, see “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in
the Index.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK (P) before you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another
vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of the
pressure from the parking pawl in the transaxle,
so you
can pull the shift lever out of PARK
(P).
Shifting Out of PARK (P)
Your vehicle has a Brake-Transaxle Shift Interlock
(BTSI). You have to fully apply your regular brake
before you can shift from PARK (P) when the ignition is
in
RUN. See “Automatic Transaxle” in the Index.
If you cannot
shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the
shift lever -- push the shift lever all the way into
PARK (P) as you maintain brake application. Then
move
the shift lever into the gear you want. If you ever
hold the brake pedal down but still can’t shift out of
PARK (P), try this:
1. Turn the ignition key to OFF. Open and close the
driver’s door
to turn off the Retained Accessory
Power feature.
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
3. Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the vehicle and then shift to the drive gear
you want.
5. Take your vehicle to an authorized service center as
soon as you can.
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Parking Over Things That Burn
Things that can burn could touch hot exhaust
parts under your vehicle and ignite. Don’t park
over papers, leaves,
dry grass or other things that
can burn.
Engine Exhaust
Engine exhaust can kill. It contains the gas
carbon monoxide (CO), which you can’t see or
smell. It can cause unconsciousness and death.
You might have exhaust coming in
if:
Your exhaust system sounds strange
0 Your vehicle gets rusty underneath.
0 Your vehicle was damaged in a collision.
Your vehicle was damaged when driving over
high pints on the road or over road debris.
Repairs weren’t done correctly.
Your vehicle or exhaust system had been
If you ever suspect exhaust is coming into
your vehicle:
0 Drive it only with all the windows down to
0 Have your vehicle fixed immediately. or
different.
modified improperly.
blow out any
CO; and
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Running Your Engine While
You’re Parked
It’s better not to park with the engine running. But if you
ever have to, here are some things to know.
&A CAUTION:
Idling the engine with the climate control
system
off could allow dangerous exhaust into
your vehicle
(see the earlier Caution under
“Engine Exhaust”).
Also, idling in a closed-in place can let deadly
carbon monoxide
(CO) into your vehicle even
if the fan switch is at the highest setting. One
place this can happen is a garage. Exhaust
-- with
CO -- can come in easily. NEVER park in a
garage with the engine running.
Another closed-in place can be
a blizzard.
(See
“Blizzard” in the Index.)
-
1
I
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not
fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake
firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine
is
running unless you have to. If you’ve left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured.
To be sure your
vehicle won’t move, even when you’re
on fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever
to PARK (P).
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle won’t
move. See “Shifting Into
PARK (P)” in the Index.
If you are parking on a hill and if you’re pulling a
trailer, also see “Towing a Trailer” in the Index.
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Windows
Power Windows
Express-Down Window
When the driver’s window switch is held rearward for
more than
half a second, the window will lower
completely. The window can be opened
in smaller
amounts by pressing the switch rearward and releasing
it immediately.
To stop the window while it is lowering, press the
switch again, then release.
To raise the window, hold the
switch forward.
Horn
Nearly the entire surface of the center pad of the
steering wheel is
an active horn switch. Press anywhere
on the pad to sound the horn.
Switches on the driver’s door panel control each of the
windows
when the ignition is on or when retained
accessory power is active.
In addition, each passenger
door has
a control switch for its own window.
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Tilt Wheel Turn SignallMultifunction Lever
A tilt steering wheel allows you to adjust the steering
wheel before you drive.
You can also raise it to the highest level to give your
legs more room when
you exit and enter the vehicle.
To
tilt the wheel, hold the steering wheel and pull the
lever. Move the steering wheel to a comfortable level,
then release the lever to lock the wheel into place.
The lever on the left side of the steering column
includes your:
0 Turn Signal and Lane Change Signals
0 Headlamp HighLow Beam Changer
0 Flash-To-Pass Feature
0 Windshield Wipers and Washer
Cruise Control
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Wrn and Lane Change Signals
The turn signal has two upward (for right) and two
downward (for left) positions. These positions allow you
to signal a turn or
a lane change.
To signal a turn, move the lever all the way up or
down. When the turn is finished, the lever will
return automatically,
CII
An arrow on the instrument
panel will flash in the
direction of the
turn or
lane change.
To signal a lane change, just raise or lower the lever
until the arrow starts to flash. Hold it there until
you
complete your lane change. The lever will return by
itself when you release
it.
If the arrows just stay on as you signal a turn or a lane
change, a signal bulb may be burned out and other
drivers won’t see your turn signal. If
you have the
Driver Information Center, it will tell
you if you have a
burned out bulb. See “Driver Information Center”
in the Index.
If a bulb
is burned out, replace it to help avoid an
accident. If the arrows don’t go on at all when you
signal a turn, check the fuse and for burned-out bulbs.
See “Fuses and Circuit Breakers” in the Index.
Tbrn Signal On Chime
If your turn signal is left on for more than 3/4 of a mile
(1.2 km), a chime will sound at each flash of the turn
signal.
To turn off the chime, move the turn signal lever
to the
off position.
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Headlamp HighLow Beam Changer
To change the headlamps from low beam to high beam
or high beam to low beam, pull the turn signal lever
toward you. Then release it.
Flash-To-Pass Feature
When the high beams are on, this light
on the
instrument panel will
also be on.
This feature lets you use your high-beam headlamps to
signal
a driver in front of you that you want to pass. It
works even
if your headlamps are off.
To use it, pull the turn signal lever toward you a little,
but not
so far that you hear a click.
If your headlamps are off or on low beam, your
high-beam headlamps
will turn on. They’ll stay on as
long as you hold
the lever toward you and the
high-beam indicator on the dash will come on. Release
the lever
to turn the high-beam headlamps off.
Windshield Wipers
The windshield wipers are controlled by turning the
band marked WIPER.
For a single wiping cycle, turn the band to MIST. Hold
it there
until the wipers start, then let go. The wipers will
stop after one cycle.
If you want more cycles, hold the
band on MIST longer.
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For steady wiping at low speed, turn the band away from you to the
LO position. For high-speed wiping turn
the band further,
to HI. To stop the wipers, move the
band
to OW.
The wiper speed may be set for a long or short delay
between wipes.
This can be very useful in light rain or
snow.
Turn the band to choose the delay time. The
closer to LO, the shorter the delay.
Heavy snow or ice can overload your wiper motor.
A
circuit breaker will stop the motor until it cools. Clear
away snow or ice to prevent an overload.
Keep in mind that damaged wiper blades may prevent
you from seeing well enough to drive safely.
To avoid
damage, be sure
to clear ice and snow from the wiper
blades before using them.
If your blades do become
damaged, get new blades or blade inserts.
Windshield Washer
At the top of the turn signaVmultifunction lever, there’s
a paddle with the word
PUSH on it. To spray washer
fluid on the windshield, push the paddle for less than a
second. The wipers will clear the window and either stop or return to your preset speed. For more washer
cycles, push and hold the paddle.
In freezing weather, don’t use your washer until
the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can
form ice on the windshield, blocking
your vision.
Some models have a WASHER FLUID warning that
indicates if the fluid level in the windshield washer
reservoir is low. See “Low Washer Fluid Warning Light”
in the Index.
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