1998 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE check engine light

Oil Pressure Gage
The oil pressure gage
shows the engine oil
pressure in psi (pounds
per square inch) when the
engine
is running. Canadian
vehicles indicate pressure
in kPa (kiloPascals).
Oil pressure may
vary with engine speed, outside
temperature and oil viscosity, but readings above the red
warning zone indicate the normal operating
range.
A reading in the red zone may be caused by a
dangerously low oil level or other problem causing
low oil pressure. On vehicles with the optional
DIC,
the CHECK GAGES light will go on and a warning
chime will sound, if you have this option. Driving
your vehicle with low oil pressure can cause extensive
engine damage.
I A CAUTION:
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.
I NOTICE: I
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and
is not covered by
your warranty.
2-71
. . ..

Check Oil Level Warning Light
The CHECK OIL LEVEL
light turns on for three
each time the ignition key is turned to the
RUN position.
If the light doesn’t turn on,
- have your vehicle serviced.
C H EC K 0 I L seconds as a bulb check
LEVEL
If the engine oil is more than one quart (0.95 L) low and
the engine has been shut off for at least eight minutes,
the CHECK OIL LEVEL light will turn on for about
one minute and will then remain off until the next time
you start the vehicle.
If the CHECK OIL LEVEL light turns on, the engine oil
level should be checked at the dipstick then brought up
to the proper level, if necessary. See “Engine Oil” in
the Index.
Low Washer Fluid Warning Light
- This light will come on
when your windshield
washers are working
and the
one-third full.
WASH E R FLU I D fluid container is less than
Check Gages Warning Light (Option)
CHECK GAGES
This light will come on
briefly when you are
starting
the engine.
If
the light comes on and stays on while you are driving,
check your gages for fuel, coolant temperature, oil
pressure
or voltage. This light will stay on if your engine
is not running with the ignition
on.
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Boost Gage (Option) Head-Up Display (Option)
fXjST
Vehicles equipped with the supercharged engine have
this boost gage that indicates vacuum during light
to
moderate throttle and boost under heavier throttle. The
gage displays the air pressure level in psi going into the
engine’s combustion chamber.
The gage is automatically centered at zero psi every
time the engine is started. Actual vacuum or boost
is
displayed from this zero point. Changes in ambient
pressure, such as driving in mountains
and changing
weather, will slightly change the zero reading.
If the HUD image is too bright, or too high in
your field of view, it may take you more time to
see things you need to see when it’s dark outside.
Be sure to keep the HUD image dim and placed
low in your field of view.
If you have the optional Head-Up Display (HUD), you
can see some
of the driver information also available on
your instrument panel cluster. The information
may be
displayed in English or metric units and appears as a
reflection on the windshield. The
HUD shows:
0 Speedometer reading
0 Turn signal indicators
0 High-beam indicator symbol
CHECK GAGES message (for low oil pressure, high
coolant temperature, low oil level and low fuel)
Low fuel warning symbol
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FUNCTION MONITOR: This lets you know if you are
low on fluids or have a problem with a vehicle function:
0
0
0
0
CHECK OIL LEVEL: This message could mean
your oil level
is low. If it comes on for more than
three seconds, see “Check Oil
Level Warning Light”
in the Index.
WASHER FLUID: This message means your
washer fluid
tank is less than about 30 percent full.
The windshield portion
of the vehicle outline will
also glow,
If these come on, see “Windshield Washer
Fluid” in the Index.
LOW COOLANT: This message means your
coolant level has fallen to about half full. If it comes
on,
see “Engine Coolant” in the Index.
CHECK GAGES: If this light comes on and stays
on while you are driving, check your gages for fuel,
coolant temperature, oil pressure or battery voltage.
SECURITY: You’ll get a DOOR AJAR message if a
door is not fully closed. The vehicle outline will show
you which door
it is. You will also get a HOOD AJAR
or TRUNK AJAR message if the hood or the trunk isn’t
fully closed. The vehicle outline will
also show you
these are ajar.
LAMP MONITOR: Whenever you try to use one of
the following lamps, the LAMP MONITOR will tell you
if a bulb is out.
0 Headlamp (Low and High Beam)
0 Turn Signal/Parking/Stop
0 Parking Lamp/Sidemarker
Brake Lamp and Center High-Mounted Stoplamp
0 Back-up Lamp
0 Taillamp~rn/Sidemarker/License
If a bulb is out, you will see a message, such as PARK
LAMP, and you will also see where the problem is on
the vehicle outline.
The message stays on until the
problem
is fixed. See “Replacement Bulbs” in the
Index for bulb details.
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NOTICE:
Before you add any sound equipment to your
vehicle
-- like a tape player, CB radio, mobile
telephone or two-way radio
-- be sure you can
add what you want.
If you can, it’s very
important to do it properly. Added sound
equipment may interfere with the operation of
your vehicle’s engine, Delco Electronics radio or
other systems, and even damage them. Your
vehicle’s systems may interfere with the
operation of sound equipment that has been
added improperly.
So, before adding sound equipment, check with
your dealer and be sure to check Federal rules
covering mobile radio and telephone units.
Care of Your Cassette Tape Player
A tape player that is not cleaned regularly can cause
reduced sound quality, ruined cassettes or a damaged
mechanism. Cassette tapes should be stored in their
cases away from contaminants, direct sunlight and
extreme heat.
If they aren’t, they may not operate
properly or may cause failure
of the tape player.
Your tape player should be cleaned regularly after every
50 hours of use. Your radio may display CLN to indicate
that
you have used your tape player for 50 hours without
resetting the tape clean timer.
If this message appears on
the display, your cassette tape player needs to be
cleaned. It will still play tapes, but you should clean it as
soon as possible to prevent damage to your tapes and
player. If
you notice a reduction in sound quality, try a
known good cassette to see
if it is the tape or the tape
player at fault. If this other cassette has no improvement
in sound quality, clean the tape player.
The recommended cleaning method for your cassette
tape player is the
use of a scrubbing action,
non-abrasive cleaning
cassette with pads which scrub
the tape head as
the hubs of the cleaner cassette turn.
The recommended cleaning cassette is available through
your dealership (GM Part No. 12344789).
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Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in spurts
-- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
-- rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is a
mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool between
hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much faster if you
do a lot of heavy braking.
If you keep pace with the
traffic and allow realistic following distances, you will
eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking. That means
better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you’re driving, brake
normally but don’t
pump your brakes. If you do, the
pedal may get harder to push down.
If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But
you
will use it when you brake. Once the power assist is
used up, it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will
be harder to push.
Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking
skid.
When you start your engine, or when you begin to drive
away, your anti-lock brake system will check itself. You
may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while
this test is going on, and you may even notice that your
brake pedal moves or pulses
a little. This is normal.
I
ANTILOCK (e)
If there’s a problem with the
anti-lock brake system,
this
warning light will stay on.
See “Anti-Lock Brake
System Warning Light” in
the Index.
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A CAUTION:
Using a match near a battery can cause battery
gas to explode. People have been hurt doing
this,
and some have been blinded. Use a flashlight if
you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water. You don’t
need to add water to the ACDelco Freedom@
~ battery installed in every new GM vehicle. But if
a battery has filler caps, be sure the right amount
of fluid is there. If it is low, add water to take
care of that first. If you don’t, explosive gas
could be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn you.
Don’t get it on
you. If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or on your skin,
flush the place with
water and get medical help immediately.
5.
6.
Find the positive (+) and negative (-) terminals on
each battery.
Check that the jumper cables don’t have loose or
missing insulation.
If they do, you could get a shock.
The vehicles could be damaged, too.
Before you connect the cables, here
are some basic
things you should know. Positive
(+) will go to
positive (+) and negative (-) will go to negative (-)
or a metal engine part. Don’t connect positive (+) to
negative
(-) or you’ll get a short that would damage
the battery and maybe other
parts, too.
A CAUTION:
Fans or other moving engine parts can injure you
badly. Keep your hands away from moving parts
once the engine
is running.
I

Supercharged Engine (If Equipped)
Your vehicle may have a 3800 Supercharged engine.
The supercharger is a device 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 V6 Supercharged engine.
Engine Oil
CHECK OIL
LEVEL
If the CHECK 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 “Check 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.
Turn
off the engine and give the oil a few minutes to
drain back into the oil pan. If you don’t, the oil dipstic\
k
might not show
the actual level.
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