1998 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE engine

Cooling System
When you decide it’s safe to lift the hood, here’s what
you’ll see:
: CA
L
A CAUTION:
An electric engine cooling fan under the hood can
start up even when the engine is not running and
can injure you. Keep hands, clothing and tools
away from any underhood electric fan.
If the coolant inside the coolant recovery tank is boiling,
don’t do anything else until it cools down.
A. Coolant Recovery Tank
B. Radiator Pressure Cap
C. Electric Engine Fans
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The coolant level should be at or above the FULL
COLD mark.
If it isn’t, you may have a leak in the radiator hoses,
heater hoses, radiator, water pump
or somewhere else in
the cooling system.
A CAUTION:
Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine
parts,
can be very hot. Don’t touch them. If you
do, you coul be burned.
Don’t
run the engine if there is a leak. If you run
the engine, it could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you could be burned.
Get any leak fied before you drive the vehicle.
NOTICE:
Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn’t covered by
your warranty.
If there seems to be no leak, with the engine on, check to
see if the electric engine cooling fans are running. If the
engine is overheating, both fans should be running. If
they aren’t, your vehicle needs service.
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How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery Tank
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but the coolant level
isn’t at the FULL COLD mark, add a
50/50 mixture of
clean water (preferably distilled) and DEX-COOL@
engine coolant at the coolant recovery tank. (See
“Engine Coolant” in the Index for more information.)
I A CAUTION:
~
Adding only plain water to your cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water, or some other
liquid like alcohol, can boil before the proper
coolant mixture will. Your vehicle’s coolant
warning system is set for the proper coolant
mixture. With plain water
or the wrong mixture,
your engine could get too hot but you wouldn’t
get the overheat warning. Your engine could
catch fire and you or others could be burned. Use
a
50/50 mixture of clean water and
DEX-COOL@ coolant.
I NOTICE:
In cold weather, water can freeze and crack
the engine, radiator, heater core and other parts.
Use the recommended coolant and the proper
coolant mixture.
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A CAUTION:
You can be burned if you spill coolant on hot
engine parts. Coolant contains ethylene glycol
and it will burn if the engine
parts are hot
enough. Don’t spill coolant on
a hot engine.
When the coolant in the coolant recovery tank is at the
FULL COLD mark, start your vehicle.
If the overheat warning continues, there’s one more
thing you can try. You can add the proper coolant
mixture directly
to the radiator, but be sure the cooling
system .. is cool before you do it.
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3. Fill the radiator with the proper DEX-COOL@
coolant mixture, up to the base
of the filler neck.
(See “Engine Coolant” in the Index for more
information about the proper coolant mixture.)
4. Then fill the coolant recovery tank to the FULL
COLD mark.
5. Put the cap back on the coolant recovery tank, but
leave the radiator pressure
cap off.
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6. Start the engine and let it run until you can feel the
upper radiator hose getting hot. Watch out for the
engine cooling fans.
7. By this time, the coolant level inside the radiator
filler neck may be lower. If the level
is lower, add
more
of the proper DEX-COOL@ coolant mixture
through the filler neck until the level reaches the
base of the filler neck.
8. Then replace the pressure cap. At any time during
this procedure if coolant begins to flow out of the
filler neck, reinstall the pressure cap. Be sure the
arrows
on the pressure cap line up like this.
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If a Tire Goes Flat Changing a Flat Tire
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out” while you’re \
driving,
especially if you maintain your tires properly.
If air goes
out
of a tire, it’s much more likely to leak out slowly.
But if you should ever have a “blowout,” here are a few\

tips about what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire
fails, the flat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot
off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel firmly.
Steer to maintain lane position, and then gently brake to
a stop well out
of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a
skid and may require the same correction you’d use in a
skid. In any rear blowout, remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control
by
steering the way you want the vehicle to go. It may be
very bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently
brake
to a stop -- well off the road if possible.
If
a tire goes flat, the next part shows how to use your
jacking equipment to change a flat tire safely. If
a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly to a level place.
Turn on your hazard
warning flashers.
‘A C ‘JTION:
.-
r
Changing a tire can cause an injury. The vehicle
can slip off the jack and roll over you or other
people. You and they could be badly injured.
Find
a level place to change your tire. To help
prevent the vehicle from moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put the shift lever in PARK (P).
3. Turn off the engine.
To be even more certain the vehicle won’t move,
you can put blocks at the front and rear of the
tire farthest away from the one being changed.
That would be the tire on the other side
of the
vehicle, at the opposite end.

If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow
What you don’t want to do when your vehicle is stuck is
to spin
your wheels too fast. The method known as
“rocking” can help you get out when you’re stuck, but \
you must use caution.
A CAUTION:
If you let your tires spin at high speed, they can
explode, and you or others could be injured. And,
the transaxle or other parts
of the vehicle can
overheat. That could cause
an engine
compartment fire or other damage. When you’re
stuck,
spin the wheels as little as possible. Don’t
spin
the wheels above 35 mph (55 km/h) as shown
on the speedometer.
NOTICE:
Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of your
vehicle
as well as the tires. If’ you spin the wheels
too fast while shifting your transaxle back and
forth,
you can destroy your transaxle.
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle, see “Tire Chains” in the Index.
Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your firont wheels. If your vehicle
has traction control, you should turn the system
off. (See
“Traction Control System” in the Index.) Then shift
back and forth between
REVERSE (R) and a forward
gear,
spinning the wheels as little as possible. Release
the accelerator pedal while you shift, and press lightly
on the accelerator pedal when the transaxle is in gear. If
that doesn’t get you out after a few tries, you may need
to be towed out.
If you do need to be towed out, see
“Towing
Ygw Vehicle” in the Index.
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