1998 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE oil temperature

Engine Coolant Heater (If Equipped)
In very cold weather, 0” F (- 18 O C) or colder, the engine
coolant heater can help. You’ll get easier starting and
better fuel economy during engine warm-up. Usually,
the coolant heater should be plugged in a minimum of
four hours prior to starting your vehicle.
To Use the Engine Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 1 10-volt AC outlet.
/1 CAUTION:
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause
an electrical shock. Also, the wrong
kind of extension cord could overheat and cause
a fire. You could be seriously injured. Plug the
cord into a properly grounded three-prong
110-volt AC outlet.
If the cord won’t reach, use a
heavy-duty three-prong extension cord rated for at least
15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug
and store the cord as it was before to keep it away
from moving engine parts.
If you don’t, it could
be damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged in? The answer depends
on the outside temperature, the
kind of oil you have, and some other things. Instead of
trying to list everything here, we ask that you contact
your dealer in the area where you’ll be parking your
vehicle. The dealer can give you the best advice for that
particular area.
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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.
2-72

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
2-74

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.
2-78

What Kind of Engine Oil to Use
Oils recommended for your vehicle can be identified
by looking for the "Starburst" symbol. This symbol
indicates that the oil has been certified by the American
Petroleum Institute
(API). Do not use any oil which
does not carry this Starburst symbol.
i A
If you change your own oil,
be sure you use oil that has the Starburst symbol on the
front of the oil container.
If
you have your oil changed
for you, be sure the oil put
into your engine is
American Petroleum
Institute certified for
gasoline engines.
You should
also use the proper viscosity oil for your
vehicle, as shown in the following chart:
RECOMMENDED SAE VISCOSITY GRADE ENGINE OILS
FOR BEST FUEL ECONOMY AND COLD STARTIN& SELECT THE LOWEST
SA€ VISCOSITY GRADE OIL FOR THE EXPECTED TEMPERATURE RAWGE.
HOT
WEATHER 7
"F
t 100 -
+80-
+60-
t40-
t 20 -
0-
7
"C
t3a
t
27
t 16
+I
-1
- 18
cou)
WEATHER
WOK
FOR THIS
SYMBOL
DO NOT USE SM 2QW-50 OR ANY OTHER GRADE OIL NOTRECaYlENMD
6-15

As shown in the chart, SAE 1OW-30 is best for your
vehicle. However,
you can use SAE 5W-30 if it's going
to be colder
than 60 "F (1 6" C) before your next oil
change. When it's very cold, you should use SAE
5W-30. These numbers on an oil container show its
viscosity,
or thickness. Do not use other viscosity oils,
such as
SAE 20W-50.
NOTICE:
Use only engine oil with the American Petroleum
Institute Certified For Gasoline Engines
"Starburst" symbol. Failure to use the
recommended
oil can result in engine damage
not covered by your warranty.
GM Goodwrench@ oil meets all the requirements for
your vehicle.
If you are in an area where the temperature falls below
-20°F (-29"C), consider using either an SAE 5W-30
synthetic oil or an SAE OW-30 oil. Both will provide
easier cold starting
and better protection for your engine
at extremely low temperatures.
Engine Oil Additives
Don't add anything to your oil. Your dealer is ready to
advise if you
think something should be added.
When to Change Engine Oil
If any one of these is true for you, use the short tripkity
maintenance schedule:
0
0
0
0
0
Most tsips are less than 5 to 10 miles (8 to 16 lun).
This is particularly important when outside
temperatures are below freezing.
Most
trips include extensive idling (such as fiequent
driving
in stop-and-go traffic).
Most trips are through dusty areas.
You frequently tow a trailer or use a carrier on top of
your vehicle.
The vehicle
is used for delivery service, police, taxi
or other commercial application.
Driving under these conditions causes engine oil to
break down sooner.
If any one of these is true for your
vehicle,
then you need to change your oil and filter
every
3,000 miles (5 000 km) or 3 months -- whichever
occurs
first.
6-16

How to Check and Add Oil
Check oil only when the engine is cold. Allow the
engine
to cool two to three hours after running.
If you remove the supercharger oil €ill plug while
the engine
is hot, pressure may cause hot oil to
blow out
of the oil fill hole. You may be burned.
Do not remove the plug until the engine cools.
1. Clean the area around the oil fill plug before
2. Remove the oil fill plug using a 3/16 inch
3. The oil level is correct when it just reaches the
bottom of the threads of the inspection hole.
4. Replace the oil plug with the O-ring in place.
Torque to
88 lb-in (10 N-m).
removing it.
Allen wrench.
Automatic Transaxle Fluid
When to Check and Change
A good time to check your automatic transaxle fluid
level is when the engine oil
is changed.
Change both the fluid and filter every
50,000 miles
(83 000 km) if the vehicle is mainly driven under one
or more of these conditions:
0 In heavy city traflic where the outside temperature
regularly reaches
90°F (32°C) or higher.
In hilly or mountainous terrain.
0 When doing frequent trailer towing.
Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, the fluid and filter do not require changing.
See “Scheduled Maintenance Services” in the Index.
How to Check
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you may
choose to have
this done at your Pontiac dealership
Service Department.
If you do it yourself, be sure to follow all the instructions
here, or you could get
a false reading on the dipstick.
6-20