1998 PONTIAC GRAND AM engine

Starting Your 2.4 Liter Engine
1. With your foot off the accelerator pedal, turn your
ignition key
to START. When the engine starts, let
go of the key. The idle speed will go down as your
engine warms up.
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NOTICE:
Holding your key in START for longer than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to be
drained much sooner. And the excessive heat can
damage your starter motor.
2. If the engine doesn’t start right away, and if the
weather is
very cold (below -20” F or -29” C),
push the accelerator pedal about one-quarter of the
way down while you
turn the key to START. Do this
until the engine starts. As soon as it does, let go of
the key.
3. If your engine still won’t start (or starts but then stops),
it could
be flooded with too much gasoline. Try
pushing your accelerator pedal all the way to the floor
and holding it there as you hold the key in START for
a
maximum of 15 seconds. This clears the extra
gasoline
from the engine. If the engine still won’t start
or starts briefly but then stops again, repeat step 1 or 2,
depending on temperature. When the engine starts,
release the key and the accelerator pedal.
NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle.
If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the way
the engine operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your dealer.
If you don’t,
If you ever have to have your vehicle towed, see
the part of this manual that tells how to do it
without damaging your vehicle. See “Towing
Your Vehicle” in the Index.
~ your engine might not perform properly.
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Starting Your 3100 Engine
1. Without pushing the accelerator pedal, turn your
ignition key to START. When the engine starts, let
go
of the key. The idle speed will go down as your
engine gets warm.
NOTICE:
Holding your key in START for longer than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to be
drained much sooner. And the excessive heat can
damage your starter motor.
2. If your engine won’t start (or starts but then stops), it
could be
flooded with too much gasoline. Try
pushing your accelerator pedal all the way to the
floor and
holding it there as you hold the key in
START for up to 15 seconds. This clears the extra
gasoline
from the engine.
NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics
in your vehicle. If you add electrical
parts
or accessories, you could change the way
the engine operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with
your dealer. If you don’t,
your engine
might not perform properly.
If you ever have to have your vehicle towed, see
the part of this manual that tells how to do it
without damaging your vehicle. See “Towing
Your Vehicle” in the Index.
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Engine Coolant Heater (If Equipped)
2.4L Engine
3100 Engine
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.
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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 110-volt AC outlet.
A 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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Automatic Transaxle Operation
Your vehicle may be equipped with a four-speed
automatic transaxle. The
shift lever is located on the
console between the seats.
There are seven different
positions for the shift
lever
on the four-speed
N
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3
2
1
automatic transaxle.
PARK (P): This locks your front wheels. It’s the best
position
to use when you start your engine because your
vehicle can’t move easily.
A CAUTION:
It is 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 have 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).
See “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in the Index. If
you’re pulling a trailer, see “Towing a Trailer’’ i~
the Index.
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Ensure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P) range before
starting the engine. Your vehicle has a Brake-Transaxle
Shift Interlock
( BTSI). You have to fully apply your
regular brakes before you can shift from PARK (P)
when the ignition key is in the RUN position. 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 wish. (Press the
shift lever button before moving the shift lever.) See
“Shifting Out of
PARK (P)” later in this section.
REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.
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NOTICE:
Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle is
moving forward could damage
your transaxle.
Shift to REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle
is stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice or sand without damaging your transaxle, see
“Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice
or Snow” in the Index.
NEUTRAL (N): In this position, your engine
doesn’t connect with the wheels.
To restart when you’re
already moving, use
NEUTRAL (N) only. Also, use
NEUTRAL (N) when your vehicle is being towed.
I
Shifting out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) while
your engine is “racing” (running at high speed) is
dangerous. Unless your foot is firmly on the
brake pedal, your vehicle could move very
rapidly. You could lose control and hit people or
objects. Don’t shift out of PARK (P) or
NEUTRAL (N) while your engine is racing.
NOTICE:
Damage to your transaxle caused by shifting out
of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) with the engine
racing isn’t covered
by your warranty.
2-22 -~

NOTICE:
Don’t drive in SECOND (2) for more
than
25 miles (41 km), or at speeds over 55 mph
(88 km/h), or you can damage your transaxle.
Use AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (0) or
THIRD (3) as much as possible. Don’t shift into
SECOND (2) unless you are going slower than
65 mph (105 km/h) or you can damage
your engine.
With automatic overdrive, SECOND (2) will select
either first or second gear depending
on vehicle speed. If
your vehicle is slowing, the transaxle will downshift to
first gear at 20 to 25 miles per hour (32 to 40 km/h) for
engine braking. You may notice some variation in shift
speed in SECOND (2) when accelerating or braking.
FIRST (1): This position gives you even more
power (but lower fuel economy) than SECOND (2).
You can use it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or
mud.
If the selector lever is put in FIRST (l), the
transaxle won’t
shift into fist gear until the vehicle is
going slowly enough.
NOTICE:
If your front wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might happen if you were stuck in
very
deep sand or mud or were up against a solid
object.
You can damage your transaxle.
Also, if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold
your vehicle there with only the accelerator
pedal.
This could overheat and damage the
transaxle. Use
your brakes or shift into PARK (P)
to hold your vehicle in position on a hill.
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Manual Transaxle Operation
k
This is your shift pattern.
3 5
2 w 4 R
Here’s how to operate your transaxle:
FIRST (1): Press the clutch pedal and shift into
FIRST
(1). Then, slowly let up on the clutch pedal as
you press the accelerator pedal.
You can shift into FIRST
(1) when you’re going less
than
20 mph (32 kmh). If you’ve come to a complete
stop and it’s hard to shift into FIRST
(l), put the shift
lever in NEUTRAL (N) and let up on the clutch. Press
the clutch pedal back down. Then shift into FPRST
(1).
SECOND (2): Press the clutch pedal as you let up on
the accelerator pedal and shift into
SECOND (2). Then
slowly let up
on the clutch pedal as you press the
accelerator pedal.
THIRD(3),FOURTH(4)andFIFTH(5): Shift into
THIRD (3), FOURTH (4) and FIFTH (5) the same way
you do for
SECOND (2). Slowly let up on the clutch
pedal as you press the accelerator pedal.
To stop, let up on the accelerator pedal and press the
brake pedal. Just before the vehicle stops, press the
clutch pedal and
the brake pedal, and shift into
NEUTRAL
(N).
NEUTRAL (N): Use this position when you start or
idle your engine.
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