1998 PONTIAC GRAND AM Owners Manual

Front Towing
Before hooking up to a tow truck, be sure to read
all the information in “Towing Your Vehicle” earlier in
this section.
NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or
fascidfog light damage
will occur. Use wheel-lift
or carcarrier equipment. Additional ramping
may be required for carcarrier equipment.
NOTICE:
Towing a vehicle over rough surfaces could
damage a vehicle. Damage can occur from
vehicle to ground or vehicle to wheel-lift
equipment. To help avoid damage,
install a
towing dolly and raise the vehicle until adequate
clearance
is obtained between the ground and/or
wheel-lift equipment.
Do not attach winch cables or J-hooks to
suspension components when using carcarrier
equipment. Always
use T-hooks inserted in
the T-hook slots.
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Attach T-hook chains
into the slots in the
bottom
of the floor pan,
just behind the front
wheels on both sides.
Attach a separate safety chain around the
outboard end
of each
lower control arm.
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Rear Towing
Tow Limits -- 55 mph (88 kmh), 500 Miles (800 km)
Before hooking up to a tow truck, be sure to read all the
information in “Towing Your Vehicle” earlier in this
section. Also be sure to use the proper hook-up for your
particular vehicle.
NOTE: The ignition key must be OFF to keep the
automatic door locks
from locking during tow.
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Attach T-hook chains on
both sides in the slotted
holes
in the underbody just
ahead of the wheels.
I NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or rear
bumper valance will be damaged. Use wheel-lift
or carcarrier equipment (additional ramping
may
be required for car-carrier equipment). Use
safety chains and wheel straps.
I NOTICE:
Do not have your vehicle towed with the front
wheels in contact with the ground. This
will
damage the transaxle. If the vehicle must be
towed on the front wheels, it cannot be towed
more than
a total of 500 miles (800 km) for the
lifetime of the vehicle.
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NOTICE:
Towing a vehicle over rough surfaces could
damage a vehicle. Damage can occur from vehicle to ground
or vehicle to wheel-lift
equipment.
To help avoid damage, install a
towing dolly and raise the vehicle until adequa .te
clearance
is obtained between the ground and/or
wheel-lift equipment.
Do not attach winch cables
or J-hooks to
suspension components when using carcarrier
equipment. Always use T-hooks inserted in
the T-hook slots.
Attach a separate safety chain to each side
of the
axle inboard of the spring.
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Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature gage and a low
cooIant warning light
on your vehicle’s instrument
panel. See “Engine Coolant Temperature Gage”
and
“Low Coolant Warning Light” in the Index.
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
A CAUTION:
Steam from an overheated engine can burn you
badly, even
if you just open the hood. Stay away
from the engine if you see or hear steam coming
from it. Just turn it
off and get everyone away
from the vehicle until it
cools down. Wait until
there
is no sign of steam or coolant before you
open the
hood.
If you keep driving when your engine is
overheated, the liquids in it can catch fire. You or
others could be badly burned. Stop your engine
if
it overheats, and get out of the vehicle until the
engine
is cool.
I NOTICE: I
If your engine catches fire because you keep
driving
with no coolant, your vehicle can be
badly damaged. The costly repairs would not be
covered
by your warranty.
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If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
If you get the overheat warning but see or hear no
steam, the problem may not be too serious. Sometimes
the engine can get a little too hot when you:
0 Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high-speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign
of steam,
try
this for a minute or so:
1. If you have an air conditioner, turn it off.
?. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window as necessary.
3. If you’re in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving
-- AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (a) or
THIRD (3) for automatic transaxles.
If you no longer have the overheat warning, you
can drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about
10 minutes. If the warning doesn’t come back on,
you can drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop,
and park your
vehicle right away.
If there’s still
no sign of steam, you can idle the engine
for two or three minutes while you’re parked, to see if
the warning stops. But then, if you still have the
warning,
turn o@the engine and get everyone out of the
vehicle
until it cools down.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
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Cooling System
When you decide it’s safe to lift the hood, here’s what
you
’11 see:
2.4L Engine
3100 Engine
A. Coolant Surge Tank with Pressure Cap
B. Electric Engine Cooling Fan
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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 surge tank is boiling,
don’t
do anything else until it cools down.
I
The coolant level should be at or above FULL COLD.
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.
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