1998 PONTIAC GRAND AM engine

If You Do Decide To Pull A nailer
If you do, here are some important points:
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There are many different laws, including speed limit
restrictions, having to do with trailering. Make sure
your rig
will be legal, not only where you live but
also where you’ll be driving.
A good source for this
information can be state or provincial police.
Consider using a sway control. You can
ask a hitch
dealer about sway controls.
Don’t tow
a trailer at all during the fist 1 ,O00 miles
(1 600 km) your new vehicle is driven. Your engine,
axle or other parts could be damaged.
Then, during the first
500 miles (800 km) that you
tow a trailer, don’t drive over 50 mph (80 km/h) and
don’t make starts at full throttle. This helps your
engine and other parts of your vehicle wear in at the
heavier loads.
0 Obey speed limit restrictions when towing a trailer.
Don’t
drive faster than the maximum posted speed
for trailers (or
no more than 55 mph (90 km/h)) to
save wear
on your vehicle’s parts.
Three important considerations have
to do with weight:
the weight of the trailer,
the weight of the trailer tongue
and the total weight on your vehicle’s tires.
Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It should never weigh more than 1,000 lbs. (450 kg). But
even that can be too heavy.
It depends on how
you plan to use your rig. For
example, speed, altitude, road grades, outside
temperature and how much your vehicle
is used to pull a
trailer are
all important. And, it can also depend on any
special equipment
that you have on your vehicle.
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Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start
down a long or steep downgrade.
If you don’t shift
down, you might have to use your brakes
so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, use the highest gear possible.
If you cannot maintain posted speeds, driving at a
lower speed may help avoid overheating your engine
and transaxle.
Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle, with a trailer
attached, on a hill. If something goes wrong, your rig
could start to move. People can be injured, and both
your vehicle and the trailer can be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s
how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your parking
brake, and then shift to PARK (P),
or REVERSE (R)
for a manual transaxle.
5. Release the regular brakes.
PARK
(P) yet, or into
a gear for a manual transaxle.
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When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
0 Start your engine;
0 Shift into a gear; and
0 Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule
for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transaxle fluid (don’t overfill),
engine oil, belt, cooling system and brake adjustment.
Each
of these is covered in this manual, and the Index
will help you find them quickly. If you’re trailering, it’s
a good idea to review these sections before you
start
your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
Engine Cooling When mailer Towing
Your cooling system may temporarily overheat during
severe operating conditions.
See “Engine Overheating’’
in the Index.
Towing A Trailer
(Except
3100 V6 Engine)
Your vehicle is neither designed nor intended to tow
a trailer.
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Section 5 Problems on the Road
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the road.
5-2
5-2
5-3
5-8
5-14 Hazard Warning Flashers
Other Warning Devices
Jump Starting Towing Your Vehicle
Engine Overheating 5-23 If a Tire Goes Flat
5-23 Changing a Flat Tire
5-33 Compact Spare Tire
5-34 If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow
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i . Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with a negative ground system.
I NOTICE:
If the other system isn’t a 12-volt system with a
negative ground, both vehicles can be damaged.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicles aren’t touching
each other. If they are, it could cause a ground
connection you don’t want.
You wouldn’t be able to
start your vehicle, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
To avoid the
possibility
of the vehicles rolling, set the parking
brake firmly
on both vehicles involved in the jump
start procedure.
Put an automatic transaxle in
PARK (P) or a manual transaxle in NEUTRAL (N)
before setting the parking brake.
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
unnecessary accessories plugged into the cigarette
lighter.
Turn off all lamps that aren’t needed as well
as radios. This will avoid sparks and help save both
batteries.
In addition, it could save your radio!
I NOTICE:
If you leave your radio on, it could be badly
damaged. The repairs wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
A CAUTION:
An electric fan 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.
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5-4

4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries. Find
the positive
(+) and negative (-) terminals on
each battery.
A CAUTION:
5. 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 a metal
engine part.
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 AC Delco Freedom@
battery
installed in every new GM vehicle. But
if a battery has ffler 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. Don’t connect positive
(+) to negative (-) or
you’ll
get a short that would damage the battery and maybe
other parts,
too.
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Fans or other moving engine parts can injure you
badly. Keep your hands away from moving parts
once the engine is running.
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Don’t let the other end touch anything until the next
step. The other end of the negative cable
doesn ’t go
to the dead battery. It goes to a heavy unpainted
metal part on the engine of the vehicle with the
dead battery.
9. Attach the cable at least 18 inches (45 cm) away
from the dead battery, but not near engine parts that
move. The electrical connection is just as good
there, but the chance
of sparks getting back to the
battery
is much less.
the engine for a while.
10. Now start the vehicle with the good battery and run
11. Try to start the vehicle with the dead battery.
If it won’t start after a
few tries, it probably
needs service.
12. Remove the cables in reverse order to prevent
electrical shorting. Take care that they don’t touch
each other or
any other metal.
A. Heavy Metal Engine Part
B. Good Battery
C. Dead Battery
5-7

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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