1998 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX Owners Manual

Steam and scalding liquids from a hot cooling
system can blow out and burn you badly. They
are under pressure, and if you turn the radiator
pressure cap
-- even a little -- they can come out
at
high speed. Never turn the cap when the
cooling system, including the radiator pressure
cap, is hot. Wait for the cooling system and
radiator pressure cap to cool if you ever have to
turn the pressure cap.
How to Add Coolant to the Radiator
NOTICE:
Your engine has a specific radiator fill procedure.
Failure to
follow this procedure could cause your
engine to overheat and be severely damaged.
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1. You can remove the radiator pressure cap when the
cooling system, including the radiator pressure cap
and upper radiator hose,
is no longer hot. Turn the
pressure cap slowly counterclockwise until
it fist
stops. (Don't press
down while turning the
pressure cap.)
If you hear a hiss, wait for that to stop. A hiss means
there
is still some pressure left.
2. Then keep turning the pressure cap, but now push
down
as you turn it. Remove the pressure cap.
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.
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I" 3
3. After the engine cools, open the coolant air bleed
valve or valves.
3100 V6 (VIN Code M): There are two bleed valves.
One is located on the thermostat housing. The other
is located
on the thermostat bypass tube.
3800 V6 Supercharged engine (VIN Code 1):
There is one bleed valve. It is located on the
thermostat housing.
C
4. 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.)
If
you see a stream of coolant coming from an air
bleed valve, close
the valve. Otherwise, close the
valves after the radiator is filled.
5. Rinse or wipe any spilled coolant from the engine
and the compartment.
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6. Then fill the coolant recovery tank to the
7. Put the cap back on the coolant recovery tank, but
FULL mark.
leave the radiator pressure cap
off.
‘f
8.
9.
Start the engine and let it run until you can feel the
upper radiator hose getting hot. Watch out for
the
engine cooling fans.
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.
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10. 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.
11. Check the coolant in the recovery tank. The level in
the coolant recovery tank should be at the
HOT
mark when the engine is hot or at the COLD mark
when the engine
is cold.
If a Tire Goes Flat
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 tr&k 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.
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Changing a Flat Tire
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly
to a level place. Turn on your hazard
warning flashers.
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. The
following steps
will tell you how to use the jack and
change a tire.
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Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
The equipment you'll need
Pull the carpeting from the floor of the
trunk. Then lift
and remove the cover.
..
Remove the spare tire.
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C
Turn the nut holding the jack to the left and remove it.
Then remove the jack and wrench. The tools you’ll
be using include the jack
(A) extension
and protectodguide (B) and wheel wrench (C).
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