1998 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX Owners Manual

3. If an odor lingers after cleaning vomit or urine,
treat the area with a waterhaking soda solution:
1 teaspoon (5 ml) of baking soda to 1 cup (250 ml)
of lukewarm water.
4. Let dry.
Stains caused by candy, ice cream, mayonnaise, chili
sauce and unknown stains can be removed as follows:
1. Carefully scrape off excess stain.
2. First, clean with cool water and allow to
dry completely.
3. If a stain remains, follow instructions for
Multi-Purpose Interior Cleaner.
Cleaning Vinyl
Use warm water and a clean cloth.
0 Rub with a clean, damp cloth to remove dirt. You
may have to do it more than once.
0 Things like tar, asphalt and shoe polish will stain
if you don’t get them off quickly. Use a clean
cloth and a vinyVleather cleaner. See
your dealer
for this product.
Cleaning Leather
Use a soft cloth with lukewarm water and a mild soap or
saddle soap and wipe
dry with a soft cloth. Then, let the
leather
dry naturally. Do not use heat to dry.
For stubborn stains, use a leather cleaner. See your
dealer for
this product.
0 Never use oils, varnishes, solvent-based or abrasive
0 Soiled or stained leather should be cleaned
cleaners,
furniture polish or shoe polish on leather.
immediately. If
dirt is allowed to work into the
finish, it can
harm the leather.
Cleaning the Top of the Instrument Panel
Use only mild soap and water to clean the top surfaces
of the instrument panel. Sprays containing silicones or
waxes may cause annoying reflections in the windshield
and even make it difficult
to see through the windshield
under certain conditions.
Cleaning Interior Plastic Components
Use only a mild soap and water solution on a soft
cloth or sponge. Commercial cleaners may affect the
surface
finish.
6-54

Cleaning the Built-in Child Restraint
Your built-in child restraint may be cleaned with mild
soap and lukewarm water. Don’t use household cleaners.
They may weaken the harness or damage plastic parts.
The built-in child restraint pad is attached to the child
restraint cushion and seatback with fastener strips. You
can remove the pad, machine wash it in cold water on a
gentle cycle and tumble
dry it on a low heat setting.
Never bleach or iron the pad, and don’t
dry clean it.
Care of Safety Belts and Built-in
Child Restraint Harness
Keep the safety belts and the built-in child restraint
harness clean and
dry.
I A CAUTION:
Do not bleach or dye safety belts or the built-in
child restraint harness. If you do, they may be
severely weakened. In a crash, they might not be
able to provide adequate protection. Clean the
safety belts
and the child restraint harness only
with mild soap and lukewarm water.
Cleaning Glass Surfaces
Glass should be cleaned often. GM Glass Cleaner (GM
Part No. 1050427) or a liquid household glass cleaner
will remove normal tobacco smoke and dust films on
interior glass.
Don’t use abrasive cleaners on glass, because they
may
cause scratches. Avoid placing decals on the inside rear
window, since they may have to be scraped
off later. If
abrasive cleaners are used on the inside of the rear
window, an electric defogger element may be damaged.
Any temporary license should not be attached across the
defogger grid.
Cleaning the Outside of the
Windshield and Wiper Blades
If the windshield is not clear after using the windshield
washer, or if the wiper blade chatters when running,
wax, sap or other material may be on the blade or
windshield.
Clean the outside of the windshield with GM
Windshield Cleaner, Bon
Ami@ Powder (non-scratching
glass cleaning powder), GM
Part No. 105001 1. The
windshield is clean if beads
do not form when you
rinse it with water.

Grime from the windshield will stick to the wiper
blades and affect their performance. Clean the blade
by wiping vigorously
with a cloth soaked in
full-strength windshield washer solvent. Then
rinse the blade with water.
Check the wiper blades and clean them as necessary;
replace blades that look worn.
Weatherstrips
Silicone grease on weatherstrips will make them last
longer, seal better, and not stick or squeak. Apply
silicone grease
with a clean cloth at least every six
months. During very cold, damp weather more frequent
application may be required. (See “Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants” in the Index.)
Cleaning the Outside of Your Vehicle
The paint finish on your vehicle provides beauty, depth
of color, gloss retention and durability.
Washing Your Vehicle
The best way to preserve your vehicle’s finish is to keep it
clean by washing it often with lukewarm or cold
water.
Don’t wash your vehicle in the direct rays of the sun.
Don’t use strong soaps or chemical detergents. Use
liquid hand, dish or car washing (mild detergent)
soaps.
You can get GM-approved cleaning products from your
dealer. (See “Appearance Care and Materials” in the
Index.) Don’t use cleaning agents that are petroleum
based, or that contain acid or abrasives.
All cleaning
agents should be flushed promptly and
not allowed to
dry on the surface, or they could stain. Dry the finish
with a
soft, clean chamois or an all-cotton towel to
avoid surface scratches and water spotting.
High pressure car washes may cause water to enter your
vehicle.
Cleaning Exterior LampsLenses
Use lukewarm or cold water, a soft cloth and a liquid
hand, dish or vehicle washing
(mild detergent) soap to
clean exterior lamps and lenses. Follow instructions
under “Washing Your Vehicle.”
Finish Care
Occasional waxing or mild polishing of your vehicle by
hand may be necessary to remove residue from the paint
finish.
You can get GM-approved cleaning products
from your dealer. (See “Appearance Care and Materials”
in the Index.)
6-56

Your vehicle has a “basecoatjclearcoat” paint finish.
The clearcoat gives more depth and gloss to the
colored basecoat. Always use waxes and polishes
that are non-abrasive and made for a basecoatjclearcoat
paint finish.
I NOTICE:
Machine compounding or aggressive polishing on
a basecoat/clearcoat paint finish
may dull the
finish or leave swirl
marks.
Cleaning Aluminum Wheels
(If Equipped)
Keep your wheels clean using a soft clean cloth with
mild soap and water. Rinse with clean water. After
rinsing thoroughly, dry with a soft clean towel.
A wax
may then be applied.
The surface of these wheels is similar to the painted
surface
of your vehicle. Don’t use strong soaps,
chemicals, abrasive polishes, abrasive cleaners or
abrasive cleaning brushes
on them because you could
damage the surface.
Foreign materials such as calcium chloride and other
salts, ice melting agents, road oil and tar, tree sap, bird
droppings, chemicals from industrial chimneys, etc., can
damage your vehicle’s finish if they remain on painted surfaces. Wash the vehicle as soon as possible. If
necessary, use non-abrasive cleaners that are marked safe for painted surfaces to remove foreign matter.
Exterior painted surfaces are subject to aging, weather
and chemical fallout that can
take their toll over a period
of years. You can help to keep the paint finish looking
new by keeping your vehicle garaged or covered
whenever possible. Don’t
take your vehicle through an automatic car wash
that
has silicon carbide tire cleaning brushes. These
brushes can
also damage the surface of these wheels.

Cleaning Tires
To clean your tires, use a stiff brush with a tire cleaner.
NOTICE:
When applying a tire dressing always take care
to wipe off any overspray or splash from all
painted surfaces on the body or wheels of the
vehicle. Petroleum-based products
may damage
the paint finish.
Sheet Metal Damage
If your vehicle is damaged and requires sheet metal
repair or replacement, make sure the body repair shop
applies anti-corrosion material to the parts repaired or
replaced to restore corrosion protection.
Finish Damage
Any stone chips, fractures or deep scratches in the finish
should be repaired right away. Bare metal will corrode
quickly
and may develop into a major repair expense.
Minor chips and scratches can be repaired with touch-up
materials available from
your dealer or other service
outlets. Larger areas
of finish damage can be corrected
in your dealer’s body and paint shop.

Underbody Maintenance
Chemicals used for ice and snow removal and dust .
control can collect on the underbody. If these are not
removed, accelerated corrosion (rust)
can occur on
the underbody parts such as fuel lines, frame, floor
pan and exhaust system even though they have
corrosion protection.
At least every spring, flush these materials from the underbody with plain water. Clean any areas where mud
and other debris can collect. Dirt packed in closed areas
of the frame should be loosened before being flushed.
Your dealer or an underbody car washing system can do
this for you.
Chemical Paint Spotting
Some weather and atmospheric conditions can create
a chemical fallout. Airborne pollutants can fall upon
and attack painted surfaces on your vehicle.
This
damage can take two forms: blotchy, ringlet-shaped
discolorations, and small irregular dark spots etched
into the paint surface.
Although no defect in the paint job causes
this, Pontiac
will repair, at no charge to the owner, the surfaces of
new vehicles damaged by this fallout condition within
12 months or 12,000 miles (20 OOO km) of purchase,
whichever occurs
first.
6-59

Appearance Care Materials Chart
6-60

Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) Engine Identification
The 8th character in your VIN is the engine code. This
code will help
you identify your engine, specifications
and replacement parts.
Service Parts Identification Label
ENGINE/!& f ASSEMBLY You’ll find this label on the underside of your trunk lid. \
CODE MODEL YEAR PLANT It’s very helpful if you ever need to order parts. On this
label is:
This is the legal identifier for your vehicle. It appears on
a plate in the front corner of the instrument panel, on the
driver’s side. You can see it if you look through the
windshield from outside your vehicle. The VIN also
appears
on the Vehicle Certification and Service Parts
labels and the certificates of title and registration.
your VIN,
the model designation,
0 paint information and
a list of all production options and special
equipment.
Be sure that this label is not removed from the vehicle.
6-61