A CAUTION:
You can be injured and your vehicle c!!!d be
damaged
if you try to do service work on a
vehicle without knowing enough about it.
Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, the proper replacement parts
and tools before you attempt any vehicle
maintenance task.
Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts and
other fasteners. “English” and “metric”
fasteners can be easily confused.
If you use
the wrong fasteners,
parts can later break
or fall
off. You could be hurt.
Adding Equipment to the
Outside
of Your Vehicle
Things you might add to the outside of your vehicle can
affect the airflow around
it. This may cause wind noise
and affect windshield washer performance. Check with
your dealer before adding equipment to the outside of
your vehicle.
Fuel
The 8th digit of your vehicle identification number
(VIN) shows the code letter for your engine. You will
find the VIN at the top
left of your instrument panel.
(See “Vehicle Identification Number” in the Index.)
If you have the 3100 engine (VIN Code M) or 3800
engine (VIN Code K), use regular unleaded gasoline
rated at
87 octane or higher. If you’re using fuel rated at
the recommended octane or higher and you hear heavy
knocking, your engine needs service. But don’t worry
if
you hear a little pinging noise when you’re accelerating
or driving up a hill. That’s
normal, and you don’t have
to buy a higher octane
fuel to get rid of pinging. It’s the
heavy, constant knock
that means you have a problem.
6-3
If you have the 3800 Supercharged engine (VIN
Code l), use premium unleaded gasoline rated at
91 octane or higher. With the 3800 Supercharged
engine, in
an emergency, you may be able to use a
lower octane
-- as low as 87 -- if heavy knocking
does not occur. If you are using 91 or higher octane
unleaded gasoline and you hear heavy knocking, your engine needs service.
At a minimum, the gasoline you
use should meet
specifications
ASTM D4814 in the United States and
CGSB 3.5-M93 in Canada. Improved gasoline
specifications have been developed by the American
Automobile Manufacturers Association
(AAMA) for
better vehicle performance and engine protection. Gasolines meeting
the AAMA specification could
provide improved driveability and emission control system protection compared to other gasolines.
Be sure the posted octane for premium
is at least 91
(at least 89 for middle grade and 87 for regular). If the
octane is less than
87, you may get a heavy knocking
noise
when you drive. If it’s bad enough, it can damage
your engine.
If your vehicle is certified to meet California Emission
Standards (indicated on the underhood emission control
label), it is designed to operate on fuels that meet
California specifications. If such fuels are not available
in states adopting California emissions standards, your
vehicle will operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting
federal specifications, but emission control system
performance may be
affected. The malfunction indicator
lamp on your instrument panel may turn on andor
your vehicle may fail a smog-check test.
If this occurs,
return to your authorized Pontiac dealer for diagnosis
to determine the cause of failure.
In the event it is
determined that the cause
of the condition is the type of
fuels used, repairs may not be covered by your warranty.
Some gasolines that are not reformulated for low
emissions contain
an octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl
(MMT);
ask your service station operator whether or not his fuel
contains
MMT. General Motors does not recommend the
use
of such gasolines. If fuels containing MMT are used,
spark plug life may be reduced and your emission
control system performance may be affected. The
malfunction indicator lamp on your instrument panel
may turn on. If
this occurs, return to your authorized
Pontiac dealer for service.
6-4
