1999 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE Owners Manual

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2-69
The traction control system warning light may come on
for the following reasons:

If you turn the system off by pressing the button
located on the center console, the warning light will
come on and stay on. To turn the system back on,
press the button again. The warning light should go
off. (See ªTraction Control Systemº in the Index for
more information.)

If there's a brake system problem that is specifically
related to traction control, the traction control system
will turn off and the warning light will come on. If
your brakes begin to overheat, the traction control
system will turn off and the warning light will come
on until your brakes cool down.

If the traction control system is affected by an
engine
-related problem, the system will turn off and
the warning light will come on.
If the traction control system warning light comes on
and stays on for an extended period of time when the
system is turned on, your vehicle needs service.
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
This gage shows the engine
coolant temperature.
If the gage pointer moves
into the red area, your
engine is too hot! On
vehicles with the optional
DIC, the CHECK GAGES
light will go on and a
warning chime will sound.
It means that your engine coolant has overheated. If you
have been operating your vehicle under normal driving
conditions, you should pull off the road, stop your
vehicle and turn off the engine as soon as possible.
In the section ªProblems on the Road,º this manual
explains what to do. See ªEngine Overheatingº in
the Index.

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2-70 Low Coolant Warning Light (If Equipped)
If you have this light and it
comes on, your system may
be low on coolant and the
engine may overheat.
Check to see if the level is low at the recovery tank, and
add coolant if necessary. If the level is not low, have
your low coolant warning system serviced. See ªEngine
Coolantº in the Index.
The LOW COOLANT warning light will also come on
for two to four seconds when you turn the ignition to
RUN, as a bulb check to show you it is working. If it
doesn't come on then, have it fixed right away.
After the bulb check, the light will go out for about
20 seconds. If the light comes back on after 20 seconds,
the system may be low on coolant. See ªEngine
Coolantº in the Index.
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Check Engine Light)
Your vehicle is equipped
with a computer which
monitors operation of the
fuel, ignition and emission
control systems.
This system is called OBD II (On
-Board
Diagnostics
-Second Generation) and is intended to
assure that emissions are at acceptable levels for the life
of the vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner
environment. The CHECK ENGINE light comes on to
indicate that there is a problem and service is required.
Malfunctions often will be indicated by the system
before any problem is apparent. This may prevent more
serious damage to your vehicle. This system is also
designed to assist your service technician in correctly
diagnosing any malfunction.

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NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle with this light
on, after a while, your emission controls may not
work as well, your fuel economy may not be as
good and your engine may not run as smoothly.
This could lead to costly repairs that may not be
covered by your warranty.
NOTICE:
Modifications made to the engine, transaxle,
exhaust or fuel system of your vehicle or the
replacement of the original tires with other than
those of the same Tire Performance Criteria
(TPC) can affect your vehicle's emission controls
and may cause the CHECK ENGINE light to
come on. Modifications to these systems could
lead to costly repairs not covered by your
warranty. This may also result in a failure to pass
a required Emission Inspection/Maintenance test.
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is not
running. If the light doesn't come on, have it repaired.
This light will also come on during a malfunction in one
of two ways:

Light Flashing
-- A misfire condition has been
detected. A misfire increases vehicle emissions and
may damage the emission control system on your
vehicle. Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis
and service may be required.

Light On Steady
-- An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis and
service may be required.
If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:

Reducing vehicle speed.

Avoiding hard accelerations.

Avoiding steep uphill grades.

If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible.

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If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see ªIf
the Light Is On Steadyº following.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart the
engine. If the light remains on steady, see ªIf the Light
Is On Steadyº following. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your
dealer or qualified service center for service.
If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. See ªFilling Your Tankº in the Index. The
diagnostic system can determine if the fuel cap has been
left off or improperly installed. A loose or missing fuel
cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere. A
few driving trips with the cap properly installed should
turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.
Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel (see
ªFuelº in the Index). Poor fuel quality will cause your
engine not to run as efficiently as designed. You may
notice this as stalling after start
-up, stalling when you
put the vehicle into gear, misfiring, hesitation on
acceleration or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditions may go away once the engine is warmed up.)
This will be detected by the system and cause the light
to turn on.
If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use. It will require at least one
full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
have your dealer or qualified service center check the
vehicle. Your dealer has the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to fix any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.

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2-73 Oil Pressure Gage
The oil pressure gage shows
the engine oil pressure in
psi (pounds per square inch)
when the engine is running.
Canadian vehicles indicate
pressure in kPa
(kiloPascals).
Oil pressure may vary with engine speed, outside
temperature and oil viscosity, but readings above the red
warning zone indicate the normal operating range.
A reading in the red zone may be caused by a
dangerously low oil level or other problem causing low
oil pressure. On vehicles with the optional DIC, the
CHECK GAGES light will go on and a warning chime
will sound, if you have this option. Driving your vehicle
with low oil pressure can cause extensive
engine damage.CAUTION:
Don't keep driving if the oil pressure is low. If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches fire. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon as possible and have your
vehicle serviced.
NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and is not covered by
your warranty.

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2-74 Check Oil Level Warning Light
The CHECK OIL LEVEL
light turns on for three
seconds as a bulb check
each time the ignition key is
turned to RUN. If the light
doesn't turn on, have your
vehicle serviced.
If the engine oil is more than one quart (0.95 L) low and
the engine has been shut off for at least eight minutes,
the CHECK OIL LEVEL light will turn on for about
one minute and will then remain off until the next time
you start the vehicle.
If the CHECK OIL LEVEL light turns on, the engine oil
level should be checked at the dipstick then brought up
to the proper level, if necessary. See ªEngine Oilº in
the Index.
Low Washer Fluid Warning Light
This light will come on
when your windshield
washers are working and the
fluid container is less than
one
-third full.
Check Gages Warning Light (Option)
This light will come on
briefly when you are
starting the engine.
If the light comes on and stays on while you are driving,
check your gages for fuel, coolant temperature, oil
pressure or voltage. This light will stay on if your engine
is not running with the ignition on.

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2-75 Check Doors Light
This light is part of the
Systems Monitor. This
message means that either
the driver's door or one of
the passenger's doors is not
completely closed.
Fuel Gage
Cluster with Gages Cluster with Compass
and GagesWhen the ignition is on, your fuel gage tells you about
how much fuel you have left. When the gage reads in
the yellow band, a warning chime will sound and the
CHECK GAGES warning light will go on, if you have
this option. This warning means you are low on fuel.
You should get more fuel as soon as you can.
Here are some things that some owners ask about. None
of these show a problem with your fuel gage:

At the service station, the gas pump shuts off before
the gage reads FULL (F).

It takes a little more or less fuel to fill up than the
gage indicated. For example, the gage may have
indicated the tank was half full, but it actually took a
little more or less than half the tank's capacity to fill
the tank.

The gage moves a little when you turn a corner,
speed up, or make a hard stop.

The gage doesn't go back to EMPTY (E) when you
turn off the ignition.

If you have the large span (220) gage, the needle
moves more for a given amount of fuel. This does
not indicate excessive fuel consumption, and
is normal.

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2-76 Systems Monitor (Option)
If you have the Systems
Monitor, it gives you
important safety and
maintenance facts.
When you turn the ignition on, the Systems Monitor and
warning lights will briefly light up. If a problem is
detected, the warning lights will turn on.The following warning lights are displayed in the
Systems Monitor:

Check Oil Level: This message could mean your oil
level is low. If it comes on for more than three
seconds, see ªCheck Oil Level Warning Lightº in
the Index.

Washer Fluid: This message means your washer
fluid tank is less than about 30 percent full. If this
light comes on, see ªWindshield Washer Fluidº in
the Index.

Check Doors: This message means that either the
driver's door or one of the passenger's doors is not
completely closed. If this light comes on, see ªCheck
Doors Lightº in the Index.

Brake: If this message comes on while you are
driving, it means there is a brake problem. See
ªBrake System Warning Lightº in the Index.