2000 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE cooling

Service Station Guide
Oil Viscosity
Engine Oil
See Section 6
Engine Oil Dipstick
See Section 6Fuel
Use unleaded gas only,
See Section 6
Cooling System
See Section 5
Hood Release
See Section 6
Windshield Washer
Fluid
See Section 6
Spare Tire Pressure
See Section 5
Alternate
Fuel Door Release
See Section 6
Battery
See Section 6Tire Pressure
See Section 6

For
a More
Detailed Look at
What's Under the Hood
See Section 6

2-14
Trunk
CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to drive with the trunk lid
open because carbon monoxide (CO) gas can
come into your vehicle. You can't see or smell
CO. It can cause unconsciousness and even death.
If you must drive with the trunk lid open or if
electrical wiring or other cable connections must
pass through the seal between the body and the
trunk lid:

Make sure all other windows are shut.

Turn the fan on your heating or cooling
system to its highest speed with the setting
on OUTSIDE AIR or with RECIRC turned
off. That will force outside air into your
vehicle. See ªComfort Controlsº in
the Index.

If you have air outlets on or under the
instrument panel, open them all the way.
See ªEngine Exhaustº in the Index.
Trunk Lock Release
To unlock the trunk from the outside, insert the master
key and turn it.
Remote Trunk Release (Option)
If you have this option,
press the trunk release
button located in the glove
box to open the trunk lid.
The key does not have to be in the ignition for the
remote trunk button to work. The transaxle must be in
PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N). The system also works
with the remote keyless entry system, if your vehicle has
this feature.

2-46
Rear Reading Lamps
The rear reading lamps will come on as courtesy lamps
when you open any of the doors while it is dark outside.
They will also come on as part of the interior lighting
features listed previously.
To turn on a reading lamp when the doors are closed,
press either switch. Press it again to turn the lamp off.
Inadvertent Power Battery Saver
This feature is designed to protect your vehicle's battery
against drainage from the interior lamps, trunk lamp,
glove box lamp or cigarette lighters. When the ignition
is turned off, the power to these features will
automatically turn off after 10 minutes. Power will be
restored for an additional 10 minutes if any door is
opened, the trunk is opened or the courtesy lamp switch
is turned on. To restore power back to the cigarette
lighters the ignition must be turned back to RUN.
Battery Load Management
The battery load management feature is designed to
monitor the vehicle's electrical load and determine when
the battery is in a heavy discharge condition. During
times of high electrical loading, the engine may idle at
higher revolutions per minute (rpm) than normal to
make sure the battery charges. High electrical loads may
occur when several of the following are on: headlamps,
high beams, fog lamps, rear window defogger, high
blower fan, heated seats and engine cooling fans.

3-2
Comfort Controls
This section tells you how to make your air system work
for you.
With these systems, you can control the heating, cooling
and ventilation in your vehicle. Your vehicle also has a
flow
-through ventilation system described later in
this section.
Your vehicle may be equipped with a passenger
compartment air filter. For more information, see
ªPassenger Compartment Air Filterº in the Index.
Comfort Controls Personalization
(If Equipped)
This feature allows two different drivers to store and
recall their own climate control settings for temperature,
air delivery mode and fan speed. The personal choice
settings recalled are determined by the transmitter used
to enter the vehicle. After the button with the unlock
symbol on a remote keyless entry transmitter is pressed,
and the ignition is in RUN, the climate control will
adjust to the last settings of the identified driver. The
settings can also be changed by pressing one of the
memory buttons (1 or 2) located on the driver's door,
until you hear two beeps. When adjustments are made,
the new settings are automatically saved for that driver.
Standard Climate Control System
Fan Knob
The left knob regulates the force of the air coming
through the system. Turn the knob clockwise to increase
the fan speed and counterclockwise to decrease the fan
speed. Push the knob to turn the fan off. The fan must
be on to run the air conditioning compressor.
Temperature Knob
The right knob regulates the temperature of the air
coming through the system. Turn it toward the blue area
for cooler air. Turn it toward the red area for warmer air.

3-6
Automatic Operation
When the system is set for AUTO, your climate control
system will control the air delivery mode, fan speed,
A/C and RECIRC operations. Air will come from
the floor, panel or windshield outlets. The fan speed
will vary as the system maintains the selected
temperature setting.
When AUTO is selected, the A/C operation and air inlet
will be automatically controlled. The air conditioning
compressor will run at outside temperatures over
approximately 40
F (4
C). The air inlet will normally
be set to outside air. If it's hot outside, the air inlet will
automatically switch to recirculated inside air to help
quickly cool down your vehicle.
To find your comfort zone, start with 75
F (24
C)
temperature setting and allow about 20 minutes for the
system to regulate. Turn the TEMP knob up or down to
adjust the temperature setting if necessary. If you choose
the temperature setting of 60
F (15
C), the system will
remain at the maximum cooling setting and fan speed.
If you choose the temperature setting of 90
F (33
C),
the system will remain at the maximum heat setting and
fan speed. Choosing either maximum setting will not
cause the system to heat or cool any faster.Be careful not to cover the sensor located on the top of
the instrument panel near the windshield. This sensor
regulates temperature based on sun load.
The EXT (exterior) temperature sensor is located in the
front of the vehicle behind the grille. The displayed
temperature is most accurate after the vehicle has been
moving for a few minutes. If the vehicle is stopped and
then restarted within 2 1/2 hours, the sensor will be hot
from the engine heat. In this case, the temperature first
displayed will continue to be the previous temperature.
The display will update after the vehicle has been
moving for a few minutes and the sensor has a chance
to cool down to the actual temperature.
To avoid blowing cold air in cold weather, the system
will delay turning on the fan until warm air is available.
The length of delay depends on engine coolant
temperature. Pushing the fan button will override this
delay and change the fan to a selected speed.

3-8
When the weather is cool or damp, operating in
RECIRC for extended periods of time may cause
fogging of the vehicle's windows. To clear the fog, press
the OUTSIDE AIR button and select either DEFOG or
FRONT defrost. Be sure A/C OFF is not selected to
allow the air conditioning compressor to run
automatically and help dehumidify the air.
OUTSIDE AIR: Press this button to allow fresh
air to enter your vehicle if you currently have RECIRC
selected. You may also override the system's automatic
use of RECIRC by selecting OUTSIDE AIR.
FRONT: Press this button to clear the windshield.
The system will automatically control the fan speed if
you select defrost from AUTO. If the outside
temperature is 38
F (3
C) or warmer, your air
conditioning compressor will automatically run to help
dehumidify the air and dry the windshield.
Air Conditioning
On hot days, open the windows long enough to let hot
inside air escape. This reduces the time it takes for your
vehicle to cool down. Then keep your windows closed
for the air conditioner to work its best.
If you have the standard system, for quick cool
-down on
very hot days, use the airflow from the PANEL outlets,
press RECIRC and A/C with the temperature knob in
the blue area. If this max A/C setting is used for long
periods of time, the air in your vehicle may become too
cold and dry. For normal cooling on hot days, use
A/C without RECIRC with the temperature knob in the
blue area.
If you have the electronic system, in AUTO mode
the system will cool and dehumidify the air inside the
vehicle. Also while in AUTO mode, the system
will maximize its performance by using RECIRC
as necessary.
On cool, but sunny days, with the standard system or
through manual operation of the electronic system, use
BI
-LEVEL to deliver warm air to the floor and cooler
air to the instrument panel outlets. To warm or cool the
air delivered, turn the TEMP knob up or down.

3-10 Rear Window Defogger
The lines you see on the
rear window warm the
glass. Press the button to
start warming your window.
A light will glow in the
button while the defogger
is working.
If your vehicle is equipped with heated mirrors, this
button will activate them.
After 10 minutes it will turn off by itself, or press the
button during the heating cycle to turn it off. If you need
additional warming time, push the button again. The
system will then operate for five minutes before turning
off by itself. If your speed is maintained over 30 mph
(48 km/h), the rear defog will not turn off automatically
to help keep the rear glass clear.
Do not attach a temporary vehicle license, tape or decals
across the defogger grid on the rear window.NOTICE:
Do not try to clear frost or other material from
the inside of the rear window with a razor blade
or anything else that is sharp. This may damage
the defogger grid. The repairs wouldn't be
covered by your warranty.
Ventilation System
For mild outside temperatures when little heating or
cooling is needed, use the panel outlet setting (on the
standard system) to direct outside air through your
vehicle. Air will flow through the instrument
panel outlets.
Your vehicle's flow
-through ventilation system supplies
outside air into the vehicle when it's moving. When the
vehicle is not moving, you can get outside air to flow
through by selecting any air delivery mode and any
fan speed.

4-24
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving in flat or rolling terrain.If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you're
planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable.

Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid
levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system
and transaxle. These parts can work hard on
mountain roads.

Know how to go down hills. The most important
thing to know is this: let your engine do some of the
slowing down. Shift to a lower gear when you go
down a steep or long hill.
CAUTION:
If you don't shift down, your brakes could get so
hot that they wouldn't work well. You would
then have poor braking or even none going down
a hill. You could crash. Shift down to let
your engine assist your brakes on a steep
downhill slope.