2000 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX Owners Manual

2-77 Low Coolant Warning Light
If this light comes on,
the system is low on
coolant and the engine
may overheat.
See ªEngine Coolantº in the Index and have the vehicle
serviced as soon as possible.
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Service Engine Soon Light)
United States Canada
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 SERVICE ENGINE SOON 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.

2-78
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 SERVICE ENGINE SOON
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.

2-79
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.
Are you low on fuel?
As your engine starts to run out of fuel, your engine may
not run as efficiently as designed since small amounts of
air are sucked into the fuel line causing a misfire. The
system can detect this. Adding fuel should correct this
condition. Make sure to install the fuel cap properly.
See ªFilling Your Tankº in the Index. It will take a few
driving trips to 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.

2-80
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.
Emissions Inspection and Maintenance Programs
Some state/provincial and local governments have or
may begin programs to inspect the emission control
equipment on your vehicle. Failure to pass this
inspection could prevent you from getting a
vehicle registration.
Here are some things you need to know in order to help
your vehicle pass an inspection:
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the
SERVICE ENGINE SOON light is on or not
working properly.Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the OBD
(on
-board diagnostic) system determines that critical
emission control systems have not been completely
diagnosed by the system. The vehicle would be
considered not ready for inspection. This can happen if
you have recently replaced your battery or if your
battery has run down. The diagnostic system is designed
to evaluate critical emission control systems during
normal driving. This may take several days of routine
driving. If you have done this and your vehicle still does
not pass the inspection for lack of OBD system
readiness, see your dealer or qualified service center to
prepare the vehicle for inspection.

2-81 Oil Warning Light
United States Canada
If you have a problem with your oil pressure, this light
may stay on after you start your engine, or come on
when you are driving.
This indicates that oil is not going through your engine
quickly enough to keep it lubricated. The engine could
be low on oil or could have some other oil problem.
Have it fixed right away.
The oil light could also come on in two other situations:

When the ignition is on but the engine is not running,
the light will come on as a test to show you it's
working. The light will go out when you turn the
ignition to RUN. If it doesn't come on with the
ignition on, you may have a problem with the fuse or
bulb. Have it fixed right away.
If you make a hard stop, the light may come on for a
moment. This is normal.
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.

2-82 Low Oil Level Light
The engine is equipped with
an oil level monitoring
system. When the ignition
key is turned to RUN, the
LOW OIL LEVEL light
will briefly flash.
If the light does not flash, have it fixed so it will be
ready to warn you if there is a problem.
If the light stays on, stop the vehicle on a level surface
and turn the engine off. Check the oil level using the
engine oil dipstick. (See ªEngine Oilº in the Index).
The oil level monitoring system only checks the oil level
during the brief period when the ignition key is between
RUN and START. It does not monitor engine oil level
when the engine is running. Additionally, an oil level
check is only performed if the engine has been turned
off for a considerable period of time, allowing the oil
normally in circulation to drain back into the oil pan.
Fuel Gage
United States Canada
The fuel gage tells you about how much fuel you have
left when the ignition is on. When the indicator nears
empty, you still have a little fuel left, but you should get
more soon.

2-83
Here are four things owners usually ask about the fuel
gage. All these situations are normal and do not indicate
a problem with the fuel gage:

At the gas station, the pump shuts off before the gage
reads full.

It takes more (or less) fuel to fill up than the gage
indicates. For example, the gage reads half full, but it
took more (or less) than half the tank's capacity
to fill it.

The gage pointer may move while cornering, braking
or speeding up.

The gage may not indicate full when the ignition
is turned off.Low Fuel Light
If your fuel is low, the
warning light near the fuel
gage will go on.
It will also come on for a few seconds when you first
turn on the ignition as a check to show you it's working
properly. If it doesn't come on then, see your dealer
for service.

2-84
Head-Up Display (Option)
CAUTION:
If the HUD image is too bright, or too high in
your field of view, it may take you more time to
see things you need to see when it's dark outside.
Be sure to keep the HUD image dim and placed
low in your field of view.
If you have the Head-Up
Display (HUD), you can see
the speedometer reading
(in English or metric units)
and a brief display of the
current radio station or CD
track, displayed ªthroughº
the windshield.The HUD also shows these lights when they are lit on
the instrument panel cluster:

Turn Signal Indicators

High
-Beam Indicator Symbol

Low Fuel Symbol
The HUD will display ªCHECK GAGEº when the
following items are lit on the instrument panel cluster:

Oil Warning Symbol

Coolant Temperature Symbol

Charging System Symbol
When you sit straight in your seat, the HUD image will
appear straight ahead near the front bumper.
When the ignition key is turned to RUN, the HUD
image will come on. Then the Head
-Up Display will
operate normally.