2000 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX air condition

3-5 Automatic Control
For the most efficient operation, you should set the
system temperature and press AUTO. The system will
select the best fan speed and airflow settings to keep you
comfortable. The air conditioning compressor will run if
the outside temperature is above 38
F (3.3
C).
You may notice a delay of three to four minutes before
the fan comes on.
Driver's Temperature Knob
The left knob sets the temperature for the entire system
when the light on DUAL button isn't lit. If the light is
lit, the knob sets the temperature for the driver. Turn the
knob toward red (clockwise) to raise the desired cabin
temperature. Turn it toward blue (counterclockwise) to
lower the temperature. The display will show your
selection for a few seconds, then the outside temperature
will be displayed.
Passenger's Temperature Knob
The right knob sets the desired cabin temperature for the
passenger and will automatically force the system into a
dual zone operation, lighting the dual zone button light.
Turn the right knob toward red (clockwise) to raise the
temperature. Turn it toward blue (counterclockwise) to
lower the temperature.Dual Zone Button Light
The dual zone button light indicates whether the system
is in single zone or dual zone operation. When there is
no desire for dual zone operation, push the lit dual zone
button to return to single zone operation. The dual zone
button light will go off.
The system will operate to achieve your comfort set
point as quick as possible. If you set the temperature for
60
F (16
C) or 90
F (32
C), the fan will go to its
highest speed, unless you manually select a lower speed.
The system will maintain full cold or full hot operation
at these settings.
Cold Weather Example: When you start the vehicle in
cold weather, (below freezing) or after being parked
overnight. If your Driver Set Temperature is 73
F (23
C)
and you are in Full Automatic mode, the system will
automatically move the temperature doors to full hot.
The blower will start out at a low speed and the blower
speed will increase as the engine warms up. The air will
be delivered to the floor. As the interior of the vehicle
warms up to your desired comfort point, the blower will
decrease and the temperature door will move to a cooler
position to maintain your desired comfort. As the cabin
warms up or the sun load increases the system could
switch to air delivered to the individual to the windshield
and the floor (DEFOG mode).

3-6
Hot Weather Example: When you start the vehicle in
hot weather, 80
F (27
C) or after being parked during
the day in full sun, if your Driver Set Temperature is
73
F (23
C) and you are in Full Automatic mode, the
system will automatically move the temperature doors to
full cold. The blower will be at low speed momentarily
and then go to the high speed. The air intake will be
recirculated for maximum cooling performance. As the
interior of the vehicle cools down to your desired
comfort point, the blower will decrease and the
temperature door will move to a warmer position to
maintain your desired comfort. As the cabin cools down
or the sun load decreases the system could switch to air
delivered to A/C vents and the floor (BI
-LEVEL mode).
Manual Control
Fan Buttons
The fan buttons select the amount of air you want when
the system is not in AUTO. The display will show the
fan speed by illuminating a maximum of seven fan bars.Mode Button
The center panel has several settings to control the
direction of airflow when the system is not in AUTO.
The indicator light on the button will glow when the
button is pressed. To access the various modes available,
continue to press the MODE button until the desired
mode appears on the display.
If you prefer to manually control the heating, cooling
and ventilation in your vehicle, push UPPER, BI
-LEV,
LOWER, DEFOG or DEF. AUTO will go off the
display. Set the system to the temperature and fan speed
you want. The system will try to maintain the
temperature you set using the mode you select. The
following suggestions will help the system run more
efficiently in manual mode.
RECIRC: This setting recirculates much of the
air inside your vehicle and sends it through the
instrument panel outlets. The air conditioning
compressor will run automatically in this setting unless
the outside temperature is below 38
F (3.3
C).
Please note that operating the system in the
RECIRCULATION mode may cause fogging of the
windows when the weather is cold and damp. To clear
the fog, select either the DEFOG or DEFROST mode
and increase the fan speed. To avoid re
-fogging of the
windows, use the OUTSIDE AIR mode.

3-7
UPPER: This setting brings in the outside air and
directs it through the instrument panel outlets.
BI-LEV: This setting brings in the outside air and
directs it two ways. Half of the air is directed through
the instrument panel outlets. Most of the remaining air is
directed through the floor ducts and a little to the defrost
and side window vents.
LOWER: This setting sends most of the air
through the ducts near the floor. The remaining airflow
comes out of the defroster and side window vents.
Please note that the windows may fog up when using
this setting. See ªRecirculationº in the Index for
more information.
DEFOG: This setting allows half of the air to go
to the floor ducts and half to the defroster and side
window vents.
DEF: This setting directs most of the air through
the defrost vent. Some of the air goes to the floor ducts
and the side window vents. The air conditioning
compressor will run automatically in this setting unless
the outside temperature is below 38
F (3.3
C).Air Conditioning
On very hot days, open the windows long enough to let
hot, inside air escape. This reduces the time for the
vehicle to cool down.
For quick cool
-down on very hot days, use RECIRC.
If this setting is used for long periods of time, the air in
your vehicle may become too dry.
For normal cooling on hot days, use UPPER with the
A/C button pushed in. The system will bring in outside
air and cool it.
On cool, but sunny days, the sun may warm your upper
body, but your lower body may not be warm enough.
You can use BI
-LEV with the A/C button pushed in.
The system will bring in outside air and direct it to your
upper body, while sending slightly warmed air to your
lower body. You may notice this temperature difference
more at some times than others.

3-9
Do not attach anything like a temporary vehicle license
or decal across the defogger grid.
NOTICE:
Don't use a razor blade or anything else sharp on
the inside of the rear window. If you do, you
could cut or damage the warming grid, and the
repairs wouldn't be covered by your warranty.
Ventilation System
Adjust the direction of airflow by moving the
louvered vents.Your vehicle's flow
-through ventilation system supplies
outside air into the vehicle when it is moving. Outside
air will also enter the vehicle when the air conditioning
fan is running.
Ventilation Tips

Keep the hood and front air inlet free of ice, snow or
any other obstruction, such as leaves. The heater and
defroster will work far better, reducing the chance of
fogging the inside of your windows.

When you enter a vehicle in cold weather, adjust the
mode knob to FLOOR and the fan to the highest
speed for a few seconds before driving off. This
helps clear the intake ducts of snow and moisture
and reduces the chance of fogging the inside of
your windows.

Keep the air path under the front seats clear of
objects. This helps air to circulate throughout
your vehicle.

3-22
If the error occurred while trying to play a CD in the
compact disc player or changer, the following conditions
may have caused the error:

The road is too rough. The disc should play when the
road is smoother.

The disc is dirty, scratched or wet.

The disc is label side up. If so, load the disc label
side down.

The air is very humid. If so, wait about an hour and
try again.

The CD changer door is open. Completely close the
door to restore normal operation.

An empty magazine is inserted in the CD changer.
Try the magazine again with a disc loaded on one of
the trays.
If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error cannot be
corrected, please contact your dealer. If your radio
displays an error number, write it down and provide it to
your dealer when reporting the problem.Playing a Compact Disc
PREV (1): Press this button to go back to the start of
the current track if more than eight seconds have played.
Press PREV again to go to the previous track on
the disc.
NEXT (2): Press this button to advance to the next track
on the disc.
PROG (3): Press this button to select the next disc in
the magazine. If a CD cannot be played, its number will
be skipped when selecting discs while using the
PROG button.
RANDOM (4): Press this button to enter the random
play mode. RDM will appear on the display. While in
this mode, the tracks on the discs will be played in
random order. If you press PROG or SEEK while in the
random mode, discs and tracks will be scanned
randomly. Press this button again to turn off the random
feature and return to normal operation.
REV (5): Press and hold this button to quickly reverse
within a track. As the CD reverses, elapsed time will be
displayed to help you find the correct passage.

5-10
Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature gage and a warning
light about a hot engine on your instrument panel
cluster. See ªEngine Coolant Temperature Gageº and
ªEngine Coolant Temperature Lightº in the Index.
You also have a low coolant light on your instrument
panel cluster. See ªLow Coolant Lightº in the Index.
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode
This emergency operating mode allows your vehicle to
be driven to a safe place in an emergency situation.
Should an overheated engine condition exist, an
overheat protection mode which alternates firing groups
of cylinders helps prevent engine damage. In this mode,
you will notice a significant loss in power and engine
performance. The low coolant light may come on and
the temperature gage will indicate an overheat condition
exists. Towing a trailer in the overheat protection mode
should be avoided.
NOTICE:
After driving in the overheated engine protection
operating mode, to avoid engine damage, allow
the engine to cool before attempting any repair.
The engine oil will be severely degraded. Repair
the cause of coolant loss and change the oil.
See ªEngine Oilº in the Index.

5-12
NOTICE:
If your engine catches fire because you keep
driving with no coolant, your vehicle can be
badly damaged. The costly repairs would not be
covered by your warranty. See ªOverheated
Engine Protection Operating Modeº in the Index.
If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
If you get an engine overheat warning but see or hear no
steam, the problem may not be too serious. Sometimes
the engine can get a little too hot when you:

Climb a long hill on a hot day.

Stop after high
-speed driving.

Idle for long periods in traffic.

Tow a trailer.If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for a minute or so:
1. If your air conditioner is on, turn it off.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window as necessary.
3. If you're in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving
-- AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D)
or THIRD (3).
If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can drive.
Just to be safe, drive slower for about 10 minutes. If the
warning doesn't come back on, you can drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your
vehicle right away.
If there's still no sign of steam, idle the engine for
three minutes while you're parked. If you still have the
warning, turn off the engine and get everyone out of
the vehicle until it cools down. Also, see ªOverheated
Engine Protection Operating Modeº listed previously in
this section.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.

6-4
If you have the 3800 Supercharged V6 engine
(VIN Code 1), 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.
It is recommended that the gasoline meet specifications
which have been developed by the American
Automobile Manufacturers Association (AAMA)
and endorsed by the Canadian Motor Vehicle
Manufacturers Association for better vehicle
performance and engine protection. Gasolines meeting
the AAMA specification could provide improved
driveability and emission control system performance
compared to other gasolines.
Be sure the posted octane for premium is at least 91
(at least 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 and/or your
vehicle may fail a smog
-check test. (See ªMalfunction
Indicator Lampº in the Index.) 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 may contain an octane
-enhancing additive
called methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl
(MMT); ask your service station operator whether or not
the 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.