2000 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX engine

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Warning Lights, Gages
and Indicators
This part describes the warning lights and gages that
may be on your vehicle. The pictures will help you
locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that something is
wrong before it becomes serious enough to cause an
expensive repair or replacement. Paying attention to
your warning lights and gages could also save you or
others from injury.
Warning lights come on when there may be or is a
problem with one of your vehicle's functions. As you
will see in the details on the next few pages, some
warning lights come on briefly when you start the
engine just to let you know they're working. If you are
familiar with this section, you should not be alarmed
when this happens.
Gages can indicate when there may be or is a problem
with one of your vehicle's functions. Often gages and
warning lights work together to let you know when
there's a problem with your vehicle.When one of the warning lights comes on and stays on
when you are driving, or when one of the gages shows
there may be a problem, check the section that tells you
what to do about it. Please follow this manual's advice.
Waiting to do repairs can be costly
-- and even
dangerous. So please get to know your warning lights
and gages. They're a big help.
Your vehicle may also have a driver information system
that works along with the warning lights and gages. See
ªDriver Information Systemº in the Index.
Safety Belt Reminder Light
When the key is turned to RUN, a chime will come
on for about eight seconds to remind people to fasten
their safety belts, unless the driver's safety belt is
already buckled.
The safety belt light will
also come on and stay on
for about 20 seconds,
then it will flash for about
55 seconds.
If the driver's belt is already buckled, neither the chime
nor the light will come on.

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If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the
road and stop carefully. You may notice that the pedal is
harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer to the floor.
It may take longer to stop. If the light is still on, have the
vehicle towed for service. (See ªTowing Your Vehicleº
in the Index.)
CAUTION:
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake system warning light is on. Driving
with the brake system warning light on can lead
to an accident. If the light is still on after you've
pulled off the road and stopped carefully, have
the vehicle towed for service.
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will also come on when you set your parking brake.
The light will stay on if your parking brake doesn't
release fully. If it stays on after your parking brake is
fully released, it means you have a brake problem.
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
With the anti-lock brake
system, this light will come
on when you start your
engine and it will stay on
for three seconds.
That's normal.
If the anti
-lock brake system warning light stays on
longer than normal after you've started your engine, turn
the ignition off. Or, if the light comes on and stays on
when you're driving, stop as soon as possible and turn
the ignition off. Then start the engine again to reset the
system. If the light still stays on, or comes on again
while you're driving, your vehicle needs service. If the
light is on and the regular brake system warning light
isn't on, you still have brakes, but you don't have
anti
-lock brakes. Adjust your driving accordingly.
The anti
-lock brake system warning light should come
on briefly when you turn the ignition key to RUN. If the
light doesn't come on then, have it fixed so it will be
ready to warn you if there is a problem.

2-74 Traction Control System Warning Light
(3800 Supercharged V6 Engine Only)
The traction control system warning light may come on
for the following reasons:

If you turn the system off by pressing the TCS
button located on the far right side of the trip
computer, 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 warning light comes on
and stays on for an extended period of time when the
system is turned on, your vehicle needs service.
Enhanced Traction System Warning Light
(3100 V6 or 3800 V6 Engine)
The Enhanced Traction System warning light may come
on for the following reasons:

If you turn the system off by pressing the TRAC
button on the far right side of the Driver Information
Center or trip computer (if equipped), 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 ªEnhanced Traction Systemº in
the Index for more information.

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If the Enhanced Traction System warning light
comes on and stays on for an extended period of
time when the system is turned on, your vehicle
needs service. Adjust your driving accordingly.

If the traction control system is affected by an
engine
-related problem, the system will turn off and
the warning light will come on.
When this warning light is on, the system will not limit
wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
Low Traction Light
If you have the
Enhanced Traction
System or the Traction
Control System, this
light will also come on
when the system is
limiting wheel spin.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this is
normal. Slippery road conditions may exist if the low
traction light comes on, so adjust your driving
accordingly. The light will stay on for a few seconds
after the Enhanced Traction System or the Traction
Control System stops limiting wheel spin. See
ªEnhanced Traction Systemº or ªTraction Control
Systemº in the Index.
The low traction light also comes on briefly when you
turn the ignition key to RUN. If the light doesn't come
on then, have it fixed so it will be there to tell you when
the Traction Control System or Enhanced Traction
System is active.

2-76 Engine Coolant Temperature Light
This light tells you that the
engine coolant has
overheated or the radiator
cooling fan is not working.
If you have been operating the vehicle under normal
driving conditions, you should pull off the road, stop the
vehicle and turn off the engine as soon as possible.
See ªEngine Overheatingº in the Index.
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
United States Canada
You have a gage that shows the engine coolant
temperature. If the gage pointer moves into the red area,
the engine is too hot!
That reading means the same thing as the warning light.
It means that the engine coolant has overheated. If you
have been operating the vehicle under normal
conditions, you should pull off the road, stop the
vehicle, and turn off the engine as soon as possible.
See ªEngine Overheatingº in the Index.

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.

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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 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.

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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.
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.