2003 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE engine

Notice: Holding your key in START for longer than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to
be drained much sooner. And the excessive heat
can damage your starter motor. Wait about
15
seconds between each try to help avoid draining
your battery
or damaging your starter.
2. If it doesn’t start within 10 seconds, hold your key in
START for about
10 seconds at a time until your
engine starts. Wait about 15 seconds between
each try.
stops), it could be flooded with too much gasoline.
Try pushing your accelerator pedal all the way to the
floor and holding it there as you hold the key
in
START for about three seconds. If the vehicle starts
briefly but then stops again, do the same thing.
This time keep the pedal down for five or six
seconds to clear the extra gasoline from the engine.
After waiting about 15 seconds, repeat the normal
starting procedure.
3. If your engine still won’t start (or starts but then
Notice: Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics
in your vehicle. If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the way the
engine operates. Before adding electrical equipment,
check with your dealer. If you don’t, your engine might not perform properly.
Engine Coolant Heater
If your vehicle has this feature, in very cold weather,
0°F (-18°C) or colder, the engine coolant heater
can help. You’ll get easier starting and better fuel
economy during engine warm-up. Usually, the coolant
heater should be plugged in a minimum of four
hours prior to starting your vehicle. At temperatures
above
32°F (OOC), use of the coolant heater is not
required.
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To Use the Engine Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
The engine coolant heater cord is located on the
passenger’s side of the vehicle, above the
headlamp assembly.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 1 IO-volt AC outlet.
Plu ing the cord into an
L Jrounded outlet
could cause an electrical shock.
Also, the
wrong kind of extension cord could overheat
and cause a fire. You could
be seriously
injured. Plug the cord into a properly grounded
three-prong 110-volt
AC outlet. If the cord
won’t reach, use a heavy-duty three-prong
extension cord rated for at least 15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and
store the cord
as it was before to keep it away
from moving engine parts.
If you don’t, it could be
damaged. How long should
you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends
on the outside temperature, the
kind of oil you have, and some other things. Instead
of trying to list everything here, we ask that you contact
your dealer in the area where you’ll be parking your
vehicle. The dealer can give you the best advice for that
particular area.
Automatic Transaxle Operation
Your automatic transaxle may have a shift lever located
on the console between the seats or on the steering
column.
There are several different
positions for your shift
lever.
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PARK (P): This position locks your front wheels. It’s the
best position to use when you start your engine
because your vehicle can’t move easily.
s dangerous to get out of your veh ? if the
shift lever is not fully
in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move
suddeniy.
You or others; could be injured. To
be sure your vehicle won’t move, even when
you’re on fairly level ground, always set your parking brake and move the
shift lever to
PARK (P). See “Shifting Into Park (P)” in the
Index. If you’re pulling
a trailer, see “Towing a
Tr2?!!er” in the !ndPY=
Ensure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P) before starting
the engine. Your vehicle has an automatic transaxle
shift lock control system. You have to fully apply
your regular brakes before you can shift from PARK (P)
when the ignition key is in
ON. If you cannot shift out
of PARK
(P), ease pressure on the shift lever - push the
shift lever all the way into PARK (P) and also release
the shift lever button on console shift models as
you maintain brake application. Then move the shift
lever into the gear you wish (press the shift lever button
before moving the shift lever on floor shift console
models). See
Shifting Out of Park (P) on page 2-35.
REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.
Notice: Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle
is moving forward could damage your transaxle.
Shift
to REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle
is stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice
or sand without damaging your transaxle, see If
You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow on
paye 4-53.
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NEUTRAL (N): In this position, your engine doesn’t
connect with the wheels. To restart when you’re already
moving, use NEUTRAL
(N) only. Also, use
NEUTRAL
(N) when your vehicle is being towed.
Sh.- ..ng in{ ~ a driv ~ ~ ~ ~r while your engine is
“racing” (running at high speed) is dangerous.
Unless your foot is firmly on the brake pedal,
your vehicle could move very rapidly. You
could lose control and hit people or objects. Don’t shift into a drive gear while your engine
is racing.
Notice: Damage to your transaxle caused by
shifting into a drive gear with the engine racing isn’t
covered by your warranty. AUTOMATIC
OVERDRIVE
(a): This position is for
normal driving. If you need more power for passing,
and you’re:
Going less than about 35 mph (55 km/h), push your
Going about 35 mph (55 km/h) or more, push the
You’ll shift down to the next gear and have more power.
THIRD
(3): This position is also used for normal
driving, however, it offers more power and lower fuel
economy than AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(@).
Here are some times you might choose THIRD (3)
instead of AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (@ ):
When driving on hilly, winding roads,
when towing a trailer, so there is less shifting
when going down a steep hill.
accelerator pedal about
halfway down.
accelerator all the way down.
between gears, or
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SECOND (2): This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy.
You can use SECOND (2) on
hills. It can help control your speed as you go down
steep mountain roads, but then you would also want to
use your brakes
off and on.
Notice: Don’t drive in SECOND (2) for more than
5 miles (8 km), or at speeds over 55 mph (98 km/h),
or you can damage your transaxle. Use AUTOMATIC
OVERDRIVE
(@) or THIRD (3) as much as
possible.
Don’t shift into SECOND
(2) unless you are going
slower than
65 mph (105 km/h), or you can damage
your engine.
FIRST
(1): This position gives you even more power
but lower fuel economy than SECOND
(2). You can use
it on very steep hills, or
in deep snow or mud. If the
shift lever is put in
FIRST (l), the transaxle won’t shift
into first gear until the vehicle is going slowly enough.
Notice: If your front wheels won’t turn, don’t
try to drive. This might happen if you were stuck
in
very deep sand or mud or were up against a solid
object. You could damage your transaxle.
Also,
if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold your
vehicle there with only the accelerator pedal. This
could overheat and damage the transaxle. Use your
brakes to
hold your vehicle in position on a hill.
Parking Brake
Your vehicle has a PUSH
TO RELEASE parking
brake. To set the parking
brake, hold the regular
brake pedal down
with your right foot. Push
down the parking brake
pedal with your left foot.
If the ignition is on, the brake system warning light will
come on and four chimes will be heard.
If you start to drive with the parking brake set, a chime
will sound after the vehicle has traveled approximately
40 feet (1 2 m)
To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down with your right foot and push the parking
brake pedal with your left foot. When you lift your
left foot, the parking brake pedal will follow it to the
release position.
2-3 1

If you try to drive with the parking brake on, the brake
light stays on and a chime sounds until you release the
parking brake.
Notice: Driving with the parking brake on can
cause your rear brakes to overheat. You may have
to replace them, and you could also damage
other parts of your vehicle.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any hill,
see Towing a Trailer on page 4-36. That section shows
what to do first to keep the trailer from moving.
Shiftinc '--lo Park (P)
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle
if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with
the parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can
roll. If you have
left the engine running, the
vehicle can move suddenly. You or others
could be injured.
To be sure your vehicle won't
move, even when you're
on fairly level ground,
use the steps that follow.
If you're pulling a
trailer, see "Towing a Trailer"
in the Index.
Steering Column Shift Lever
1. If your vehicle has the steering column shift lever,
hold the brake pedal
down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) like this:
I I I
Pull the lever toward you.
2-32

Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with
the engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever is not fully in
PARK
(P) with the parking brake firmly set.
And, if you leave the vehicle with the engine
running, it could overheat and even catch fire.
You or others could be injured. Don’t leave
your vehicle with the engine running.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and your
parking brake is firmly set before you leave it. After
you’ve moved the shift lever into PARK (P), hold
the regular brake pedal down. Then, see
if you can
move the shift lever away from PARK (P) without first
pulling it toward you (or,
if you have the console
shift lever, without first pushing the button). If you can,
it
means that the shift lever wasn’t fully locked into
PARK (P).
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transaxle into PARK (P) properly, the weight of
the vehicle may put
too much force on the parking pawl
in the transaxle. You may find it difficult to pull the
shift lever out of PARK (P). This is called “torque lock.’’
To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and
then shift into PARK (P) properly before you leave the
driver’s seat. To find out how, see
Shifting Into Park (P)
on page 2-32.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out OT
PARK (P) before you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need
to have another
vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of the
pressure from the parking pawl in the transaxle,
so you
can pull the shift lever out of PARK
(P).
2-34

Engine Ext-ust
Running Your Engine While You
Are Parked
Engine c...lai.-- can kill. It conk le gas
carbon monoxide (CO), which you can’t see or
smell.
It can cause unconsciousness and
death.
You might have exhaust coming
in if:
Your exhaust system sounds strange or
Your vehicle gets rusty underneath.
Your vehicle was damaged in a collision.
Your vehicle was damaged when driving
over high points on the road or over road
debris. different.
Repairs weren’t done correctly.
Your
vehicle or exhaust system had been
modified improperly.
If you ever suspect exhaust
is coming into
your vehicle:
0 Drive it only with all the windows down to
Have your vehicle fixed immediately.
blow out any
CO; and It’s better
not to park with the engine running. But
if you
ever have to, here are some t lgs to know.
___._ ig L-A er ne wii the climate control
system
off could allow dangerous exhaust into
your vehicle. See the earlier Caution under
“Engine Exhaust.”
Also, idling
in a closed-in place can let deadly
carbon monoxide
(CO) into your vehicle even if
the fan is at the highest setting. One place this
can happen
is a garage. Exhaust - with
CO - can come in easily. NEVER park in a
garage with the engine running.
Another closed-in place can be a blizzard. See
“Winter Driving” in the Index.
2-36