2003 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE engine coolant

A. Engine Compartment Fuse Block
B. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir
C. Engine Coolant Recovery Tank
D. Radiator Pressure Cap
E. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir
F. Engine Oil Dipstick
G. Engine Oil Fill Cap
H. Automatic Transaxle Fluid Dipstick
I. Brake Master Cylinder
J. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
Engine Oil
WCHECK
OIL LEVEL
If the OIL LEVEL LOW
message appears
on the
DIC, or the CHECK
OIL LEVEL light appears
on the instrument cluster, it
means
YOU need to
check your engine oil level
right away.
For more information, see
Check Oil Level Light on
page
3-50 or DIG Warnings and Messages on
page 3-60.
You should check your engine oil level regularly; this is
an added reminder.
5-1 5

How to Add Fluid
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind of transaxle fluid
to use. See Part D:
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants on page 6-24.
If the fluid level is low, add only enough of the proper
fluid
to bring the level into the cross-hatched area on the
dipstick.
1. Pull out the dipstick.
2. Using a long-neck funnel, add enough fluid at the
dipstick hole
to bring it to the proper level.
It doesn’t take much fluid, generally less than one
pint
(0.5 L). Don’t overfill.
Notice: We recommend you use only fluid labeled
DEXRON@-Ill, because fluid with that label is
made especially for your automatic transaxle.
Damage caused by fluid other than DEXRON@-Ill
is
not covered by your new vehicle warranty.
3. After adding fluid, recheck the fluid level as
described under “How to Check,” earlier in this
section.
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in your vehicle is filled with
DEX-COOL@ engine coolant. This coolant is designed
to remain
in your vehicle for 5 years or 150,000 miles
(240
000 km), whichever occurs first, if you add
only extended life coolant.
The following explains your cooling system and how to
add coolant when it is low. If you have a problem
with engine overheating, see
Engine Overheating on
page
5-29.
A 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL@ coolant will:
Give freezing protection down to -34°F (-37°C).
Give boiling protection up to 265°F (129°C)
Protect against rust and corrosion.
Help keep the proper engine temperature.
Let the warning lights and gages work as
they should.
4. When the correct fluid level is obtained, push the
dipstick back
in all the way.
5-26

Notice: When adding coolant, it is important that
you use only
DEX-COOL@ (silicate-free) coolant.
If coolant other than DEX-COOL@
is added to
the system, premature engine, heater core or
radiator corrosion may result.
In addition, the engine
coolant will require change sooner
-- at 30,000 miles
(50,000 km) or 24 months, whichever occurs first.
Damage caused by the use
of coolant other
than DEX-COOL@ is not covered by your new vehicle
warranty.
What to Use
Use a mixture of one-half clean, drinkable water and
one-half
DEX-COOL@ coolant which won’t damage
aluminum
parts. If you use this coolant mixture,
you don’t need to add anything else. Adding only plain water to your cooling
system can be dangerous. Plain water, or
some other liquid such as alcohol, can boil
before the proper coolant mixture will. Your
vehicle’s coolant warning system
is set for the
proper coolant mixture. With plain water or the
wrong mixture, your engine could get too hot
but you wouldn’t get the overheat warning.
Your engine could catch fire and you or others
could be burned. Use a
50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and
DEX-@SOL@ esslani.
Notice:
If you use an improper coolant mixture,
your engine could overheat and be badly damaged.
The repair cost wouldn’t be covered by your
warranty. Too much water
in the mixture can freeze
and crack the engine, radiator, neater core ana
other parts.
If you have to add coolant more than four times a year,
have your dealer check your cooling system.
Notice: If you use the proper coolant, you don’t
have to add extra inhibitors or additives which claim
to improve the system. These can be harmful.
5-27

Checking Coolant
The engine coolant
recovery tank is located in
the engine compartment
on the passenger’s side of
the vehicle, near the windshield. See
Engine
Compartment Overview on
page
5-74 for more
information on location.
Adding Coolant
The vehicle must be on a level surface. When your
engine
is cold, the coolant level should be at the
FULL COLD mark or a little higher. When your engine is
warm, the level should be up to the FULL HOT mark
or a little higher.
If you need more coolant, add the proper DEX-COOL@
coolant mixture
at the coolant recovery tank, but be
careful not to spill it.
Turnin- :he rai tor pressure
~-2 w..,n the
engine and radiator are hot can allow steam
and scalding liquids to blow out and burn you
badly. With the coolant recovery tank, you will
almost never have to add coolant at the
radiator. Never turn the radiator pressure
cap
-- even a little -- when the engine and
radiator are hot.
5-28

1 -J can __ burned if you spill coolant -.I hot
engine parts. Coolant contains ethylene glycol,
and
it will burn if the engine parts are hot
enough. Don’t spill coolant on a hot engine.
~~ ~ ~~
Occasionally check the coolant level in the radiator.
For information on how to add coolant to the radiator,
see
Cooling System on page 5-32.
Radiator Pressure Cap
Notice: Your radiator cap is a pressure-type cap
and must be tightly installed to prevent coolant
loss
and possible engine damage from overheating.
Be sure the arrows on the cap line up with the
overflow tube on the radiator filler
neck.
See Engine Compartment Overview on page 5-14 for
more information on location.
Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature gage or a DIC
warning message about a hot engine on your vehicle’s
instrument panel. See
Engine Coolant Temperature
Gage on page 3-45
and DIC Warnings and Messages
on page
3-60.
5-29

If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
Steam from an overheated engine can ~ ~ rn
you badly, even if you just open the hood. Stay
away from the engine if
you see or hear steam
coming from
it. Just turn it off and get
everyone away from the vehicle until
it cools
down. Wait
until there is no sign of steam or
coolant before you open the hood.
If you keep driving when your engine is
overheated, the liquids
in it can catch fire. You
or others could be badly burned. Stop your
engine
if it overheats, and get out of the
vehicle
until the engine is cool.
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.
5-30

Cooling System
When you decide it’s safe to lift the hood, here’s what
you’ll see:
A. Coolant Recovery Tank
B. Radiator Pressure Cap
C. Electric Engine Cooling Fans
An electric engine cooling fan under the hood
can start up even when the engine is not
running and can injure you. Keep hands,
clothing and tools away from any underhood
electric fan.
If the coolant inside the coolant recovery tank is boiling,
don’t
do anything else until it cools down. The vehicle
should be parked on a level surface.
See
Engine Compartment
Overview on page
5- 14 for
more information on
location.
5-32

The coolant level should be at or above the FULL COLD
mark when the engine is cold. The coolant level
should be at the FULL HOT mark under normal
operating conditions.
If it isn’t, you may have a leak at
the pressure cap or in the radiator hoses, heater hoses,
radiator, water pump or somewhere else in the cooling
syster
If there seems to be no leak, with the engine on, check
to see
if the electric engine cooling fans are running.
If the engine is overheating, both fans should be
running.
If they aren’t, your vehicle needs service.
Notice: Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant
isn’t covered by your warranty.
Notice: When adding coolant, it is important that
you use only
DEX-COOL@ (silicate-free) coolant.
If coolant other than
DEX-COOL is added to
the system, premature engine, heater core or
1
Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine radiator corrosion may result.
-In addition, the engine
parts, can be very hot. Don’t touch them. If you coolant will require change sooner - at 30,000 miles
(50 000 km) or 24 months, whichever occurs first.
do, you can be burned.
Damage caused by the use of coolant other
Don’t run the engine if there
is a leak. If you than DEX-COOL@ is not covered by your new vehicie
run the engine,
it could lose all coolant. That warranty.
could cause an engine fire, and you could be
burned. Get any leak fixed before you drive the
vehicle.
5-33