2003 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE engine oil

When to Change Engine Oil (Vehicles
Without the
GM Oil Life SystemTM)
If any one of these is true for you, use the short trip/city
maintenance schedule:
e
e
e
e
Most trips are less than 5 miles (8 km). This is
particularly important when outside temperatures
are below freezing.
Most trips include extensive idling (such as frequent
driving in stop-and-go traffic).
You frequently tow a trailer or use a carrier
on top
of your vehicle.
The vehicle is used for delivery service, police, tax1
or other commercial application.
Driving under these conditions causes engine oil
to
break down sooner. If any one of these is true for your
vehicle, then you need to change your oil and filter
every
3,000 miles (5 000 km) or 3 months - whichever
occurs first.
If none of them is true, use the long trip/highway
maintenance schedule. Change the oil and filter every
7,500 miles (1 2 500 km) or 12 months - whichever
occurs first. Driving a vehicle with a fully warmed engine
under highway conditions will cause engine oil
to
break down slower.
When to Change Engine Oil (Vehicles
With the
GM Oil Life SystemrM)
If so equipped, your vehicle has a computer system that
lets you know when to change the engine oil and
filter. This is based on engine revolutions and engine
temperature and not on mileage. Based on driving
conditions, the mileage at which an oil change will be
indicated can vary considerably. For the oil life system to
work properly, you must reset the system every time
the oil is changed.
When the system has calculated that oil life has been
diminished, it will indicate that an oil change is
necessary. An ENGINE
OIL CHANGE SOON message
will come on. Change your oil as soon as possible
within the next two times you stop for fuel. It is possible
that,
if you are driving under the best conditions, the
oil life system may not indicate that an oil change
is necessary for over a year. However, your engine oil
and filter must be changed at least once a year and
at this time the system must be reset. It is also
important to check your oil regularly and keep it at the
proper level.
If the system is ever reset accidentally, you must
change your oil at
3,000 miles (5 000 km) since your
last oil change. Remember
to reset the oil life system
whenever the oil is changed.
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How to Reset the Oil Life System
The GM Oil Life SystemTM calculates when to change
your engine oil and filter based on vehicle use. Anytime
your oil is changed, reset the system
so it can
calculate when the next oil change is required.
If a
situation occurs where you change your oil prior to an
ENGINE
OIL CHANGE SOON message being
turned on, reset the system.
Always reset the engine oil life to
100% after every oil
change. It will not reset itself.
To reset the Oil Life
System, do the following:
1. Display OIL LIFE on the DIC.
2. Press and hold the RESET button for more than
five seconds. The oil life will change to
100%.
What to Do with Used Oil
Used engine oil contains certain elements that may be
unhealthy for your skin and could even cause cancer.
Don't let used oil stay on your skin for very long. Clean
hand cleaner. Wash or properly dispose of clothing or
rags containing used engine oil. See the manufacturer's
warnings about the use and disposal of oil products.
Used oil can be a threat to the environment.
If you
change your QW~ oil, be sure to drain all the oil from the
filter before disposal. Never dispose
of oil by putting it
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in the trash, pouring it on the ground, into sewers, or
into streams or bodies of water. Instead, recycle it
by taking it to a place that collects used oil.
If you have
a problem properly disposing
of your used oil, ask
your dealer, a service station or a local recycling center
for help.
Supercharger Oil
Unless you are technically
qualified and have the
proper tools, you should let
your dealer or a qualified
service center perform
this maintenance.
When to Check
Check oil level every 30,000 miles (50 000 km) or every
36 months, whichever occurs first.
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What Kind of Oil to Use
Use only the recommended supercharger oil. See Part
D: Recommended Fluids and Lubricants on page 6-24.
How to Check and Add Oil
Park the vehicle on a level surface. Check oil only when
the engine is cold. Allow the engine to cool two to
three hours after running.
Engine Air CleanedFilter
If you remove the supercharger oil fill plug
while the engine
is hot, pressure may cause
hot oil to blow out
of the oil fill hole. You may
be burned.
Do not remove the plug until the
engine cools.
1. Clean the area around the oil fill plug before
2. Remove the oil fill plug.
removing it.
3. The oil level
is correct when it just reaches the
bottom of the threads of the inspection hole.
4. Replace the oil plug with the O-ring in place.
Tighten to
88 Ib-in (1 0 N*m ).
The engine air cleanedfilter is in the engine
compartment on the driver’s side of the vehicle. See
Engine Compartment Overview on page 5-14 for more
information on location.
To check or replace the engine air cleanedfilter do the
following:
1. Loosen the two clips on top of the engine air
cleanedfilter housing and lift the filter cover tabs out
of the housing.
2. Push the housing cover toward the engine,
compressing the hose.
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3. Pull out the filter. Check or replace the engine air
4. To reinstall the housing cover, make sure the filter
cover tabs position through the slots in the housing.
A notch on the sides of the filter cover will indicate
the correct engagement.
cleaner/filter.
5. Fasten the
two clips on the top of the housing when
you are finished.
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine when
to replace the air filter.
See
Part A: Scheduled Maintenance Services on
page
6-4.
Operating : el ne with ? ai :leane r
off can cause you or others to be burned. The
air cleaner not only cleans the air, it stops
flame if the engine backfires. If
it isn’t there
and the engine backfires, you could be burned.
Don’t drive with
it off, and be careful working
on the engine with the air cleaner/filter
off.
I
Notice: If the air cleanedfilter is off, a backfire can
cause a damaging engine fire.
And, dirt can
easily get into your engine, which will damage
it.
Always have the air cleaner/filter in place when
you’re driving.
When to Check and Change
A good time to check your automatic transaxle fluid
level is when the engine oil is changed.
Change both the fluid and filter every
50,000 miles
(83 000 km) if the vehicle is mainly driven under one or
more of
these conditions:
In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
regularly reaches 90°F (32°C) or higher.
9 In hilly or mountainous terrain.
0 When doing frequent trailer towing.
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service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, change the fluid and filter at
100,000 miles
(166 000 km).
See
Part A: Scheduled Maintenance Services on
page
6-4.
5-23

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.
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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

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

How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery Tank
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but the coolant level
isn’t at the FULL COLD mark, add a
50/50 mixture of
clean, drinkable water and DEX-COOL@ engine coolant
at the coolant recovery tank. See
Engine Coolant on
page
5-26 for more information.
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 COOL@ coolant.
Notice: In cold weather, water can freeze and crack
the engine, radiator, heater core and other parts. Use the recommended coolant and the proper
coolant mixture. You
can be burned if you spill coolant on 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.
When the coolant in the coolant recovery tank is at the
FULL
COLD mark, start your vehicle.
5-34