2003 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE service

Fuel
The 8th digit of your vehicle identification number (VIN)
shows the code letter or number that identifies your
engine. You will find the VIN at the top left of the
instrument panel. See
Vehicle ldentification Number
(VIN) on page
5-90.
Gasoline Octane
If your vehicle has the 3800 V6 engine (VIN Code K),
use regular unleaded gasoline with a posted octane
of 87 or higher. If the octane is less than 87, you
may get a heavy knocking noise when you drive.
If this occurs, use a gasoline rated at 87 octane or
higer as
soon as possible. Otherwise, you might
damage your engine.
A little pinging noise when you
accelerate or drive uphill is considered normal. This does not
indicate a problem exists or that a
higher-octane fuel is necessary.
If you are using
87 octane or higher-octane fuel and you hear heavy
knocking, your engine needs service.
If your vehicle has the 3800 Supercharged V6 engine
(VIN Code
I), use only premium unleaded gasoline with
a posted octane of
91 or higher. In an emergency,
you may be able to use a lower octane
- as low
as 87
- if heavy knocking does not occur. Refill
your tank with premium fuel as soon as possible.
Otherwise, you might damage your engine.
If you are
using
91 octane or higher-octane fuel and you hear
heavy knocking, your engine needs service.
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Notice: Your vehicle was not designed for fuel that
contains methanol. Don’t use fuel containing
methanol. It can corrode metal parts in your fuel
system and also damage the plastic and rubber
parts. That damage wouldn’t be covered under your
warranty.
Some gasolines that are not reformulated for low
emissions may contain an octane-enhancing additive
called methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl
(MMT); ask the attendant where you buy gasoline
whether the fuel contains MMT. General Motors does
not recommend the use of such gasolines. Fuels
containing MMT can reduce the life of spark plugs and
the performance of the emission control system may
be affected. The malfunction indicator
lamp may turn on.
If this occurs, return to your authorized GM dealer for
service.
Fuels in Foreign Countries
If you plan on driving in another country outside the
United States or Canada, the proper fuel may be hard
to find. Never use leaded gasoline or any other fuel
not recommended in the previous text on fuel. Costly
repairs caused by use of improper fuel wouldn’t be
covered by your warranty.
To check the fuel availability, ask an auto club, or
contact a major oil company that does business in the
country where you’ll be driving.
5-7

What Kind of Engine Oil to Use
Oils recommended for your vehicle can be identified by
looking for the starburst symbol.
This symbol indicates that the oil has been certified by
the American Petroleum Institute (API).
Do not use
any oil which does not carry this starburst symbol.
II If you choose to perform
the engine oil change
service yourself, be sure
the oil you use has
the starburst symbol on
the front of the oil
container.
If you have your
oil changed for you, be
sure the oil put into
your engine is American You
should also use the proper viscosity oil for your
vehicle, as shown in the viscosity chart.
SAE 1OW-30 is the viscosity grade recommended for
your vehicle. However, you can use SAE 5W-30
if
it’s going to be colder than 60°F (16°C) before your next
oil change. When it is very cold, colder than
0°F
(-18°C) you should use an SAE 5W-30 oil. These
numbers on an oil container show its viscosity,
or thickness.
Do not use other viscosity grade oils, such
as SAE 1OW-40 or SAE 20W-50 under any conditions.
I I Petroleum Institute certified
for gasoline engines.
5-1
8

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.
5-21

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 Check
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you may
choose to have this done at the dealership service
department.
If you do it yourself, be sure to follow all the instructions
here, or you could get a false reading on the dipstick.
Notice: Too much or too little fluid can damage
your transaxle.
Too much can mean that some of the
fluid could come
out and fall on hot engine or
exhaust system parts, starting a fire.
Too little fluid
could cause the transaxle to overheat.
Be sure
to get an accurate reading if you check your
transaxle fluid.
Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the transaxle
fluid level
if you have been driving:
When outside temperatures are above 90°F (32°C).
At high speed for quite a while.
In heavy traffic
- especially in hot weather.
0 While pulling a trailer.
To get the right reading, the fluid should be at normal
operating temperature, which is 180°F to
200°F
(82°C to 93°C).
Get the vehicle warmed up by driving about
15 miles
(24 km) when outside temperatures are above 50°F
(10°C). If it's colder than 50°F (IO"C), you may have to
drive longer.
Checking the Fluid Level
Prepare your vehicle as follows:
0
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0
0
Park your vehicle on a level place. Keep the engine
running.
With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever
in PARK (P).
With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift
lever through each gear range, pausing for about
three seconds in each range. Then, position the shift
lever in PARK
(P).
Let the engine run at idle for three to five minutes.
5-24

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. In heavy traffic, let the engine idle in NEUTRAL (N)
while stopped. If it is safe to do so, pull off the road,
shift to PARK
(P) or NEUTRAL (N) and let the
engine idle.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window
as necessary.
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 and you have not stopped, pull
over, stop, and park your vehicle right away.
If there’s still no sign of steam, you can 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.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
5-31