The 2003 Pontiac Bonneville Owner Manual
Seats and Restraint Systems ........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Safety Belts
.............................................. 1-7
Child Restraints
....................................... 1-27
Air Bag Systems
...................................... 1-47
Restraint System Check
............................ 1-56
Features and Controls ..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks
...................................... 2-10
Windows
................................................. 2-1 9
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................ 2-21
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
........... 2-25
Mirrors
.................................................... 2-38
OnStap
.................................................. 2-40
HomeLink@ Transmitter
............................. 2-42
Storage Areas
......................................... 2-46
SlJnroof
................................................. 2-47
Vehicle Personalization
............................. 2-48
Instrument Panel ............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
...................................... 3-25
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
......... 3-34
Systems Monitor
...................................... 3-55
Driver Information Center (DIC)
.................. 3-57 Secondary
Information Center (SIC)
............ 3-68
Audio System(s)
....................................... 3-71
Driving Your Vehicle ....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
................................................... 4-32
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood
............... 5-12
Headlamp Aiming
..................................... 5-52
Bulb Replacement
.................................... 5-56
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
......... 5-61
Tires
...................................................... 5-62
Appearance Care
..................................... 5-82
Vehicle Identification
................................. 5-90
Electrical System
...................................... 5-91
C8pa.citigs
and Specifications ......... 5-100
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts .... 5-101
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information .................... 7-1
Customer Assistance Information
.................. 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
............................ 7-8
index ................................................................ 1
Service and Appearance Care .......................... 5-1
Maintenance Schedule ..................................... 6-1
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped
Vehicle
Air bags affect how your vehicle should be serviced.
There are parts
of the air bag systems in several places
around your vehicle. Your dealer and the service
manual have information about servicing your vehicle
and the air bag systems. To purchase a service manual,
see
Service Publications Ordering lnformation on
page
7-9.
For up to 10 seconds after the ignition key is
turned
off and the battery is disconnected, an
air bag can still inflate during improper service. You can be injured if you are close to
an air bag when it inflates. Avoid yellow
connectors. They are probably part of the air
bag system. Be sure to follow proper service
procedures, and make sure
the person
performing work for you is qualified to do
so.
The air bag systems do not need regular maintenance.
1-55
Restraint System Check
Checking Your Restraint Systems Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash
Now and then, make sure the safety belt reminder light
and all your belts, buckles, latch plates, retractors
and anchorages are working properly. Look for any other
loose or damaged safety belt system parts.
If you see
anything that might keep a safety belt system from doing
its job, have it repaired.
Torn or frayed safety belts may not protect you in a
crash. They can rip apart under impact forces.
If a belt
is torn or frayed, get a new one right away.
Also look for any opened or broken air bag covers, and
have them repaired or replaced. (The air bag system
does not need regular maintenance.)
A crash can damage the restraint systems in
your vehicle. A damaged restraint system may
not properly protect the person using
it,
resulting in serious injury or even death in a
crash.
To help make sure your restraint
systems are working properly after a crash, have them inspected and any necessary replacements made as soon as possible.
1 -56
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.
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.
N~tice: Msdifications made to the engine,
transaxle, exhaust, intake 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 this light to come on.
Modifications to these systems could lead to costly
repairs
mi covered by your warraiiiy. This zzy
also result in a failure to pass a required Emission
lnspection/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 iight cioesn’i corns on, LA. ,_ :I IIclVG I1
repaired. This light will also come on during a
malfunction in one of two ways:
0 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.
0 If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being irauied as suwh as it is p~~sibk.
If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see “If
the Light
Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to flash, when
it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle.
3-47
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 “If the Light Is On
Steady” 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
Filling Your Tank on page 5-8. 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.
Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel. See
Gasoline Octane on page 5-5. 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.
If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use. It will require at least
one full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn
off,
have your dealer or qualified service center check
the vehicle. Your dealer has the proper test equipment
and diagnostic tools to fix any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.
Emissions Inspection and Maintenance
Programs
Some state/provincial and local governments have or
may begin programs to inspect the emission control
equipment on your vehicle. Failure to pass this
inspection could prevent you from getting a vehicle
registration.
3-48
Systems Monitor
I TRUNKAJAR
If you have the systems
monitor, it gives you
important safety and
maintenance facts about
your vehicle.
When you turn the igriition on, the systems monitor and
warning lights will briefly light up. If
a problem is
detected, the warning lights will turn
on and a chime
will sound.
The tollowmg warning iignis
are dispiayed ;It tiX
systems monitor:
CHECK OIL LEVEL: This message could mean
your oil level is low.
If it comes on for more than
five seconds, see
Check Oil Level Light on
page 3-58.
WASHER FLUID: This message means your
washer fluid tank is less than about
30 percent full.
If this light comes on, see Low Washer Fluid
Warning Light on page
3-51.
DOOR AJAR: This message means that either the
driver’s door or one of the passenger’s doors
is not
completely closed.
If this light comes on, see
Door Ajar Light on page 3-52.
TIRE PRESS: This message means one or more of
your tires may be low. See Check Tire Pressure
System on page
5-64.
CHECK GAGES: This means one or more of your
gages may be
in their respective warning bands. If
this light comes on, see Check Gages Warning
Light on page 3-5 1.
TRUNK AJAR: This message means your trunk is
not completely closed.
3-55
Battery Volts: On vehicles with a supercharged
engine, press the SELECT button until the display
shows BATTERY VOLTS. If the voltage is normal the
display will show BATTERY
## VOLTS. If the voltage
drops below
10.5 volts for 30 seconds, the battery volts
display will show BATTERY LOW.
If the voltage is
above
16.2 volts for 30 seconds, the battery volts display
will show BATTERY HIGH.
If the display shows the
high or low message, you need to have your batterv
and/or electrical system checked.
GM Oil Life SystemTM: Press the SELECT button until
OIL LIFE appears in the display. The
OIL LIFE
NORMAL display will show an estimate of the oil’s
remaining useful life. When the oil life index is less than
IO%, an ENGINE 0iL CHANGE SOON message wiii
be displayed and the oil life display
will show OIL LIFE
CHANGE. When you have the
oil changed according
to the maintenance schedule, you will have to reset the
Oil Life System. To reset the Oil Life System, see
“When to Change Engine Oil” under
Engine Oil on
page
5- 15.
Tire Pressure Status: Press the SELECT button until
TIRE PRESSURE appears
in the display. TIRE
PRESSURE NORMAL
is displayed when the Check
Tire Pressure System believes your vehicle’s tire
pressures are normal. If a potential problem is detected,
the display will show CHECK TIRE PRESSURE and
the tire pressure status will show TIRE PRESSURE
LOW.
If you see the CHECK TIRE PRESSURE
message, you should stop
as soon as you can and
check all your tires for damage.
(If a tire is flat, see If a
Tire Goes Flat on page
5-72.) Also check the tire
pressure in all four tires as soon as you can. See
lnflation -- Tire Pressure on page 5-62 and Check Tire
Pressure System on page
5-64.
3-59
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transaxle fluid (don’t overfill),
engine oil, drive belt, cooling system and brake system.
Each of these is covered in this manual, and the
Index will help you find them quickly.
If you’re trailering,
it’s a good idea to review this information before you
start your trip.
Engine Cooling When Trailer Towing
Your cooling system may temporarily overheat during
severe operating conditions. See
Engine Overheating on
page 5-29.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
4-42