2003 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE tires

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

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

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

SERVICE STABILITY SYSTEM - 54: If you ever see
the SERVICE STABILITY SYSTEM message,
it
means there may be a problem with your stability
enhancement system.
If you see this message, try to
reset the system (stop; turn
off the engine; then start the
engine again).
If the SERVICE STABILITY SYSTEM
message still comes on, it means there is a problem.
You should see your dealer for service. Reduce
your speed and drive accordingly.
STABILITY SYSTEM ACTIVE - 55: You may see the
STABILITY SYSTEM ACTIVE message on the Driver
Information Center. It means that an advanced,
computer-controlled system has come on to help your
vehicle cmtinue to
go in the direction in which you’re
steering. This stability enhancement system activates
when the computer senses that your vehicle
is just
starting to spin, as it might
if you hit a patch of ice or
other slippery spot
on the road. When the system is on,
you may hear a noise or feel a vibration in the brake
pedal. This is normal.
When the STABILITY SYSTEM ACTIVE message
is on,
you should continue to steer in the direction you want
to go. The system is designed to help you in bad
weather or other difficult driving situations by making the
most
of whatever road conditions will permit. If the
STABiLiiY SYSTEM ACTIVE message comes on, you’!!
know that something has caused your vehicle to start
to spin,
so you should consider slowing down.
Tire Pressure Status - 144: 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
inflation -- lire Pressure on page 5-62 and Check
Tire Pressure System
on page 5-64.
Driver Identifier DIC Display
This feature allows two different drivers to store and
recall their own preferred display mode. The
personalization settings displayed
on the DIC are
determined by the transmitter used to enter the vehicle.
After the uniock button
on a remote keyless entry
transmitter (if equipped) is pressed and the ignition is
in
ON, the DIC will display the identified driver. The
settings can also be changed by briefly pressing one of
the MEMORY buttons located on the driver’s door.
The DIC is used to program information for DRIVER
#I
UNKNOWN DRIVER if they are neither DRIVER #I nor
DRIVER
#2.
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3-61

Control sf a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle
go where you want it to go. They are the brakes,
the steering and the accelerator. All three systems
have to do their work at the places where the tires
meet the road. Sometimes,
as when you’re driving on snow or ice, it’s
easy to ask more
of those control systems than the
tires and road can provide. That means
you can lose
control of your vehicle.
Also see Traction Control System
(TCS)
on page 4-9.
Braking
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That’s
perception time. Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That’s
reaction time.
Average reaction time is about 3/4 of a second. But
that’s only an average. It might be less with one driver
and as long as two or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination
and eyesight all play a part.
So do alcohol, drugs and
frustration. But even in
3/4 of a second, a vehicle moving
at
60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m). That
could be a lot of distance in an emergency,
so keeping
enough space between your vehicle and others
is
important.
4-6

Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
Magnetic Speed Variable Assist
Steering
Your vehicle may have this optional steering system
that continuously adjusts the effort you feel when
steering at all vehicle speeds.
It provides ease when
parking, yet a firm, solid feel at highway speeds.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It’s important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on
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Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to
the same laws of physics when driving on curves.
The traction of the tires against the road surface makes
it possible for the vehicle to change its path when
you turn the front wheels; If there’s no traction, inertia
will keep the vehicle going in the same direction. If
you’ve ever tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you’ll
understand this.
The traction you can get in a curve depends on the
condition of your tires and the road surface, the
angle at which the curve is banked, and your speed.
While you’re in a curve, speed is the one factor you can
control.
Suppose you’re steering through a sharp curve.
Then you suddenly accelerate. Both control
systems
- steering and acceleration - have to do
their work where the tires meet the road. Adding
the sudden acceleration can demand too much of those
places. You can lose control. See
Traction Control
System (TCS) on page 4-9.
What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on
the accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way you
want it to go, and slow down.
If you have Stabilitrak@, you may see the STABILITY
SYSTEM ACTIVE message on the Driver Information
Center. See “Stability System Active Message”
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should
adjust your speed. Of course, the posted speeds
are based on good weather and road conditions. Under
less favorable conditions you’ll want to go slower.
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4-1 1

Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to
pass while you’re awaiting an opportunity. For
one thing, following too closely reduces your area
of vision, especially
if you’re following a larger
vehicle.
Also, you won’t have adequate space if the
vehicle ahead suddenly slows or stops. Keep
back a reasonable distance.
When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up,
start to accelerate but stay in the right lane and
don’t get too close. Time your move
so you will be
increasing speed as the time comes to move
into the other lane. If the way is clear to pass, you
will have a “running start” that more than makes
up for the distance you would lose by dropping
back. And
if something happens to cause you to
cancel your pass, you need only slow down
and drop back again and wait for another
opportunity.
If other vehicles are lined up to pass a slow vehicle,
wait your turn. But take care that someone isn’t
trying to pass you as you pull out to pass the slow
vehicle. Remember
to glance over your shoulder
and check the blind spot.
Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and
start your left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you are far
enough ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front
0
0
0
in your inside mirror, activate your right lane change
signal and move back into the right lane.
(Remember that your right outside mirror is convex.
The vehicle you just passed may seem to be
farther away from you than it really is.)
Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on
two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.
Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps are not flashing, it
may be slowing down or starting to turn.
If you’re being passed, make it easy for the
following driver
to get ahead of you. Perhaps you
can ease a little to the right.
Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems (brakes,
steering and acceleration) don’t have enough friction
where the tires meet the road to do what the driver has
asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying to steer
and constantly seek an escape route or area of
less danger.
4-1 4