2003 PONTIAC GRAND AM Owners Manual

Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
Appearance Care ............................................ 5.72
Cleaning the Inside
of Your Vehicle ................. 5-72
Care of Safety Belts
...................................... 5.75
Weatherstrips
............................................... 5.75
Cleaning the Outside of Your Vehicle
.............. 5-75
Sheet Metal Damage
..................................... 5.77
Finish Damage
............................................. 5.77
Underbody Maintenance
................................ 5.78
Chemical Paint Spotting
................................. 5.78
GM Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials ........... 5.78 Vehicle
Identification
...................................... 5.80
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
................. 5.80
Service Parts Identification Label
..................... 5.80
Electrical System
............................................ 5.81
Add-on Electrical Equipment
.......................... 5.81
Windshield Wiper Fuses
................................ 5-81
Power Windows and Other Power Options
....... 5-81
Capacities and Specifications
.......................... 5-86
Capacities and Specifications
......................... 5-86
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers
............................ 5-81
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
.......... 5-88
5-2

Service
Your dealer knows your vehicle best and wants you to
be happy with it. We hope you’ll go to your dealer
for all your service needs.
You’ll get genuine GM parts
and GM-trained and supported service people.
We hope you’ll want to keep your GM vehicle all
GM,
Genuine GM parts have one of these marks:
ACDel;llo,
Doing Your Own Service Work
If you want to do some of your own service work, you’ll
want to use the proper service manual. It tells you
much more about how to service your vehicle than this
manual can.
To order the proper service manual,
see
Service Publications Ordering Information on
page
7-9.
Your vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting
to do your own service work, see
Servicing Your Air
Bag-Equipped Vehicle on page
1-59.
5-3

You should keep a record with all parts receipts and list Adding Equipment to the Outside of
the mileage and the date of any service work you
perform. See Part E: Maintenance Record on page 6- 16. Your Vehicle
You can be injured and your vehicle could be
damaged if you try to do service work on a
vehicle without knowing enough about
it.
Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, the proper replacement parts
and tools before you attempt any vehicle maintenance task.
Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts and
other fasteners. “English” and “metric”
fasteners can be easily confused.
If you
use the wrong fasteners, parts can later
break or fall off. You could be
hurt.
Things you might add to the outside of your vehicle can
affect the airflow around it. This may cause wind
noise and affect windshield washer performance. Check
with your dealer before adding equipment
to the
outside
of your vehicle.
5-4

Fuel
Use of the recommended fuel is an important part of the
proper maintenance of your vehicle.
Gasoline Octane
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 higher 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 hear heavy knocking, your engine needs
service.
Gasoline Specifications
It is recommended that gasoline meet specifications
which were developed by the American Automobile
Manufacturers Association and endorsed by the
Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers Association for better
vehicle performance and engine protection. Gasoline
meeting these specifications could provide improved
driveability and emission control system performance
compared
to other gasoline.
In Canada, look for the
“Auto Makers’ Choice”
label on the pump.
Canada Only
5-5

California Fuel
If your vehicle is certified to meet California Emission
Standards (see the underhood emission control label),
it is designed
to operate on fuels that meet California
specifications.
If this fuel is not available in states
adopting California emissions standards, your vehicle
will operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting federal specifications, but emission control system performance may be affected. The malfunction indicator lamp may
turn on (see
Malfunction lndicator Lamp on page 3-31)
and your vehicle may fail a smog-check test. If this
occurs, return to your authorized GM dealer for
diagnosis.
If it is determined that the condition is caused
by the type of fuel used, repairs may not be covered
by your warranty.
Additives
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines in the United States
are now required to contain additives that will help
prevent engine and fuel system deposits from forming,
allowing your emission control system to work
properly. You should not have to add anything to your
fuel. Gasolines containing oxygenates, such as
ethers and ethanol, and reformulated gasolines may be
available in your area
to contribute to clean air. General Motors
recommends that you use these
gasolines, particularly
if they comply with the
specifications described earlier.
Nofice: 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.
5-6

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.
Filling Your Tank
1
The tethered fuel cap is behind a hinged door on the
passenger’s side of the vehicle.
Fuel vapor is highly flammable. It burns
violently, and that can cause very bad injuries.
your vehicle. Keep sparks, flames and smoking
materials away from fuel.
Don’t sm&p If yop’rp npzr fee! e!. !.ef&]ng 1
5-7

While refueling, hang the tethered fuel cap inside the
fuel door.
To remove the fuel cap, turn it slowly to the left
(counterclockwise). The fuel cap has
a spring in it; if
you let go of the cap too soon, it will spring back to the
right.
I
If you get fuel on yourself and then something
ignites
it, you could be badly burned. Fuel can
spray out
on you if you open the fuel cap too
quickly. This spray can happen
if your tank is
nearly full, and is more likely in hot weather.
Open the fuel cap slowly and wait for any
“hiss” noise to stop. Then unscrew
the cap all
the way.
Be careful not to spill fuel. Clean fuel from painted
surfaces as soon as possible. See
Cleaning the Outside
of Your Vehicle on page 5-75.
5-8

When you put the fuel cap back on, turn it to the right
(clockwise) until you hear
a clicking sound. Make
sure you fully install the cap. The diagnostic system can
determine
if the fuel cap has been left off or improperly
installed. This would allow fuel to evaporate into the
atmosphere. See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 3-3 1.
Notice: If you need a new fuel cap, be sure to get
the right type. Your dealer can get one for you.
If you get the wrong type,
it may not fit properly.
This may cause your malfunction indicator lamp
to
light and may damage your fuel tank and emissions
system. See “Malfunction Indicator Lamp” in
the Index.
Filling a Portable Fuel Container
Never fill a portable fuel container while it is in
your vehicle. Static electricity discharge from
the container can ignite the gasoline vapor. You can be badly burned and your vehicle
damaged
if this occurs. To help avoid injury to
you and others:
0 Dispense gasoline only into approved
containers.
0 Do not fill a container while it is inside a
vehicle, in a vehicle’s trunk, pickup bed or
on any surface other than the ground.
Bring the fill nozzle in contact with the
inside of the fill opening before operating
the nozzle. Contact should be maintained
until the filling
is complete.
0 Don’t smoke while pumping gasoline.
5-9