2003 PONTIAC GRAND AM Owners Manual

Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not return to
normal height, or if there is a rapid increase in
pedal travel. This could be a sign
of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you make a moderate brake stop, your
disc brakes adjust for wear.
If you rarely make a
moderate or heavier stop, then your brakes might not
adjust correctly. If you drive in that way, then
- very
carefully
- make a few moderate brake stops about
every
1,000 miles (1 600 km), so your brakes will adjust
properly.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is complex. Its many
parts have
to be of top quality and work well together if
the vehicle is to have really good braking. Your
vehicle was designed and tested with top-quality
GM
brake parts. When you replace parts of your braking
system
- for example, when your brake linings
wear down and you need new ones put in
- be sure you
get new approved replacement parts. If you don’t,
your brakes may no longer work properly. For example,
if someone puts in brake linings that are wrong for
your vehicle, the balance between your front and rear
brakes can change
- for the worse. The braking
performance you’ve come
to expect can change in many
other ways
if someone puts in the wrong replacement
brake parts.
Battery
Your new vehicle comes with a maintenance free
ACDelco@ battery. When it’s time for a new battery, get
one that has the replacement number shown
on the
original battery’s label. We recommend an ACDelco@
battery. See
Engine Compartment Overview on
page
5- 12 for battery location.
Warning: Battery posts, terminals and related
accessories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known
to the State of California to cause
cancer and reproductive harm. Wash hands after
handling.
5-42

Vehicle Storage
If you’re not going to drive your vehicle for 25 days or
more, remove the black, negative
(-) cable from
the battery.
This will help keep your battery from
running down.
Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may want to use
another vehicle
and some jumper cables to start your
vehicle. Be sure to follow the steps below to
do it safely.
Batteries have acid that can burn you and gas
that can explode. You can be badly hurt
if you
aren’t careful. See “Jump Starting”
in the Index
for tips on working around a battery without getting hurt.
Contact your dealer
to learn how to prepare your
vehicle for longer storage periods.
Also, for your audio system, see Theft-Deterrent
Feature (Non-RDS Radios) on page
3-68 or
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Batteries can hurt you. They can be dangerous
because:
0 They contain acid that can burn you.
0 They contain gas that can explode or
They contain enough electricity to ignite.
burn you.
If you don’t follow these steps exactly, some
or all of these things can hurt you.
Notice: Ignoring these steps could result in costly
damage to your vehicle that wouldn’t be covered
by your warranty.
Trying to start your vehicle by pushing or pulling it
won’t work, and
it could damage your vehicle.
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1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with a negative ground system.
Notice: If the other system isn’t a 12-volt system
with a negative ground, both vehicles can be
damaged.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicles aren’t touching
each other. If they are, it could cause a ground
connection you don’t want. You wouldn’t be able
to
start your vehicle, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
To avoid the possibility of the vehicles rolling, set
the parking brake firmly on both vehicles involved in
the jump start procedure. Put an automatic
transaxle in PARK (P) or a manual transaxle in
NEUTRAL before setting the parking brake.
Notice: If you leave your radio on, it could be badly
damaged. The repairs wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
unnecessary accessories plugged into the cigarette
lighter. Turn
off the radio and all lamps that aren’t
needed. This will avoid sparks and help save
both batteries. And it could save your radio!
4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries. Find the
positive (+) and negative
(-) terminal locations on
each vehicle. See
Engine Compartment Overview
on page
5-12 for more information on location.
c
An electric fan 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.
5-44

Using a match near a battery can cause battery
gas to explode. People have been hurt doing
this, and some have been blinded. Use a
flashlight if you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water. You
don’t need to add water to the ACDelco@
battery installed in your new vehicle. But if a
battery has filler caps, be sure
the right
amount of fluid is there. If
it is low, add water
to take care of that first. If you don’t, explosive
gas could be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn you.
Don’t get it on you. If you accidentally get
it in
your eyes or on your skin, flush the place with
water and get medical help immediately. Fans or other moving engine parts can injure
you badly. Keep your hands away from moving
parts
once the engine is running.
5. Check that the jumper cables don’t have loose or
missing insulation. If they do, you could get a
shock. The vehicles could be damaged too.
Before you connect the cables, here are some
basic things you should know. Positive
(+) will go to
positive
(+) or to a remote positive (+) terminal if
the vehicle has one. Negative (-) will go to a heavy,
unpainted metal engine part or to a remote
negative
(-) terminal if the vehicle with the dead
battery has one.
Don’t connect positive
(+) to negative (-) or you’ll
qet a short that would damage the battery and
maybe other parts, too. And don’t connect
the negative
(-) cable to the negative (-) terminal
on the dead battery because this can cause sparks.
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6. Connect the red positive (+) cable to the positive (+)
terminal of the dead battery. Use a remote
positive
(+) terminal if the vehicle has one.
7.
8.
Don’t let the other end
touch metal. Connect it to
the positive
(+) terminal
of the good battery. Use a
remote positive
(+)
terminal if the vehicle
has one.
Now connect the black
negative
(-) cable to the
negative
(-) terminal
of the good battery. Use
a remote negative
(-)
terminal if the vehicle
has one.
5-46

Don’t let the other end touch anything until the next
step. The other end of the negative
(-) cable
doesn’t go to the dead battery. It goes to a heavy,
unpainted metal engine part or to a remote
negative
(-) terminal on the vehicle with the dead
battery.
9.
10.
11.
Connect the other end of the negative (-) cable at
least 18 inches
(45 cm) away from the dead battery,
but not near engine parts that move. The electrical
connection is
just as good there, and the chance
of sparks getting back to the battery
is much less.
Now start the vehicle with the good battery and run
the engine for a while.
Try to start the vehicle that has the dead battery. If
it won’t start after a few tries, it probably needs
service.
Notice: Damage to your vehicle may result from
electrical shorting if jumper cables are removed
incorrectly.
To prevent electrical shorting, take care
that the cables don’t touch each other or any
other metal. The repairs wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
5-47

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B
I1
Jumper Cable Removal
A. Heavy, Unpainted Metal Engine Part
B. Good Battery
C. Dead Battery
To disconnect the jumper cables from both vehicles, do
the following:
1. Disconnect the black negative (-) cable from the
2. Disconnect the black negative (-) cable from the
3. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from the
4. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from the other
vehicle that
had the dead battery.
vehicle with the good battery.
vehicle with the good battery.
vehicle.
5-48

Bulb Replacement
For replacement bulb sizes, see Replacement Bulbs on
page 5-51. For any bulb changing procedure not
listed in this section, contact your dealer.
Halogen Bulbs
A CAUTION:
Halogen bulbs have pressurized gas inside
and can burst
if you drop or scratch the bulb.
You or others could be injured. Be sure to read
and follow the instructions on
the bulb
package.
Headlamps
1, Lift up on the two retaining clips which secure the
headlamp assembly.
5-49