2003 PONTIAC GRAND AM check engine

Manual Transaxle
The gear selector should be in neutral and the parking
brake engaged. Hold the clutch pedal
to the floor
and start the engine. Your vehicle won’t start
if the clutch
pedal is not all the way down
- that’s a safety feature.
Starting Your 2.2L L4 ECOTECTM
Engine
1. With your foot off the accelerator pedal, turn your
ignition key
to START. When the engine starts, let
go of the key. The idle speed will
go down as
your engine gets warm.
Notice: Holding your key in START for longer than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to
be drained much sooner. And the excessive heat
can damage your starter motor. Wait about
15 seconds between each try to help avoid draining
your battery or damaging your starter.
2. If it doesn’t start, wait about 15 seconds and try
again to start the engine by turning the ignition
key to START. Wait about
15 seconds between
each
try.
When your engine has run about 10 seconds to
warm up, your vehicle is ready to be driven. Don’t
“race” your engine when it’s cold.
If the weather is below freezing (32°F or OOC), let
the engine run for a few minutes
to warm up.
3. If your engine still won’t start (or starts but then
stops),
it could be flooded with too much gasoline.
Try pushing your accelerator pedal all the way
to the
floor and holding
it there as you hold the key in
START for about three seconds. If the vehicle starts
briefly but then stops again, do the same thing,
but this time keep the pedal down for five or
six seconds. This clears the extra gasoline from
the engine.
Notice: Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle.
If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the way
the
engine operates. Before adding electrical equipment,
check with your dealer.
If you don’t, your engine
might not perform properly.
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Starting Your 3400 V6 Engine
1. With your foot off the accelerator pedal, turn your
ignition key
to START. When the engine starts, let
go of the key. The idle speed will go down as
your engine warms up.
Notice: Holding your key in START for longer than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to
be drained much sooner. And the excessive heat
can damage your starter motor. Wait about
15
seconds between each try to help avoid draining
your battery or damaging your starter.
2. If the engine doesn’t start in 10 seconds, push the
accelerator pedal about one-quarter of the way
down while you turn the key to START. Do this until
the engine starts. As soon as it does, let go of
the key.
3. If your engine still won’t start (or starts but then
stops), it could be flooded with too much gasoline.
Try pushing your accelerator pedal all the way to the
floor and holding it there as you hold the key in
START for a maximum of
15 seconds. This clears
the extra gasoline from the engine.
If the engine
still won’t start or starts briefly but then stops again,
repeat Step
1 or 2, depending on temperature.
When the engine starts, release the key and the
accelerator pedal.
Notice: Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle.
If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the way the
engine operates. Before adding electrical equipment,
check with your dealer. If you don’t, your engine
might not perform properly.
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Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
This part describes the warning lights and gages that
may be on your vehicle. The pictures will help you
locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that something is
wrong before it becomes serious enough to cause an expensive repair or replacement. Paying attention to
your warning lights and gages could also save you
or others from injury.
Warning lights come on when there may be or is a
problem with one of your vehicle’s functions.
As you will
see in the details on the next few pages, some
warning lights come on briefly when you start the engine just to let you
know they’re working. If you are
familiar with this section, you should not be alarmed
when this happens.
Gages can indicate when there may be or
is a problem
with one of your vehicle’s functions. Often gages
and warning lights work together to let you know when
there’s a problem with your vehicle.
When one of the warning lights comes on and stays
on
when you are driving, or when one of the gages
shows there may be a problem, check the section that
tells you what to
do about it. Please follow this
manual’s advice. Waiting
to do repairs can be
costly
- and even dangerous. So please get to know
your warning lights and gages. They’re a big help.
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The air bag readiness light should flash for a few
seconds when you turn the ignition key to
ON. If the
light doesn’t come on then, have it fixed
so it will
be ready to warn you
if there is a problem.
Charging System Light
The charging system light
will come on when you
turn on the ignition, but the
II engine is not running, as
a check to show you
it
is working.
When the engine is running, the light should go out.
If it stays on, or comes on while you are driving and you
hear a chime, you may have a problem with the
electrical charging system. It could indicate that you have a loose generator drive belt or another electrical
problem. Have it checked right away. Driving while
this light is on could drain your battery. If
you must drive a short distance with the light on, be
certain to turn
off all your accessories, such as the radio
and air conditioner.
Up-Shift Light
If your manual transaxle
vehicle has this feature
this light comes on
when you need to shift to
the next higher gear.
See
Manual Transaxle
Operation on page
2-27.
Brake System Warning Light
Your vehicle’s hydraulic brake system is divided into two
parts. If one part isn’t working, the other part can still
work and stop you.
For good braking, though, you need
both parts working well.
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Malfunction Indicator Lamp
Service Engine Soon Light
SERVICE
ENGINE
SOON
Your vehicle is equipped
with a computer which
monitors operation of the
fuel, ignition and emission control systems.
This system is called OBD
II (On-Board
Diagnostics-Second Generation) and is intended to
assure that emissions are at acceptable levels for the
life of the vehicle, helping
to produce a cleaner
environment. The
SERVICE ENGINE SOON light
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
smoothly. This could lead to costly repairs that may not be covered by your warramty.
be 85 gcod and yaur engine may not run as
Notice: Modifications 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 not covered &y your warranty. This may
also result in a failure to pass a required Emission
Inspection/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 light doesn’t come on, have it
repaired. This light will also come on during
a
malfunction in one of two ways:
e
e
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.
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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. Here are some things you need to know
in order to help
your vehicle pass an inspection:
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection
if the SERVICE
ENGINE SOON light is on or not working properly.
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection
if the OBD
(on-board diagnostic) system determines that critical
emission control systems have not been completely
diagnosed by the system, The vehicle would be
considered not ready for inspection. This can happen
if
you have recently replaced your battery or if your
battery has run down, The diagnostic system is
designed to evaluate critical emission control systems
during normal driving. This may take several days
of routine driving. If you have done this and your vehicle
still does not pass the inspection for lack of
OBD
system readiness, see your dealer or qualified service
center to prepare the vehicle for inspection.
3-33

Oil Pressure Light
If you have a low engine
oil pressure problem, this
light will stay on after
you start your engine,
or
come on and you will hear
a chime when you are
driving.
This indicates that your engine is not receiving enough
oil. The engine could be low on oil,
or could have
some other oil problem. Have it fixed immediately.
When the ignition is on but the engine is not running,
the light will come on as a test to show you it is working,
but the light will go out when the engine is running.
If
it doesn’t come on with the ignition on, you may have a
problem with the bulb. Have it fixed right away. Don’t keep driving if the oil pressure
is low. If
you
do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches fire. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon as possible and have
your vehicle serviced.
Notice: Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and is not covered by
your warranty.
3-34

Low Oil Level Light
LOW
OIL
If your vehicle is equipped
with a
3400 V6 engine,
then you will have a
LOW
OIL light in your
instrument panel cluster.
This light will come on briefly when you start your
vehicle.
If the light stays on after starting your vehicle, or comes
on and chimes while you are driving, your engine oil
level should be checked.
Prior to checking the oil level, be sure your vehicle has
been shut
off for several minutes and is on a level
surface. Check the oil level on your dipstick and bring it
to the proper level. See Engine Oil on page 5-15.
A false LOW OIL light may be generated when parking
on steep grades.
The oil level monitoring system only checks oil level
during the brief period between when the key is on and
the engine is cranking.
It does not monitor engine oil level
when the engine is running. Additionally, an oil
level check is only performed
if the engine has
been turned
off for a considerable period of time
allowing the
oil normally in circulation to drain back into
the oil pan.
CHANGE
OIL
The CHANGE OIL light
should come on briefly as
a bulb check when you start the engine. If the light
doesn’t come on, have it
serviced.
If the CHANGE OIL light comes on and stays on after
you start the engine, have the oil changed.
To reset the CHANGE
OIL light, see Engine oil On
page
5- 15.
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