2003 PONTIAC GRAND AM radiator

A 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL@ coolant will:
Give freezing protection down to -34°F (-37°C).
Give boiling protection up to 265°F (129°C).
Protect against rust and corrosion.
Help keep the proper engine temperature.
Let the warning lights and gages work as they
should.
Notice: When adding coolant, it is important that
you use only DEX-COOL@ (silicate-free) coolant.
If coolant other than DEX-COOL
is added to
the system, premature engine, heater core or radiator corrosion may result.
In addition, the engine
coolant will require change sooner
-- at 30,000 miles
(50,000 km) or 24 months, whichever occurs first.
Damage caused by the use of coolant other
than DEX-COOL@ is not covered by your new vehicle
warranty.
What to Use
Use a mixture of one-half clean, drinkable water and
one-half DEX-COOL@ coolant which won’t damage
aluminum
parts. If you use this coolant mixture,
you don’t need to add anything else.
Adding only plain water to your cooling
system can be dangerous. Plain water, or
some other liquid such as alcohol, can boil
before the proper coolant mixture will. Your
vehicle’s coolant warning system is set for the
proper coolant mixture. With plain water or the
wrong mixture, your engine could get too hot
but you wouldn’t get the overheat warning.
Your engine could catch fire and you or others could be burned. Use a
50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and the proper coolant.
Notice: If you use an improper coolant mixture,
your engine could overheat and be badly damaged.
The repair cost wouldn’t be covered by your
warranty.
Too much water in the mixture can freeze
and crack the engine, radiator, heater core and
other parts.
5-24

If you have to add coolant more than four times a year, The coolant surge tank is located in the engine
have your dealer check your cooling system. compartment
on the passenger’s side of the vehicle.
Notice: If you use the proper coolant, you don’t
have to add extra inhibitors or additives which claim
to improve the system. These can be harmful. See
Engine Compartment
Overview on page 5-12
for more information on location.
Checking Coolant
1
Turning the surge tank pressure cap when the
engine and radiator are hot can allow steam
and scalding liquids to blow out and burn you
badly. Never turn
the surge tank pressure
cap
- even a little - when the engine and
radiator are hot.
The vehicle must be on a level surface. When your
engine is cold, the coolant level should be at the
FULL
COLD mark, or a little higher.
2.2L L4 ECOTEC Engine shown,
3400 V6 Engine similar
5-25

Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine
parts, can be very hot. Don't touch them. If you
do, you can be burned.
Don't run the engine
if there is a leak. If you
run
the engine, it could lose all coolant. That
could cause an engine fire, and you could be
burned. Get any leak fixed before you drive
the
vehicle.
The coolant level should
be at or above the FULL
COLD mark. If it isn't, you may have a leak at the
pressure cap or in the radiator hoses, heater hoses,
radiator, water pump or somewhere else in the cooling
system.
If there seems to be no leak, with the engine on, check
to see
if the electric engine cooling fans are running.
If the engine is overheating, both fans should be
running.
If they aren't, your vehicle needs service.
Notice: Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant
isn't covered by your warranty.
5-30

Notice: When adding coolant, it is important that
you use only
DEX-COOL@ (silicate-free) coolant.
If coolant other than DEX-COOL
is added to
the system, premature engine, heater core or
radiator corrosion may result.
In addition, the engine
coolant will require change sooner
- at 30,000 miles
(50 888 km) or 24 months, whichever occurs first.
Damage caused by the use of coolant other
than DEX-COOL@ is not covered by your new vehicle
warranty.
How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Surge Tank
Nofice: This vehicle has a specific coolant fill
procedure. Failure to follow this procedure could
cause your engine to overheat and be severely
damaged.
If you haven’t found a problem yet, check to see if
coolant is visible in the surge tank. If coolant is visible
but the coolant level isn’t at or above the
FULL
COLD mark, add a 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable
water
and DEX-COOL@ coolant at the coolant
surge tank, but be sure the cooling system, including
the coolant surge tank pressure cap, is cool before
you
do it. See Engine Coolant on page 5-23 for more
information.
5-31

If no coolant is visible in the surge tank, add coolant as
follows:
Steam and scalding liquids from a hot cooling
system can
blow out and burn you badly. They
are under pressure, and
if you turn the radiator
pressure cap
-- even a little -- they can come
out at high speed. Never turn the cap when the
cooling system, including the radiator pressure
cap, is hot. Wait for the cooling system and
radiator pressure cap to cool if you ever have
to turn the pressure cap.
5-32

1 L% CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling
system can be dangerous. Plain water, or
some other liquid such as alcohol, can boil
before the proper coolant mixture will. Your
vehicle’s coolant warning system
is set for the
proper coolant mixture. With plain water or the
wrong mixture, your engine could get too hot
but you wouldn’t get the overheat warning.
Your engine could catch fire and you or others
could be burned. Use a
50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX
COOL@ coolant.
Notice: In cold weather, water can freeze and crack
the engine, radiator, heater core and other parts. Use the recommended coolant and the proper
coolant xture.
-
You can be burned if you spill coolant on hot
engine parts. Coolant contains ethylene glycol
and
it will burn if the engine parts are hot
enough. Don’t spill coolant on a hot engine.
5-33

Park the vehicle on a level surface.
You can remove the coolant surge tank pressure
cap when the cooling system, including the coolant
surge tank pressure cap and upper radiator
hose, is no longer hot. Turn the pressure cap slowly
counterclockwise (left) about two
or two and
one-half turns.
If you hear a hiss, wait for that to
stop. This will allow any pressure still left to
be vented out the discharge hose.
2. Then keep turning the
pressure cap slowly, and remove
it.
5-34

3. Then fill the coolant surge tank with the proper
mixture, to the hash mark on the label. Wait
about five minutes, then check to see
if the level is
below the hash mark. If the level is below the
hash mark, add additional coolant to bring the level
up to the hash mark. Repeat this procedure until
the level remains constant at the hash mark
for at least five minutes.
4. With the coolant surge tank pressure cap off, start
the engine and let it run until you can feel the upper
radiator hose getting hot. Watch out for the
engine cooling fans.
By this time, the coolant level inside the coolant
surge tank may be lower. If the level
is lower than
the FULL
COLD mark, add more of the proper
mixture to the coolant surge tank until the
level reaches the FULL COLD mark.
5-35