2003 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX oil change

Engine Coolant
The cooling system in your vehicle is filled with
DEX-COOL@ engine coolant. This coolant is designed
to remain in your vehicle for
5 years or 150,000 miles
(240
000 km), whichever occurs first, if you add
only DEX-COOL@ extended life coolant.
The following explains your cooling system and how to
add coolant when it is low.
If you have a problem
with engine overheating or
if you need to add coolant to
your radiator, see Engine Overheating on page
5-33.
A 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL@ engine 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@ engine coolant which won’t
damage aluminum parts. If you use this coolant mixture,
you don’t need to add anything else.
1 ---.-.g only p n water to your c 3 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
CAUTION: (Continued)
I
5-30

Radiator Pressure Cap
Notice: Your radiator cap is a pressure-type cap
and must be tightly installed to prevent coolant
loss
and possible engine damage from overheating.
Be sure the arrows on the cap line up with the
overflow tube
on the radiator filler neck.
The radiator pressure cap is located in the front of the
engine compartment on the passenger’s side, near
the diagonal cross brace. See Engine Compartment
Overview on page
5-12 for more information on location.
Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature gage and a warning
light concerning an overheated engine condition on
the instrument panel cluster. See Engine Coolant
Temperature Gage
on page 3-31 and Engine Coolant
Temperature Warning Light
on page 3-31.
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode
This emergency operating mode allows your vehicle to
be driven tu
a safe place in an emergency situation.
If an overheated engine condition exists, an overheat
protection mode which alternates firing groups of
cylinders helps prevent engine damage. In this mode,
you will notice a significant
loss in power and engine
performance. The engine coolant temperature gage will
indicate an overheat condition exists. Driving extended
miles (km) and/or towing a trailer in the overheat
protection mode should be avoided.
Nofice: After driving in the overheated engine
protection operating mode, to avoid engine damage,
allow the engine to cool before attempting any
repair. The engine oil will be severely degraded.
Repair the cause of coolant
loss, change the oil
and reset the oil life system. See “Engine Oil”
ir
the Index.
5-33

Here are some cleaning tips:
Always read the instructions on the cleaner label.
0 Clean up stains as soon as you can - before
0 Carefully scrape off any excess stain.
0 Use a clean cloth or sponge, and change to a clean
area often. A soft brush may be used
if stains are
stubborn.
If a ring forms on fabric after spot cleaning, clean
the entire area immediately or it will set.
they set.
Using Cleaner on Fabric
1. Vacuum and brush
the area to remove any
loose dirt.
2. Always clean a whole trim panel or section. Mask
surrounding trim along stitch or welt lines.
3. Follow the directions on the container label.
4. Apply cleaner with a clean sponge. Don’t saturate
5. As soon as you’ve cleaned the section, use a
6. Wipe cleaned area with a clean, water-dampened
the
material and don’t rub it roughly.
sponge to remove any excess cleaner.
towel or cloth.
Special Fabric Cleaning Problems
Stains caused by such things as catsup, coffee (black),
egg, fruit, fruit juice, milk, soft drinks, vomit, urine
and blood can be removed as follows:
1. Carefully scrape off excess stain, then sponge the
soiled area with cool water.
2. If a stain remains, follow the cleaner instructions
described earlier.
3. If an odor lingers after cleaning vomit or urine, treat
the area with a watedbaking soda solution:
1 teaspoon (5 ml) of baking soda to 1 cup (250 ml)
of lukewarm water.
4. Let dry.
Stains caused by candy, ice cream, mayonnaise, chili
sauce and unknown stains can be removed as follows:
1. Carefully scrape off excess stain.
2. Clean with cool water and allow
to dry completely.
3. If a stain remains, follow the cleaner instructions
described earlier.
7. Wipe with a clean cloth and let dry.
5-89

Maintenance Schedule
Introduction
IMPORTANT:
KEEP ENGINE. OIL AT
THE PROPER
LEVEL AND CHANGE AS RECOMMENDED
I
n
Protection
Have you purchased the GM Protection Plan?
The Plan supplements your new vehicle warranties.
See your Warranty and Owner Assistance booklet
or your dealer for details.
Your Vehicle and the Environment
Proper vehicle maintenance not only helps to keep your
vehicle in good working condition, but also helps the
environment.
All recommended maintenance procedures
are important. Improper vehicle maintenance can
even affect the quality of the air we breathe. Improper
fluid levels or the wrong tire inflation can increase
the level of emissions from your vehicle.
To help protect
our environment, and to keep your vehicle in good
condition, please maintain your vehicle properly.
Maintenance Requirements
Maintenance intervals, checks, inspections and
recommended fluids and lubricants as prescribed in
this manual are necessary to keep your vehicle in good
working condition. Any damage caused by failure to
follow recommended maintenance may not be covered
by warranty.
6-2

Part A: Scheduled Maintenance
Services
This part contains engine oil scheduled maintenance
which explains the engine oil life system and how
it indicates when to change the engine oil and filter.
Also, listed are scheduled maintenance services which
are to be performed at the mileage intervals specified.
Using Your Maintenance Schedule
We at General Motors want to keep your vehicle in good
working condition. But we don’t know exactly how
you’ll drive it. You may drive short distances only a few
times a week. Or you may drive long distances all
the time in very hot, dusty weather. You may use your
vehicle
in making deliveries. Or you may drive it to
work, to do errands or in many other ways.
Because of the different ways people use their vehicles,
maintenance needs may vary. You may need more
frequent checks and replacements.
So please read the
following and note how you drive.
If you have
questions on how to keep your vehicle in good condition,
see your dealer. This part tells
you the maintenance services you
should have done and when you should schedule them.
When you go to your dealer for your service needs,
you’ll know that GM-trained and supported service
people will perform the work using genuine GM parts.
The proper fluids and lubricants to use are listed in
Part D. Make sure whoever services your vehicle uses
these.
All parts should be replaced and all necessary
repairs done before you or anyone else drives the
vehicle.
This schedule is for vehicles that:
carry passengers and cargo within recommended
limits. You will find these on your vehicle’s
Tire-Loading Information label. See Loading
Your
Vehicle on page 4-35.
are driven on reasonable road surfaces within legal
use the recommended fuel. See Gasoline Octane
driving limits.
on page 5-5.
6-4

Scheduled Maintenance
The services shown in this schedule up to 100,000 miles
(1 66
000 km) should be repeated after 100,000 miles
(1 66 000 km) at the same intervals for the life of
this vehicle. The services shown at 150,000 miles
(240
000 km) should be repeated at the same interval
after 150,000 miles
(240 000 km) for the life of this
vehicle.
See Part B: Owner Checks and Services on page
6-9
and Part C: Periodic Maintenance Inspections on
page
6- 13.
Footnotes
t The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or the
California Air Resources Board has determined that the
failure to perform this maintenance item will not nullify
the emission warranty or limit recall liability prior to
the completion of the vehicle’s useful life. We, however,
urge that all recommended maintenance services be
performed at the indicated intervals and the
maintenance be recorded.
+A good time to check your brakes is during tire
rotation. See Brake System Inspection on page
6-14,
Engine Oil Scheduled Maintenance
Change engine oil and filter as indicated by the GM
Oil Life SystemTM (or every 12 months, whichever
occurs first). Reset the system.
Your vehicle has a computer system that lets you know
when to change the engine oil and filter. This is
based on engine revolutions and engine temperature,
and not on mileage. Based on driving conditions,
the mileage at which an oil change will be indicated can
vary considerably. For the oil life system to work
properly, you must reset the system every time the oil is
changed.
When the system has calculated that oil life has been
diminished,
it will indicate that an oil change is
necessary.
A CHANGE OIL SOON light will come on.
Change your oil as soon as possible within the next two
times you stop for fuel. It is possible that,
if you are
driving under the best conditions, the oil life system may
not indicate that an oil change is necessary for over a
year. However, your engine oil and filter must be
changed at least once a year and at this time the system
must be reset.
It is also important to check your oil
regularly and keep it at the proper level.
6-5

If the system is ever reset accidentally, you must
change your oil at
3,000 miles (5 000 km) since your
last oil change. Remember
to reset the oil life system
whenever the oil is changed. See Engine Oil on
page 5-18 for information on resetting the system.
After the services are performed, record the date,
odometer reading and who performed the service on the
maintenance record pages in Part
E of this schedule.
An Emission Control Service.
7,500 Miles (12 500 km)
LI Rotate tires. See Tire Inspection and Rotation on
page 5-69 for proper rotation pattern and additional
information. (See footnote
+.)
15,000 Miles (25 000 km)
0 Inspect engine air cleaner filter if you are driving in
dusty conditions. Replace filter
if necessary.
An Emission Control Service. (See footnote
f.)
Cl Rotate tires. See Tire Inspection and Rotation on
page 5-69 for proper rotation pattern and additional
information. (See footnote
+.)
22,500 Miles (37 500 km)
U Rotate tires. See Tire Inspection and Rotation on
page 5-69 for proper rotation pattern and additional
information. (See footnote
+.)
30,000 Miles (50 000 km)
0 Rotate tires. See Tire Inspection and Rotation on
page 5-69 for proper rotation pattern and additional
information. (See footnote
+.)
Control Service.
0 Replace engine air cleaner filter. An Emission
U For supercharged engines only: Check the
supercharger oil level and add the proper
supercharger oil as needed (or every
36 months,
whichever occurs first). See Part
D: Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants on page 6-15. An Emission
Control Service. (See footnote
f.)
37,500 Miles (62 500 km)
U Rotate tires. See Tire Inspection and Rotation on
page 5-69 for proper rotation pattern and additional
information. (See footnote
+.)
6-6

45,000 Miles (75 000 km)
0 Inspect engine air cleaner filter if you are driving in
dusty conditions. Replace filter
if necessary.
An Emission Control Service. (See footnote
t.)
0 Rotate tires. See Tire Inspection and Rotation on
page 5-69 for proper rotation pattern and additional
information. (See footnote
+.)
50,000 Miles (83 000 km)
0 Change automatic transaxle fluid and filter if the
vehicle is mainly driven under one or more of
these conditions:
- In heavy city traffic where the outside
temperature regularly reaches
90°F (32°C)
or higher.
- In hilly or mountainous terrain.
- When doing frequent trailer towing.
- Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery
service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, change the fluid and filter at
100,000 miles
(166
000 km).
52,500 Miles (87 500 km)
0 Rotate tires. See Tire Inspection and Rotation on
page 5-69 for proper rotation pattern and additional
information. (See footnote
+-)
60,000 Miles (100 000 km)
0 For supercharged engines only: Check the
supercharger
oil level and add the proper
supercharger oil as needed (or every
36 months,
whichever occurs first). See Part
D: Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants on page 6- 15. An Emission
Control Service. (See footnote
t.)
0 Rotate tires. See Tire Inspection and Rotation on
page 5-69 for proper rotation pattern and additional
information. (See footnote
+.)
Control Service.
0 Replace engine air cleaner filter. An Emission
67,500 Miles (112 500 km)
U Rotate tires. See Tire Inspection and Rotation on
page 5-69 for proper rotation pattern and additional
information. (See footnote
+.)
75,000 Miles (125 000 km)
0 Inspect engine air cleaner filter if you are driving in
dusty conditions. Replace filter
if necessary.
An Emission Control Service. (See footnote
t.)
0 Rotate tires. See Tire Inspection and Rotation on
page 5-69 for proper rotation pattern and additional
information. (See footnote
+.)
6-7