2003 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX Owners Manual

Windshield Washer Fluid
What to Use
When you need windshield washer fluid, be sure to read
the manufacturer’s instructions before use.
If you will be
operating your vehicle in an area where the temperature
may fall below freezing, use a fluid that has sufficient
protection against freezing. See
Engine Compartment
Overview on page 5-72 for reservoir location.
Adding Washer Fluid
The windshield washer fluid reservoir is located n the
engine compartment on the passenger’s side of the
vehicle near the diagonal cross brace.
Open the cap with the
washer symbol on it.
Add washer fluid until the
tank is full.
Notice:
e
e
e
a
When using concentrated washer fluid, follow
the manufacturer’s instructions for adding
water.
Don’t mix water with ready-to-use washer fluid.
Water can cause the solution to freeze and
damage your washer fluid tank and other parts
of the washer system.
Also, water doesn’t
clean as well as washer fluid.
Fill your washer fluid tank only three-quarters
full when it’s very cold. This allows for
expansion if freezing occurs, which could damage the tank if
it is completely full.
Don’t use engine coolant (antifreeze) in your
windshield washer.
It can damage your
washer system and paint.
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Brakes
Brake Fluid
I
A L
r DOT3
7
L
normal brake lining wear. When new linings are put in,
the fluid level goes back up. The other reason
is
that fluid is leaking out of the brake system. If it is, you
should have your brake system fixed, since a leak
means that sooner
or later your brakes won’t work well,
or won’t work at all.
So, it isn’t a good idea to “top off’ your brake fluid.
Adding brake fluid won’t correct a leak. If you add fluid
when your linings are worn, then you’ll have too
much fluid when you get new brake linings. You should
add (or remove) brake fluid, as necessary, only when
work is done on the brake hydraulic system.
Your brake master cylinder reservoir is on the driver’s
side of the engine compartment. It is filled with
DOT-3 brake fluid. See Engine Compartment Overview
on page 5- 12.
There are only two reasons why the brake fluid level in
the reservoir might go down. The first is that the
brake fluid goes down
to an acceptable level during
If you have too much brake fluid, it can spill on
the engine. The fluid
will burn if the engine is
hot enough. You
or others could be burned,
and your vehicle could be damaged. Add brake
fluid only when work is done on the brake
hydraulic system.
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United States
~~
Canada
When your brake fluid falls to a low level, your brake
warning light will come on. See Brake System Warning
Light on page
3-28.
What to Add
When you do need brake fluid, use only DOT-3 brake
fluid. Use new brake fluid from a sealed container
only. See Part D: Recommended Fluids and Lubricants
on page
6- 15.
Always clean the brake fluid reservoir cap and the area
around the cap before removing it. This will help
keep
dirt from entering the reservoir.
r
With the wrong kind of fluid in your brake
system, your brakes may not work well, or they
may not even work at all. This could cause a
crash. Always
use the proper brake fluid.
Notice:
Using the wrong fluid can badly damage brake
system parts. For example, just a few drops of mineral-based oil, such as engine oil, in your
brake system can damage brake system
parts
so badly that they’ll have to be replaced.
Don’t let someone put in the wrong kind of fluid.
If you spill brake fluid on your vehicle’s painted
surfaces, the paint finish can be damaged.
Be careful not to spill brake fluid on your
vehicle. If you do, wash
it off immediately.
See “Appearance Care” in the Index.
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I

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
GM 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.
If your battery has a very low charge or is dead, you
may not be able to remove the ignition key from
the ignition switch or shift out of Park (P). Refer to
Shifting Out of Park
(P) on page 2-30.
5-52

Vehicle Storage Jump Starting
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.
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 listed 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” next 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
on page 3-54.
Batteries can hurt you. They can be dangerous
because:
They contain acid that can burn you.
They contain gas that can explode or ignite.
They contain enough electricity to
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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Notice: If the other system isn’t a 12-volt system
with a negative ground, both vehicles can be
damaged.
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with a negative ground system.
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 or in the accessory power outlet. 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. You will not need to access your
battery for jump starting. Your vehicle has
a remote
positive
(+) jump starting terminal for that purpose.
The terminal is located in the engine compartment
on the passenger’s side of the vehicle, near
the diagonal cross brace. See Engine Compartment
Ovewiew
on page 5-72 for more information on
location.
5-54

To uncover the remote positive (+) terminal, squeeze
the sides
of the plastic cap and slide the cap off.
You should always use the remote positive (+) terminal
instead
of the positive (+) terminal on the battery.
An electric fan can start up even when
rile
engine is not running and can injure you. Keep
hands, clothing and tools away from any
underhood electric fan.
Fans or other moving engine parts can injure
you badly. Keep your hands away from moving parts once the engine
is running.
I- -jng a ma I n r 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.
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