2003 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX brake

A. Windshield Washer Fluid
B. Battery
C. Remote Positive
(+) Battery Terminal
D. Underhood Fuse Block
E. Radiator Fill Cap
F. Engine Coolant Recovery Tank
G. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir
(low in engine compartment, below generator)
H. Electric Engine Cooling Fan
I. Engine Oil Dipstick
J. Engine Oil Fill Cap
K. Automatic Transaxle Fluid Dipstick
1. Brake Fluid Reservoir
M. Engine Air CleanedFilter
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A. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir
B. Battery
C. Underhood Fuse Block D. Remote Positive
(+) Battery Terminal
E. Radiator Pressure Cap
F. Engine Coolant Recovery Tank
G. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir
H. Electric Cooling Fan
(low
in engine compartment, below generator)
I. Engine Oil Dipstick
J. Engine Oil Fill Cap
K. Transaxle Fluid Dipstick
L. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir
M. Engine Air CleanedFilter
Before closing the hood
of your vehicle, be sure all the
filler caps are on properly. Then pull the
hood down
and close it firmly.
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To get the right reading, the fluid should be at normal
operating temperature, which is 180°F to 200°F
(82°C to 93°C).
Get the vehicle warmed up by driving about
15 miles
(24 km) when outside temperatures are above
50°F (1 0°C). If it's colder than 50°F (IO'C), you may
have to drive longer.
Checking the Fluid Level
Prepare your vehicle as follows:
Park your vehicle on a level place. Keep the engine
running.
With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever in
PARK (P).
With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift
lever through each gear range, pausing for about
three seconds in each range. Then, position the shift
lever in PARK (P).
Let the engine run at idle for three to five minutes. Then,
without shutting
off the engine, follow these steps:
3100 V6 Engine 3800 V6 or 3800 V6
Supercharged Engine
The transaxle fluid dipstick handle is the black loop
located near the rear of the engine. See Engine
Comparfment Overview
on page 5-12 for more
information on location.
1. Pull out the dipstick and wipe it with a clean rag or
2. Push it back in all the way, wait three seconds and
paper
towel.
then pull it back out again.
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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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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.
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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.
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If you need to replace any of your wheels, wheel bolts
or wheel nuts, replace them only with new
GM
original equipment parts. This way, you will be sure to
have the right wheel, wheel bolts and wheel nuts
for your vehicle.
Using the wrong replacement wheels, wheel
bolts or wheel nuts on your vehicle can be
dangerous.
It could affect the braking and
handling
of your vehicle, make your tires lose
air and make you lose control. You could have
a collision
in which you or others could be
injured. Always use the correct wheel, wheel
bolts and wheel
nuts for replacement.
Notice: The wrong wheel can also cause problems
with bearing life, brake cooling, speedometer or odometer calibration, headlamp aim, bumper height.
vehicle ground clearance and tire or tire chain clearance to the body and chassis.
See Changing a Flat
Tire on page 5-76 for more
information.
Used Replacement Wheels
I
Puttin, -1 used wheel on your vehicle is
dangerous. You can’t know how it’s been used
or how far
it’s been driven. It could fail suddenly
and cause a crash.
If you have to replace a
wheel, use a new
GM original equipment wheel.
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