2004 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE headlamp

Twilight Sentinel®
The Twilight Sentinel®will keep your headlamps on for
up to three minutes, to light your way when you
leave your vehicle.
To operate the Twilight Sentinel
®, turn the DELAY knob
located to the left of the steering column on the
instrument panel fully clockwise for the three-minute
delay. Turn it counterclockwise to reduce the delay. Turn
the knob to OFF to turn the Twilight Sentinel
®off.
At night, you can turn off all exterior lamps when you
are in PARK (P) by turning the Twilight Sentinel
®
knob all the way to OFF. If the knob was already in
OFF, it must be cycled to ON then back to OFF, to turn
the exterior lighting off. The lamps will come back on
when you turn the knob clockwise.If the Twilight Sentinel
®lighting is active, it can be
disabled by turning on the manual parking lamps. This
lighting will be disabled until the key is turned from
ON or until the manual parking lamps are turned off.
Also, it is possible that your headlamps may go
out if you drive from a dark area into a bright area like a
lighted parking lot. If this happens, turn on your
headlamps with the exterior lamp control.
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver
If the exterior lamp control has been left on, the exterior
lamps will turn off about 10 minutes after the ignition
is turned to OFF and a door has been opened.
This protects against draining the battery in case you
have accidentally left the headlamps or parking
lamps on. If you need to leave the lamps on for more
than 10 minutes, use the exterior lamp control to turn the
lamps back on after turning the ignition to OFF and
opening a door. To delay the lamps from turning off, see
“Twilight Sentinel
®,” listed previously.
3-17

Theater Dimming
This feature allows for a three to ve-second fade out of
the courtesy lamps instead of immediate turn off after
you remove the key from the ignition.
Delayed Exit Lighting
This feature will turn on the interior lamps for 25 seconds
after you remove the key from the ignition while the
doors are closed and it is night. This will give you time
to nd the door handle or lock switches as you exit
the vehicle.
This lighting will only be deactivated if the key is
reinserted into the ignition switch or the power door
locks are activated.
Parade Dimming
To activate the instrument panel backlighting during the
day, turn the exterior lamp switch to the parking lamp or
headlamp position. Dimming of the instrument panel
display is not possible during daylight hours. The
instrument panel display can only be adjusted when the
parking lamps or headlamps are on and it is dark outside.
Perimeter Lighting
When the unlock button on the remote keyless entry
transmitter (if equipped) is pressed, the DRL headlamps,
parking lamps and back-up lamps will turn on if it is
dark enough outside.
Personal Choice Programming
This feature can be programmed in the on or off mode
for each transmitter.
If your vehicle is equipped with the Driver Information
Center (DIC), you must program this feature through the
DIC. SeeDIC Vehicle Personalization on page 3-64.
To turn the feature off do the following:
1. Keep all doors closed, the vehicle in PARK (P) and
the ignition on throughout this procedure.
2. Press and hold LOCK on the power door lock
switch throughout this procedure. All the doors
will lock.
3. Press the remote alarm button on the transmitter.
Perimeter lighting remains on at this time and the
horn will chirp twice.
4. Press the remote alarm button again. Perimeter
lighting is disabled and the horn will chirp once.
5. Release the door lock switch. The perimeter lighting
feature is now off.
3-19

Battery Load Management
The battery load management feature is designed to
monitor the vehicle’s electrical load and determine when
the battery is in a heavy discharge condition. During
times of high electrical loading, the engine may idle at
higher revolutions per minute (RPM) than normal to make
sure the battery charges. High electrical loads may occur
when several of the following are on: headlamps, high
beams, fog lamps, rear window defogger, fan on high
speed, heated seats and engine cooling fans.
If your vehicle’s battery remains in a heavy discharge
condition for a long period of time, the fan, rear
defogger, heated seats and heated mirrors will be
disabled and the DIC will display BATTERY SAVER
ACTIVE. This can happen either under long periods of
idling or low speed driving with high electrical loading,
or in the event of a charging system fault.
Monitor the battery voltage when in the BATTERY
SAVER ACTIVE mode.
If the voltmeter remains in the shaded area (below
11 volts) when driving then have the charging
system serviced immediately.
If the voltage increases above 12 volts then the
battery needs to be recharged. Try driving on
the highway with as few electrical accessories on
as possible.
Head-Up Display (HUD)
{CAUTION:
If the HUD image is too bright, or too high in
your eld of view, it may take you more time to
see things you need to see when it is dark
outside. Be sure to keep the HUD image dim
and placed low in your eld of view.
If you have the optional Head-Up Display (HUD), you
can see some of the driver information also available on
your instrument panel cluster. The information may
be displayed in English or metric units and appears as a
reection on the windshield. The HUD shows the
following:
Speedometer Reading
Turn Signal Indicators
High-beam Indicator Symbol
CHECK GAGES Message (for low oil pressure,
high coolant temperature, low oil level, high/low
battery, brake, ABS and air bag)
Low Fuel Warning Symbol
Radio Frequency and Playback Mode (with the
exception of the XM™ radio)
3-22

2. Adjust the seat, if necessary, before setting the
height using the IMAGE switch.
Press and hold the top of the IMAGE switch, raising
the HUD image as far as possible. Then press on
the bottom of the HUD IMAGE switch to move
the image down, so the image is as low as possible,
but in full view.
3. Turn the INTENSITY knob counterclockwise until
the HUD image is no brighter than necessary. To
turn the HUD off, turn the HUD INTENSITY knob all
the way counterclockwise.
If the sun comes out, or it becomes cloudy, or if you
turn on your headlamps, you may need to adjust
the HUD brightness using the HUD INTENSITY knob.
Polarized sunglasses could make the HUD image harder
to see.
Clean the inside of the windshield as needed to remove
any dirt or lm that reduces the sharpness or clarity
of the HUD image.Spray household glass cleaner on a soft, clean cloth.
Wipe the HUD lens gently, then dry it. Do not spray
cleaner directly on the lens, because the cleaner uid
could leak inside the unit.
If you cannot see the HUD image when the ignition is
on, check to see if:
The HUD unit is covered.
The HUD INTENSITY knob is adjusted correctly.
The HUD image is adjusted to the proper height.
A fuse in the fuse panel may have blown. See
Fuses and Circuit Breakers on page 5-101.
If the HUD image is not clear, it could be too bright.
Move the HUD INTENSITY knob counterclockwise. You
may need to clean the windshield and HUD lens.
Your windshield is part of the HUD system. If you ever
have to have a new windshield, be sure to get one
designed for HUD. If you do not, the HUD image may
look blurred and out of focus.
3-24

Here are some tips on night driving.
Drive defensively.
Do not drink and drive.
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind you.
Since you can not see as well, you may need to
slow down and keep more space between you
and other vehicles.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light up only so much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you are tired, pull off the road in a safe place
and rest.
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But
as we get older these differences increase. A
50-year-old driver may require at least twice as much
light to see the same thing at night as a 20-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also affect your
night vision. For example, if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your
eyes will have less trouble adjusting to night. But if you
are driving, do not wear sunglasses at night. They
may cut down on glare from headlamps, but they also
make a lot of things invisible.You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps. It can take a second or two, or even several
seconds, for your eyes to readjust to the dark. When
you are faced with severe glare (as from a driver
who does not lower the high beams, or a vehicle with
misaimed headlamps), slow down a little. Avoid
staring directly into the approaching headlamps.
Keep your windshield and all the glass on your vehicle
clean — inside and out. Glare at night is made much
worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside of the glass
can build up a lm caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and ash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that your headlamps light up far less of a
roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep
your eyes moving; that way, it is easier to pick out dimly
lighted objects. Just as your headlamps should be
checked regularly for proper aim, so should your eyes
be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from
night blindness — the inability to see in dim light — and
are not even aware of it.
4-17

Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you.
If you have no blankets or extra clothing, make
body insulators from newspapers, burlap bags, rags,
oor mats — anything you can wrap around
yourself or tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
{CAUTION:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your
vehicle. This can cause deadly CO (carbon
monoxide) gas to get inside. CO could
overcome you and kill you. You can not see it
or smell it, so you might not know it is in your
vehicle. Clear away snow from around the
base of your vehicle, especially any that is
blocking your exhaust pipe. And check around
again from time to time to be sure snow does
not collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that is away from the wind. This will
help keep CO out.
Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little
faster than just idle. That is, push the accelerator
slightly. This uses less fuel for the heat that you get and
it keeps the battery charged. You will need a
well-charged battery to restart the vehicle, and possibly
for signaling later on with your headlamps. Let the
heater run for a while.
4-29

Service............................................................5-3
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-4
Adding Equipment to the Outside of Your
Vehicle......................................................5-4
Fuel................................................................5-5
Gasoline Octane............................................5-5
Gasoline Specications....................................5-5
California Fuel...............................................5-6
Additives.......................................................5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-7
Filling Your Tank............................................5-8
Filling a Portable Fuel Container.....................5-11
Checking Things Under the Hood....................5-12
Hood Release..............................................5-13
Engine Compartment Overview.......................5-14
Engine Oil...................................................5-16
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-21
Automatic Transaxle Fluid..............................5-23
Engine Coolant.............................................5-26
Radiator Pressure Cap..................................5-28
Engine Overheating.......................................5-29
Cooling System............................................5-31
Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-39
Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-40
Brakes........................................................5-42Battery........................................................5-45
Jump Starting...............................................5-47
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-52
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-52
Headlamps..................................................5-53
Front Turn Signal and Parking Lamps..............5-54
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps and
Back-up Lamps.........................................5-56
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-57
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-57
Tires..............................................................5-58
Ination - Tire Pressure.................................5-67
Check Tire Pressure System..........................5-68
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-70
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-72
Buying New Tires.........................................5-72
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-74
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-75
Wheel Replacement......................................5-75
Tire Chains..................................................5-77
Accessory Inator.........................................5-78
If a Tire Goes Flat........................................5-79
Changing a Flat Tire.....................................5-80
Compact Spare Tire......................................5-90
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

Appearance Care............................................5-91
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle.................5-91
Care of Safety Belts......................................5-94
Weatherstrips...............................................5-94
Cleaning the Outside of Your Vehicle..............5-94
Sheet Metal Damage.....................................5-96
Finish Damage.............................................5-96
Underbody Maintenance................................5-97
Chemical Paint Spotting.................................5-97
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials..................5-98
Vehicle Identication......................................5-99
Vehicle Identication Number (VIN).................5-99
Service Parts Identication Label.....................5-99Electrical System..........................................5-100
Add-On Electrical Equipment.........................5-100
Headlamp Wiring........................................5-100
Windshield Wiper Fuses...............................5-100
Power Windows and Other Power Options......5-100
Fuses and Circuit Breakers..........................5-101
Removing the Rear Seat Cushion..................5-104
Capacities and Specications........................5-109
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts.........5-110
Engine Drive Belt Routing............................5-111
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-2