2004 PONTIAC GRAND AM headlamp

Low Washer Fluid Warning Light
This light will come on
briefly when you turn on
the ignition. It will also stay
on, or come on and a
chime will sound, if
the windshield washer fluid
reservoir is less than
one-third full.
Service Vehicle Soon Light
This light will come on
briefly when you turn the
ignition to ON.
It will stay on, or come on and a chime will sound if it
detects a problem on the vehicle, such as a Daytime
Running Lamps (DRL) or an automatic headlamp
system malfunction. If this happens, see your dealer as
soon as possible.
3-36

Driving at NightNight driving is more dangerous than day driving.
One reason is that some drivers are likely to be
impaired — by alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems, or by fatigue.
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.
4-17

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 film caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and flash 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.
4-18

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.
Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine
again and repeat this only when you feel really
uncomfortable from the cold. But do it as little as
possible. Preserve the fuel as long as you can. To help
keep warm, you can get out of the vehicle and do
some fairly vigorous exercises every half hour or so until
help comes.
4-30

Service............................................................5-3
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-3
Adding Equipment to the Outside of Your
Vehicle......................................................5-4
Fuel................................................................5-5
Gasoline Octane............................................5-5
Gasoline Specifications....................................5-5
California Fuel...............................................5-6
Additives.......................................................5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-7
Filling Your Tank............................................5-7
Filling a Portable Fuel Container.......................5-9
Checking Things Under
the Hood....................................................5-10
Hood Release..............................................5-10
Engine Compartment Overview.......................5-12
Engine Oil...................................................5-15
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-20
Automatic Transaxle Fluid..............................5-21
Manual Transaxle Fluid..................................5-22
Hydraulic Clutch...........................................5-22
Engine Coolant.............................................5-23
Engine Overheating.......................................5-25
Cooling System............................................5-28
Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-34Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-35
Brakes........................................................5-37
Battery........................................................5-40
Jump Starting...............................................5-41
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-47
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-47
Headlamps..................................................5-47
Front Turn Signal and
Parking Lamps..........................................5-48
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL).........5-48
Taillamps, Turn Signal, and Stoplamps............5-49
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-49
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-50
Tires..............................................................5-51
Inflation - Tire Pressure.................................5-58
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-60
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-61
Buying New Tires.........................................5-62
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-63
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-64
Wheel Replacement......................................5-65
Tire Chains..................................................5-66
If a Tire Goes Flat........................................5-67
Changing a Flat Tire.....................................5-68
Compact Spare Tire......................................5-77
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

Bulb Replacement
For replacement bulb sizes, seeReplacement Bulbs on
page 5-49. For any bulb changing procedure not
listed in this section, contact your dealer.
Halogen Bulbs
{CAUTION:
Halogen bulbs have pressurized gas inside
and can burst if you drop or scratch the bulb.
You or others could be injured. Be sure to read
and follow the instructions on the bulb
package.
Headlamps
1. Lift up on the two retaining clips which secure the
headlamp assembly.
5-47

2. Lift and pull the headlamp assembly forward, out of
the mounting bracket.
3. Turn the bulb assembly retainer counterclockwise
one-sixth of a turn and pull out the bulb assembly.
4. Unclip the bulb assembly from the wiring harness.
5. After replacing the bulb, reverse Steps 1 through 4
to reinstall the bulb assembly and headlamp
assembly.
Front Turn Signal and
Parking Lamps
1. Remove the headlamp assembly. Refer to the
removal procedure earlier in this section.
2. Turn the bulb assembly retainer and pull out
the bulb.
3. Unclip the bulb assembly from the wiring harness.
4. When replacing the bulb, be sure to properly
align the bulb with the locating feature in the
assembly.
5. Reverse Steps 1 through 3 to reinstall the bulb
assembly.
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp
(CHMSL)
1. Open the trunk lid and locate the center
high-mounted stoplamp on the inside of the lid.
2. Remove the three screws.
3. Gently remove and replace the bulb(s).
4. Reverse Steps 1 and 2 to reassemble the lamp
assembly.
5-48

Wheel Replacement
Replace any wheel that is bent, cracked or badly rusted
or corroded. If wheel nuts keep coming loose, the
wheel, wheel bolts and wheel nuts should be replaced.
If the wheel leaks air, replace it (except some
aluminum wheels, which can sometimes be repaired).
See your dealer if any of these conditions exist.
Your dealer will know the kind of wheel you need.
Each new wheel should have the same load-carrying
capacity, diameter, width, offset and be mounted
the same way as the one it replaces.
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.{CAUTION:
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.
SeeChanging a Flat Tire on page 5-68for more
information.
5-65