2004 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX overheating

HEADLAMPS SUGGESTED
This message appears when the amount of available
light outside the vehicle is low and the exterior
lamps control is off. This message informs the driver
that turning on the exterior lamps is recommended even
though the Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) are still
illuminated and it has become dark enough outside to
require the headlamps and/or other exterior lamps.
This message will display while the ignition is in RUN.
A chime will sound for two seconds when this message
is displayed. Press the set/reset button to acknowledge
this warning message and to clear it from the screen.
This message will continue to display if it has not been
acknowledged when the engine is turned off. It will
also re-display for three seconds if the message has
been acknowledged, but the condition still exists
when the engine is turned off.
The message will re-appear when the engine is turned
on and the condition still exists.
HOT COOLANT
Notice:If the HOT COOLANT warning message
appears on the DIC display, stop the vehicle as soon
as possible. Do not increase the engine speed
above normal idling speed. Severe engine damage
can result from driving a vehicle with an overheated
engine. See ªEngine Overheatingº in the Service
and Appearance Care section for more information.
This symbol will appear
with the HOT COOLANT
warning message.
This warning message will appear while the engine
coolant temperature is too hot. The hot coolant
temperature warning light will also appear on the
instrument panel cluster. Also, the engine coolant
temperature gage will read in the red or ªhotº area.
See
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Light
on page 3-39andEngine Coolant Temperature Gage
on page 3-39for more information.
3-70

Making Turns
Notice:Making very sharp turns while trailering
could cause the trailer to come in contact with
the vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged.
Avoid making very sharp turns while trailering.
When you're turning with a trailer, make wider turns than
normal. Do this so your trailer won't strike soft shoulders,
curbs, road signs, trees or other objects. Avoid jerky or
sudden maneuvers. Signal well in advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle may need a
different turn signal ¯asher and/or extra wiring.
Check with your dealer. The arrows on your instrument
panel will ¯ash whenever you signal a turn or lane
change. Properly hooked up, the trailer lamps will also
¯ash, telling other drivers you're about to turn,
change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the arrows on your instrument
panel will ¯ash for turns even if the bulbs on the trailer
are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers behind
you are seeing your signal when they are not. It's
important to check occasionally to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working.Your vehicle has bulb warning lights. When you plug
a trailer lighting system into your vehicle's lighting
system, its bulb warning lights may not let you know if
one of your lamps goes out. So, when you have a trailer
lighting system plugged in, be sure to check your
vehicle and trailer lamps from time to time to be sure
they're all working. Once you disconnect the trailer
lamps, the bulb warning lights again can tell you if one
of your vehicle lamps is out.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start
down a long or steep downgrade. If you don't shift
down, you might have to use your brakes so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce your
speed to around 45 mph (70 km/h) to reduce the
possibility of engine and transaxle overheating.
If you have overdrive, you may have to drive in
THIRD (3) instead of AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D).
4-42

Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you're
pulling a trailer. SeePart A: Scheduled Maintenance
Services on page 6-4for more information. Things that
are especially important in trailer operation are automatic
transaxle ¯uid (don't over®ll), engine oil, drive belts,
cooling system and brake system. Each of these is
covered in this manual, and the Index will help you ®nd
them quickly. If you're trailering, it's a good idea to review
this information before you start your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
Engine Cooling When Trailer Towing
Your cooling system may temporarily overheat during
severe operating conditions. SeeEngine Overheating
on page 5-29.
4-44

Service............................................................5-3
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-3
Adding Equipment to the Outside
of Your Vehicle...........................................5-4
Fuel................................................................5-4
Gasoline Octane............................................5-4
Gasoline Speci®cations....................................5-5
California Fuel...............................................5-5
Additives.......................................................5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-7
Filling Your Tank............................................5-7
Filling a Portable Fuel Container.....................5-10
Checking Things Under the Hood....................5-10
Hood Release..............................................5-11
Engine Compartment Overview.......................5-12
Engine Oil...................................................5-16
Supercharger Oil..........................................5-21
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-22
Automatic Transaxle Fluid..............................5-24
Engine Coolant.............................................5-26
Radiator Pressure Cap..................................5-29
Engine Overheating.......................................5-29
Cooling System............................................5-32
Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-42
Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-43Brakes........................................................5-45
Battery........................................................5-48
Jump Starting...............................................5-49
Headlamp Aiming...........................................5-56
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-59
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-59
Headlamps and Sidemarker Lamps.................5-60
Front Turn Signal, Parking and
Fog Lamps...............................................5-62
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL).........5-64
Taillamps, Turn Signal, and Stoplamps............5-64
Back-Up Lamps............................................5-65
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-66
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-67
Tires..............................................................5-68
In¯ation -- Tire Pressure................................5-69
Tire Pressure Monitor System.........................5-70
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-71
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-72
Buying New Tires.........................................5-73
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-74
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-75
Wheel Replacement......................................5-75
Tire Chains..................................................5-77
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

3. Check both sides of the dipstick, and read the
lower level. The ¯uid level must be in the
cross-hatched area.
4. If the ¯uid level is in the acceptable range, push the
dipstick back in all the way.
How to Add Fluid
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine
what kind of transaxle ¯uid to use. SeePart D:
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants on page 6-16.
If the ¯uid level is low, add only enough of the proper
¯uid to bring the level into the cross-hatched area on
the dipstick.
1. Pull out the dipstick.
2. Using a long-neck funnel, add enough ¯uid at the
dipstick hole to bring it to the proper level.
It doesn't take much ¯uid, generally less than
one pint (0.5 L). Don't over®ll.
Notice:We recommend you use only ¯uid labeled
DEXRONž-III, because ¯uid with that label is made
especially for your automatic transaxle. Damage
caused by ¯uid other than DEXRON
ž-III is not
covered by your new vehicle warranty.
3. After adding ¯uid, recheck the ¯uid level as
described under ªHow to Checkº listed previously
in this section.
4. When the correct ¯uid level is obtained, push the
dipstick back in all the way.
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in your vehicle is ®lled with
DEX-COOLžengine coolant. This coolant is designed
to remain in your vehicle for 5 years or 150,000 miles
(240 000 km), whichever occurs ®rst, if you add
only DEX-COOL
žextended 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 5-29.
5-26

Checking Coolant
The coolant recovery tank is located in the engine
compartment toward the rear of the engine on
the passenger's side of the vehicle. See
Engine
Compartment Overview on page 5-12for more
information on location.
The vehicle must be on a level surface when checking
the coolant level.
When your engine is cold,
the coolant level should be
at the COLD mark or a
little higher.
When your engine is warm, the level should be up to
the HOT mark or a little higher.
Adding Coolant
This symbol, along with
the LOW COOLANT
LEVEL warning message
will appear in the Driver
Information Center
(DIC) when coolant needs
to be added to the
coolant recovery tank.
See
DIC Controls and Displays on page 3-45for more
information.
If you need more coolant, add the proper DEX-COOL
ž
coolant mixture at the coolant recovery tank, but be
careful not to spill it.
If the coolant recovery tank is completely empty,
add coolant to the radiator. See
Engine Overheating on
page 5-29.
5-28

{CAUTION:
Turning the radiator pressure cap when the
engine and radiator are hot can allow steam
and scalding liquids to blow out and burn you
badly. With the coolant recovery tank, you will
almost never have to add coolant at the
radiator. Never turn the radiator pressure
cap -- even a little -- when the engine and
radiator are hot.
{CAUTION:
You can be burned if you spill coolant on hot
engine parts. Coolant contains ethylene glycol,
and it will burn if the engine parts are hot
enough. Don't spill coolant on a hot engine.
Occasionally check the coolant level in the radiator.
For information on how to add coolant to the radiator,
see
Cooling System on page 5-32.
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
over¯ow tube on the radiator ®ller 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 5-12for more information on location.
Engine Overheating
You will ®nd 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 3-39andEngine Coolant
Temperature Warning Light on page 3-39.
5-29

When the engine is cold,
the coolant level should be
at or above the COLD
mark on the coolant
recovery tank.
If it isn't, you may have a leak at the pressure cap or
in the radiator hoses, heater hoses, radiator, water pump
or somewhere else in the cooling system.
{CAUTION:
Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine
parts, can be very hot. Don't touch them.
If you do, you can be burned.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
Don't run the engine if there is a leak. If you run
the engine, it could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine ®re, and you could be burned.
Get any leak ®xed before you drive the vehicle.
If there seems to be no leak, with the engine on, check
to see if the electric engine cooling fans are running.
If the engine is overheating, both fans should be
running. If they aren't, your vehicle needs service.
Notice:Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn't covered by your warranty.
See ªOverheated Engine Protection Operating
Modeº in the Index for information on driving to
a safe place in an emergency.
Notice:When adding coolant, it is important that
you use only DEX-COOLž(silicate-free) coolant.
If coolant other than DEX-COOLžis added to the
system, premature engine, heater core or radiator
corrosion may result. In addition, the engine coolant
will require change sooner Ð at 30,000 miles
(50 000 km) or 24 months, whichever occurs ®rst.
Damage caused by the use of coolant other than
DEX-COOL
žis not covered by your new vehicle
warranty.
5-34