2004 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX radiator

Engine Coolant Temperature
Warning Light
This light tells you that
the engine coolant has
overheated or the radiator
cooling fan is not working.
If you have been operating the vehicle under normal
driving conditions, you should pull off the road, stop the
vehicle, and turn off the engine as soon as possible.
See
Cooling System on page 5-32for more information.
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
Your vehicle has a gage
that shows the engine
coolant temperature.
If the gage pointer moves into the shaded area,
the engine is too hot. That reading means the engine
coolant has overheated. If you have been operating the
vehicle under normal driving conditions, you should
pull off the road, stop the vehicle, and turn off the engine
as soon as possible.
See
Cooling System on page 5-32for more information.
3-39

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

A. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. (SeeWindshield
Washer Fluid on page 5-43.)
B. Remote Positive (+) Battery Terminal. (See
Jump
Starting on page 5-49.)
C. Battery. (See
Battery on page 5-48).
D. Underhood Fuse Block. (See
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers on page 5-99.)
E. Radiator Pressure Cap. (See
Cooling System on
page 5-32).
F. Engine Coolant Recovery Tank. (See ªChecking
Coolantº under
Cooling System on page 5-32.)
G. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir (low in engine
compartment). (See
Power Steering Fluid on
page 5-42.)H. Electric Cooling Fan. (See
Cooling System on
page 5-32.)
I. Engine Oil Dipstick. (See
Engine Oil on page 5-16.)
J. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See
Engine Oil on page 5-16.
K. Automatic Transaxle Fluid Dipstick. (See
Automatic
Transaxle Fluid on page 5-24.)
L. Engine Coolant Bleed Valve. (See ªHow to Add
Coolant to the Radiatorº under
Cooling System on
page 5-32.)
M. Brake Master Cylinder. (See ªBrake Fluidº under
Brakes on page 5-45.)
N. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. (See
Engine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 5-22.)
5-13

A. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. (SeeWindshield
Washer Fluid on page 5-43.)
B. Remote Positive (+) Battery Terminal. (See
Jump
Starting on page 5-49.)
C. Battery. (See
Battery on page 5-48.)
D. Underhood Fuse Block. (See
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers on page 5-99.)
E. Radiator Pressure Cap. (See
Cooling System on
page 5-32.)
F. Engine Coolant Recovery Tank. (See ªChecking
Coolantº under
Cooling System on page 5-32.)
G. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir (low in engine
compartment). (See
Power Steering Fluid on
page 5-42.)
H. Supercharger Oil Fill Location. (See
Supercharger
Oil on page 5-21.)I. Electric Cooling Fan. (See
Cooling System on
page 5-32.)
J. Engine Oil Dipstick. (See
Engine Oil on page 5-16.)
K. Engine Oil Fill Cap. (See
Engine Oil on page 5-16.)
L. Engine Coolant Bleed Valve. (See ªHow to Add
Coolant to the Radiatorº under
Cooling System on
page 5-32.)
M. Automatic Transaxle Fluid Dipstick. (See
Automatic
Transaxle Fluid on page 5-24.)
N. Brake Master Cylinder. (See ªBrake Fluidº under
Brakes on page 5-45.)
O. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. (See
Engine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 5-22.)
5-15

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

A 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOLžengine coolant will:
·Give freezing protection down to-34ÉF (-37ÉC).
·Give boiling protection up to 265ÉF (129ÉC).
·Protect against rust and corrosion.
·Help keep the proper engine temperature.
·Let the warning lights and gages work as they
should.
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 ± 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.
What to Use
Use a mixture of one-half clean, drinkable water and
one-half DEX-COOLžengine coolant which won't
damage aluminum parts. If you use this coolant mixture,
you don't need to add anything else.
{CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water, or some other
liquid such as alcohol, can boil before the
proper coolant mixture will. Your vehicle's
coolant warning system is set for the proper
coolant mixture. With plain water or the wrong
mixture, your engine could get too hot but you
wouldn't get the overheat warning. Your engine
could catch ®re and you or others could be
burned. Use a 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable
water and DEX-COOL
žcoolant.
Notice:If you use an improper coolant mixture,
your engine could overheat and be badly damaged.
The repair cost wouldn't be covered by your
warranty. Too much water in the mixture can freeze
and crack the engine, radiator, heater core and
other parts.
If you have to add coolant more than four times a year,
have your dealer check your cooling system.
Notice:If you use the proper coolant, you don't
have to add extra inhibitors or additives which claim
to improve the system. These can be harmful.
5-27

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