2005 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE coolant

Highbeam On Light
This light will illuminate
when the headlamp high
beams are in use.
SeeHeadlamp High/Low-Beam Changer on page 3-8.
Low Washer Fluid Warning Light
If your vehicle has the
systems monitor, this light
will come on and a
warning chime will sound
when the washer uid
container is less than
one-third full.
On vehicles with a DIC, the WASHER FLUID LOW
message will come on. SeeDIC Warnings and
Messages on page 3-62for more information.
Check Gages Warning Light
If your vehicle has the
systems monitor, this light
will come on briey as
a bulb check when
your ignition is turned
to ON.
If this light comes on and stays on while you are driving,
check your gages for fuel, coolant temperature, oil
pressure and voltage.
Door Ajar Light
If your vehicle has the
systems monitor, this light
will come on and a warning
chime will sound when the
driver’s door or one of the
passenger’s doors is not
completely closed.
3-54

When you have the oil changed according to the
maintenance schedule, you will have to reset the engine
oil life system. To reset the engine oil life system, see
“How to Reset the Engine Oil Life System” underEngine
Oil Life System on page 5-20.
Tire Pressure Status:Press the SELECT button until
TIRE PRESSURE appears in the display. TIRE
PRESSURE NORMAL is displayed when the Check
Tire Pressure System believes your vehicle’s tire
pressures are normal. If a potential problem is detected,
the display will show CHECK TIRE PRESSURE and
the tire pressure status will show TIRE PRESSURE
LOW. If you see the CHECK TIRE PRESSURE
message, you should stop as soon as you can and
check all your tires for damage. If a tire is at, seeIf a
Tire Goes Flat on page 5-92. Also check the tire
pressure in all four tires as soon as you can. See
Ination - Tire Pressure on page 5-80andCheck Tire
Pressure System on page 5-83.DIC Warnings and Messages
Other messages or warnings may appear in the DIC
display. For Canadian drivers, in addition to the
DIC message your DIC will display EXP with a number
after it which reects the following messages:
EXP
(Export ID) Warning Message
6 TRANSMISSION HOT IDLE ENGINE**
9 CHECK GAGES VOLT
11 CHECK GAGES LOW FUEL
15 LOW ENGINE COOLANT**
16 ENGINE HOT A/C DISABLED
20 TURN SIGNAL ON?
24 TRUNK AJAR
25 WASHER FLUID LOW
27 BATTERY SAVER ACTIVE
32 ENGINE HOT IDLE ENGINE**
33 STARTING DISABLED — THEFT*
34 SERVICE THEFT SYSTEM
35 CHECK GAGES OIL PRESSURE*
36 OIL LEVEL LOW
37 BRAKE FLUID LOW*
40 ALARM OCCURRED
44 CHECK GAGES TEMPERATURE*
3-62

Service............................................................5-3
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-4
Adding Equipment to the Outside
of Your Vehicle...........................................5-5
Fuel................................................................5-5
Gasoline Octane............................................5-5
Gasoline Specications....................................5-6
California Fuel...............................................5-6
Additives.......................................................5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-7
Filling Your Tank............................................5-8
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
Engine Oil Life System..................................5-20
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter (3.8L V6 Engine).......5-22
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter (4.6L V8 Engine).......5-23
Automatic Transaxle Fluid (3.8L V6 Engine).....5-25
Automatic Transaxle Fluid (4.6L V8 Engine).....5-28
Engine Coolant (3.8L V6 Engine)....................5-31
Engine Coolant (4.6L V8 Engine)....................5-34
Radiator Pressure Cap (3.8L V6 Engine)..........5-36
Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap
(4.6L V8 Engine).......................................5-36Engine Overheating (3.8L V6 Engine)...............5-36
Engine Overheating (4.6L V8 Engine)...............5-38
Overheated Engine Protection Operating
Mode (4.6L V8 Engine)..............................5-40
Cooling System (3.8L V6 Engine)....................5-40
Cooling System (4.6L V8 Engine)....................5-47
Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-52
Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-53
Brakes........................................................5-54
Battery........................................................5-57
Jump Starting (3.8L V6 Engine)......................5-59
Jump Starting (4.6L V8 Engine)......................5-63
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-67
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-67
Headlamps..................................................5-68
Front Turn Signal and Parking Lamps..............5-69
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps and
Back-up Lamps.........................................5-71
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-72
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-73
Tires..............................................................5-74
Tire Sidewall Labelling...................................5-75
Tire Terminology and Denitions.....................5-77
Ination - Tire Pressure.................................5-80
Check Tire Pressure System..........................5-83
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-85
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

Filling a Portable Fuel Container
{CAUTION:
Never ll a portable fuel container while it is in
your vehicle. Static electricity discharge from
the container can ignite the gasoline vapor.
You can be badly burned and your vehicle
damaged if this occurs. To help avoid injury to
you and others:
Dispense gasoline only into approved
containers.
Do not ll a container while it is inside a
vehicle, in a vehicle’s trunk, pickup bed or
on any surface other than the ground.
Bring the ll nozzle in contact with the
inside of the ll opening before operating
the nozzle. Contact should be maintained
until the lling is complete.
Do not smoke while pumping gasoline.
Checking Things Under
the Hood
{CAUTION:
An electric fan under the hood can start up
and injure you even when the engine is not
running. Keep hands, clothing and tools away
from any underhood electric fan.
{CAUTION:
Things that burn can get on hot engine parts
and start a re. These include liquids like fuel,
oil, coolant, brake uid, windshield washer and
other uids, and plastic or rubber. You or
others could be burned. Be careful not to drop
or spill things that will burn onto a hot engine.
5-10

A. Engine Compartment Fuse Block. SeeEngine
Compartment Fuse Block (3.8L V6 Engine) on
page 5-112orEngine Compartment Fuse Block
(4.6L V8 Engine) on page 5-114.
B. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding
Washer Fluid” underWindshield Washer Fluid
on page 5-53.
C. Engine Coolant Recovery Tank. See “Checking
Coolant” underEngine Coolant (3.8L V6 Engine)
on page 5-31orEngine Coolant (4.6L V8 Engine)
on page 5-34.
D. Radiator Pressure Cap. SeeRadiator Pressure Cap
(3.8L V6 Engine) on page 5-36.
E. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir. SeePower Steering
Fluid on page 5-52.F. Engine Oil Dipstick. See “Checking Engine Oil”
underEngine Oil on page 5-16.
G. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When to Add Engine Oil”
underEngine Oil on page 5-16.
H. Automatic Transaxle Fluid Dipstick. See “Checking
the Fluid Level” underAutomatic Transaxle Fluid
(3.8L V6 Engine) on page 5-25orAutomatic
Transaxle Fluid (4.6L V8 Engine) on page 5-28.
I. Brake Master Cylinder. See “Brake Fluid” under
Brakes on page 5-54.
J. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. SeeEngine Air
Cleaner/Filter (3.8L V6 Engine) on page 5-22or
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter (4.6L V8 Engine) on
page 5-23.
5-13

A. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding
Washer Fluid” underWindshield Washer Fluid
on page 5-53.
B. Engine Compartment Fuse Block. SeeEngine
Compartment Fuse Block (3.8L V6 Engine) on
page 5-112orEngine Compartment Fuse Block
(4.6L V8 Engine) on page 5-114.
C. Engine Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap.
SeeCoolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap
(4.6L V8 Engine) on page 5-36andCooling System
(3.8L V6 Engine) on page 5-40orCooling System
(4.6L V8 Engine) on page 5-47.
D. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir. SeePower Steering
Fluid on page 5-52.
E. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When to Add Engine Oil”
underEngine Oil on page 5-16.F. Engine Oil Dipstick. See “Checking Engine Oil”
underEngine Oil on page 5-16.
G. Brake Master Cylinder. See “Brake Fluid” under
Brakes on page 5-54.
H. Automatic Transaxle Fluid Cap and Dipstick.
See “Checking the Fluid Level” underAutomatic
Transaxle Fluid (3.8L V6 Engine) on page 5-25or
Automatic Transaxle Fluid (4.6L V8 Engine) on
page 5-28.
I. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. SeeEngine Air
Cleaner/Filter (3.8L V6 Engine) on page 5-22or
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter (4.6L V8 Engine) on
page 5-23.
5-15

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 6-24.
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 does not take much uid, generally less than
one pint (0.5 L).Do not overll.
Notice:Use of automatic transaxle uid labeled
other than DEXRON
®-III, Approved for the
H-Specication, may damage your vehicle, and the
damages may not be covered by your warranty.
Always use automatic transaxle uid labeled
DEXRON
®-III, Approved for the H-Specication.
3. After adding uid, recheck the uid level as
described under “How to Check,” earlier in
this section.
4. When the correct uid level is obtained, push
the dipstick back in all the way and turn the
handle clockwise.
Engine Coolant (3.8L V6 Engine)
The cooling system in your vehicle is lled with
DEX-COOL®engine 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 extended 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, seeEngine Overheating
(3.8L V6 Engine) on page 5-36orEngine Overheating
(4.6L V8 Engine) on page 5-38.
A 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL
®coolant will:
Give freezing protection down to−34°F (−37°C).
Give boiling protection up to 265°F (129°C).
Protect against rust and corrosion.
Help keep the proper engine temperature.
Let the warning lights and gages work as
they should.
Notice:Using coolant other than DEX-COOL
®may
cause premature engine, heater core or radiator
corrosion. In addition, the engine coolant may
require changing sooner, at 30,000 miles (50 000 km)
or 24 months, whichever occurs rst. Any repairs
would not be covered by your warranty. Always use
DEX-COOL
®(silicate-free) coolant in your vehicle.
5-31

What to Use
Use a mixture of one-halfclean, drinkable waterand
one-half DEX-COOL®coolant which will not damage
aluminum parts. If you use this coolant mixture, you do
not 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 would not 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
®coolant.
Notice:If you use an improper coolant mixture,
your engine could overheat and be badly damaged.
The repair cost would not 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 do not
have to add extra inhibitors or additives which claim
to improve the system. These can be harmful.
Checking Coolant
The engine coolant
recovery tank is located in
the engine compartment
on the passenger’s
side of the vehicle, near
the windshield. SeeEngine
Compartment Overview
on page 5-12for more
information on location.
The vehicle must be on a level surface. When your
engine is cold, the coolant level should be at the
FULL COLD mark or a little higher. When your engine is
warm, the level should be up to the FULL HOT mark
or a little higher.
5-32