2005 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE brake fluid

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

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 Check
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you
may choose to have this done at the dealership
service department.
If you do it yourself, be sure to follow all the instructions
here, or you could get a false reading on the dipstick.
Notice:Too much or too little uid can damage the
transaxle. Too much can mean that some of the
uid could come out and fall on hot engine or
exhaust system parts, starting a re. Too little uid
could cause the transaxle to overheat. Be sure
to get an accurate reading if you check the
transaxle uid.
Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the transaxle
uid level if you have been driving:
When outside temperatures are above 90°F (32°C).
At high speed for quite a while.
In heavy traffic — especially in hot weather.
While pulling a trailer.To get the right reading, the uid should be at normal
operating temperature, which is 180°F to 200°F
(82°C to 93°C).
Get the vehicle warmed up by driving about 15 miles
(24 km) when outside temperatures are above 50°F
(10°C). If it is colder than 50°F (10°C), you may have to
drive longer.
Checking the Fluid Level
Prepare your vehicle as follows:
Park your vehicle on a level place. Keep the
engine running.
With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever
in PARK (P).
With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift
lever through each gear range, pausing for about
three seconds in each range. Then, position the shift
lever in PARK (P).
Let the engine run at idle for three to ve minutes.
5-26

How to Check
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you
may choose to have this done at the dealership
service department.
If you do it yourself, be sure to follow all the instructions
here, or you could get a false reading on the dipstick.
Notice:Too much or too little uid can damage the
transaxle. Too much can mean that some of the
uid could come out and fall on hot engine or
exhaust system parts, starting a re. Too little uid
could cause the transaxle to overheat. Be sure
to get an accurate reading if you check the
transaxle uid.
Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the transaxle
uid level if you have been driving:
When outside temperatures are above 90°F (32°C).
At high speed for quite a while.
In heavy traffic — especially in hot weather.
While pulling a trailer.To get the right reading, the uid should be at normal
operating temperature, which is 180°F to 200°F
(82°C to 93°C).
Get the vehicle warmed up by driving about 15 miles
(24 km) when outside temperatures are above 50°F
(10°C). If it is colder than 50° F (10°C), you may have
to drive longer.
Checking the Fluid Level
Prepare you vehicle as follows:
Park your vehicle on a level place. Keep the
engine running.
With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever
in PARK (P).
With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift
lever through each gear range, pausing for about
three seconds in each range. Then, position the shift
lever in PARK (P).
Let the engine run at idle for three to ve minutes.
5-29

Brakes
Brake Fluid
Your master cylinder
reservoir is lled with
DOT-3 brake uid.
SeeEngine Compartment
Overview on page 5-12
for the location of the
reservoir.
There are only two reasons why the brake uid level in
the reservoir might go down. The rst is that the
brake uid goes down to an acceptable level during
normal brake lining wear. When new linings are put in,
the uid level goes back up. The other reason is
that uid is leaking out of the brake system. If it is, you
should have your brake system xed, since a leak
means that sooner or later your brakes will not work
well, or will not work at all.So, it is not a good idea to top off your brake uid.
Adding brake uid will not correct a leak. If you add uid
when your linings are worn, then you will have too
much uid when you get new brake linings. You should
add or remove brake uid, as necessary, only when
work is done on the brake hydraulic system
{CAUTION:
If you have too much brake uid, it can spill on
the engine. The uid will burn if the engine is
hot enough. You or others could be burned,
and your vehicle could be damaged. Add brake
uid only when work is done on the brake
hydraulic system.
When your brake uid falls to a low level, your brake
warning light will come on. If your vehicle has the Driver
Information Center, the BRAKE FLUID LOW message
will also be displayed. A chime will sound if you try
to drive with this warning light on. SeeBrake System
Warning Light on page 3-41.
5-54

What to Add
When you do need brake uid, use only DOT-3 brake
uid. Use new brake uid from a sealed container
only. SeePart D: Recommended Fluids and Lubricants
on page 6-24.
Always clean the brake uid reservoir cap and the area
around the cap before removing it. This will help
keep dirt from entering the reservoir.
{CAUTION:
With the wrong kind of uid in your brake
system, your brakes may not work well, or
they may not even work at all. This could
cause a crash. Always use the proper
brake uid.Notice:
Using the wrong uid can badly damage brake
system parts. For example, just a few drops of
mineral-based oil, such as engine oil, in your
brake system can damage brake system
parts so badly that they will have to be
replaced. Do not let someone put in the
wrong kind of uid.
If you spill brake uid on your vehicle’s painted
surfaces, the paint nish can be damaged.
Be careful not to spill brake uid on your
vehicle. If you do, wash it off immediately.
SeeAppearance Care on page 5-101.
5-55