2005 PONTIAC GTO Owners Manual

And, if you do have a heavy load, you should spread
it out.
{CAUTION:
Do not load your vehicle any heavier than the
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), or either
the maximum front or rear Gross Axle Weight
Rating (GAWR). If you do, parts on your
vehicle can break, and it can change the way
your vehicle handles. These could cause you
to lose control and crash. Also, overloading
can shorten the life of your vehicle.
If you put things inside your vehicle — like suitcases,
tools, packages, or anything else — they will go as fast
as the vehicle goes. If you have to stop or turn
quickly, or if there is a crash, they will keep going.
{CAUTION:
Things you put inside your vehicle can strike
and injure people in a sudden stop or turn, or
in a crash.
Put things in the rear area of your vehicle.
Try to spread the weight evenly. If you
have fold-down rear seats, you will nd
four anchors on the back wall of your
trunk. You can use these anchors to tie
down lighter loads. They are not strong
enough for heavy things, however, so put
them as far forward as you can in the
trunk or rear area.
Never stack heavier things, like suitcases,
inside the vehicle so that some of them
are above the tops of the seats.
Do not leave an unsecured child restraint
in your vehicle.
When you carry something inside the
vehicle, secure it whenever you can.
Do not leave a seat folded down unless
you need to.
4-33

Towing
Towing Your Vehicle
Consult your dealer or a professional towing service if
you need to have your disabled vehicle towed. See
Roadside Assistance Program on page 7-6.
If you want to tow your vehicle behind another vehicle
for recreational purposes (such as behind a motorhome),
see “Recreational Vehicle Towing” following.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
Recreational vehicle towing means towing your vehicle
behind another vehicle — such as behind a motorhome.
The two most common types of recreational vehicle
towing are known as “dinghy towing”, which is towing
your vehicle with all four wheels on the ground, and
“dolly towing” which is towing your vehicle with
two wheels on the ground and two wheels up on a
device known as a “dolly”.
Your vehicle was not designed to be towed with any of
its wheels on the ground. If your vehicle must be
towed, see “Towing Your Vehicle” earlier in this section.
Towing a Trailer
Your vehicle is neither designed nor intended to tow
a trailer.
4-34

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 Specifications....................................5-5
California Fuel...............................................5-6
Additives.......................................................5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-7
Filling the 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...................................................5-13
Engine Oil Life System..................................5-16
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-18
Automatic Transmission Fluid.........................5-19
Manual Transmission Fluid.............................5-21
Hydraulic Clutch...........................................5-22
Engine Coolant.............................................5-23
Radiator Pressure Cap..................................5-26
Engine Overheating.......................................5-26
Cooling System............................................5-29Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-34
Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-35
Brakes........................................................5-36
Battery........................................................5-39
Jump Starting...............................................5-40
Headlamp Aiming...........................................5-45
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-47
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-47
Headlamps..................................................5-47
Front Turn Signal and Parking Lamps..............5-49
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps and
Back-up Lamps.........................................5-50
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-51
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-52
Tires..............................................................5-52
Tire Sidewall Labelling...................................5-54
Tire Terminology and Definitions.....................5-56
Inflation - Tire Pressure.................................5-59
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-62
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-63
Buying New Tires.........................................5-64
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-64
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-66
Wheel Replacement......................................5-66
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

Tire Chains..................................................5-67
If a Tire Goes Flat........................................5-68
Changing a Flat Tire.....................................5-68
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools................5-70
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing
the Spare Tire..........................................5-71
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools............5-75
Compact Spare Tire......................................5-76
Appearance Care............................................5-76
Fabric/Carpet...............................................5-77
Vinyl...........................................................5-78
Leather.......................................................5-79
Instrument Panel..........................................5-79
Interior Plastic Components............................5-79
Glass Surfaces.............................................5-79
Care of Safety Belts......................................5-79
Weatherstrips...............................................5-80
Washing Your Vehicle...................................5-80
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses.....................5-80Finish Care..................................................5-80
Windshield and Wiper Blades.........................5-81
Aluminum Wheels.........................................5-81
Tires...........................................................5-82
Sheet Metal Damage.....................................5-82
Finish Damage.............................................5-82
Underbody Maintenance................................5-83
Chemical Paint Spotting.................................5-83
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials..................5-84
Vehicle Identication......................................5-85
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).................5-85
Service Parts Identification Label.....................5-85
Electrical System............................................5-85
Add-On Electrical Equipment..........................5-85
Fuses and Circuit Breakers............................5-86
Instrument Panel Fuse Block..........................5-86
Engine Compartment Fuse Block....................5-88
Capacities and Specications..........................5-90
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-2

Service
Your dealer knows your vehicle best and wants you to
be happy with it. We hope you will go to your dealer
for all your service needs. You will get genuine GM parts
and GM-trained and supported service people.
We hope you will want to keep your GM vehicle all GM.
Genuine GM parts have one of these marks:
California Proposition 65 Warning
Most motor vehicles, including this one, contain and/or
emit chemicals known to the State of California to
cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive
harm. Engine exhaust, many parts and systems
(including some inside the vehicle), many fluids, and
some component wear by-products contain and/or emit
these chemicals.
5-3

Doing Your Own Service Work
If you want to do some of your own service work, you
will want to use the proper service manual. It tells
you much more about how to service your vehicle than
this manual can. To order the proper service manual,
seeService Publications Ordering Information on
page 7-11.
Your vehicle has an airbag system. Before attempting to
do your own service work, seeServicing Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on page 1-50.
You should keep a record with all parts receipts and list
the mileage and the date of any service work you
perform. SeeMaintenance Record on page 6-15.{CAUTION:
You can be injured and your vehicle could be
damaged if you try to do service work on a
vehicle without knowing enough about it.
Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, the proper replacement parts,
and tools before you attempt any vehicle
maintenance task.
Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts, and
other fasteners. English and metric
fasteners can be easily confused. If you
use the wrong fasteners, parts can later
break or fall off. You could be hurt.
5-4

Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle
Things you might add to the outside of your vehicle can
affect the airflow around it. This may cause wind
noise and affect windshield washer performance.
Check with your dealer before adding equipment to the
outside of your vehicle.
Fuel
Use of the recommended fuel is an important part of the
proper maintenance of your vehicle.
Gasoline Octane
Use premium unleaded gasoline with a posted octane of
91 or higher for best performance. You may also use
middle grade or regular unleaded gasoline rated at87 octane or higher, but your vehicle’s acceleration may
be slightly reduced. If the octane is less than 87, you
may get a heavy knocking noise when you drive. If this
occurs, use a gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher
as soon as possible. Otherwise, you might damage
your engine.
Gasoline Specications
It is recommended that gasoline meet specifications
which were developed by automobile manufacturers
around the world and contained in the World-Wide Fuel
Charter which is available from the Alliance of Automobile
Manufacturers at www.autoalliance.org/fuel_charter.htm.
Gasoline meeting these specifications could provide
improved driveability and emission control system
performance compared to other gasoline.
5-5

California Fuel
If your vehicle is certified to meet California Emission
Standards, it is designed to operate on fuels that
meet California specifications. See the underhood
emission control label. If this fuel is not available
in states adopting California emissions standards, your
vehicle will operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting
federal specifications, but emission control system
performance may be affected. The malfunction indicator
lamp may turn on and your vehicle may fail a
smog-check test. SeeMalfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 3-28. If this occurs, return to your authorized
GM dealer for diagnosis. If it is determined that
the condition is caused by the type of fuel used, repairs
may not be covered by your warranty.
Additives
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines in the United States
are now required to contain additives that will help
prevent engine and fuel system deposits from forming,
allowing your emission control system to work properly. In
most cases, you should not have to add anything to your
fuel. However, some gasolines contain only the minimum
amount of additive required to meet U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency regulations. General Motors
recommends that you buy gasolines that are advertised
to help keep fuel injectors and intake valves clean. If your
vehicle experiences problems due to dirty injectors or
valves, try a different brand of gasoline. Also, your
GM dealer has additives that will help correct and prevent
most deposit-related problems.
Gasolines containing oxygenates, such as ethers and
ethanol, and reformulated gasolines may be available in
your area to contribute to clean air. General Motors
recommends that you use these gasolines, particularly if
they comply with the specifications described earlier.
5-6