2007 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX maintenance

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
the rst maintenance service after each
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.
What to Use
Use a mixture of one-half clean, drinkable water
and one-half DEX-COOL®engine coolant
which will not damage aluminum parts. If this
coolant mixture is used, nothing else needs to be
added.
{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.
361

When you replace parts of your braking
system — for example, when your brake linings
wear down and you need new ones put in — be
sure you get new approved GM replacement parts.
If you do not, your brakes may no longer work
properly. For example, if someone puts in brake
linings that are wrong for your vehicle, the
balance between your front and rear brakes can
change — for the worse. The braking performance
you have come to expect can change in many other
ways if someone puts in the wrong replacement
brake parts.
Battery
Your vehicle has a maintenance free battery.
When it is time for a new battery, get one that has
the replacement number shown on the original
battery’s label. We recommend an ACDelco
®
replacement battery. SeeEngine Compartment
Overview on page 346for battery location.
Warning:Battery posts, terminals, and related
accessories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive harm. Wash
hands after handling.If the battery has a very low charge or is dead,
you may not be able to remove the ignition
key from the ignition switch or shift out of
PARK (P). Refer toShifting Out of Park (P) on
page 117.
Vehicle Storage
If you are not going to drive your vehicle for
25 days or more, remove the black, negative (−)
cable from the battery. This will help keep the
battery from running down.
{CAUTION:
Batteries have acid that can burn you and
gas that can explode. You can be badly
hurt if you are not careful. SeeJump
Starting on page 382for tips on working
around a battery without getting hurt.
381

Windshield Replacement
If your vehicle is equipped with the Head-Up
Display (HUD) system, keep in mind that your
windshield is part of the HUD system. If you ever
have to get your windshield replaced, be sure
to get one that is designed for HUD or your HUD
image may look blurred or out of focus.
Windshield Wiper Blade
Replacement
Windshield wiper blades should be inspected for
wear or cracking. SeeScheduled Maintenance
on page 473for more information on wiper blade
inspection.Replacement blades come in different types and
are removed in different ways. For the proper type
and length, seeNormal Maintenance Replacement
Parts on page 484. Here is how to remove the
wiper blade:
1. Pull the windshield wiper arm connector away
from the windshield.
2. While holding the wiper arm, pull the clip up
from the blade connecting point, and pull the
blade assembly down toward the windshield
to remove it from the wiper arm.
3. Install the new wiper blade onto the wiper arm
and snap the clip into place.
399

For additional information and details about the
DIC operation and displays seeDIC Controls and
Displays (Base Level DIC) on page 186orDIC
Controls and Displays (Uplevel DIC with Trip
Computer) on page 190andDIC Warnings and
Messages on page 200.
During cooler weather conditions, the low tire
pressure warning light and the DIC warning
message may come on when the vehicle is rst
started and then turn off as you start to drive. This
could be an early indicator that the tire pressures
are getting low and need to be inated to the
proper pressure.
Each tire, including the spare (if provided), should
be checked monthly when cold and inated to
the ination pressure recommended by the vehicle
manufacturer on the vehicle placard or tire
ination pressure label. (If your vehicle has tires of
a different size than the size indicated on the
vehicle placard or tire ination pressure label, you
should determine the proper tire ination
pressure for those tires.)As an added safety
feature, your vehicle
has been equipped with
a tire pressure
monitoring system
(TPMS) that illuminates
a low tire pressure
telltale when one
or more of your tires is
signicantly
under-inated.
Accordingly, when the low tire pressure telltale
illuminates, you should stop and check your tires as
soon as possible, and inate them to the proper
pressure. Driving on a signicantly under-inated
tire causes the tire to overheat and can lead to tire
failure. Under-ination also reduces fuel efficiency
and tire tread life, and may affect the vehicle’s
handling and stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for
proper tire maintenance, and it is the driver’s
responsibility to maintain correct tire pressure, even
if under-ination has not reached the level to trigger
illumination of the TPMS low tire pressure telltale.
410

Your vehicle has also been equipped with a TPMS
malfunction indicator to indicate when the
system is not operating properly. The TPMS
malfunction indicator is combined with the low tire
pressure telltale. When the system detects a
malfunction, the telltale will ash for approximately
one minute and then remain continuously
illuminated. This sequence will continue upon
subsequent vehicle start-ups as long as the
malfunction exists.
When the malfunction indicator is illuminated, the
system may not be able to detect or signal low
tire pressure as intended. TPMS malfunctions may
occur for a variety of reasons, including the
installation of replacement or alternate tires or
wheels on the vehicle that prevent the TPMS from
functioning properly. Always check the TPMS
malfunction telltale after replacing one or more
tires or wheels on your vehicle to ensure that the
replacement or alternate tires and wheels allow
the TPMS to continue to function properly.
A Tire and Loading Information label, attached to
your vehicle, shows the size of your vehicle’s
original equipment tires and the correct ination
pressure for your vehicle’s tires when they are cold.SeeLoading Your Vehicle on page 317, for an
example of the Tire and Loading Information
label and its location on your vehicle. Also see
Ination - Tire Pressure on page 408.
Your vehicle’s TPMS system can warn you about
a low tire pressure condition but it does not
replace normal tire maintenance. SeeTire
Inspection and Rotation on page 414andTires on
page 400.
Notice:Do not use a tire sealant if your
vehicle has Tire Pressure Monitors. The liquid
sealant can damage the tire pressure monitor
sensors.
The TPMS will not function properly if one or more
of the TPMS sensors are missing or inoperable.
If the system detects a missing or inoperable
sensor, an error message SERVICE TIRE
MONITOR SYSTEM appears on the DIC display.
If you have replaced a tire/wheel assembly
without transferring the TPMS sensors, the error
message displays. Once you re-install the
TPMS sensors, the error message should go off.
See your dealer for service if all TPMS sensors
are installed and the error message comes on and
stays on.
411

Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tire rotation is not recommended if your vehicle is
a GXP model equipped with P255/45R18 size
tires on the front wheels and P225/50R18 size tires
on the rear wheels. Different tire sizes front to
rear should not be rotated.
Tire rotation is recommended if the original
equipment tires installed on your vehicle are
of the same size and type on all four tire/wheel
positions. Original equipment tires of the
same size and type should be rotated every
5,000 to 8,000 miles (8 000 to 13 000 km).
Any time you notice unusual wear, rotate your
vehicle’s tires as soon as possible and check the
wheel alignment. Also check for damaged tires
or wheels. SeeWhen It Is Time for New Tires on
page 415andWheel Replacement on page 419
for more information.
The purpose of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear for all tires on the vehicle. The
rst rotation is the most important. SeeScheduled
Maintenance on page 473for scheduled rotation
intervals.The correct rotation pattern shown here is only for
non-GXP tires.
Do not include the compact spare tire, if equipped,
in your vehicle’s tire rotation.
After the tires have been rotated, adjust the front
and rear ination pressures as shown on the Tire
and Loading Information label, and reset the Tire
Pressure Monitor System. SeeTire Pressure
Monitor System on page 409for additional
information.
Rotation Pattern for Non-GXP Tires Only
414

If a Tire Goes Flat
It is unusual for a tire to blowout while you are
driving, especially if you maintain your tires
properly. SeeTires on page 400. If air goes out of
a tire, it is much more likely to leak out slowly.
But if you should ever have a blowout, here are a
few tips about what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the at tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your
foot off the accelerator pedal and grip the steering
wheel rmly. Steer to maintain lane position,
and then gently brake to a stop well out of the
traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much
like a skid and may require the same correction
you’d use in a skid. In any rear blowout, remove
your foot from the accelerator pedal. Get the
vehicle under control by steering the way you want
the vehicle to go. It may be very bumpy and
noisy, but you can still steer. Gently brake to a
stop, well off the road if possible.If a tire goes at, and your vehicle has a spare
tire, seeChanging a Flat Tire on page 435.
This information shows you how to use your
vehicle’s tire changing equipment and how
to change a at tire safely.
{CAUTION:
Lifting a vehicle and getting under it to do
maintenance or repairs is dangerous
without the appropriate safety equipment
and training. The jack provided with your
vehicle is designed only for changing a
at tire. If it is used for anything else, you
or others could be badly injured or killed
if the vehicle slips off the jack. Use the
jack provided with your vehicle only for
changing a at tire.
422

{CAUTION:
Lifting a vehicle and getting under it to do
maintenance or repairs is dangerous
without the appropriate safety equipment
and training. The jack provided with your
vehicle is designed only for changing a
at tire. If it is used for anything else, you
or others could be badly injured or killed
if the vehicle slips off the jack. Use the
jack provided with your vehicle only for
changing a at tire.
5. Raise the vehicle by turning the jack handle
clockwise. Raise the vehicle far enough off
the ground for the compact spare tire to attach
to the vehicle.
441