.. . . . . .... ."I ..,,. , \ 997 I 1 N N EVIllE 7 1-1 2- 1 The 1997PontiacBonneville Owner's Manual Seats and Restraint Systems This section tells you how to use your seats and safety belts properly. It also explains the "SRS'' system. Features and Controls This section explains how to start and operate your Pontiac. 3-1 Comfort Controls and AudioSystems This section tells you how to adjust theventilation and comfort controls and how to operate your audio system. 4- 1 Your Driving andthe Road Here you'll find helpful information and tips about the road and howto drive under different conditions. 5-1 6-1 7-1 Problems on the Road This section tells what to do if you have a problem while driving, such as a flat tire or overheated engine, etc. Service and Appearance Care Here the manual tells you how to keep your Pontiac running properly and looking good. Maintenance Schedule This section tells you when to perform vehicle maintenance and what fluids and lubricants to use. 8- 1 9-1 Customer Assistance Information This section tells you how to contact Pontiac for assistance and how to get service and owner publications. It also gives you information on "Reporting Safety Defects" on page 8-8. Index Here's an alphabetical listing of almost every subject in this manual. You can use it to quickly find something you want to read. i We support voluntary technician certification. GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, PONTIAC, the PONTIAC Emblem and the name BONNEVILLE are registered trademarks of General Motors Corporation. This manual includes the latest information at the time it was printed. We reserve the right to make changes in the product after that time without further notice. For vehicles first sold in Canada, substitute the name "General Motors of Canada Limited" for Pontiac Division whenever it appears in this manual. Please keep this manual in your Pontiac, so it will be there if you ever need it when you're on the road. If you sell the vehicle, please leave this manual in it so the new owner can use it. WE SUPPORT VOLUNTARY TECHNICIAN CERTIFICATION THROUGH National Institule for AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE EXCELLENCE For Canadian Owners Who Prefer a French Language Manual: Aux propriktaires canadiens: Vous pouvez vous procurer un exemplaire de ce guide en franGais chez votre concessionaire ou au: DGN Marketing Services Ltd. 1500 Bonhill Rd. Mississauga, Ontario L5T 1C7 Litho in U.S.A. Part No. 10273370 B First Edition @CopyrightGeneral Motors Corporation 1996 All Rights Reserved How to Use this Manual Many people read their owner's manual from beginning to end when they first receive their new vehicle. If you do this, it will help you learn about the features and controls for your vehicle. In this manual, you'll find that pictures and words work together to explain things quickly. I h!i,CAUTION: hese mean there is something that could hurt you or other people. In the caution area, we tell you what the hazard is. Then we tell youwhat to do to help avoid or reduce the hazard. Please read these cautions. If you don't, you or others could be hurt. You will also find a circle with a slash through it in this book. This safety symbol means "Don't," "Don't do this," or "Don't let this happen." i r Index A good place to look for what you need is the Index in the back of the manual. It's an alphabetical list of all that's in the manual, and the page number where you'll find it. Safety Warnings and Symbols You will find a number of safety cautions in this book. We use a box and the word CAUTION to tell you about things that could hurt you if you were to ignore the warning. iii Vehicle Damage Warnings Also, in this book you will find these notices: I NOTICE: These mean thereis something that could damage your vehicle. In the notice area, we tell you about something that can damage your vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be covered by your warranty, and it could be costly. But the notice will tell you what to do to help avoid the damage. When you read other manuals, you might see CAUTION and NOTICE warningsin different colors orin different words. You'll also see warning labels on your vehicle. They use the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE. iv Vehicle Symbols These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle. For example, these symbols are used on an original battery: CAUTION POSSIBLE INJURY PROTECT EYES BY SHIELDING CAUSTIC BATTERY ACID COULD CAUSE BURNS AVOID SPARKS OR FLAMES SPARK OR FLAME COULD EXPLODE BATTERY L A These symbols are important for you and your passengers whenever your vehicle is driven:' These symbols have to do with your lamps: These symbols are on some of your controls: WINDSHIELD WIPER These symbols are used on warning and indicator lights: Here are some other symbols you may see: DOOR LOCK UNLOCK TURN SIGNALS e WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER WINDOW DEFOGGER COOLANT TEMP BAllERY CHARGING SYSTEM I-1 FUSE LIGHTER t a )tr FASTEN SEAT BELTS BRAKE (a) HORN COOLANT a (@) SPEAKER b p3 V ,111, FOG LAMPS ENGINE OIL PRESSURE 4 FUEL #0 VENTILATING ( FAN ANTI-LOCK BRAKES fi NOTES vi v 1-2 1-5 1-9 1-10 1-10 1-17 1-18 1-18 1-24 Section 1 Seats Restraint and Systems Here you'll find information about the seats in your Pontiac and how to use your safety belts properly. You can also learn about some things you should not do with air bags and safety belts. Seats and Seat Controls Safety Belts: They're for Everyone Here Are Questions Many People Ask About Safety Belts -- and the Answers How to Wear Safety Belts Properly Driver Position Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy Right Front Passenger Position Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Center Passenger Position 1-25 1-29 1-31 1-33 1-41 1-44 1-44 1-44 Rear Seat Passengers Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children and Small Adults Children Child Restraints Larger Children Safety Belt Extender Checking Your Restraint Systems Replacing Restraint System Parts After a Crash Seats and Seat Controls This section tells you about the seats -- how to adjust them -- and also about reclining seatbacks and head restraints. Power Seat (Option) To adjust the power seats on some models: Manual Front Seat CAUTION: Front Control (A): Raise the front of the seat by holding the switch up. Lower the front of the seat by holding the switch down. Center Control (B):Move the seat forward by pressing the control forward, or backward by pressing the control backward. Move the seat higher by holding the control up. Lower the seat by holding the control down. Rear Control (C): Raise the rear of the seat by holding the switch up. Lower the rear of the seat by holding the switch down. You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to adjust a manual driver's seat while the vehicle is moving. The sudden movement could startle and confuse you, or makeyou push a pedal when you don't want to. Adjust the driver's seat only when the vehicle is not moving. Pull up on the control bar under the front of the seat to unlock it. Slide the seat to where you want it. Then release the bar and try to move the seat with your body, to make sure the seat is locked into place. 1-2 Power Lumbar Controls (Option) d Reshapes the lower back area of the seat. m b Reshapes the middle back area of the seat. I i$ Adjusts the position of the seatback side bolsters. 'd Tilts the rear of the seat up or down. Tilts the front of the seat up or down. Reshapes the upper back area of the seat. Adjustable Support Seat (Option) On some models, you'll find the controls on the center console. Slide the selector switch to L or R to choose the frontseat you want to adjust. Reclining Front Seatbacks * &!- Adjusts the seat forward or back. To adjust the seatback, lift the lever on the outer side of the seat and move the seatback to where you want it. Release the lever to lock the seatback. Pull up on the lever and the seat will go to an upright position. iJ Adjusts the seat up or down. &* Adjusts the seatback to an upright or reclined position. 1-3 I Sitting ina reclined position when your vehicle is in motion can be dangerous. Evenyou buckle if up, your safety belts can't do their job when you're reclined like this. The shoulder belt can't do its because it job won't be against yourbody. Instead, it will be in front of you. In a crash you could go into it, receiving neck or other injuries. The lap belt can't do its job either. In a crash the belt could goup over your abdomen. The belt forces would be there, not your pelvic bones. at This could cause serious internal injuries. For proper protectionwhen the vehicle is in motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit well back in the seat and wear your safety belt properly. But don't have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is moving, Head Restraints Slide the head restraint up or down so that the top of the restraint is closest to the top of your ears. This position reduces the chance of a neck injury in a crash. On some models, the head restraints tilt forward and rearward also. 1-4 Safety Belts: They're for Everyone This part of the manual tells you how touse safety belts properly. It also tells you some things you should not do with safety belts. `A CAUTION: And it explains the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS), or air bag system. r A CAUTION: Don't let anyone ride where he or can't wear she a safety belt properly.If you are ina crash and you're not wearinga safety belt, your injuries You inside the can be much worse, can hit things vehicle or be ejected from You can beseriously it. injured orkilled. In the same crash, might you not be if you are buckled up, Always fasten your safety belt, and check that your passengers' belts are fastened properly too. It is extremely dangerous to ride a cargo area, in inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision, people ridingin these areas are more likely to be seriously injured orkilled. Do not allow people to ride in any area your vehicle that is not of equipped with seats and safety belts. Be sure is everyone in your vehicle in a seat and using a safety belt properly. 1-5 FASTEN BELTS Your vehicle has a light that comes on as a reminder to buckle up. (See "Safety Belt Reminder Light" in the Index.) Why Safety Belts Work When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as it goes. In most states and Canadian provinces, the law says to wear safety belts. Here's why: They work. You never know if you'll be in a crash. If you do have a crash, you don't know if it will be a bad one. A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so serious that even buckled up a person wouldn't survive. But most crashes are in between. In many of them, people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk away. Without belts they could have been badly hurt or killed, After more than 25 years of safety belts in vehicles, the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does matter ... a lot! Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it's just a seat on wheels. 1-6 .. Put someone on it. Get it up to speed. Then stopthe vehicle. The rider doesn't stop. 1-7 The person keeps going until stopped by something. In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield ... or the instrument panel ... 1-8 Here Are Questions Many People Ask About Safety Belts -- and the Answers Won't I be trapped in the vehicle after an accident if I'm wearing asafety belt? A: e.' If my vehicle hasair bags, why shouldI have to wear safety belts? You could be -- whether you're wearing a safety belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt, even if you're upside down. And your chance of being conscious during and after an accident, so you can unbuckle and get out, ismuch greater if you are belted. A: or the safety belts! With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does. You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance, and your strongest bones take the forces. That's why safety belts make such good sense. Air bags are in many vehicles today and will be in most of them in the future. But they are supplemental systems only; so they work with safety belts -- not instead of them. Every air bag system ever offered for salehas required the use of safety belts. Even if you're in a vehicle that has air bags, you still have to buckle up to get the most protection. That's true not only in frontal collisions, but especially in side and other collisions. 1-9 &: A: If I'm a good driver,and I never drive far from home, why should I wear safety belts? You may be an excellent driver, but if you're in an accident -- even one that isn't your fault -- you and your passengers can be hurt. Being a good driver doesn't protect you from things beyond your control, such as bad drivers. Most accidents occur within 25 miles (40 k ) m of home. And the greatest number of serious injuries and deaths occur at speeds of less than 40 mph (65 km/h). Safety belts are for everyone. How to Wear Safety Belts Properly Adults This part is only for people of adult size. ...