I 1 COOZ The 2003 PontiacSunfireOwn SeatsandRestraintSystems ........................... 1-1 Front Seats ............................................... 1-2 ............................................... 1-8 Rear Seats .............................................. 1-9 Safety Belts ....................................... 1-30 Child Restraints Air Bag Systems ...................................... 1-49 ............................ 1-59 Restraint System Check Features and Controls ..................................... 2-1 ........................................................ 2-2 Keys Doors and Locks ....................................... 2-8 VV~II~OWS ................................................. 2-14 ............................ 2-1 6 Theft-Deterrent Systems ........... 2-18 Starting and Operating Your Vehicle 2-33 Mirrors .................................................... ...................................... 2-36 Onstar@System ......................................... 2-38 Storage Areas .................................................. 2-39 Sunroof Instrument Panel ............................................. 3-1 Instrument Panel Overview .......................... 3-2 ...................................... 3-1 6 Climate Controls ......... 3-20 Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators Audio System(s) ....................................... 3-35 r Manual a 4-1 Driving Your Vehicle ....................................... Your Driving. theRoad.and Your Vehicle ..... 4-2 ................................................... 4-31 Towing 5-1 Service and Appearance Care .......................... 5-3 Service ..................................................... 5-5 Fuel ......................................................... Checking Things Under the Hood ............... 5-10 .................................... 5-45 Bulb Replacement ......... 5-50 Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement Tires ...................................................... 5-51 ..................................... 5-71 Appearance Care Vehicle Identification ................................. 5-79 Electrical System ...................................... 5-80 ..................... 5-84 Capacities and Specifications Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts ...... 5-85 Maintenance Schedule ..................................... 6-1 Maintenance Schedule ................................ 6-2 Customer Assistance Information .................... 7-1 Customer Assistance Information .................. 7-2 Reporting Safety Defects ............................ 7-9 Index ................................................................. 1 Canadian Owners GM GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, PONTIAC, the PONTIAC Emblem and the name SUNFIRE 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 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 vehicle, 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. You can obtain a French copy of this manual from your dealer or from: Helm, Incorporated P.O. Box 07130 Detroit, MI 48207 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. Index A good place to look for what you need is the Index in back of the manual. It's an alphabetical list of what's in the manual, and the page number where you'll find it. Litho in U.S.A. Part No. 22686695 A First Edition @Copyright General Motors Corporation 08/02/02 Reserved Rights All ii 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. 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." 1 - I These mean there is something that could hurt you or other people. in the caution area, we teii you what ine hazard is. Then we tell you what to do to help avoid or reduce the hazard. Please read these cautions. If you don't, you or others could be hurt. Vehicle Damage Warnings Also, in this book you will find these notices: Notice: These mean there is something that could damage your vehicle. A notice will 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 warnings in different colors or in different words. You'll also see warning labels on your vehicle. They use the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE. Vehicle Symbols Your vehicle has components and labels that use symbols instead of text. Symbols, used on your vehicle, are shown along with the text describing the operation or information relating to a specific component, control, message, gage or indicator. If you need help figuring out a specific name of a component, gage or indicator reference the following topics: Seats and Restraint Systems in Section 1 Features and Controls in Section 2 Instrument Panel Overview in Section 3 Climate Controls in Section 3 Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators in Section 3 Audio System(s) in Section 3 Engine Compartment Overview in Section 5 iv These are some examples of vehicle symbols you may find on your vehicle: LATCH BOTH LAP AND SHOULDER BELTSTO PROTECT OCCUPANT DO TWIST NOT SAFW BELT WHEN ATACHING FASTEN SEAT BELTS MOVE SEAT FULLY REARWARD+ SECURE CHILD SEAT PULL BELT COMPLETELY THEN SECURE CHILD SEAT CAUTION POSSIBLE INJURY 4 * .IGHTING MASTER / SWITCH - PROTECT EYES BY SHIELDING SIGNALS TURN `6- , e3 1 \ ENGINE COOLANT TEMP ~ BAlTERY CHARGING SYSTEM ENGINE COOLANT FAN CAUSTIC B A T ERY ACID COULD CAUSE BURNS \s$ /g DO NOT INSTALL A REAR-FACING CHILD RESTRAINT IN THIS SEATING POSITION PARKING LAMPS x PC FUEL AVOID SPARKS OR FLAMES SPARK OR FLAME COULD EXPLODE BAUERY -1 I\llJ DO NOT INSTALL A `ORWARD-FACING CHILD RESTRAINT IN THIS SEATING POSITION DOOR LOCK UNLOCK DAYTIME RUNNING LAMPS {{:o ;Y w OWNER'S MANUAL ENGINE OIL PRESSUREW i SERVICE PCWFR WINDOW 1 FOG LAMPS n ANTI-LOCK BRAKES () m \SJ4 V Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems Where to Put the Restraint ............................. 1-38 Top Strap .................................................... 1-39 Top Strap Anchor Location ............................. 1-40 Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for Children (LATCH System) ........................... 1-41 Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the LATCH System ......................................... 1-43 Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Seat Position ................................................... 1-43 Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat Position ............................................ 1-46 Air Bag Systems ............................................ 1-49 Where Are the Air Bags? ............................... 1-52 When Should an Air Bag Inflate? .................... 1-55 What Makes an Air Bag Inflate? ..................... 1-55 How Does an Air Bag Restrain? ..................... 1-56 What Will You See After an Air Bag Inflates? ....................................... 1-56 Servicinq Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle ......... 1-58 Restraint System Check .................................. 1-59 Checking Your Restraint Systems ...................1-59 Replacing Restraint System Parts After a Crash ............................................ 1-59 Front Seats ...................................................... 1-2 Manual Seats ................................................ 1-2 Reclining Seatbacks ........................................ 1-4 Head Restraints ............................................. 1-5 Seatback Latches ........................................... 1-6 Easy Entry Seat ............................................. 1-7 ...................................................... .l -8 Rear Rear Seat Operation ....................................... 1-8 Safety Belts ..................................................... 1-9 Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone .................1-9 Questions and Answers About Safety Belts ......1-13 H i to VVet;r Safety Belts Preperly .................1-14 ov Driver Position .............................................. 1-14 Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy ..................1-22 Right Front Passenger Position ....................... 1-23 Rear Seat Passengers .................................. 1-23 Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children and Small Adults .......................... 1-27 " r. saieiy Dell C A l e .-IUCl. ..................................... 1 29 I Child Restraints ............................................. 1-30 Older Children .............................................. 1-30 Infants and Young Children ............................ 1-32 Child Restraint Systems ................................. 1-35 .I , -1- _I 1-1 Front Seats Manual Seats Youcan lose cc.... of the vehicle if you try adjust a manual driver's seat while the vehicle is moving. The sudden movement could startle and confuse you, or make you push a pedal when you don't want to. Adjust the driver's seat only when the vehicle is not moving. .J Lift the lever located on the front of the driver's seat to unlock it. Slide the seat to where you want it and release the lever. Then try to move the seat with your body, to make sure the seat is locked into place. 1-3 Your vehicle will be equipped with one of the following passenger seat adjusters. If your vehicle is not equipped with easy entry seats, your passenger seat adjuster looks like this. Slide the lever located under the passenger's seat to the right to unlock it. Slide the seat to where you want it and release the lever. Then try to move the seat with your body, to make sure the seat is locked into place. If your vehicle is equipped with easy entry seats, this is your front passenger seat adjuster. Pull up on the lever located at the front of the passenger's seat to unlock it. Slide the seat to a comfortable position and release the lever. Then try to move the seat with your body, to make sure the seat is locked into place. 1-3 Reclining Seatbacks To adjust the seatback, lift the lever located on the outboard side of the seat and move the seatback to where you want it. Release the lever and push rearward on the seatback to make sure it is locked. Pull up on the lever without pushing on the seatback and the seatback will go to an upright position. But don't have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is moving. 1-4 Head Restraints Sitl . - J in a reclined posi_.- n when your vet..-le is in motion can be dangerous. Even if you buckle up, your safety belts can't do their job when you're reclined like this. The shoulder belt can't do its job because it won't be against your body. Instead, it will be in front of you. III 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 go up over your abdomen. The belt forces would be there, not at your pelvic bones. This could cause serious internal injuries. For proper protection when the vehicle is in motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit well back in the seat and wear your satety beit properly. Adjust your head restraint so that the top of the restraint is ciosesi io i i w iup uy ~ u i-te2.d. This PGS/:~C;;; i c reduces the chances of a neck injury in a crash. 1-5 Seatback Latches If your vehicle is a two-door model, the front seatback folds forward to let people get into the back seat. If the seatback isn't locked, it could move forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could cause injury to the person sitting there. Always press rearward on the seatback t o be sure it is locked. To fold a front seatback forward, lift the latch located on the lower back side of the seatback and push the seatback forward. When you return the seatback to its original position, make sure the seatback is locked. The latch must be down for the seat to work properly. 1-6 Easy Entry Seat 1. Lift the right front seatback latch to release the seatback. 2. Tilt the seatback completely farward and the whole seat will slide forward. If the easy entry right front seat isn't locked, it can move. In a sudden stop or crash, the person sitting there could be injured. After you've used it, be sure to push rearward on an easy entry seat to be sure it is locked. 3. Move the right front seatback to its original position after someone gets into the rear seat area. 4. Then move the seat rearward until it locks. Titt the seatback completely forward again and move the seat to get out of the back seat. ~ , If your vehicle has this feature, the right front seat makes it easy to get in and out of the rear seat. Rear Seats Rear Seat Operation Folding the Seatback To fold the seatback, do the following: If the seatback isn't locked, it could move forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could cause injury to the person sitting there. Always press rearward on the seatback to be sure it is locked. 1 . Pull the release straps located in the trunk. The right strap operates the passenger's side rear split seat. The left strap operates the driver's side rear split seat. A safety belt that is improperly routed, not properly attached, or twisted won't provide the protection needed in a crash. The person wearing the belt could be seriously injured. After raising the rear seatback, always check to be sure that the safety belts are properly routed and attached, and are not twisted. 2. Fold the seatback down from the inside of the vehicle. To raise the seatback, push the seatback up to return it to its original position. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is latched securely in the fully upright position. 1-8 Safety Belts Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone . This part of the manual tells you how to use safety belts properly. It also tells you some things you should not do with safety belts. , A CAUTION: Don't let anyone ride where he or she can't wear a safety belt properly. If you are in a crash and you're not wearing a safety belt, your injuries can be much worse. You can hit things inside the vehicle or be ejected from it. You can be seriously injured or killed. I .CAUTION: (Continued) I , In the same crash, you might notbe, if you are buckled up. Always fasten your safety belt, and check that your passengers' belts are fastened properly too. CAUTION: It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area, inside or outside of a vehicle. !n a collision, people riding in these areas are more likely to be seriously injured or killed. not Do allow people to ride in any area of your vehicle that is not equipped with seats and safety belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and usin5 a safety belt properlv. 1-9 1 Your vehicle has a light that comes on as a reminder to buckle up. See Safety Belt Reminder Light on page3-22. Why Safety Belts Work When YOU ride in or on anything, you go as fast as it goes. In most states and in all 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 30 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. 1-10 The person keeps going until stopped by something. In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield ... or the instrument panel ... 1-12 Questions and Answers About Safety Belts Q: Won't I be trapped in the vehicle after an accident if I'm wearing a safety belt? A: You couJd 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, is much greater if you are belted. or the safety belts! With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does. Y O U gei mure iirrte io siwy. `r'uu siup u v e i - I-I-Iu~E: d/5ts;-,ct;, and your strongest bones take the forces. That's why safety belts make such good sense. .I 1-13