Pontiac 1997 Grand Am User manual

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1997
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d

7 The 1997 Pontiac Grand Am Owner’sManual
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3-1
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5-1
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8-1
9- 1
Seats and Restraint Systems
This sectiontells you how to use yourseats and safety belts properly. It also explains the “SRS” system.
Features and Controls
This section explains how to start and operate your Pontiac.
Comfort Controls and Audio Systems
This sectiontells you how to adjust the ventilation and comfort controls and how tooperate your audio system.
Your Driving and the Road
Here you’ll find helpful informationand tips about the road and how todrive under different conditions.
Problems on the Road
This section tells what to do if you have a problem whiledriving, such as aflat 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 sectiontells you whento perform vehicle maintenance and what fluids and lubricants to use.
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- 10.
Index
Here’s an alphabeticallisting of almost every subject in this manual. You can use it to quickly find
somethingyou wantto read.
i

WUB PONTIAC
GENERAL MOTORS,GM, the GM Emblem,
PONTIAC, the PONTIAC Emblem and the name
GRAND AM areregistered trademarksof General
Motors Corporation.
Thismanual includes thelatest informationat thetime it
was printed.We reservethe right to make changesin the
product afterthat time withoutfurther notice. For
vehicles first sold in Canada, substitutethe name
“General Motors
of CanadaLimited” for Pontiac
Division wheneverit appears
___ this manual.
Pleasekeep this manual in yourPontiac,
so it will be
there if you ever need it when you’re onthe road. If you
sell thevehicle,please leave this manual init
so the new
owner can useit.
Litho in
U.S.A.
Part No. 10273369 B FirstEdition
WE SUPPORT
VOLUNTARY TECHNICIAN
CERTIFICATIONTHROUGH
National Institute for
AUTOMOTIVE
SERVICE
EXCELLENCE
We supportvoluntary
techniciancertification.
For Canadian Owners Who Prefera
French Language Manual:
Aux propriktaires canadiens: Vous pouvez vous
procurer unexemplairedece guide en franqais chez
votre concessionaireou au:
DGN Marketing ServicesLtd.
1500Bonhill Rd.
Mississauga,OntarioL5T 1C7
@CopyrightGeneral MotorsCorporation
1996
All Rights Reserved
ii

How to Use this Manual
Many peopleread their owner’smanualfrombeginning
to end when theyfirst receive their new vehicle.If you
dothis, it will help you learn about the features and
controlsfor your vehicle. Inthis manual,you’ll find
that pictures and words work togetherto explain
things quickly.
Index
A good placeto look for what you needis the Index in
the backof the manual. It’s an alphabeticallist of what’s
in the manual, andthe page number whereyou’llfindit.
Safety Warnings andSymbols
You will find a number of safety cautionsin this book.
We use a box and the word CAUTION totell you
about thingsthat could hurt you if you wereto ignore
thewarning.
I A CAUTION:
These mean there is something that could hurt
you or other people.
In the caution area, we tell you what the hazardis. Then
we tell you whatto doto help avoid
or reduce the
hazard. Pleaseread thesecautions. If you don’t,you or
otherscould be hurt.
1-I You will also find a circle
with a slashthrough it in
this book. This safety
symbolmeans “Don’t,’’
“Don’t dothis,”or “Don’t
letthis happen.’’
iii

Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this book you will find these notices:
NOTICE:
These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
In the notice area, we tell you about something thatcan
damage your vehicle. Many times, this damage would
not be covered by your warranty, andit could be costly.
But the notice will tell you what todo to help avoid
the damage.
When you read other manuals, you might see CAUTION
and NOTICE warnings
in different colors orin
different words.
You’ll alsosee warning labelson your vehicle. They use
the same words, CAUTIONor NOTICE.
iv

Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbolsyou mayfind on your vehicle.
For example,
these symbols
are used on
an
original battery:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT
EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
ACID COULD
BATTERY
CAUSE
BURNS
SPARK
OR ,\I/,
COULD
FLAME
EXPLODE
BA'ITERY
These symbols
are important
for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle is
driven:
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
FASTEN
SEAT
BELTS
These symbols
have to do with
your lamps:
SIGNALS e
TURN
FOG LAMPS
$0
These symbols
are on some
of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
WIPER
WINDSHIELD
DEFROSTER
These symbols
are used
on
warning and
indicator lights:
COOLANT -
TEMP -
CHARGING I-1
BA'ITERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE
(a)
COOLANT
a
ENGINEOIL w,
PRESSURE
ANTI-LOCK
(@)
BRAKES
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE -%-
t
LIGHTER n
HORN )tr
SPEAKER
b
FUEL m
V

$@b NOTES
vi

Section 1 SeatsandRestraintSystems
1-2Seats and SeatControls
1-7 SafetyBelts: They’re forEveryone
1 - 12 Here Are QuestionsManyPeopleAskAbout
1-13 How to Wear SafetyBelts Properly
1-20 SafetyBeltUse During Pregnancy
SafetyBelts
-- and the Answers
1-13 Driver Position
1-21Right FrontPassengerPosition
1-21 SupplementalRestraint System(SRS)
1-27Rear SeatPassengers
Here you’ll find informationabout the seatsin yourPontiac and how to use your safety belts properly. You can also
learn about somethings you should
not do with airbags and safetybelts.
1-3
1
1-33
1-35
1-37
1-45
1-48
1-48
1-48
Rear SafetyBelt Comfort Guidesfor Children
and SmallAdults
CenterPassengerPosition
Children
ChildRestraints
Larger Children
SafetyBelt Extender
CheckingYour Restraint Systems
Replacing Restraint SystemParts After
a Crash
1-1

Seats and Seat Controls
This sectiontells you aboutthe seats -- how to
adjust them -- and also aboutreclining seatbacksand
headrestraints.
Manual Seats
You can lose controlof the vehicle if you try to
adjust
a manual driver’s seatwhile the vehicle is
moving. The suddenmovement couldstartle and
confuseyou, or makeyou push
a pedal whenyou
don’t wantto. Adjust the driver’s seatonly when
the vehicle is not moving.
Move the controllever under the front of the seatto
unlockit. Slide the seat to where you want it. Then
release the lever and try to movethe seatwith your
I body, to make surethe-seatis locked into place.
1-2

Manual Lumbar Support (If Equipped) Power Seat Controls
(If Equipped)
Turn the knob on the right frontof the driver’s seat
cushion clockwiseor counterclockwise to adjust support
for the lower back.
To adjust the power seat onsomemodels:
FRONT CONTROL (A): Raise the frontof 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 or
back by holding the control to the front
or back.
Move the seat higher by holdingthe 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 rearof the seat by
holding the switch down. 1-3

Reclining Front Seatbacks
To adjustthe seatback,lift the lever on the outer sideof
the seatand move the seatbackto where you wantit.
Releasethe lever to lock the seatback.Pull up
on the
lever and the seat will go to an uprightposition.
But don’thave
a seatbackreclined if your vehicle
is moving.
1-4

A CAUTION:
1
Sitting in a reclined position when yourvehicle is
in motion can be dangerous, Evenif you buckle
up, your safety belts can’t do theirjobwhen
you’re reclined like this.
The shoulder belt can’t do itsjob because it
won’t be against yourbody. Instead, itwill be in
front of you. In a crash you could go into it,
receiving neck or other injuries.
The lap beltcan’t do itsjob either. In
a crash the
belt could
go up over your abdomen, The belt
forces wouldbe there, not at yourpelvic bones.
This could cause seriousinternal injuries.
For properprotection when the vehicle is in
motion, have the seatback upright. Thensit well
back in the seat and wear your safety belt properly.
Head Restraints
Slidethe head restraint up or downso that the top of the
restraint is closestto the top
of your ears. Thisposition
reducesthe chance
of a neck injury in acrash.
Seatback Latches(2-Door Models)
The front seatbackfoldsforwardto letpeople get into
the back seat.
1-5

To fold a front seatbackforward,lift the seatbacklatch.
When youreturn the seatbackto itsoriginalposition,the
seatbackwill lock.
If the seatbackisn’t locked, itcould move
forward in
a sudden stop or crash. Thatcould
cause injury to the person sitting there.Always
press rearwardon the seatback
to be sure it
is locked.
Easy Entry Seat (2-Door Models)
Theright front seat of your vehicle makes it easy to get
in
and out of therear seat.
Tilt the right front seatbackcompletelyforward and
Movethe right front seatbackto its originalposition
the whole seat will slide forward.
after someonegets into the rear seat area. Then move
the seatrearward until
it locks.
Tilt the seatbackcompletelyforward again to
get out.
I 6h CAUTION:
I
If an easy entry right front seatisn’t locked,it
can move. In
a sudden stop or crash, the person
sitting there couldbe injured. Afteryou’ve used
it, besure to push rearwardon aneasy entry seat
to be sure it
is locked.
1-6

Rear Seats
Folding the Rear Seat (If Equipped)
To open,pull forward on the seat tab.
To close,push the seatback up toits originalposition.
Push the seatback completely up against the backplate
to ensurethat thelatch will hook.
Safety Belts: They’re for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safetybelts
properly. It also tells yousomethings you shouldnot
do
with safetybelts.
And it explainsthe SupplementalRestraint System
(SRS), or airbag system.
A CAUTION:
Don’t let anyone ride where he or shecan’t wear
a safety belt properly, If you are in a crash and
you’re not wearing
a safety belt, yourinjuries
can be much worse.
You can hit things inside the
vehicleor beejected from it. You can be seriously
injured orkilled, In the same crash,you might
not be
if you arebuckled up.Always fasten your
safety belt,and check
that your passengers’ belts
arefastened properly too.
1-7

Itis extremely dangerous toride in a cargo area,
inside or outside
of a vehicle. In a collision,
people ridingin these areas are morelikely
to be
seriously injured orkilled.
Do not allow peopleto
ride in any areaof your vehicle that
is not
equipped with seats and safetybelts. Be sure
everyone in yourvehicle is in
a seat andusing a
safety belt properly.
Your vehiclehas a light
that comes on asa reminder
tobuckle up. (See “Safety
Belt Reminder Light”in
the Index.)
In most statesand Canadianprovinces,the law saysto
wear safetybelts. Here’s why:
They work.
You never know if you’llbe ina crash.If you dohave a
crash,you don’t know if itwill be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled upa 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 safetybelts invehicles,
the facts are clear. In most crashesbuckling up does
matter ...a lot!
1-8

Why Safety Belts Work
When youride in or on anything,you go as fast as
it goes.
Takethe simplestvehicle.Supposeit's
just a seat
on wheels.
Put someone
on it.
1-9

I
Get itup to speed. Then stop the vehicle.The rider
doesn’t stop. Theperson keeps going until stoppedby something.
In areal vehicle,
it could bethe windshield ...
1-10

or the instrumentpanel ... or the safety belts!
With safetybelts,you slow down as thevehicle does.
You get moretime to stop. You stop over moredistance,
and your strongestbones take theforces.That’s why
safety beltsmake
such good sense.
1-11

Here Are Questions Many People Ask
About Safety Belts -- and the Answers
&: Won’t I be trapped in the vehicleafteran
accidentif I’m wearing a safety belt?
A: You could be -- whether you’re wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can unbucklea safety belt,
even
if you’reupside down.And yourchance of
being consciousduringand after an accident,so
you can unbuckle andget out, is much greater if
you arebelted.
&: If my vehicle hasair bags, why should I haveto
wear safety belts?
A: Air bags arein many vehiclestoday andwill be in
most of them in the future.But they are
supplemental systems only;
so they workwith
safety belts
-- not insteadof them. Every air bag
system ever offered
for salehas required the useof
safetybelts. Even if you’re in a vehicle that hasair
bags, you stillhave tobuckle up to get the most
protection.That’s true not only infrontalcollisions,
but especiallyin sideand other collisions.
@’ If I’m a good driver,and I never drivefar from
A: You may be anexcellentdriver,but if you’re in an
home, why should I wear safetybelts?
accident -- even one that isn’tyour fault -- you and
your passengerscan behurt. Being a good driver
doesn’t protect you from things beyond your
control, such as baddrivers.
Most accidentsoccur within
25 miles (40 km) of
home. Andthe greatestnumber of seriousinjuries
and deaths occur at speedsof less than
40 mph
(65 km/h).
Safetybelts are for everyone.
1-12

How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
Adults
Thispart is only forpeople of adult size.
Be aware that there are special things to know about
safety belts and children. And there are different rulesfor
smaller children and babies.
If a child will be riding in
your Pontiac, see the partof this manual called
“Children.” Follow those rules for everyone’s protection.
First,you’ll want to know whichrestraint systemsyour
vehicle has.
We’ll startwith the driver position.
Driver Position
Thispart describes the driver’s restraint system.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
Thedriverhas a lap-shoulder belt. Here’s howto wear
itproperly.
1. Close and lock the door.
2. Adjust theseat (to seehow, see “Seats” in the Index)
so you can situp straight.
3. Pick up thelatch plate and pull the belt across you.
4. Push the latchplate into thebuckle until it clicks.
Don’t let it get twisted.
1-13