Pontiac 1998 Bonneville User manual

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owner's manual
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The 1998 Pontiac Bonneville Owner’s Manual
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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 vehicle.
Comfort Controls and Audio Systems
This section tells you how to adjust the ventilation and comfort controls and how to operate your audio system.
Your Driving and the Road
Here you’ll find helpful information and tips about the road and how to drive under different conditions.
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 vehicle running properly and looking good.
Maintenance Schedule
This section tells you when to 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.
9-1 Index
Here’s an alphabetical listing of almost every subject in this manual. You can useit to quickly find
something you want
to read.
i

GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem,
PONTIAC, the PONTIAC Emblem and the name
BONNEVILLE are registered trademarksof General
Motors Corporation.
This manual includes the latest informationat the timeit
was printed.We reserve theright to make changes
in the
product after that time without further notice. For
vehicles first sold in Canada, substitute the name
“General Motorsof Canada Limited”forPontiac
Division wheneverit appears in
this manual.
Please keep
this manual in your vehicle, so it will be
there
if you ever needit when you’re on the road. If you
sell the vehicle, please leave this manual in it so the new
owner can
use it.
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No, 10296287 B First Edition
WE SUPPORT
VOLUNTARY TECHNICIAN
CERTIFICATION THROUGH
NationalInstiMe for
AUTOMOTIVE
SERVICE
EXCELLENCE
We support voluntary
technician certification.
For Canadian 3wners Who Prefer a
French Language Manual:
Aux propri6taires canadiens: Vous pouvez vous
procurer un exemplaire dece guide enfraqais chez
votre concessionaire ou au:
DGN Marketing Services Ltd.
1577 Meyerside Dr.
Mississauga, OntarioL5T 1B9
@Copyright General Motors Corporation 1997
All Rights Reserved
ii

How to Use this Manual
Many people read their owner’s manual from beginning
to end when theyfistreceive theirnew 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.
Index
A good place to look for what you needis the Indexin
back of the manual. It’s an alphabeticallist of what’s
in
the manual, and the page number where you’ll findit.
Safety Warnings and Symbols
You will find anumber 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.
A CAUTION:
These mean there is something that could hurt
you or other people.
In the cautionarea, we tell you what the hazard is. Then
we tell you what to doto help avoid or reduce the
hazard. Please read these cautions.If you don’t, youor
others couldbe hurt.
You will also find a circle
with a slash throughit in
this book. This safety
symbol means “Don’t,’’
“Don’t do this” or “Don’t
let this happen.’’
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Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this book you will find these notices:
I NOTICE:
These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
In the notice area,we tell youabout 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.
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Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbolsyou may find on your vehicle.
For example,
these symbols
are used on an
original battery:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT
EYES BY
SHIELDING Q
CAUSTIC
ACID COULD
BAllERY
CAUSE
-~~-. .
BURNS
AVOID
SPARKS OR
FLAMES
SPARK OR ,\I/,
COULD
FLAME
EXPLODE
BAllERY
I
These symbols
are important
for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle is
driven:
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
n
POWER
WINDOW
oJ4
AIR BAG p\
These symbols
have to do with
your lamps:
SIGNALS e3
TURN
FOG LAMPS # 0
These symbols
are on some
of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
WIPER
WINDSHIELD
DEFROSTER
DEFOGGER
VENTILATING
FAN (
rc?: A
These symbols
are used on
warning
and
indicator lights:
COOLANT -
TEMP -
CHARGING I-1
BAllERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE (a)
R
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
LIGHTER n
HORN )b.
ENGINE OIL e,
PRESSURE
V
SPEAKER
b
FUEL

& NOTES
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I
Section 1
Seats and Restraint Systems
Here you’ll find information about the seats in your Pontiac and how to use your safetybelts properly. You can also
learn about some things you should
not do with air bags and safety belts.
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1-9
Seats and Seat Controls
Safety Belts: They’refor Everyone
Here Are Questions Many People Ask About
Safety Belts
-- and the Answers
1-10 How to WearSafetyBeltsProperly
1-10 DriverPosition
1 - 17 SafetyBeltUseDuringPregnancy
1 - 18 Right FrontPassengerPosition
1 - 18 SupplementalRestraintSystem(SRS)
1-24 CenterPassenger Position
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1-29
1-31
1-34
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Rear Seat Passengers
Rear Safety Belt
Comfort Guides forChildren
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.
Manual Front Seat
A CAUTION:
You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to
adjust a manual driver’s seatwhile the vehicleis
moving. The suddenmovement 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.
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.
Power Seat (Option)
To adjust the power seats on
some models:
Front Control
(A): Raise the front of the seatby
holding the switch up. Lower the frontof the seatby
holding the switch down.
Center Control
(B): Move the seat forward by pressing
the control forward, or backwardby 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 therear
of the seat by holding
the switch up. Lower the rear of the seatby holding the
switch down.
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Power Lumbar Controls (Option)
d? Reshapes the lower back area of the seat.
d Reshapes the middle back area of the seat.
Reshapes the upper back areaof the seat.
Adjustable Support Seat (Option)
& Adjusts the position of the seatback side bolsters.
'd Tilts the rearof the seat up or down.
A& Tilts the frontof the seatup or down.
Reclining Front Seatbacks
On some models, you'll
find the controls on the
center console. Slide the
selector switch to
L or R to
choose thefrontseat you
want to adjust.
4 d!. Adjusts the seat forward or back.
d Adjusts the seat up or down.
&' Adjusts the seatback to an upright or
reclined position.
To adjust the seatback, liftthe lever onthe outer sideof
the seat and move the seatback to where you wantit.
Release the lever to lockthe seatback.
PuII up onthe
lever and the seat
will go to an upright position.
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But don’t have a seatback reclined if your vehicle
is moving.
Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle is
in motion can be dangerous. Even if you buckle
up, your safety belts can’t do theirjob when
you’re reclined like this.
The shoulder belt can’t doitsjob becauseit
won’t be against yourbody. Instead, it will be in
front of you. In a crash you could go intoit,
receiving neck or other injuries.
Thelapbelt can’t do itsjobeither. In a crashthe
belt
could go up over your abdomen. The belt
forceswould bethere, notatyour pelvic bones.
This could cause seriousinternalinjuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle is in
motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit well
back in the seat and wear your safety
belt properly.
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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 aneck injury in a crash.
On some models, the head restraints tilt forward and
rearward also.
Safety Belts: They’re 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.
And it explains the Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS), or air bag system.
A CAUTION:
Don’t let anyone ride where heor she can’t wear
a safety belt properly. If you arein a crash and
you’re not wearing a safety belt, your
injuries
can be much worse. You can hit things insidethe
vehicle orbe ejected from it.
You canbe seriously
injured or killed. In the same crash,you might
not beif you arebuckled up. Always fasten your
safety belt,and check thatyour passengers’ belts
arefastened properly too.
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A CAUTION:
It is extremely dangerousto ride in a cargo area,
insideoroutsideof a vehicle.
In a collision,
people riding in theseareasaremore likely to be
seriouslyinjured or killed. Do not allow people
to
ridein anyarea of your vehiclethat is not
equipped
with seatsand safety belts.Be sure
everyone in
your vehicle is in a seat and using a
safety belt properly.
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1 Your vehicle has a light that
& FASTEN I buckleup.(See“Safety
comes on as a reminder to
LW
BELTS
the Index.)
Belt Reminder Light” in
In moststates 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 dohave a
crash, you don’t know ifit 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!
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as
it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it’sjust a seat
on wheels.
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Put someoneon it.
Getit up to speed.Then stopthe vehicle.Therider
doesn’tstop.
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The person keepsgoing until stopped by something.
In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield ...
or the instrument panel ...
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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.
Here Are Questions Many People Ask
About Safety Belts
-- and the Answers
Q; Won’t I be trappedin the vehicle after an
accident if I’m wearing a safety belt?
A: You could be -- whether you’re wearing a safety
belt or not. But youcan 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 andget out, is much greater if
you are belted.
If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to
wear safety belts?
A: 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 insteadof them. Every air bag
system ever offeredfor sale has required the useof
safety belts. Even if you’re in a vehicle that has
air
bags, you still have to buckle upto get the most
protection. That’s
true not only in frontal collisions,
but especially in sideand other collisions.
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Q: If I’m a good driver, and I never drive far from
home, why should I wear safety belts?
A: You may be an excellent driver, butif you’re in an
accident -- even one that isn’t your fault -- you and
your passengers can be hurt. Beinga good driver
doesn’t protect you from things beyond
your
control, suchas bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within
25 miles (40 km) of
home. And the greatest number
of serious injuries
and deaths occurat 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 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
vehicle, see the part of this mand called “Children.”
Follow those rules for everyone’s protection.
First, you’ll wantto know which restraint systems your
vehicle has.
We’ll start with the driver position.
Driver Position
This part describes the driver’s restraint system.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The driver hasa lap-shoulder belt. Here’s how to wear
it properly.
1. Close and lock the door.
2. Adjust the seat(to see how, see “Seats” in the Index)
so you cansit up straight.
1-10
- .

“ .”. .. -.
3. Pick up thelatchplate and pull the belt across you.
4. Push the latch plate into the buckle untilit clicks.
Don’t letit get twisted.
Pull up onthe latch plate to make sureit
is secure.If
the belt isn’t long enough, see “Safety Belt
Extender”at the end
of this section.
Make sure the release button on the buckleis
positioned
so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly
if you ever had to.
The lap part of the belt should
be worn low and snug on
the hips,just touching the
thighs. In a crash, this applies
force to the strong pelvic bones.
And you’d be less likely
to slide under the lap
belt. If you slid under it, the belt
would apply force at your abdomen.
This could cause
serious or even fatal injuries. The shoulder belt
should go
over the shoulder and across the chest. These parts of the
body are best able to take belt restraining forces.
The safety belt locksif there’s a sudden stop or crash.
1-11

Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster
Before you begin todrive, move the shoulder belt
adjuster to the height thatis right
for you.
To move it down, squeeze the release handle and move
the height adjuster to the desired position. You can move
the adjuster upjust
by pushing up on the bottom of the
release handle. After you move the adjusterto where
you
want it, try to moveit down without squeezing the
release handle to make sure it has locked into position.
Adjust the height so that the shoulder portion of the belt is
centered on your shoulder. The belt should be away from
your face and neck, but not falling off your shoulder.
1-12

Q: What’s wrong with this?
A: The shoulder belt is too loose. It won’t give nearly
as much protection
this way.
A CAUTION:
-
You can be seriously hurt if your shoulder belt is
too loose.
In a crash, you would move forward
too much, which could increase
injury. The
shoulder belt should fit against your body.
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