Pontiac BONNEVILLE 1996 User manual

I LLt

The 1996 Pontiac Bonneville Owner’s Manual
-
Seats andRestraintSystems ............................................................. 1-1
This section tells you how to use your seats and safety belts properly. It also explains the “SRS” system.
This section explains how to start and operate your Pontiac.
This section tells you how to adjust the ventilation and comfort controls and how to operate your
audio system.
Here you’ll find helpful information and tips about the road and
how to drive under different conditions.
This section tells you what to do if you have a problem while driving, such as a flat tire or
overheated engine, etc.
Here the manual tells
you how to keep your Pontiac running properly and looking good.
This section tellp you when to perform vehicle maintenance and what fluids and lubricants to use.
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 8-9.
Here’s an alphabetical listing of almost every subject in this manual. You can use it to quickly find
something
you. want to read.
FeaturesandControls ..................... ; ............................................ 2-1
ComfortControlsandAudioSystems ...................................................... 3-1
. YourDrivingandtheRoad .............................................................. 4-1
ProblemsontheRoad
.................................................................. 5-1
Service and AppearanceCare.. .......................................................... 6-1
Maintenanceschedule......... .......................................................... 7-1
Customer Assistance Information ...
.#. ................................................... 8-1
\
Index .................................................................................. 9-1

GENERAL MOTORS, GM and 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 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 Motors
of Canada Limited" for Pontiac
Division whenever it appears
in this manual.
Please keep this manualinyour 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.
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. 10273 198 .B First Edition
CERTIFIED
IL
WE SUPPORT
VOLUNTARY TECHNICIAN
CERTIFICATION THROUGH
National Institute for
AUTOMOTIVE
SERVICE
EXCELILENCE
We support voluntary
technician certification.
For Canadian Owners Who Prefer a
French Language Manual:
Aux propribtaires canadiens: Vous pouvez vous
procurer un exemplaire deceguide enfranGais chez
votre concessionaire ou au:
DGN Marketing Services Ltd.
1500 Bonhill Rd.
Mississauga, Ontario L5T 1C7
'Copyright General Motors Corporation 1995
All Rights Reserved
ii
1

How to Use This Manual
Many people read their owner’s manualfrombeginning
to end when theyfirstreceive theirnew vehicle. If you
do this,
it willhelpyou learn about the features and
controlsfor your vehicle.
In thismanual, you’ll find that
pictures and words work together to explain things
quickly.
Index
A good place to lookforwhat you need is the Index in
the back of the manual. It’s an alphabetical listof all
that’s in the manual, and the page number where you’ll
find it.
Safety Warnings and Symbols
You will find a numberof safety cautions in this book.
We
use abox and the word CAUTION to tell you about
things that could hurt you if you were toignore the
warning.
/1\ CAUTIGN:
These 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 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.
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
letthis happen.”
iii

Vehicle DamageWarnings In the notice =ea, we tell you aboutsomethingthat can
damage your vehicle. Mafly times, this damage would
Also, in this book you will find thesenotices: not becoveredbyyourwarranty, 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 differat
words. 1
You'll also see warning labels on your vehicle. They use
the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.
NOTICE:
These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
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:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT
EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
BURNS
AVOID
SPARKS
OR
FLAMES
SPARK
OR ,\I/,
COULD
RAM€
EXPLODE
BATTERY
These symbols
are
important
for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle
is
driven:
f-l
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
FASTEN
SEAT
BELTS
e?
AIR BAG p\
These symbols
have to do with
your lights:
SIGNALS e
TURN
PARKING
p$
LAMPS
FOG LAMPS
$0
These symbols
are on someof
your controls:
WIPER Q
WINDSHIELD
DEFROSTER
VENTILATING
FAN - )
These symbols
are used on
warning
and
indicator lights:
ENGINE
COOLANT
- e-
TEMP -
CHARGING I-1
BATTERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE
(0)
COOLANT a
ENGINEOIL e,
PRESSURE
ANTI~LOCK (@)
BRAKES
Here are some
other symbols
you
may see:
FUSE
LIGHTER
m
HORN )tr
SPEAKER
b
FUEL p3
v

NOTES
vi

Section, 1 Seatsand-RestraintSystems
~~~~
Here you’llfindinformationabouttheseats in your ManualFrontSeat
Pontiac and howto use your safety belts properly. You
~~ ._
can also learn about somethkgsyou should not do with
air bags and safety belts.
Seats and Seat Controls
t ,. :’ This section,tellsyou aboutthe seats -- how to adjust
them
-- and also about reclining seatbacks and head
restraints.
I
A CAUTION:
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 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 thefrontof 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.
1-1

Power Seat (Option)
To adjust the power seats on
some mkls:
,
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 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 the rearof the seatby holding
the switch
up. Lower therew of the seat by holding the
switch down.
Power Lumbar Controls (Option)
d! Reshapes the lower back area of the seat.
& Reshapes the middle back kea of the seat.
mk Reshapes the upper back area of the seat.

Adjustable Support Seat (Option)
On some models, you'll
find the controlson the
center console. Slide the
selector switch to
L or R to
choose the front seatyou
want to adjust.
- d#. Adjuststhe seat forward or back.
d Adjusts the seatup or down.
Adjusts the seatback to an upright or reclined
position.
d-b Adjusts the position of the seatback side bolsters.
'a Tilts therear of the seat up or down.
A& Tilts the front of the seat up or down.
Reclining Front Seatbacks
To adjust the seatback, lift thelever onthe outer sideof
the seat and movethe 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.
1-3

But don’t have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is
moving.
I
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 theirjobwhen
you’re reclined like this.
The shoulderbelt can’t do its jobbecause it
won’t be against your body. Instead, itwill be in
frontof you. In
a crash you could go into it,
receiving neck
or other injuries.
The
lap belt can’tdo its jobeither.‘In a crash the
belt could
go up over your abdomen. The belt
forceswould be there, not
at your pelvic bones.
This could cause serious internalinjuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle is
in
motion, havethe seatbackupright. Then sit well
back
in the seat and wear your safety belt properly.
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 restraintstiltforward
and
rearward also.
1-4

Safety Belts: They’re for Everyone
This part of the manual tells youhow touse safety belts
properly. It also tells you some things you should not do
with safety, belts.
And itexplainsthe Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS), or air bag system
I-
Your vehicle has a light that
comes onas a reminder to
buckle up. (See “Safety Belt
ReminderLight”in the
Index.)
Don’t let anyone ride wherehe
or shecan’t wear
a safety belt properly. If you are in a crash and
you’re not wearing a safetybelt, your injuries
can be much worse.
You can hit thingsinside the
vehicle or be ejected fromit.
You can be seriously
injured orkilled. In the same crash,you might
not be if you arebuckled up. Alwaysfasten your
safetybelt, and check that your passengers’ belts
arefastened properlytoo.
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 dohave a
crash, .you don’t knowif
it will be a bad one.
A few crashes are rnild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled upaperson 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 beltsin vehicles, the
facts are clear.
In most crashes buckling up does matter
... a lot!
1-5

Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anythmg, you go as fast as it
goes.
c
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose.it’s just a seat on
wheels.
Put someone
on it.

Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
doesn't stop. The person keeps going until stopped
by something.
In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield ...
1-7

or the instrument panel ...
or the safety 'belts!
With safety belts, you slow
down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop.You stopovermore distance,
and your strongest bones take the forces. That's why
safety belts make such good sense.
1-8

Here Are QuestionsMany People Ask
About Safety Belts -- and the Answers
Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident
if I’m wearing a safety belt?
You could be -- whether you’re wearing a safety
belt or not. But youcanunbuckle 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.
e.’ If my vehicle has air bags, why shouldI have to
A: Air bagsarein many vehicles today and will be in
most of theminthe future. But they are
supplemental systems only;
so they work with
safety belts -- not insteadof them. Every air bag
systemeverofferedfor sale has required the useof
safety belts. Even
if you’re in a vehicle that has air
bags, youstillhave to buckle up to get the most
protection. That’s true not only in frontal collisions,
but especially
in side and other collisions.
wear safety belts?
Q=
A:
If I’m a good driver, and I never drive far from
home, why should I wear safety belts?
You may be anexcellent driver,but if you’re in an
accident
-- even one that isn’.t your fault -- you
and your passengerscanbe
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 km) of
home. And the greatest numberof serious injuries
and deaths occur at speedsof less than40,mph
Safety belts
are foreveryone.
(65 km/h).
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
Adults
This part is only for people of adult size.
Be aware that there are special things to know about safety
belts and children. And there are different ‘rules for smaller
children and babies.
If a child will be riding in your
Pontiac, see the part of this manual called “Children.”
Follow those rules for everyone’s protection.
First, you’ll want to
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 has a 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”inthe Index)
so you can situp straight.
3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
Don’t letit get twisted.
Pull up on the latch platetomake sure it 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.
1-10

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 locks
if there's a sudden stop or crash.
Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster
Before you begin todrive, move the shoulder belt
adjuster to the height that is right for you.
To move it down, squeezethe release handle and move
the height adjuster to the desired position.You
can move
the adjuster
up just by pushing up on the bottom of the
release handle. After you move the adjuster to where
you wantit,
try to moveit down without squeezing the
release handle
to make sureithas locked into position.
Adjust the height
so that the shoulder portion of the belt is
centered on your shoulder. The belt should be away fkom
your face and neck, but not falling off your shailder.
1-11

@ What's wrong with this?
A: The shoulder belt is too loose. It won't give nearly
as much protection this way.
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.

&: What’s wrong with this?
I I I I I I I I I
A CAUTION.:
You can be seriously injured if your belt is buckled
in the wrong place like this. In a crash, the belt
would go up over your abdomen. The belt forces
would be there, not at the pelvic bones. This could
cause serious
internal injuries. Always buckle your
belt into the buckle nearest you.
A: The belt is buckled in the wrong place.
1-13