Pontiac 2005 Bonneville - Manual (Page 299)

Notice: If your engine catches fire because you
keep driving with no coolant, your vehicle can
be badly damaged. The costly repairs would not be
covered by your warranty. See Overheated Engine
Protection Operating Mode (4.6L V8 Engine) on
page 5-40 for information on driving to a safe place
in an emergency.
If No Steam Is Coming From Your
Engine
An overheat warning, along with a low coolant message,
can indicate a serious problem. See DIC Warnings
and Messages on page 3-62.
If you get an engine overheat warning with no low
coolant message, but see or hear no steam, the problem
may not be too serious. Sometimes the engine can
get a little too hot when you:
• Climb a long hill on a hot day.
• Stop after high-speed driving.
• Idle for long periods in traffic.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for a minute or so:
1. In heavy traffic, let the engine idle in NEUTRAL (N)
while stopped. If it safe to do so, pull off the road,
shift to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) and let the
engine idle.
2. Set the climate controls to the highest heat setting
and fan speed and open the windows as necessary.
If you no longer have the overheat warning, you
can drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about
10 minutes. If the warning does not come back on,
you can drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your
vehicle right away.
If there is still no sign of steam, idle the engine for
three minutes while you are parked. If you still have the
warning, turn off the engine and get everyone out of
the vehicle until it cools down. Also, see “Overheated
Engine Protection Operating Mode” later in this section.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
5-39