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Fuel Saving Tips for your Pontiac Grand Am

Your Pontiac Grand Am is affordable economical transportation for you and your family. Did you know that you could get even better fuel mileage on your Pontiac Grand Am by following a few common sense and little known fuel saving tips? You may find them easy to use and that many become Pontiac Grand Am good driving habits with a little practice.

Slowing down while driving your Pontiac Grand Am will save you fuel, every time you punch that gas pedal you are wasting precious dollars. By increasing your speed without jamming on your Pontiac Grand Am gas pedal will allow for the best fuel efficiency. Keeping constant speed will also help; changing speeds constantly will increase your gas consumption. You will also save fuel by giving yourself a few extra minutes to get where you are going. Not only will and your Pontiac Grand Am get there on time but you will also remain more relaxed and comfortable. Believe it or not speeding that extra five miles per hour doesn't really get you there any sooner and will consistently save you fuel and increase your Pontiac Grand Am gas mileage through less wind resistance.

Save your money and only use the grade of fuel your Pontiac Grand Am owner's manual recommends. Using a higher-grade fuel not only cost more but also pollutes the air more and gives your Pontiac Grand Am no benefits what so ever, so use the grade of fuel recommended for your Pontiac Grand Am. You will also want to use the recommended oil viscosity for your Pontiac Grand Am. Thicker oil just wastes fuel as it is more difficult to push heavier oil through your Pontiac Grand Am engine and can actually keep parts of your Pontiac Grand Am from receiving lubrication in the hard to reach places. You need to keep up on your Pontiac Grand Am regular maintenance for your Pontiac Grand Am. Not only will this allow your serviceman to notice any problems before they reach the breaking point but will keep your tires inflated correctly, your Pontiac Grand Am air filters clean, and your brakes from causing a drag. A good Pontiac Grand Am service shop will notice all of these things before they cost you a lot of money and fuel.

Some common sense tips include riding in a car pool with your Pontiac Grand Am, stop and ask directions instead of driving round and round looking for that one location. Don't run the air conditioner when you don't need it, as you will notice your fuel consumption drop during the cooler months. Remove any heavy items you don't need from your Pontiac Grand Am and of course reduce wind drag by removing that luggage rack when you don't need it. Don't allow your Pontiac Grand Am to sit an idle for more than a few minutes, as that is just a waste of fuel. Use your Pontiac Grand Am brakes wisely, anticipate the stop and go traffic of commuting and downtown stop lights, surging forward to come to a sudden stop for a light you knew was coming up is a great way to waste fuel. And don't try to make a record hill climb, again just cruising up the hill will save you more fuel than if you race your Pontiac Grand Am to the top.

Your Pontiac Grand Am is a fuel-efficient and simple economical car, using the tips above will make it even more economical and actually keep your Pontiac Grand Am wear and tear to a minimum. These money saving tips over the lifetime of your Pontiac Grand Am can save you quite a bit of money and keep you happily cruising down the road in your Pontiac Grand Am.

Your Pontiac Grand Ams History

The Pontiac Grand Am began its career as a mid-sized car, offering a V8 engine with either a 2 or 4-barrel carburetor and usually a 440 cubic inch engine (6.5L) and a 455 cubic inch (7.4L) as an option. This gave this Pontiac Grand Am family car enough power to be a lot of fun. GM also produced a Pontiac Grand Am station wagon during its first run of 1973-75, but not many were made. This mid-size Pontiac Grand Am model was discontinued in '75 and returned with new options in 1978.

The new Pontiac Grand Am'78 models came with a V6 or a V8 engine and had power windows, sunroofs, and power seats and was seen frequently on the NASCAR circuit. From this introduction the Pontiac Grand Am became a sports car enthusiast dream and upgrades and racing kits were on every Pontiac Grand Am owners wish list. The 1978 Pontiac Grand Am was fuel efficient in the 6 cylinder model and the Pontiac Grand Am V8 was a powerful fun car and is today considered a rare collectors choice. The Pontiac Grand Am was again discontinued again until 1985.

In the mid 80's the Pontiac Grand Am was introduced as a compact car with two packages offered, the LE and in '86 the SE, with the engines designated in liters the little 2.5L tech IV was considered underpowered but fuel efficient. An optional engine was the 3.0L V6 for more power. During this run the turbocharged 2.0L with 165hp was an option for the SE models making this Pontiac Grand Am desired by race enthusiasts with many collectors decking their Pontiac Grand Am out with air scoop hoods and ram chargers. In 1988 and '89 the Quad-4 engine that put out 180 horse power for the '89 SE made the Pontiac Grand Am a sought after engine option for most collectors.

The Pontiac Grand Am got a new design in the early '90s giving it a new sleek look that was as desirable as its new safety features of anti-lock brakes and airbags. Many engine options were available for this version of the Pontiac Grand Am but the GT with the 16 valve 2.3L with its 170-180 horsepower gave racing fans a new Pontiac Grand Am to dress up. 1998 became the last year for this version of the Pontiac Grand Am. The fifth and last generation of the Pontiac Grand Am started in 1999 with an optional 3.4L V6 engine being the largest for the generation.

The Pontiac Grand Am has filled a niche for the American public since 1973 as a medium priced family sports car. Its introduction into the NASCAR circuit has given the race enthusiast an affordable choice for filling their racing dreams. Many car clubs, racing fans and Pontiac Grand Am enthusiast mourn the release of the last Pontiac Grand Am on may 6th of 2005. Will GM bring back the Pontiac Grand Am for a 6th generation is yet to be seen or even rumored about but there are many Pontiac Grand Am owners who would gladly look forward to a new generation of the Pontiac Grand Am.

How to jump start your Pontiac Grand Am

The inevitable has happened and you left your Pontiac Grand Am lights on while you went on a three-day trip and your Pontiac Grand Am battery is dead. You just want to get home. Fortunately your friend has not left yet (always a good idea, never leave a friend with an un-started car). They also have jumper cables to help you get your Pontiac Grand Am started and you on your way home.

Jumpstarting your Pontiac Grand Am is an easy way to get you on the road, following a few good safety tips will keep prevent accidental damage to you or your Pontiac Grand Am. First you will want to read your Pontiac Grand Am owners manual and become familiar with your particular Pontiac Grand Am.

Be sure your Pontiac Grand Am and the good vehicle are not touching but near enough for the jumper cable to reach both batteries easily. You will then have both vehicles turned off. Lay out your battery cables being sure there are no kinks or knots and that the clamps are not touching. I like to clamp the positive clamp to the cable of the negative side about 12 inches from the clamp- this insures I don't get an electrical surprise (as long as the covering of your cables are in good shape- do not do use if bare wires are showing!) Wear some sort of safety glasses. You are now ready to connect your Pontiac Grand Am and the good vehicle.

The battery on your Pontiac Grand Am will have a plus (+) sign on one terminal and a (-) negative on the other terminal, the good car will have the same arrangement. While watching for moving parts in the Pontiac Grand Am engine compartment connect the red (+) positive clamp to the positive (+) side of your Pontiac Grand Am (dead battery) then the other end of the cables, the positive clamp goes to the good car's positive battery terminal. The black battery cable clamp (-) negative then goes to the negative battery terminal of the good car, and the other end of the black (-) negative cable goes to an unpainted metal part of your Pontiac Grand Am. Such as the Pontiac Grand Am engine manifold or a bracket attaching another part to the Pontiac Grand Am engine block. DO not attach to a moving part of your Pontiac Grand Am.

You now have the red cable (+) attached to both positive battery terminals. The black cable (-) negative is attached to the good cars negative battery terminal and to an unpainted metal part of your Pontiac Grand Am.

Start your friends good car, start your Pontiac Grand Am. If your Pontiac Grand Am does not turn over immediately give the good car a chance to charge your Pontiac Grand Am's battery a bit before trying again, a few minutes should do it. If not, turn off the good car's engine; disconnect the (-) negative clamp on your Pontiac Grand Am's engine block. Wiggle or reattach the positive cables to both terminals being sure of a good connection, do the same with the good car's negative terminal. Re-attach the negative cable to your Pontiac Grand Am engine block again; be sure of a good connection. Start the good car and then try to start your Pontiac Grand Am. Wait a few minutes if need be.

Refer to your Pontiac Grand Am owner's manual to see if their general disconnection of battery cables follows a normal pattern. If so, disconnect the negative battery cable from your Pontiac Grand Am; this is where I like to attach the negative cable to the positive cable being sure not to touch any metal parts. This allows me to be sure the negative cable does not reconnect by accident while I am disconnecting the negative to the good car. You will then disconnect the positive from the good car and from your Pontiac Grand Am.

Jump-starting your Pontiac Grand Am is a simple matter, it just sounds complicated. Be sure that the cables do not cross from negative to positive on the battery terminals and you will find it an easy way to get going. If you are uncomfortable with the Pontiac Grand Am process, call a towing company or roadside assistance company. Watch how it is done a few times and then have someone watch over you as you attempt to jump start your Pontiac Grand Am, this will allow you to safely learn how to jump start your Pontiac Grand Am.

Pontiac Grand Am Safe parking lot tips

You love your Pontiac Grand Am and you love your life. Keeping safe in parking lots has become something to think about these days with late shopping hours and acres of parking lots. There are several ways to minimize your risk of shopping parking lot tragedy.

As with all public places, large parking lots can create a risk if you blunder along without being aware of what is going on around you. Be sure to put concerns away and pay attention to the public surrounding your particular shopping car lot. Check the area for suspicious characters. Is it fully lighted or dark and dim, if it is a dark area be sure to park as close to the entrance as possible or put your trip off for daylight hours. Share your shopping with a friend, or even walk with another group to the shops, if you need to shop alone be sure to appear confident and aware with your head up and Pontiac Grand Am keys or purse firmly managed. If your Pontiac Grand Am winds up surrounded by vans, campers or cars with tinted windows don't be afraid to ask a security guard for an escort. Although it may take longer to get home, you will get home.

One of the best ways to have your Pontiac Grand Am broken into while shopping is to leave valuables in full site, this allows criminals to peruse your belongings and wait for the right moment to break open your Pontiac Grand Am, not only ruining your Pontiac Grand Am but your shopping trip. Put your valuables under the seat and recently purchased packages in your Pontiac Grand Am trunk, or carry a blanket to cover them. What a criminal cannot see will give him a second thought on taking a chance of breaking into your Pontiac Grand Am.

When approaching your Pontiac Grand Am take the time to start your perusal of your vehicle as you approach, are there hangers on around your vehicle, look all around your Pontiac Grand Am including the front, rear, passenger side, and underneath your Pontiac Grand Am, any suspicions, get a security guard, don't take the chance. Once you have ascertained there is nothing around the outside or in the vehicles beside your Pontiac Grand Am, check the inside of your Pontiac Grand Am. The back seat and of course the front seat, many tragedies happen when an offender has entered the vehicle and waited for the owner. Enter your Pontiac Grand Am with confidence, lock all doors, start you Pontiac Grand Am and leave the parking lot. Don't be a sitting duck in your Pontiac Grand Am for offenders to attack while you are going over how much money you spent or that wonderful new item purchased. You will have plenty of time to enjoy these items in a safe place later.

Use common sense and gut feelings to keep you and your Pontiac Grand Am safe in large parking areas. Following these tips and your gut feeling will help keep you safe wherever you and your Pontiac Grand Am may roam.