tow PONTIAC BONNEVILLE 2004 Owner's Manual

Automatic Operation
AUTO (Automatic):Press the AUTO button for
automatic control of the inside temperature, the air
delivery mode and the fan speed.
1. Press the AUTO button. Whenever this button is
pressed, the display will show the current settings
for ve seconds before returning the display to
the exterior temperature.
2. Adjust the temperature to 75°F (24°C).
Choosing the coldest or warmest temperature
setting will not cause the system to cool or heat any
faster. If you set the system at the coldest or
warmest temperature setting, the system will remain
at the maximum cold or hot setting and fan speed.
In cold weather, the system will start at reduced fan
speeds to avoid blowing cold air into your vehicle
until warmer air is available. The system will
start out blowing air at the oor but may change
modes automatically as the vehicle warms up
to maintain the chosen temperature setting. The
length of time needed for warm up will depend on
the outside temperature and the length of time
that has elapsed since your vehicle was last driven.3. Wait for the system to regulate. This may take from
10 to 30 minutes. Then adjust the temperature, if
necessary.
Do not cover the solar sensor located in the center of
the instrument panel, near the windshield. For more
information on the solar sensor, see “Sensors” later in
this section.
Manual Operation
DRIVER (Driver’s Side Temperature):The knob on
the left is used to change the temperature of the
air coming through the system on the driver’s side of
the vehicle. Push this knob to turn the system on and off.
Turn the knob toward the blue area to decrease the
set temperature, and toward the red area to increase the
set temperature. When this knob is adjusted, the word
DRIVER will be displayed under the set temperature.
When the passenger’s set temperature is not active, this
knob controls both the driver’s and passenger’s side,
and both DRIVER and PASS will be displayed under the
set temperature.
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PASS (Passenger’s Side Temperature):The knob on
the right is used to change the temperature of the air
coming through the system on the passenger’s side of
the vehicle. Push this knob to turn the system on
and off. Turn the knob toward the blue area to decrease
the set temperature, and toward the red area to
increase the set temperature. When this knob is
adjusted, only the word PASS will be displayed under
the set temperature.
9(Fan):Press the Fan button to display and hold the
current fan speed while in manual mode. Press the
HIGH side to increase fan speed and the LOW side to
decrease the fan speed.
MODE:Press this button repeatedly to cycle through
and choose the mode of air delivery into the vehicle. The
system will stay in the selected mode until MODE is
pressed again or until the AUTO button is pressed.
FLOOR:This mode directs most of the airow to the
oor outlets with some directed to the outboard
outlets (for the side windows) and the windshield.
BI-LEVEL:This mode directs airow through the
instrument panel outlets and slightly warmer air through
the oor outlets.PANEL:This mode directs airow through the
instrument panel outlets.
Whenever MODE is pressed, the display will show the
current system settings for ve seconds before
returning the display to the exterior temperature.
The mode button can also be used to select the DEFOG
mode. Information on defogging and defrosting can
be found later in this section.:OUTSIDE AIR:Press this button to turn the
OUTSIDE AIR mode on or off. When this mode is on,
outside air will circulate through your vehicle. When the
button is pressed, an indicator light in the button will
come on to let you know that it is activated. The
OUTSIDE AIR mode can be used with all modes except
the recirculation mode.
If you are in city traffic, and your vehicle is stopped and
idling, or the weather is hot, the system may switch
from the OUTSIDE AIR mode to the recirculation mode.
To prevent the air inside of your vehicle from becoming
too stale, be sure to return to the outside air mode
periodically.
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This light should come on briey when you turn the
ignition key to ON. If it does not come on then, have it
xed so it will be ready to warn you if there is a
problem.
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will also come on when you set your parking brake.
The light will stay on if your parking brake does
not release fully. If you try to drive off with the parking
brake set, a chime will also come on until you
release the parking brake. If the light stays on after your
parking brake is fully released, it means you have a
brake problem.If you have the optional Driver Information Center (DIC),
a PARK BRAKE SET message will be displayed
while the parking brake is set.
If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the
road and stop carefully. You may notice that the pedal is
harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer to the
oor. It may take longer to stop. If the light is still on,
have the vehicle towed for service. SeeTowing
Your Vehicle on page 4-31.
{CAUTION:
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake system warning light is on. Driving
with the brake system warning light on can lead
to an accident. If the light is still on after you
have pulled off the road and stopped carefully,
have the vehicle towed for service. United States
Canada
3-43

If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
Reducing vehicle speed.
Avoiding hard accelerations.
Avoiding steep uphill grades.
If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible.
If the light stops ashing and remains on steady, see “If
the Light Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to ash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle.
Find a safe place to park your vehicle. Turn the key off,
wait at least 10 seconds and restart the engine. If
the light remains on steady, see “If the Light Is On
Steady” following. If the light is still ashing, follow the
previous steps, and see your dealer for service as soon
as possible.
If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. SeeFilling Your Tank on page 5-8. The
diagnostic system can determine if the fuel cap has
been left off or improperly installed. A loose or missing
fuel cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap properly installed
should turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.
Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel. See
Gasoline Octane on page 5-5. Poor fuel quality will
cause your engine not to run as efficiently as designed.
You may notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling
when you put the vehicle into gear, misring, hesitation
on acceleration or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditions may go away once the engine is warmed up.)
This will be detected by the system and cause the
light to turn on.
3-50

Adjusting the Speakers (Balance/Fade)
BAL (Balance):To adjust the balance between the
right and the left speakers, press and release this button
until BAL appears on the display. The SELECT LED
indicator will light to show that the speakers can
be adjusted. Turn the SELECT knob to move the sound
toward the right or the left speakers.
FADE:To adjust the balance between the front and the
rear speakers, press and release this button until
FADE appears on the display. The SELECT LED
indicator will light to show that the speakers can be
adjusted. Turn the SELECT knob to move the sound
toward the front or the rear speakers.
Pressing and holding the BAL FADE button for two
seconds will return all speaker settings to the middle
position.
Finding a Program Type (PTY) Station
(RDS and XM™)
To select and nd a desired PTY perform the following:
1. Press PROG TYPE to activate program type
select mode. The PTY symbol will appear on
the display.
2. Turn the SELECT knob to select a PTY.
3. Once the desired PTY is displayed, press either
SEEK arrow to select the PTY and take you to
the PTY’s rst station.
4. If you want to go to another station within that PTY
and the PTY is displayed, press either SEEK arrow
once. If the PTY is not displayed, press either
SEEK arrow twice to display the PTY and then to
go to another station.
5. Press PROG TYPE to exit program type
select mode.
If PTY times out and is no longer on the display, go
back to Step 1.
If both PTY and TRAF are on, the radio will search for
the selected PTY and traffic announcements.
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5. Press and hold the EQ button or push the SELECT
knob to store the equalization setting and the
number. You will hear a beep and EQ SAVED will
appear on the display.
6. Repeat the steps for the other EQ settings and
numbers.
EQ 5 has been programmed at the factory for use with
talk radio, but it can be preset to a different tone.
Adjusting the Speakers (Balance/Fade)
BAL (Balance):To adjust the balance between the
right and the left speakers, press and release this button
until BAL appears on the display. The SELECT LED
indicator will light to show that the speakers can
be adjusted. Turn the SELECT knob to move the sound
toward the right or the left speakers.
FADE:To adjust the balance between the front and the
rear speakers, press and release this button until
FADE appears on the display. The SELECT LED
indicator will light to show that the speakers can be
adjusted. Turn the SELECT knob to move the sound
toward the front or the rear speakers.
Pressing and holding the BAL FADE button for two
seconds will return all speaker settings to the middle
position.
Finding a Program Type (PTY) Station
(RDS and XM™)
To select and nd a desired PTY perform the following:
1. Press PROG TYPE to activate program type
select mode. The PTY symbol will appear on
the display.
2. Turn the SELECT knob to select a PTY.
3. Once the desired PTY is displayed, press either
SEEK arrow to select the PTY and take you to
the PTY’s rst station.
4. If you want to go to another station within that PTY
and the PTY is displayed, press either SEEK arrow
once. If the PTY is not displayed, press either
SEEK arrow twice to display the PTY and then to
go to another station.
5. Press PROG TYPE to exit program type select
mode.
If PTY times out and is no longer on the display, go
back to Step 1.
If both PTY and TRAF are on, the radio will search for
the selected PTY and traffic announcements.
3-90

Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle..........4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunken Driving.............................................4-2
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-6
Braking.........................................................4-6
Traction Control System (TCS).........................4-9
Steering......................................................4-11
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-13
Passing.......................................................4-13
Loss of Control.............................................4-15
Driving at Night............................................4-16
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-18City Driving..................................................4-21
Freeway Driving...........................................4-22
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-23
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-24
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-24
Winter Driving..............................................4-26
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow........4-30
Towing..........................................................4-31
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-31
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-31
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-33
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-39
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your front wheels. If your vehicle
has traction control, you should turn the system off.
SeeTraction Control System (TCS) on page 4-9. Then
shift back and forth between REVERSE (R) and a
forward gear, spinning the wheels as little as possible.
Release the accelerator pedal while you shift, and press
lightly on the accelerator pedal when the transaxle is
in gear. By slowly spinning your wheels in the forward
and reverse directions, you will cause a rocking
motion that may free your vehicle. If that does not get
you out after a few tries, you may need to be towed out.
If you do need to be towed out, seeTowing Your
Vehicle on page 4-31.
Towing
Towing Your Vehicle
Consult your dealer or a professional towing service if
you need to have your disabled vehicle towed. See
Roadside Assistance Program on page 7-6.
If you want to tow your vehicle behind another vehicle
for recreational purposes (such as behind a motorhome),
see “Recreational Vehicle Towing” following.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
Recreational vehicle towing means towing your vehicle
behind another vehicle — such as behind a motorhome.
The two most common types of recreational vehicle
towing are known as “dinghy towing” (towing your vehicle
with all four wheels on the ground) and “dolly towing”
(towing your vehicle with two wheels on the ground and
two wheels up on a device known as a “dolly”).
With the proper preparation and equipment, many
vehicles can be towed in these ways. See “Dinghy
Towing” and “Dolly Towing,” following.
4-31

Here are some important things to consider before you
do recreational vehicle towing:
What is the towing capacity of the towing vehicle?
Be sure you read the tow vehicle manufacturer’s
recommendations.
How far will you tow? Some vehicles have
restrictions on how far and how long they can tow.
Do you have the proper towing equipment?
See your dealer or trailering professional for
additional advice and equipment recommendations.
Is your vehicle ready to be towed? Just as you would
prepare your vehicle for a long trip, you will want to
make sure your vehicle is prepared to be towed. See
Before Leaving on a Long Trip on page 4-23.
Dinghy Towing
Notice:If you tow your vehicle with all four wheels
on the ground, the drivetrain components could
be damaged. The repairs would not be covered by
your warranty. Do not tow your vehicle with all
four wheels on the ground.
Your vehicle was not designed to be towed with all four
wheels on the ground. If your vehicle must be towed,
you should use a dolly. See “Dolly Towing” that follows
for more information.
4-32

Dolly Towing
Your vehicle can be towed using a dolly. To tow your
vehicle using a dolly, follow these steps:
1. Put the front wheels on the dolly.
2. Put the vehicle in PARK (P).
3. Set the parking brake and then remove the key.
4. Clamp the steering wheel in a straight-ahead
position.
5. Release the parking brake.
Loading Your Vehicle
It is very important to know how much weight your
vehicle can carry. This weight is called the vehicle
capacity weight and includes the weight of all occupants,
cargo and all nonfactory-installed options. Two labels
on your vehicle show how much weight it may properly
carry, the Tire and Loading Information label and the
Certication label.
{CAUTION:
Do not load your vehicle any heavier than the
GVWR, or either the maximum front or rear
GAWR. If you do, parts on your vehicle can
break, and it can change the way your vehicle
handles. These could cause you to lose
control and crash. Also, overloading can
shorten the life of your vehicle.
4-33