steering PONTIAC G5 2007 Owner's Manual

Exiting Personalization Menu
The personalization menu will be exited when any
of the following conditions occur:
A ten second time period has elapsed.
The ignition is turned off.
The end of the personalization menu list is
reached.
Audio System(s)
Determine which radio your vehicle has and then
read the pages following to familiarize yourself
with its features.
Driving without distraction is a necessity for a safer
driving experience. SeeDefensive Driving on
page 218. By taking a few moments to read this
manual and get familiar with your vehicle’s audio
system, you can use it with less effort, as well as
take advantage of its features. While your
vehicle is parked, set up your audio system
by presetting your favorite radio stations,
setting the tone and adjusting the speakers.Then, when driving conditions permit, you can tune
to your favorite stations using the presets and
steering wheel controls if the vehicle has them.
{CAUTION:
This system provides you with a far greater
access to audio stations and song listings.
Giving extended attention to entertainment
tasks while driving can cause a crash and
you or others can be injured or killed.
Always keep your eyes on the road and
your mind on the drive — avoid engaging
in extended searching while driving.
Keeping your mind on the drive is important for
safe driving. For more information, seeDefensive
Driving on page 218.
Here are some ways in which you can help avoid
distraction while driving.
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While your vehicle is parked:
Familiarize yourself with all of its controls.
Familiarize yourself with its operation.
Set up your audio system by presetting your
favorite radio stations, setting the tone, and
adjusting the speakers. Then, when driving
conditions permit, you can tune to your favorite
radio stations using the presets and steering
wheel controls if the vehicle has them.
Notice:Before adding any sound equipment
to your vehicle, such as an audio system, CD
player, CB radio, mobile telephone, or two-way
radio, make sure that it can be added by
checking with your dealer. Also, check federal
rules covering mobile radio and telephone
units. If sound equipment can be added, it is
very important to do it properly. Added sound
equipment may interfere with the operation of
your vehicle’s engine, radio, or other systems,
and even damage them. Your vehicle’s systems
may interfere with the operation of sound
equipment that has been added.Your vehicle has a feature called Retained
Accessory Power (RAP). With RAP, the audio
system can be played even after the ignition
is turned off. SeeRetained Accessory Power
(RAP) on page 110for more information.
Setting the Time
(Without Date Display)
If your vehicle has an AM/FM base radio with a
single CD player and preset buttons numbered
one through six, the radio will have a clock button
for setting the time. You can set the time by
following these steps:
1. Press the clock button until the hour numbers
begin ashing on the display. Press the clock
button a second time and the minute
numbers will begin ashing on the display.
2. While either the hour or the minute numbers
are ashing, turn the tune knob, located on
the upper right side of the radio, clockwise
or counterclockwise to increase or decrease
the time.
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Finding a Station
BAND:Press this button to switch between AM,
FM, or XM™ (if equipped). The selection displays.
f(Tune):Turn this knob to select radio
stations.
©SEEK¨:Press the right or left SEEK arrow
to go to the next or to the previous station and
stay there.
To scan stations, press and hold either SEEK
arrow for a few seconds until a beep sounds. The
radio goes to a station, plays for a few seconds,
then goes on to the next station. Press either
SEEK arrow again to stop scanning.
The radio only seeks and scans stations with a
strong signal that are in the selected band.
4(Information) (XM™ Satellite Radio Service,
MP3, and RDS Features):Press the information
button to display additional text information related
to the current FM-RDS or XM™ station, or MP3
song. A choice of additional information such as:
Channel, Song, Artist, and CAT (category) can
display. Continue pressing the information button to
highlight the desired label, or press the pushbutton
positioned under any one of the labels and the
information about that label displays.
While information is not available, No Info displays.
Storing a Radio Station as a Favorite
Drivers are encouraged to set up their radio station
favorites while the vehicle is parked. Tune to your
favorite stations using the presets, favorites button,
and steering wheel controls if the vehicle has this
feature. SeeDefensive Driving on page 218.
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Theft-Deterrent Feature
THEFTLOCK®is designed to discourage
theft of your vehicle’s radio. The feature works
automatically by learning a portion of the Vehicle
Identication Number (VIN). If the radio is moved to
a different vehicle, it will not operate and LOCK or
LOCKED will appear on the display.
With THEFTLOCK
®activated, the radio will not
operate if stolen.
Audio Steering Wheel Controls
Radio controls are
located on the right side
of the steering wheel.
If your vehicle has this
feature, some audio
controls can be adjusted
at this location. They
include the following:
xw:Press the up or the down arrow to go to
the next or to the previous stored radio station and
stay there. Press and hold the up or down arrow
longer than three-quarters of a second to advance
to the next or previous station with a strong
signal in the selected band.
When a CD is playing, press the up or the
down arrow to go to the next or previous track.
Press and hold the up or down arrow longer than
three-quarters of a second to continue advancing
ahead or reversing back, to other tracks within
the disc.
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Your Driving, the Road, and
Your Vehicle............................................ 218
Defensive Driving...................................... 218
Drunken Driving........................................ 219
Control of a Vehicle.................................. 222
Braking...................................................... 222
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS).................. 223
Braking in Emergencies............................. 225
Enhanced Traction System (ETS).............. 226
Steering.................................................... 227
Off-Road Recovery.................................... 230
Passing..................................................... 230
Loss of Control.......................................... 232
Driving at Night......................................... 234
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads............ 235
City Driving............................................... 238Freeway Driving........................................ 239
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.................. 240
Highway Hypnosis..................................... 241
Hill and Mountain Roads........................... 241
Winter Driving........................................... 243
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud,
Ice, or Snow.......................................... 248
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out........... 248
Loading Your Vehicle................................ 249
Towing........................................................ 254
Towing Your Vehicle ................................. 254
Recreational Vehicle Towing...................... 254
Towing a Trailer (Manual Transaxle)......... 256
Towing a Trailer
(Automatic Transaxle)............................ 257
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
217

Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your
vehicle go where you want it to go. They are
the brakes, the steering, and the accelerator.
All three systems have to do their work at
the places where the tires meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you are driving on snow or
ice, it is easy to ask more of those control systems
than the tires and road can provide. That means
you can lose control of your vehicle. See
Enhanced Traction System (ETS) on page 226.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your
vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modications on page 268.
Braking
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 165.
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake
pedal. That is perception time. Then you have to
bring up your foot and do it. That is reaction time.
Average reaction time is about three-fourths of a
second. But that is only an average. It might be less
with one driver and as long as two or three seconds
or more with another. Age, physical condition,
alertness, coordination, and eyesight all play a part.
So do alcohol, drugs, and frustration. But even in
three-fourths of a second, a vehicle moving at
60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m). That
could be a lot of distance in an emergency, so
keeping enough space between your vehicle and
others is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary
greatly with the surface of the road, whether it is
pavement or gravel; the condition of the road,
whether it is wet, dry, or icy; tire tread; the
condition of the brakes; the weight of the vehicle;
and the amount of brake force applied.
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Remember: ABS does not change the time you
need to get your foot up to the brake pedal or
always decrease stopping distance. If you get too
close to the vehicle in front of you, you will not have
time to apply your brakes if that vehicle suddenly
slows or stops. Always leave enough room up
ahead to stop, even though you have ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake
pedal down rmly and let anti-lock work for you.
You may feel a slight brake pedal pulsation
or notice some noise, but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
At some time, nearly every driver gets into a
situation that requires hard braking.
If you have ABS, you can steer and brake at the
same time. However, if you do not have ABS, your
rst reaction — to hit the brake pedal hard and
hold it down — may be the wrong thing to do.
Your wheels can stop rolling. Once they do, the
vehicle cannot respond to your steering.Momentum will carry it in whatever direction it was
headed when the wheels stopped rolling. That
could be off the road, into the very thing you were
trying to avoid, or into traffic.
If you do not have ABS, use a “squeeze” braking
technique. This will give you maximum braking
while maintaining steering control. You can do this
by pushing on the brake pedal with steadily
increasing pressure.
In an emergency, you will probably want to
squeeze the brakes hard without locking the
wheels. If you hear or feel the wheels sliding, ease
off the brake pedal. This will help you retain
steering control. If you do have ABS, it is different.
SeeAnti-Lock Brake System (ABS) on page 223.
In many emergencies, steering can help you
more than even the very best braking.
225

The warning light will come on when you set
your parking brake with the engine running,
and it will stay on if your parking brake
does not release fully. If the transaxle shift
lever is in any position other than LOW (L) and
the warning light stays on after your parking
brake is fully released, it means there is
a problem with the system.
If the traction control system is affected by an
engine related problem, the system will turn
off and the warning light will come on.
If the Enhanced Traction System warning light
comes on and stays on for an extended period of
time when the transaxle shift lever is in any
position other than LOW (L), your vehicle needs
service.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your
vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modications on page 268for more information.
Steering
Electric Power Steering
If the engine stalls while you are driving, the
power steering assist system will continue
to operate until you are able to stop your vehicle.
If you lose power steering assist because the
electric power steering system is not functioning,
you can steer, but it will take more effort.
If you turn the steering wheel in either direction
several times until it stops, or hold the steering
wheel in the stopped position for an extended
amount of time, you may notice a reduced amount
of power steering assist. The normal amount of
power steering assist should return shortly after a
few normal steering movements.
The electric power steering system does not
require regular maintenance. If you suspect
steering system problems and/or the POWER
STEERING message comes on, contact
your dealer for service repairs. SeeDIC Warnings
and Messages on page 177.
227

Steering Tips
It is important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents
mentioned on the news happen on curves.
Here is why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is
subject to the same laws of physics when driving on
curves. The traction of the tires against the road
surface makes it possible for the vehicle to change
its path when you turn the front wheels. If there is
no traction, inertia will keep the vehicle going in the
same direction. If you have ever tried to steer a
vehicle on wet ice, you will understand this.
The traction you can get in a curve depends on
the condition of your tires and the road surface, the
angle at which the curve is banked, and your
speed. While you are in a curve, speed is the
one factor you can control.
Suppose you are steering through a sharp curve.
Then you suddenly apply the brakes. Both
control systems — steering and braking — have
to do their work where the tires meet the road.
Unless you have four-wheel anti-lock brakes,
adding the hard braking can demand too much of
those places. You can lose control.The same thing can happen if you are steering
through a sharp curve and you suddenly
accelerate. Those two control systems — steering
and acceleration — can overwhelm those
places where the tires meet the road and make
you lose control. SeeEnhanced Traction System
(ETS) on page 226.
What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up
on the brake or accelerator pedal, steer the
vehicle the way you want it to go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you
should adjust your speed. Of course, the posted
speeds are based on good weather and road
conditions. Under less favorable conditions you will
want to go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach
a curve, do it before you enter the curve, while
your front wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed so you can “drive” through
the curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed.
Wait to accelerate until you are out of the curve,
and then accelerate gently into the straightaway.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your
vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modications on page 268.
228

Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more
effective than braking. For example, you come over
a hill and nd a truck stopped in your lane, or a car
suddenly pulls out from nowhere, or a child darts
out from between parked cars and stops right in
front of you. You can avoid these problems by
braking — if you can stop in time. But sometimes
you cannot; there is not room. That is the time for
evasive action — steering around the problem.
Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies
like these. First apply your brakes — but, unless
you have anti-lock brakes, not enough to lock
your wheels.
SeeBraking on page 222. It is better to remove as
much speed as you can from a possible collision.
Then steer around the problem, to the left or
right depending on the space available.An emergency like this requires close attention
and a quick decision. If you are holding the
steering wheel at the recommended 9 and
3 o’clock positions, you can turn it a full
180 degrees very quickly without removing either
hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly,
and just as quickly straighten the wheel once you
have avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency situations are always
possible is a good reason to practice defensive
driving at all times and wear safety belts properly.
229