ESP PONTIAC G6 2007 User Guide

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. See
Braking in Emergencies on page 261.
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 259.
In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
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Traction Control System (TCS)
Your vehicle may have a Traction Control System
(TCS) that limits wheel spin. This is especially
useful in slippery road conditions. The system
operates only if it senses that one or both of the
front wheels are spinning or beginning to lose
traction. When this happens, the system reduces
engine power and may also upshift the transaxle
to limit wheel spin. Also, the traction control system
activates the appropriate corner brakes to gain
even quicker control to limit wheel spin.
This light, located on the
instrument panel, will
come on when your
Traction Control System
is limiting wheel spin.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this
is normal.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the
traction control system begins to limit wheel spin,
the cruise control will automatically disengage.When road conditions allow you to safely use it
again, you may re-engage the cruise control. See
Cruise Control on page 171.
The Traction Control System operates in all
transaxle shift lever positions except park or
neutral. But the system can upshift the transaxle
only as high as the shift lever position you’ve
chosen, so you should use the lower gears only
when necessary. SeeAutomatic Transaxle
Operation on page 129.
This light is located on
the instrument panel
cluster.
When the system is on, this light will come on to let
you know if there’s a problem, or if the system has
been turned off.
When this warning light is on, the system will not
limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
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To limit wheel spin, especially in slippery road
conditions, you should always leave the Traction
Control System on. But you can turn the system off
if you prefer.
To turn the system on or off, press the traction
control button (TC) located under the climate
controls. In order to effectively “rock” the vehicle,
you will need to turn off TCS.
If you press the TC button once, the traction control
system will turn off and the traction control system
warning light will come on. The StabiliTrak
®system
will stay on. Press the TC button again to turn the
system back on. The traction control system
warning light will go off. If you press and hold the
TC button, the StabiliTrak
®system and the traction
control system will turn off. Press the TC button
again to turn StabiliTrak
®and the traction control
system back on. For more information, see
StabiliTrak
®System on page 265.
When you turn the system off, the Traction Control
System warning light will come on and stay on.
If the Traction Control System is limiting wheel spin
when you press the button to turn the system
off, the warning light will come on – but the system
won’t turn off right away. It will wait until there’s
no longer a current need to limit wheel spin.Adding non-GM accessories can affect your
vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modications on page 308for more information.
Enhanced Traction System (ETS)
Your vehicle may have an Enhanced Traction
System (ETS) that limits wheel spin. This is
especially useful in slippery road conditions. The
system operates only if it senses that one or
both of the front wheels are spinning or beginning
to lose traction. When this happens, the system
reduces engine power and may also upshift
the transaxle to limit wheel spin.
This light, located on
the instrument panel,
will come on when your
Enhanced Traction
System is limiting
wheel spin.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this
is normal.
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If your vehicle is in cruise control when the
enhanced traction system begins to limit wheel
spin, the cruise control will automatically
disengage. When road conditions allow you to
safely use it again, you may re-engage the cruise
control. SeeCruise Control on page 171.
The Enhanced Traction System operates in all
transaxle shift lever positions except park, neutral
or reverse. But the system can upshift the
transaxle only as high as the shift lever position
you’ve chosen, so you should use the lower gears
only when necessary. SeeAutomatic Transaxle
Operation on page 129.
This light is located on
the instrument panel
cluster.
When the system is on, this light will come on to
let you know if there’s a problem, or if the
system has been turned off.When this warning light is on, the system will not
limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
To limit wheel spin, especially in slippery road
conditions, you should always leave the Enhanced
Traction System on. But you can turn the system
off if you prefer.
To turn the system on or off, press the traction
control button located on the instrument panel. In
order to effectively “rock” the vehicle, you will
need to turn off the traction control system.
When you turn the system off, the Enhanced
Traction System warning light will come on and
stay on. If the Enhanced Traction System is
limiting wheel spin when you press the button to
turn the system off, the warning light will come
on – but the system won’t turn off right away. It will
wait until there’s no longer a current need to
limit wheel spin.
You can turn the system back on at any time by
pressing the button again. The Enhanced Traction
System warning light should go off.
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So here are some tips for passing:
Drive ahead. Look down the road, to the
sides, and to crossroads for situations
that might affect your passing patterns. If you
have any doubt whatsoever about making
a successful pass, wait for a better time.
Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings,
and lines. If you can see a sign up ahead
that might indicate a turn or an intersection,
delay your pass. A broken center line
usually indicates it is all right to pass, providing
the road ahead is clear. Never cross a solid
line on your side of the lane or a double solid
line, even if the road seems empty of
approaching traffic.
Do not get too close to the vehicle you want
to pass while you are awaiting an opportunity.
For one thing, following too closely reduces
your area of vision, especially if you are
following a larger vehicle. Also, you will not
have adequate space if the vehicle ahead
suddenly slows or stops. Keep back a
reasonable distance.
When it looks like a chance to pass is coming
up, start to accelerate but stay in the right
lane and do not get too close. Time your moveso you will be increasing speed as the time
comes to move into the other lane. If the way
is clear to pass, you will have a running
start that more than makes up for the distance
you would lose by dropping back. And if
something happens to cause you to cancel
your pass, you need only slow down and drop
back again and wait for another opportunity.
If other vehicles are lined up to pass a slow
vehicle, wait your turn. But take care that
someone is not trying to pass you as you pull
out to pass the slow vehicle. Remember to
glance over your shoulder and check the
blind spot.
Check your vehicle’s mirrors, glance over
your shoulder, and start your left lane
change signal before moving out of the right
lane to pass. When you are far enough ahead
of the passed vehicle to see its front in your
vehicle’s inside mirror, activate the right
lane change signal and move back into the
right lane. Remember that your vehicle’s
passenger side outside mirror is convex. The
vehicle you just passed may seem to be
farther away from you than it really is.
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Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a
time on two-lane roads. Reconsider before
passing the next vehicle.
Do not overtake a slowly moving vehicle too
rapidly. Even though the brake lamps are
not ashing, it may be slowing down or starting
to turn.
If you are being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps
you can ease a little to the right.
Loss of Control
Let us review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems — brakes,
steering, and acceleration — do not have enough
friction where the tires meet the road to do what the
driver has asked.
In any emergency, do not give up. Keep trying to
steer and constantly seek an escape route or
area of less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking
reasonable care suited to existing conditions, and
by not overdriving those conditions. But skids
are always possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your
vehicle’s three control systems. In the braking skid,
your wheels are not rolling. In the steering or
cornering skid, too much speed or steering in a
curve causes tires to slip and lose cornering force.
And in the acceleration skid, too much throttle
causes the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid is best handled by easing your
foot off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle does not have a traction system, or
if the traction system is off, an acceleration skid
is also best handled by easing your foot off
the accelerator pedal. SeeEnhanced Traction
System (ETS) on page 263,Traction Control
System (TCS) on page 262,orStabiliTrak
®
System on page 265.
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Slow down, especially on higher speed roads.
Your vehicle’s headlamps can light up only so
much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you are tired, pull off the road in a safe
place and rest.
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime.
But as we get older these differences increase.
A 50-year-old driver may require at least twice as
much light to see the same thing at night as a
20-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also affect your
night vision. For example, if you spend the
day in bright sunshine you are wise to wear
sunglasses. Your eyes will have less trouble
adjusting to night. But if you are driving, do not
wear sunglasses at night. They may cut down on
glare from headlamps, but they also make a
lot of things invisible.You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps. It can take a second or two, or
even several seconds, for your eyes to re-adjust
to the dark. When you are faced with severe glare,
as from a driver who does not lower the high
beams, or a vehicle with misaimed headlamps,
slow down a little. Avoid staring directly into
the approaching headlamps.
Keep the windshield and all the glass on your
vehicle clean — inside and out. Glare at night is
made much worse by dirt on the glass. Even
the inside of the glass can build up a lm caused
by dust. Dirty glass makes lights dazzle and
ash more than clean glass would, making the
pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that the headlamps light up far less of a
roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep your
eyes moving; that way, it is easier to pick out dimly
lighted objects. Just as the headlamps should be
checked regularly for proper aim, so should your
eyes be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer
from night blindness — the inability to see in dim
light — and are not even aware of it.
273

Driving Through Deep Standing Water
Notice:If you drive too quickly through
deep puddles or standing water, water can
come in through your engine’s air intake and
badly damage your engine. Never drive through
water that is slightly lower than the underbody
of your vehicle. If you cannot avoid deep
puddles or standing water, drive through them
very slowly.
Driving Through Flowing Water
{CAUTION:
Flowing or rushing water creates strong
forces. If you try to drive through owing
water, as you might at a low water
crossing, your vehicle can be carried away.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
As little as six inches of owing water can
carry away a smaller vehicle. If this
happens, you and other vehicle occupants
could drown. Do not ignore police
warning signs, and otherwise be very
cautious about trying to drive through
owing water.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, allow some extra
following distance. And be especially careful
when you pass another vehicle. Allow yourself
more clear room ahead, and be prepared to
have your view restricted by road spray.
Have good tires with proper tread depth. See
Tires on page 370.
276

You can run the engine to keep warm, but be
careful.
{CAUTION:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your
vehicle. This can cause deadly CO
(carbon monoxide) gas to get inside. CO
could overcome you and kill you. You
cannot see it or smell it, so you might not
know it is in your vehicle. Clear away
snow from around the base of your
vehicle, especially any that is blocking
your exhaust pipe. And check around
again from time to time to be sure snow
does not collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of
the vehicle that is away from the wind.
This will help keep CO out.
Run your engine only as long as you must. This
saves fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a
little faster than just idle. That is, push the
accelerator slightly. This uses less fuel for the
heat that you get and it keeps the battery charged.
286

Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of
experience. Before setting out for the open road,
you will want to get to know your rig. Acquaint
yourself with the feel of handling and braking with
the added weight of the trailer. And always
keep in mind that the vehicle you are driving is
now a good deal longer and not nearly as
responsive as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check all trailer hitch parts and
attachments, safety chains, electrical connector,
lamps, tires and mirror adjustment. If the trailer has
electric brakes, start your vehicle and trailer
moving and then apply the trailer brake controller
by hand to be sure the brakes are working.
This lets you check your electrical connection at
the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be sure
that the load is secure, and that the lamps and any
trailer brakes are still working.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead
as you would when driving your vehicle without
a trailer. This can help you avoid situations
that require heavy braking and sudden turns.
Passing
You will need more passing distance up ahead
when you are towing a trailer. And, because you’re
a good deal longer, you’ll need to go much
farther beyond the passed vehicle before you can
return to your lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with
one hand. Then, to move the trailer to the left, just
move that hand to the left. To move the trailer
to the right, move your hand to the right. Always
back up slowly and, if possible, have someone
guide you.
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