PONTIAC GRAND AM 1998 Owners Manual

And, if you do have a heavy load, you should spread
it out. Don’t carry more than 132 lbs. (60 kg) in
your trunk.
I A CAUTION: I
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, or it can change the
way your vehicle
handles. These could cause you to lose control.
Also, overloading can shorten the life of
your vehicle.
I NOTICE:
Your warranty does not cover parts or
components that fail because of overloading.
~ A CAUTION:
Things you put inside your vehicle can strike
and injure people in a sudden stop
or turn, or in
a crash.
Put things in the trunk of your vehicle. In a
trunk, put them as far forward as you can.
Try to spread the weight evenly.
Never stack heavier things, like suitcases,
inside the vehicle so that some .. af . tm.arc , ..
above the tops of the seats.
Don’t leave an unsecured child restraint in
your vehicle.
When you carry something inside the
vehicle, secure it whenever you can.
Don’t leave a seat folded down unless you
need to.
4-34

Towing a Trailer
I
If you don’t use the correct equipment and drive
properly, you can lose control when you pull a
trailer. For example,
if the trailer is too heavy, the
brakes may not work well
-- or even at all. You
and your passengers could be seriously injured.
You may also damage your vehicle; the resulting
repairs would not be covered by your warranty.
Pull a trailer only if you have followed all the
steps in this section. Ask your dealer for advice
and information about towing a trailer with
your vehicle.
>o not tow a trailer if your vehicle is equipped with a
!.4L (Code T) engine. Your
vehicle can tow a trailer if it is equipped with the
proper trailer towing equipment. To identify what the
vehicle trailering capacity is for your vehicle, you
should read the information in “Weight of the Trailer”
that appears later in this section. But trailering is
different than just driving your vehicle by itself.
Trailering means changes in handling, durability and
fuel economy. Successful, safe trailering takes correct
equipment, and it has to be used properly.
That’s the reason for
this part. In it are many
time-tested, important trailering tips and safety rules.
Many of these are important for your safety and that of
your passengers.
So please read this section carefully
before you pull a trailer.
Load-pulling
components such as the engine, transaxle,
wheel assemblies and tires are forced to work harder
against the drag of the added weight. The engine is
required to operate at relatively higher speeds and under
greater loads, generating extra heat. What’s more, the
trailer adds considerably to wind resistance, increasing
the pulling requirements.
4-35

If You Do Decide To Pull A nailer
If you do, here are some important points:
0
0
0
0
There are many different laws, including speed limit
restrictions, having to do with trailering. Make sure
your rig
will be legal, not only where you live but
also where you’ll be driving.
A good source for this
information can be state or provincial police.
Consider using a sway control. You can
ask a hitch
dealer about sway controls.
Don’t tow
a trailer at all during the fist 1 ,O00 miles
(1 600 km) your new vehicle is driven. Your engine,
axle or other parts could be damaged.
Then, during the first
500 miles (800 km) that you
tow a trailer, don’t drive over 50 mph (80 km/h) and
don’t make starts at full throttle. This helps your
engine and other parts of your vehicle wear in at the
heavier loads.
0 Obey speed limit restrictions when towing a trailer.
Don’t
drive faster than the maximum posted speed
for trailers (or
no more than 55 mph (90 km/h)) to
save wear
on your vehicle’s parts.
Three important considerations have
to do with weight:
the weight of the trailer,
the weight of the trailer tongue
and the total weight on your vehicle’s tires.
Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It should never weigh more than 1,000 lbs. (450 kg). But
even that can be too heavy.
It depends on how
you plan to use your rig. For
example, speed, altitude, road grades, outside
temperature and how much your vehicle
is used to pull a
trailer are
all important. And, it can also depend on any
special equipment
that you have on your vehicle.
4-36

You can ask your dealer for our trailering information or
advice, or you can write us at:
Pontiac Customer Assistance Center One Pontiac Plaza
Pontiac, Michigan 48340-2952
In Canada, write to: General Motors of Canada Limited
Customer Communication Centre
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario LlH 8P7
Weight of the Trailer Tongue
The tongue load (A) of any trailer is an important
weight
to measure because it affects the total or gross
weight of your vehicle. The Gross Vehicle Weight
(GVW) includes the curb weight of the vehicle, any
cargo you may carry
in it, and the people who will be
riding in the vehicle. And if you tow a trailer, you must
add
the tongue load to the GVW because your vehicle
will be carrying that weight, too. See “Loading Your
Vehicle” in the Index for more information about your
vehicle’s maximum load capacity.
A B
If you’re using a weight-carrying hitch, the trailer
tongue (A) should weigh 10 percent of the total loaded
trailer weight
(B). If you have a weight-distributing
hitch, the trailer tongue (A) should weigh 12 percent of
the total loaded trailer weight
(B).
After you’ve loaded your trailer, weigh the trailer and
then the tongue, separately, to
see if the weights are
proper. If they aren’t, you may be able to get them right
simply by moving some items around in the trailer.
4-37

Total Weight on Your Vehicle’s Tires
Be sure your vehicle’s tires are inflated to the upper
limit for cold tires. You’ll find these numbers on the
Certification label at the rear edge of the driver’s door or
see “Loading Your Vehicle” in the Index. Then be sure
you don’t
go over the GVW limit for your vehicle,
including the weight of the trailer tongue.
Hitches
It’s important to have the correct hitch equipment.
Crosswinds, large trucks going by and rough roads are a
few
reasons why you’ll need the right hitch. Here are
some rules to follow:
0
0
The rear bumper on your vehicle is not intended for
hitches. Do not attach rental hitches or other
bumper-type hitches to it. Use only a frame-mounted
hitch that does not attach to the bumper.
Will you have to make any holes in
the body of your
vehicle when you install a trailer hitch? If you do,
then be
sure to seal the holes later when you remove
the hitch. If you don’t seal them, deadly carbon
monoxide (CO) from your exhaust can get into your
vehicle
(see “Carbon Monoxide” in the Index). Dirt
and water can, too.
Safety Chains
You should always attach chains between your vehicle
and your trailer. Cross the safety chains under
the tongue
of the trailer so that the tongue will not drop to the road
if
it becomes separated from the hitch. Instructions
about safety chains may be provided by the hitch
manufacturer
or by the trailer manufacturer. Follow the
manufacturer’s recommendation for attaching safety
chains and do not attach them to the bumper. Always
leave just enough slack
so you can turn with your rig.
And, never allow safety chains to drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
Does your trailer have its own brakes?
Be sure to read and follow the instructions for the trailer
brakes
so you’ll be able to install, adjust and maintain
them properly.
And because you have anti-lock brakes,
do not try to tap into your vehicle’s brake system. If you
do, both brake systems won’t work well, or at
all.
4-38

Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of experience.
Before setting out for the open road, you’ll 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 the trailer hitch and platform
(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’ll need more passing distance up ahead when you’re 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.
4-39

Making Turns
NOTICE:
~ ~~______
Making very sharp turns while trailering could
cause the trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle.
Your vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider turns than
normal. Do this so your trailer won’t strike soft shoulders,
curbs, road signs, trees or other objects. Avoid jerky or
sudden maneuvers. Signal well in advance.
’Ibm Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle may need a
different
turn signal flasher andor extra wiring. Check
with your Pontiac dealer. The green arrows on your
instrument panel will flash whenever you signal
a turn
or lane change. Properly hooked up, the trailer lamps
will also flash, telling other drivers you’re about to
turn,
change lanes or stop.
When towing
a trailer, the green arrows on your
instrument panel will flash for turns even if the bulbs on
the trailer are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers
behind you are seeing your signal when they are not.
It’s important to check occasionally to be sure the trailer
bulbs are
still working.
4-40

Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start
down a long or steep downgrade.
If you don’t shift
down, you might have to use your brakes
so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, use the highest gear possible.
If you cannot maintain posted speeds, driving at a
lower speed may help avoid overheating your engine
and transaxle.
Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle, with a trailer
attached, on a hill. If something goes wrong, your rig
could start to move. People can be injured, and both
your vehicle and the trailer can be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s
how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your parking
brake, and then shift to PARK (P),
or REVERSE (R)
for a manual transaxle.
5. Release the regular brakes.
PARK
(P) yet, or into
a gear for a manual transaxle.
4-41

When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
0 Start your engine;
0 Shift into a gear; and
0 Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule
for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transaxle fluid (don’t overfill),
engine oil, belt, cooling system and brake adjustment.
Each
of these is covered in this manual, and the Index
will help you find them quickly. If you’re trailering, it’s
a good idea to review these sections before you
start
your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
Engine Cooling When mailer Towing
Your cooling system may temporarily overheat during
severe operating conditions.
See “Engine Overheating’’
in the Index.
Towing A Trailer
(Except
3100 V6 Engine)
Your vehicle is neither designed nor intended to tow
a trailer.
4-42

Section 5 Problems on the Road
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the road.
5-2
5-2
5-3
5-8
5-14 Hazard Warning Flashers
Other Warning Devices
Jump Starting Towing Your Vehicle
Engine Overheating 5-23 If a Tire Goes Flat
5-23 Changing a Flat Tire
5-33 Compact Spare Tire
5-34 If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow
5-1