ESP PONTIAC GRAND PRIX 2008 Owners Manual

Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts
Q:Will I be trapped in the vehicle after a crash if
I am wearing a safety belt?
A:Youcouldbe — whether you are wearing a safety
belt or not. But your chance of being conscious
during and after an accident, so youcanunbuckle
and get out, ismuchgreater if you are belted.
And you can unbuckle a safety belt, even if you are
upside down.
Q:If my vehicle has airbags, why should I have to
wear safety belts?
A:Airbags are supplemental systems only; so they
workwithsafety belts — not instead of them.
Whether or not an airbag is provided, all occupants
still have to buckle up to get the most protection.
That is true not only in frontal collisions, but
especially in side and other collisions.
Q:If I am a good driver, and I never drive far from
home, why should I wear safety belts?
A:You may be an excellent driver, but if you are in a
crash — even one that is not your fault — you and
your passenger(s) can be hurt. Being a good
driver does not protect you from things beyond your
control, such as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within 25 miles (40 km)
of home. And the greatest number of serious
injuries and deaths occur at speeds of less than
40 mph (65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
1-14

Doors and Locks
Door Locks
{CAUTION:
Unlocked doors can be dangerous.
Passengers, especially children, can easily
open the doors and fall out of a moving
vehicle. When a door is locked, the handle
will not open it. You increase the chance
of being thrown out of the vehicle in a
crash if the doors are not locked. So, wear
safety belts properly and lock the doors
whenever you drive.
Young children who get into unlocked
vehicles may be unable to get out. A child
can be overcome by extreme heat and can
suffer permanent injuries or even death
from heat stroke. Always lock your vehicle
whenever you leave it.
Outsiders can easily enter through an
unlocked door when you slow down or
stop your vehicle. Locking your doors
can help prevent this from happening.There are several ways to lock and unlock the vehicle.
From the outside, use the key or remote keyless
entry transmitter.
From the inside, use the manual or power door locks.
To manually lock or
unlock the doors from
inside the vehicle,
push down or pull up
on the door lock pin
located on the top of
each door panel.
2-10

Windows
{CAUTION:
Leaving children, helpless adults, or pets
in a vehicle with the windows closed is
dangerous. They can be overcome by the
extreme heat and suffer permanent injuries
or even death from heat stroke. Never leave
a child, a helpless adult, or a pet alone in a
vehicle, especially with the windows closed
in warm or hot weather.
2-16

Express-Down Window
The driver’s window switch has an express-down
feature. This allows the window to open fully without
having to continuously hold the switch. Tap the switch
down, and the driver’s window will open a small
amount. Press the switch fully down and release
and the window will go all the way down.
To stop the window while it is lowering, press the
bottom of the switch. To raise the window, press
and hold the bottom of the switch.
Window Lockout
o
(Window Lockout):The driver’s window switch
includes a lockout feature located above the power
window switches on the driver’s door. Move the switch
to the right to prevent the passengers sitting in the
rear from using their window switches. The driver can
still control all the windows with the lockout on. Move
the switch to the left to disengage the lockout feature.
Sun Visors
To help block out glare, pull the sun visors down.
Pull on the inside edges of the sun visors to swing
them from the front windshield to the side window.
Visor Vanity Mirror
Raise the cover on the top of the sun visor to expose
the vanity mirror. If the vehicle has lighted vanity mirrors,
the lamps come on when the cover is opened.
Theft-Deterrent Systems
Vehicle theft is big business, especially in some cities.
Although your vehicle has a number of theft-deterrent
features, we know that nothing we put on it can make
it impossible to steal.
Content Theft-Deterrent
The vehicle has a content theft-deterrent alarm system.
2-18

2. If the engine does not start after 5-10 seconds,
especially in very cold weather (below 0°F or−18°C),
it could be ooded with too much gasoline. Try
pushing the accelerator pedal all the way to the oor
and holding it there as you hold the key in START
for up to a maximum of 15 seconds. Wait at least
15 seconds between each try, to allow the cranking
motor to cool down. When the engine starts, let go
of the key and accelerator. If the vehicle starts
briey but then stops again, do the same thing.
This clears the extra gasoline from the engine.
Do not race the engine immediately after starting it.
Operate the engine and transmission gently until
the oil warms up and lubricates all moving parts.
Notice:The engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle. If you add electrical parts
or accessories, you could change the way the engine
operates. Before adding electrical equipment, check
with your dealer/retailer. If you do not, your engine
might not perform properly. Any resulting damage
would not be covered by your vehicle’s warranty.Engine Coolant Heater
The engine coolant heater, if available, can help in
cold weather conditions at or below 0°F (−18°C)
for easier starting and better fuel economy during
engine warm-up. Plug in the coolant heater at least
four hours before starting your vehicle. An internal
thermostat in the plug-end of the cord may exist
which will prevent engine coolant heater operation
at temperatures above 0°F (−18°C).
2-26

3. The paddles are
located on the steering
wheel. They are used to
up-shift or down-shift
the transmission.
4. Push either paddle once to up-shift to the next
gear. Pull either paddle once to down-shift to
the next gear.
The vehicle will begin moving in rst gear upon
acceleration. For better control in icy or slippery
conditions, the vehicle may start out in SECOND (2),
rather than FIRST (1). This will only occur if you
have “tapped up” to second gear.
The up-shift light on the
instrument panel cluster,
or the up-shift symbol on
the HUD, if equipped, is
given as a prompt to use
the TAP-Shift
®paddle.For more information, seeUp-Shift Light on page 3-45
The up-shift light will only appear in the instrument
panel cluster if the HUD is off or if the vehicle does
not have HUD.
This prompt to up-shift, as needed, will be given
throughout acceleration. If up-shifting does not occur
when prompted, the vehicle speed will be limited
to protect the engine.
The gear position will display on the DIC and HUD,
if equipped, when in manual mode.
Pressing the accelerator while driving in the highest
gear (FOURTH (4)) between 20 mph (32 km/h)
and 50 mph (80 km/h), will make the transmission
automatically downshift. As your speed gets closer to
50 mph (80 km/h), you will need to increase accelerator
pedal travel to get the vehicle to downshift. At 50 mph
(80 km/h), even with the accelerator fully depressed,
the transmission will always remain in FOURTH (4).
The transmission will also automatically downshift as
the vehicle decelerates and comes to a stop.
If a paddle is pushed or pulled and the vehicle cannot
respond to a transmission gear change, a chime will
sound. The system will not allow either an up-shift or a
down-shift if the vehicle speed is too fast or too slow,
nor will it allow a start from THIRD (3) or higher gear.
2-32

Your Responsibility
Increase the radio volume if you cannot hear the
OnStar advisor. If the light next to the OnStar buttons
is red, this means that your system is not functioning
properly and should be checked by your dealer/retailer.
If the light appears clear (no light is appearing),
your OnStar subscription has expired. You can
always press the OnStar button to conrm that
your OnStar equipment is active.
Storage Areas
Glove Box
To open the glove box, lift up on the lever.
Cupholder(s)
There are two cupholders in the front of the
center console.
Cupholder Installation and Removal
Your vehicle may also have a rear cupholder that can
be installed by aligning it to the console and snapping
it into place. To remove, pull it up from the console.
2-43

;(Parking Lamp):Turn the band to this position to
turn on the parking lamps together with the following:
Taillamps
License Plate Lamps
Instrument Panel Lights
The parking brake indicator light comes on and stays
on when the parking lamps are on with the engine
in LOCK/OFF and the ignition to ACC/ACCESSORY.
5(Headlamps):Turn the control to this position
to turn on the headlamps together with the following
lamps listed below. A warning chime sounds if the
driver’s door is opened while the ignition switch is off
and the headlamps are on.
Parking Lamps
Taillamps
License Plate Lamps
Instrument Panel Lights
Headlamps on Reminder
A warning chime will sound if the vehicle’s ignition is
off and the driver’s door is opened when the exterior
lamp control is left on in either the headlamp or
parking lamp position.
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier
for others to see the front of your vehicle during the day.
DRL can be helpful in many different driving conditions,
but they can be especially helpful in the short periods
after dawn and before sunset. Daytime running
lamps are required to function at all times on all
vehicles rst sold in Canada.
A light sensor on top of the instrument panel makes
the DRL work, so be sure it is not covered.
The DRL system will make the low-beam headlamps
come on at reduced brightness when the following
conditions are met:
The ignition is on.
The exterior lamps control is off.
The parking brake is released.
While the DRL are on, only the vehicle’s low-beam
headlamps will be on at reduced brightness. The turn
signal, taillamps, sidemarker and other lamps will not be
on. The instrument panel cluster will not be lit up either.
3-17

To load more than one CD but less than six, complete
Steps 1 through 3. When nished loading CDs, the
radio begins to play the last CD loaded.
If more than one CD has been loaded, a number for
each CD displays.
Playing a Specic Loaded CD
For every CD loaded, a number appears on the display.
To play a specic CD, rst press the CD AUX button,
then press the numbered pushbutton that corresponds to
the CD. A small bar appears under the CD number
that is playing and the track number displays.
If an error appears on the display, see “CD Messages”
later in this section.
LOAD/CD
Z(Eject):Press the CD eject side of this
button to eject a CD(s). A beep sounds and the indicator
light ashes to indicate when a CD is being ejected.
REMOVE CD displays. The CD can be removed.
If the CD is not removed, after 25 seconds, the CD is
automatically pulled back into the player. If the CD is
pushed back into the player, before the 25 second time
period is complete, the player senses an error and tries
to eject the CD several times before stopping.Do not repeatedly press the CD eject button to eject a CD
after trying to push it in manually. The player’s 25-second
eject timer resets at each press of eject, causing the
player to not eject the CD until the 25-second time period
has elapsed.
Once the player stops and the CD is ejected, remove the
CD. After removing the CD, push the PWR knob off and
then on again, or wait for the system to reset. This clears
the CD-sensing feature and enables CDs to be loaded
into the player again.
\1 (Forward) or FWD|(Forward):Depending
on the radio that your vehicle has, the reverse arrows
will look different, but they function the same. Press
and hold this button to advance quickly within a track.
Sound is heard at a reduced volume. Release this
pushbutton to play the passage. The elapsed time of
the track displays.
RPT (Repeat):For the Radio with Six-Disc CD player,
use this feature to repeat one track or an entire CD.
To use repeat, do the following:
To repeat the track you are listening to, press and
release the RPT button. RPT displays. Press RPT
again to turn off repeat play.
To repeat the CD you are listening to, press and hold
the RPT button for two seconds. RPT displays. Press
RPT again to turn off repeat play.
3-104

When a CD is playing, press either scan arrow to go to
the previous or next track, if more than eight seconds
have played. If either scan arrow is held or pressed
more than once, the player continues moving backward
or forward through the CD.
BAND:Press this button to switch between FM1, FM2,
AM, or XM1 or XM2 (if equipped).
1–6 (Preset Pushbuttons):Press this button to play
stations that are programmed on the radio preset
pushbuttons. The radio seeks preset stations only
with a strong signal that are in the selected band.
$(Mute//OnStar®):Press this button to silence the
system. Press this button again, to turn the sound on.
If your vehicle is equipped with OnStar
®, press and
hold this button to interact with the OnStar®system.
See theOnStar®System on page 2-40in this manual for
more information.
r(Play):When listening to the radio, press this
button to play a CD.
wux(Volume):Press the volume arrows to
increase or decrease the volume.
Radio Reception
Frequency interference and static during normal
radio reception can occur if items such as cellphone
chargers, vehicle convenience accessories, and external
electronic devices are plugged into the accessory
power outlet. If there is interference or static, unplug
the item from the accessory power outlet.
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM,
especially at night. The longer range can cause station
frequencies to interfere with each other. For better radio
reception, most AM radio stations boost the power levels
during the day, and then reduce these levels during the
night. Static can also occur when things like storms and
power lines interfere with radio reception. When this
happens, try reducing the treble on your radio.
FM Stereo
FM stereo gives the best sound, but FM signals reach
only about 10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km). Tall buildings or
hills can interfere with FM signals, causing the sound
to fade in and out.
3-116