trunk PONTIAC GRAND PRIX 2008 Owners Manual

{CAUTION:
If the seatback is not locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is
locked.
Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked.
Rear Seats
Split Folding Rear Seat
Both sides of the rear seatback can be folded down.
This gives direct access to the trunk. Make sure the front
seats are not reclined. If they are, the rear seatback(s)
may not fold down all the way.
Notice:Folding a rear seat with the safety belts
still fastened may cause damage to the seat or the
safety belts. Always unbuckle the safety belts
and return them to their normal stowed position
before folding a rear seat.To lower the rear seatback,
pull the tab located on the
outboard side of the
seatback and fold the
seatback forward.
{CAUTION:
If the seatback is not locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is
locked.
To raise the rear seatback, lift the seatback up until it
latches. Push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is
locked in position.
The seatbacks should be kept in the upright, locked
position when they are not being used to extend the
cargo area.
1-9

Keys...............................................................2-2
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System................2-3
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation...................................................2-4
Remote Vehicle Start......................................2-7
Doors and Locks............................................2-10
Door Locks..................................................2-10
Power Door Locks........................................2-11
Delayed Locking...........................................2-11
Programmable Automatic Door Locks................2-12
Rear Door Security Locks..............................2-12
Lockout Protection........................................2-13
Trunk..........................................................2-14
Windows........................................................2-16
Power Windows............................................2-17
Sun Visors...................................................2-18
Theft-Deterrent Systems..................................2-18
Content Theft-Deterrent.................................2-18
PASS-Key
®III Electronic Immobilizer...............2-20
PASS-Key®III Electronic Immobilizer
Operation.................................................2-21
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle................2-23
New Vehicle Break-In....................................2-23
Ignition Positions..........................................2-23Retained Accessory Power (RAP)...................2-24
Starting the Engine.......................................2-25
Engine Coolant Heater..................................2-26
Active Fuel Management™.............................2-28
Automatic Transmission Operation...................2-28
Parking Brake..............................................2-33
Shifting Into PARK (P)...................................2-34
Shifting Out of PARK (P)...............................2-35
Parking Over Things That Burn.......................2-36
Engine Exhaust............................................2-36
Running the Vehicle While Parked..................2-37
Mirrors...........................................................2-38
Manual Rearview Mirror.................................2-38
Manual Rearview Mirror with OnStar
®..............2-38
Outside Power Mirrors...................................2-39
Outside Convex Mirror...................................2-39
OnStar
®System.............................................2-40
Storage Areas................................................2-43
Glove Box...................................................2-43
Cupholder(s)................................................2-43
Sunglasses Storage Compartment...................2-44
Center Console Storage.................................2-44
Convenience Net..........................................2-44
Sunroof.........................................................2-44
Section 2 Features and Controls
2-1

"(Unlock):Press"one time to unlock the driver’s
door. Press
"again within ve seconds to unlock
the other doors. The interior lamps will come on and
stay on for 20 seconds or until the ignition is turned on.
If enabled through the DIC, the parking lamps may
ash once and the horn may chirp once to indicate
unlocking has occurred. See “REMOTE LOCKS
FEEDBACK” underDIC Operation and Displays (Uplevel
DIC with Trip Computer) on page 3-55orDIC Operation
and Displays (Base Level DIC) on page 3-62.
Pressing
"on the RKE transmitter will disarm the
content theft-deterrent system. SeeContent
Theft-Deterrent on page 2-18for more details.
V(Trunk Release):Press and holdVfor about
one second to release the trunk lid. The transaxle
must be in PARK (P) for this feature to operate.
L(Panic Alarm):PressLto activate the alarm.
The ignition must be in LOCK/OFF for the remote alarm
to work. When
Lis pressed, the headlamps will
ash and the horn will sound repeatedly for two minutes.
The alarm will turn off when the ignition is moved to
ON/RUN or the
Lis pressed again.
Matching Transmitter(s) to
Your Vehicle
Each RKE transmitter is coded to prevent another
transmitter from unlocking your vehicle. If a transmitter
is lost or stolen, a replacement can be purchased
through your dealer/retailer. All transmitters need
to be re-coded to match the new transmitter. The lost
transmitter will no longer work after the new transmitters
are re-coded. The vehicle can have a maximum of
four transmitters matched to it.
2-5

Trunk
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to drive with the trunk
lid open because carbon monoxide (CO) gas
can come into your vehicle. You cannot see or
smell CO. It can cause unconsciousness and
even death. If you must drive with the trunk
lid open or if electrical wiring or other cable
connections must pass through the seal
between the body and the trunk lid:
Make sure all other windows are shut.
Turn the fan on your heating or cooling
system to its highest speed and select
the control setting that will force outside
air into your vehicle. See Climate Control
System.
If you have air outlets on or under the
instrument panel, open them all the way.
SeeEngine Exhaust on page 2-36.To unlock and open the trunk from the outside,
press the trunk button on the remote keyless entry
transmitter. SeeRemote Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation on page 2-4.
To open the trunk from the inside, use the power door
lock switch located on the driver’s or front passenger’s
door. See “Remote Trunk Release” following.
The vehicle must be in PARK (P) in order for the
trunk to open.
2-14

Remote Trunk Release
This feature is used to unlock the trunk from inside
the vehicle using the power door lock switch.
Press and hold the
driver’s side power
door lock switch to
unlock the trunk.
Emergency Trunk Release Handle
Notice:Do not use the emergency trunk release
handle as a tie-down or anchor point when securing
items in the trunk as it could damage the handle.
The emergency trunk release handle is only
intended to aid a person trapped in a latched trunk,
enabling them to open the trunk from the inside.There is a glow-in-the-dark emergency trunk release
handle located on the trunk latch of the trunk lid.
This handle will glow following exposure to light.
If ever needed, pull the emergency trunk release
handle to open the trunk from the inside. Driver’s Side
2-15

Your vehicle may have
a red light located on top
of the instrument panel,
toward the center of
the vehicle and near
the windshield, that will
ash slowly when the
system is armed.
The theft-deterrent alarm system needs to be
activated through the Driver’s Information Center (DIC).
See “Theft Deterrent” under the Personal Programming
Mode Screens inDIC Vehicle Customization on
page 3-89. While armed, the doors will not unlock with
the power door lock switch. The remote alarm will
sound if someone tampers with the trunk or enters
the vehicle without using the Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) transmitter or key to unlock the doors.
The horn will sound and the headlamps will ash for
up to two minutes. The system will also cut off the fuel
supply, preventing the vehicle from being driven.Arming with the Power Lock Switch
The vehicle’s content theft-deterrent alarm system
can be activated when the key is removed from
the ignition and the power door lock switch of either
the driver’s or front passenger’s door is used to lock
the vehicle. The door needs to be in the open
position when pressing the power door lock switch.
The alarm system will not activate if the door is
closed and the power door lock switch is pressed.
This system can be activated through the Driver’s
Information Center (DIC). See “Lock Switch Arm”
under the Personal Programming Mode Screens in
DIC Vehicle Customization on page 3-89.
When the doors are locked using the power door
lock switch of either front door, the red light, if your
vehicle has one, will start ashing indicating that
the system is arming. After all the doors are closed
there will be a time delay and then the red light,
if your vehicle has one, will begin to ash at a very
slow rate indicating the system is armed.
2-19

Electric Power Management
The vehicle has Electric Power Management (EPM) that
estimates the battery’s temperature and state of charge.
It then adjusts the voltage for best performance and
extended life of the battery.
When the battery’s state of charge is low, the voltage is
raised slightly to quickly put the charge back in. When the
state of charge is high, the voltage is lowered slightly to
prevent overcharging. If the vehicle has a voltmeter gage
or voltage display on the Driver Information Center (DIC),
you may see the voltage move up or down. This is
normal. If there is a problem, an alert will be displayed.
The battery can be discharged at idle if the electrical
loads are very high. This is true for all vehicles.
This is because the generator (alternator) may not be
spinning fast enough at idle to produce all the power
that is needed for very high electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when several of the
following loads are on: headlamps, high beams, fog
lamps, rear window defogger, climate control fan at
high speed, heated seats, engine cooling fans, trailer
loads, and loads plugged into accessory power outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive discharge of the
battery. It does this by balancing the generator’s output
and the vehicle’s electrical needs. It can increase
engine idle speed to generate more power, whenever
needed. It can temporarily reduce the power demands
of some accessories.Normally, these actions occur in steps or levels, without
being noticeable. In rare cases at the highest levels
of corrective action, this action may be noticeable to
the driver. If so, a Driver Information Center (DIC)
message might be displayed, such as Battery Saver
Active. If this message is displayed, it is recommended
that the driver reduce the electrical loads as much
as possible. SeeDIC Warnings and Messages
on page 3-67.
Battery Run-Down Protection
The vehicle has a feature to help prevent the battery
from draining in case the interior, trunk, or underhood
lamps are accidentally left on. If any of these lamps are
left on while the ignition is in LOCK/OFF, they will
automatically turn off after 10 minutes. The lamps will not
come back on again until any of the following are done:
The ignition is turned to ON/RUN or
ACC/ACCESSORY.
The interior lamps control is turned completely to
the right, then back slightly to the left.
Open, or close and reopen, a door that is closed.
If the vehicle has less than 15 miles (25 km) on the
odometer, the battery saver will turn off the lamps
after only three minutes.
3-22

AJAR
This symbol appears
with this message.
This message displays when a door or the trunk is not
closed properly. If your vehicle has the remote start
feature, this message also displays when the hood is not
closed properly. The graphic highlights the area that
is not closed properly. Make sure that the area indicated
is closed completely.
This message displays while the ignition is in ON/RUN.
A chime sounds for two seconds when the gear
position is shifted out of PARK (P). Press the set/reset
button to acknowledge this message and to clear it
from the screen.
This message continues to display for three seconds if
it has not been acknowledged when the engine is
turned off. It also re-displays for three seconds if the
message has been acknowledged, but the condition still
exists when the engine is turned off.
If the condition still exists, the message re-appears
when the engine is turned on.
BATTERY SAVER ACTIVE
This message displays when the system detects that the
battery voltage is dropping beyond a reasonable level.
The battery saver system starts reducing certain features
of the vehicle which you may be able to notice. At the point
that the features are disabled, this message is displayed.
It means that the vehicle is trying to save the charge in
the battery. Turn off all unnecessary accessories to allow
the battery to recharge. The normal battery voltage range
is 11.5 to 15.5 volts. If your vehicle has the uplevel DIC,
you can monitor battery voltage on the DIC by pressing
the gages button until BATTERY appears.
CHANGE OIL SOON
This symbol comes on
with this message.
This message displays when service is required for the
vehicle. See your dealer/retailer. SeeEngine Oil on
page 5-15andScheduled Maintenance on page 6-4for
more information.
3-68

{CAUTION:
Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with the
ignition off is dangerous. The brakes will have
to do all the work of slowing down and they
could get so hot that they would not work well.
You would then have poor braking or even
none going down a hill. You could crash.
Always have the engine running and your
vehicle in gear when you go downhill.
Stay in your own lane. Do not swing wide or cut
across the center of the road. Drive at speeds
that let you stay in your own lane.
Top of hills: Be alert — something could be in your
lane (stalled car, accident).
Pay attention to special road signs (falling rocks
area, winding roads, long grades, passing or
no-passing zones) and take appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your vehicle in good shape for winter.
You might want to put winter emergency
supplies in your trunk.
Include an ice scraper, a small brush or broom,
a supply of windshield washer uid, a rag, some
winter outer clothing, a small shovel, a ashlight,
a red cloth, and a couple of reective warning triangles.
And, if you will be driving under severe conditions,
include a small bag of sand, a piece of old carpet,
or a couple of burlap bags to help provide traction.
Be sure you properly secure these items in your vehicle.
Also seeTires on page 5-62.
4-17

{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 of them are above the tops
of the seats.
Do not leave an unsecured child
restraint in your vehicle.
When you carry something inside the
vehicle, secure it whenever you can.
Do not leave a seat folded down
unless you need to.
Towing
Towing Your Vehicle
Consult your dealer/retailer or a professional towing
service if you need to have your disabled vehicle towed.
SeeRoadside 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.
4-27