ESP PONTIAC BONNEVILLE 1994 Owners Manual

Here Are Questions
Many People Ask
About Safety Belts --
and the Answers
Q: Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle
after an accident if
I’m wearing a
safety belt?
A: You could be -- whether you’re
wearing a safety belt
or not. But you
can easily unbuckle a safety belt, even
if you’re upside down. And your
chance of being conscious during and
after an accident,
so you can unbuckle
and get
out, is much greater if you are
belted.
Q: Why don’t they just put in air bags
so people won’t have to wear safety
belts?
A: Air bags, or Supplemental Inflatable
Restraint systems, are
in some
vehicles today and
will be in more of
them in the future. But they are
supplemental systems only
-- so they
work safety belts, not instead
of
them. Every air bag system ever
offered for sale has required the use of safety belts.
Even
if you’re in a
vehicle that has air bags, you still have
to buckle up to get the most
protection. That’s true not only
in
frontal collisions, but especially in
side and other collisions.
Q: If I’m 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’re in an accident -- even one that
isn’t your fault
-- you and your
passengers can be hurt. Being a good
driver doesn’t 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.
BELTS
Safety Belt Reminder
Light
Yhen the key is turned to “Run” or
Start”, a chime will come on for about
ight seconds to remind people
to fasten
heir safety belts. The safety belt light
vi11 also come on and stay on for about
10 seconds. If the driver’s belt is already
buckled, neither the chime nor the light
vill come on.
C
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Seats & Restraint Systems
How The Air Bag System
Works (CONK)
e
e
Your vehicle is equipped with a
diagnostic module, which records
information about the air bag system.
The module records information about
the readiness of the system, when the
sensors are activated and whether the
driver’s safety belt was in use.
Let only qualified technicians work on
your air bag system. Improper service
can mean that your air bag system
won’t work properly. See your dealer
for service.
NOTICE:
If you damage the cover for the
driver’s or
the right-front
passenger’s air bag, they may not
work properly. You may have to
replace the air bag on the steering
wheel or both the air bag and the
instrument panel for the passenger’s
air bag.
Do not open or break the air
bag covers.
Is the smoke from an air bag inflation
harmful?
The particles emitted during air bag
inflation are not harmful to most people.
Some people with respiratory ailments
may experience difficulty breathing if they
stay
in the vehicle with the windows
closed after air bag inflation.
So, if your air
bag inflates,
you and any passengers
should exit the vehicle
if and when it is
safe to
do so. If you or your passengers
can’t get out of
the vehicle, try to get fresh
air by opening a window, turning on the
fan, or opening a door.
Servicing Your Air
Bag-Equipped Pontiac
Air bags affect how your Pontiac should
be serviced. There are parts of the air bag
system in several places around xour
vehicle. You don’t want the system to
inflate while someone is working on your
vehicle. Your Pontiac dealer and the
1994
Bonneville Service Manual have
information about servicing your vehicle
and the air bag system. The air bag
system does not need regular
maintenance.
Safety Belt Use During
Pregnancy
Safety belts work for everyone, including
pregnant women. Like all occupants, they
are more likely to be seriously injured if
they don’t wear safety belts.
A pregnant woman should wear a
lap-shoulder belt, and the lap portion should be worn as low as possible
throughout the pregnancy.
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2. Move the lever all the way down.
3. Do the same for the other rear door.
The rear door locks will now work
normally.
Theft
Vehicle theft is big business, especially in
some cities. Although your Pontiac has a
number
of theft deterrent features, we
know that nothing we put on
it can make
it impossible to steal. However, there are
ways you can help.
Key in the lgnition
If you walk away from your vehicle with
the keys inside,
it’s an easy target for joy
riders or professional thieves
-- so don’t
do it.
When you park your Pontiac and open the
driver’s door, you’ll hear a tone
reminding you
to remove your key from
the ignition and take it with you. Always
do this. Your steering wheel will be
locked, and
so will your ignition and
transaxle. And remember to lock the
doors.
Parking at Night
Park in a lighted spot, close all windows
and lock your vehicle. Remember
to keep
your valuables out
of sight. Put them in a
storage area, or take them with you.
Parking Lots
If you park in a lot where someone will be
watching your vehicle, it’s best to lock
it
up and take your keys. But what if you
have
to leave your ignition key? What if
you have to leave something valuable in
your vehicle?
0 Put your valuables in the glove box.
0 Lock the glove box.
0 Lock all the doors except the driver’s.
0 Then take the door key with you.
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0 Taillights
0 Instrument Panel Lights
Push the switch
in all the way to turn all
the lights off.
Operation of Lights
Although your vehicle’s lighting system
(headlights, parking lights, fog lamps,
side marker lights and taillights) meets all
applicable federal lighting requirements,
certain states and provinces may apply
their own lighting regulations that may
require special attention before you
operate these lights.
For example, some jurisdictions may
require that you operate your fog lamps
only when your lower beam headlights
are also on, or that headlights be turned
on whenever you must use your
windshield wipers. In addition, most
jurisdictions prohibit driving solely
with
parking lights, especially at dawn or dusk.
It is recommended that you check with
your own state or provincial highway
authority for applicable lighting
regulations.
Lights On Reminder
[f you open the driver’s door while
leaving the lights on, you will hear a
warning tone.
Daytime Running Lights
(Canada Only)
The Canadian Federal Government has
decided that Daytime Running Lights
(DRL) are a useful feature,
in that DRL
can make your vehicle more visible to
pedestrians and other drivers during
daylight hours. DRL are required on new
vehicles sold
in Canada.
Your DRL work with a light sensor on top
of the instrument panel. Don’t cover it up.
The low beam headlights will come on at
reduced brightness
in daylight when:
0 The igdition is on
The headlight switch is off, and
The transaxle is not in “P” (Park).
4t dusk, the exterior lights will come on
mtornatically and the low beams will
:hange to full brightness. At dawn, the
:xterior lights will go out and the low
beams will change to the reduced
brightness of DRL (if the headlight switch
is off).
Of course, you may still turn on the
headlights any time you need to.
To idle your vehicle with the DRL ,off,
shift the transaxle into “P’ (Park). The
DRL will stay off until you shift out of
“P” (Park).
At night, you can turn off all exterior
lights when you are
in “P” (Park) by
moving the Twilight Sentinel control all
[he way past
“MIN” to turn it off, if it was
m. If it was off, move the control to the
right to turn it on, then back off. The
lights will come back on when you put
the transaxle
in gear.
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Understanding Radio
Reception
FM Stereo
FM Stereo will give you the best sound,
but
FM signals will reach only about
10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km). Tall
buildings or hills can interfere with
FM signals, causing the sound to come
and go.
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater
than for
FM, especially at night. The
longer range, however, can cause stations
to interfere with each other.
AM can also
pick up noise from things like storms and
power lines. To lower this noise, try
reducing the treble level.
Care of Your Cassette
Tape Player
A tape player that is not cleaned regularly
is subject
to reduced sound quality, ruining
the cassette, or damaging the mechanism.
Tape cassettes that are not properly stored
in their plastic cases away from
contaminants, direct sunlight, and extreme
heat may not operate properly and could
cause premature failure
of the tape player. Your
tape player should be cleaned after
every
50 hours of use, as regular
maintenance.
If you notice a reduction in
sound quality, try a good cassette to see if
the tape or the tape player is at fault.
If the
second cassette results in no improvement
in sound quality, try cleaning the tape
player.
Cleaning may be done with a scrubbing
action, non-abrasive cleaning cassette.
This system uses a cleaning cassette with
pads which scrub the tape head as
the
hubs of the cleaner cassette turn. It is
normal for the cartridge
to eject while
cleaning. Insert the cassette at least
3
times to ensure thorough cleaning. A
scrubbing action cleaning cassette is
available through your Pontiac dealership.
You may also choose a non-scrubbing
action, wet-type cleaner which uses a
cassette with a fabric belt to clean the tape
head. This type of cleaning cassette will
not eject. It may not clean as thoroughly
as the scrubbing type cleaner.
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Your Driving and the Road
Drunken Driving (CONT.)
But it’s very important to keep in mind
that the ability to drive is affected well
below a BAC of
0.10 percent. Research
shows that the driving skills of many
people are impaired at a BAC approaching
0.05 percent, and that the effects are worse
at night. All drivers are impaired at BAC
levels above
0.05 percent. Statistics show
that the chance of being in an accident
increases sharply for drivers who have a
BAC of
0.05 percent or above. A driver
with
a BAC level of 0.06 percent (three
beers
in one hour for a 180-pound or
82 kg person) has doubled his or her
chance
of having an accident. At a BAC
level of
0.10 percent, the chance of that
driver having an accident is six times
greater; at a level of
0.15 percent, the
chances are twenty-five times greater!
And, the body takes about an hour to rid
itself of the alcohol in one drink.
No
mount of coffee or number of cold
jhowers will speed that up. “I’ll
be careful” isn’t the right answer.
What if there’s an emergency, a need to
take sudden action, as when a child darts
into the street? A person with a higher
BAC might not be able to react quickly
enough to avoid the collision.
There’s something else about drinking
and driving that many people don’t know.
Medical research shows that alcohol
in a
person’s system can make crash injuries
worse. That’s especially true for brain,
spinal cord and heart injuries. That means
that if anyone who has been drinking
--
driver or passenger -- is in a crash, the
chance of being killed or permanently
disabled is higher than if that person had
not been drinking. And we’ve already
seen that the chance of
a crash itself is
higher for drinking drivers.
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I
You can steer around the obstacle while
braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps
receiving updates
on wheel speed and
controls braking pressure accordingly.
Remember: Anti-lock doesn‘t change the
time you need to get your foot up to the
brake pedal.
If you get too close to the
vehicle
in front of you, you won’t 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 anti-lock brakes.
To Use Anti-Lock
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the
brake pedal down and let anti-lock work
for you.
You may hear a motor or clicking
noise during a hard stop, but
this is
normal.
Traction Control System
(OPTION)
Your vehicle may have a traction control
system 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 works the
front brakes and reduces engine power
(by shutting off fuel injectors and
managing spark) to
limit wheel spin.
You may feel the system working, or you
may notice some noise, 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
auto~natically disengage. When road
conditions allow you to safely use
it
again, you may re-engage the Cruise
Control back on. (See “Cruise Control”
in
the Index.) The “TRACTION
OFF” warning
light
will come on when you turn the traction
control system off.
When the system is
on, this light will come
on to let you
know if there’s a problem with your
traction control system. See “Traction
Control System Warning Light” in’the
Index. When this warning light is on, the
system
will not limit wheel spin. Adjust
your driving accordingly.
The traction control system automatically
comes on whenever you start
your vehicle.
To limit wheel spin, especially
in slippery
road conditions, you should always leave
the system
on. But you can turn the
traction control system
off if you ever need
to. (You should
turn the system off if your
vehicle ever gets stuck
in sand. mud, ice or
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Your Driving and the Road
Off-Road Recovery
You may find sometime that your right
wheels have dropped
off the edge of a
road onto the shoulder while you’re
driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only slight1
below the pavement, recovery should be
fairly easy. Ease
off the accelerator and
then, if there is nothing in the way, steer
so that your vehicle straddles the edge of
the pavement. You can turn the steering
wheel up to
1/4 turn until the right front
tire contacts the pavement edge. Then
turn your steering wheel to go straight
down the roadway.
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9
Y
Passing
The driver of a vehicle about to pass
another on a two-lane highway waits for
just the right moment, accelerates, moves
around the vehicle ahead, then goes back
into the right lane again.
A simple’
maneuver?
Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle
on a two-lane highway is a potentially
dangerous move, since the passing
vehicle occupies the same lane as
oncoming traffic for several seconds.
A
miscalculation, an error in judgment, or a
brief surrender to frustration or anger can
suddenly put the passing driver face to
face with the worst of all traffic accidents
-- the head-on collision.
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’s 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’re awaiting an
opportunity.
For one thing, following
too closely reduces your area of
vision, especially if you’re following a
larger vehicle.
Also, you won’t 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 don’t get too
close. Time your move
so 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
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0
0
0
cause you to cancel your pass, you
need only slow down and drop back
again’and wait for another
opportunity.
If other cars are lined up to pass a
slow vehicle, wait your turn. But take
care that someone isn’t 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 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 inside mirror,
activate your right lane change signal
and move back into the right lane.
(Remember that your right outside
mirror is convex. The vehicle you just
passed may seem to be farther away
from you than it really is.)
Try not to pass more than one vehicle
at a time on two-lane roads.
Reconsider before passing the next
vehicle.
0 Don’t overtake a slowly moving
vehicle too rapidly. Even though the
brake lights are not flashing, it may be
slowing down or starting to turn.
0 If you’re 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’s review what driving experts say
about what happens when the three
zontrol systems (brakes, steering and
acceleration) don’t have enough friction
where the tires meet the road to do what
the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don’t 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 Pontiac’s three control systems. In
the braking skid your wheels aren’t
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 skic€-.too
much throttle causes the driving wheels to
spin.
A cornering skid is best handled by
easing your foot off the accelerato? pedal.
If you have the traction control system,
remember: It helps avoid only the,
acceleration skid.
If you do not have traction control$ or if
the system is off, then an acceleration
skid is
also best handled by easing your
foot off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your
foot off the accelerator pedal and quickly
steer the way you want the vehicle to
go.
If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always
be
ready for a second skid if it occurs.
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Your Driving and the Road
Skidding (CONI)
Of course, traction is reduced when water,
snow, ice, gravel, or other material is on
the road. For safety, you’ll want to slow
down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important to slow down
on slippery surfaces because stopping
distance
will be longer and vehicle
control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced
traction, try your best to avoid sudden
steering, acceleration, or braking
(including engine braking by shifting to a
lower gear). Any sudden changes could
cause the tires
to slide. You may not
realize the surface is slippery until your
vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize
warning clues
-- such as enough water,
ice
or packed snow on the road to make a
“mirrored surface”
-- and slow down
when
you have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock braking system
(ABS) helps avoid only the braking skid.
Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day
driving. One reason is that some drivers
are likely to be impaired
-- by alcohol or
drugs, with night
vision problems, or by
fatigue.
Here are some tips on night driving.
0 Drive defensively.
0 Don’t drink and drive.
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to
reduce the glare from headlights
behind you.
Since you can’t see as well, you may
need to slow down and keep more
space between you and other vehicles.
Slow down, especially on higher
speed roads. Your headlights can light
up only so much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you’re tired, pull off the road in a
safe place and rest.
Night Vision
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’re driving, don’t wear
sunglasses at night. They may cut down
on glare from headlights, but they also
make a lot of things invisible.
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