ESP PONTIAC BONNEVILLE 1995 Owners Manual

Here Are Questions Many People Ask
About Safety Belts
-- and the Answers
Q=
A:
A:
”
Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if
I’m wearing a safety belt?
You could be -- whether you’re wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can 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.
Why don’t they just put in air bags so people
won’t have to
wear safety belts?
Air bags are in many vehicles today and will be in
more of them in the future. But they are
supplemental systems only;
so they work with
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.
@’ 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.
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
Adults
This part is only for people of adult size.
Be aware that there
are special things to know about safety
belts and children. And there
are different rules for smaller
children and babies. If a child will be riding in your
Pontiac, see the part of this manual called “Children.”
Follow those rules for everyone’s protection.
First, you’ll want
to know which restraint systems your
vehicle has.
We’ll start with the driver position.
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If you don’t cancel the security lock feature, adults or
older children who ride in the rear won’t be able to open
the rear door from the inside. You should let adults and
older children know
how these security locks work, and
how to cancel the locks.
To cancel the rear door lock:
1. Unlock the door from the inside and open the door
from the outside.
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.
Glove Box
Use the door key to lock and unlock the glove box. To
open, lift the latch release on the left side of the glove
box door.
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 Ignition
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.
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Lamps On Reminder
If you open the driver’s door while leaving the lamps on
and the ignition off, you will hear a warning tone.
Daytime Running Lamps (Canada Only)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) make it easier 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.
A light sensor on top of the instrument panel makes the
DRL work, so be sure it isn’t covered. The DRL system
will make your low-beam headlamps come on at a
reduced brightness when:
0 The ignition is on,
The headlamp switch is off, and
The transaxle is not in PARK (P).
When the DRL are on, only your low-beam headlamps
will be
on. The taillamps, sidemarker and other lamps
won’t be on. Your instrument panel won’t be lighted either. When it’s dark
enough outside, your low-beam
headlamps will change to full brightness. The other
lamps that come on with your headlamps will also come
on. When it’s bright enough outside, the regular lamps
will go
off, and your low-beam headlamps change to the
reduced brightness
of DRL.
To idle your vehicle with the DRL off, shift the
transaxle into
PARK (P). The DRL will stay off until
you shift out of PARK
(P).
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system
any time you need it.
At night, you can turn off all exterior lamps when
you
are in PARK (P) by moving the twilight sentinel control
all the way to OFF. If it was off, move the control to the
right
to turn it on, then back off. The lamps will come
back
on when you put the transaxle in gear.
Headlamp High-Low Beam Changer
To change the headlamps from low beam to high or high
to low, pull the turn signal lever all the way toward you.
Then release it.
When the high beams are
on, this blue light on the
instrument panel also will
be on.
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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 Fpv3[,
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.
AM Stereo
Your Delco@ system may be able to receive C-Qum@
stereo broadcasts. Many AM stations around the country
use C-Quam
to produce stereo, though some do not.
C-Quam@
is a registered trademark of Motorola, Inc. If
your Delco system can get C-Quam signals, your stereo
indicator light will come on when you are receiving it.
Be aware that hearing damage from loud noise is almost
undetectable until it
is too late. Your hearing can adapt
to higher volumes of sound. Sound that seems normal
can be loud and harmful to your hearing.
Take
precautions by adjusting the volume control on your
radio to a safe sound level before your hearing adapts to
it.
To help avoid hearing loss or damage:
0 Adjust the volume control to the lowest setting.
Increase volume slowly until you hear comfortably
and clearly.
NOTICE:
Before you add any sound equipment to your
vehicle -- like a tape player, CB radio, mobile
telephone or two-way radio -- be sure you can
add what you want.
If you can, it's very
important
to do it properly. Added sound
equipment may interfere with the operation
of
your vehicle's engine, Delco radio or other
systems, and even damage them. And, your
vehicle's systems may interfere with the
operation of sound equipment that has been
added improperly.
So, before adding sound equipment, check with
your dealer and be
sure to check Federal rules
covering mobile radio and telephone units.
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showers will speed that up. “I’ll be careful” isn’t the
right answer. What
if there’s an emergency, a need to
take sudden actian, as when a child darts into the street?
A person with even a moderate 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, especially injuries to the brain, spinal cord or
heart.
This means that when anyone who has been
drinking
-- driver or passenger -- is in a crash, that
person’s chance of being killed or permanently disabled
is higher than if the person had not been drinking.
Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle g~ where
you want it to
go. They are the brakes, the steering and
the accelerator. All three systems have to do their work
at the places where the tires meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you’re driving
on snow or ice, it’s
easy
to ask more of those control systems than the tires
and road can provide. That means you can lose control
of your vehicle.
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The anti-lock system can change the brake pressure
faster than any driver could. The computer is
programmed to make the most of available tire
and
road conditions.
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 engine
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 automatically
disengage. When road conditions allow you
to safely
use it again, you may re-engage the cruise control. (See
“Cruise Control” in the Index.)
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When the system is on, the
TRACTION OW warning
light will come
on to let you
60w if there’s a problem
with your traction control
To turn the system off, press
the TRACTION
CONTROL button located
on the console next
to the
gear shift selector.
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 snow. See ‘‘Rocking Your Vehicle”
in the Index.) The
TRACTION OFF warning
light will come on and
stay on. If the system is limiting wheel spin when you
press
the button, the system won’t turn off right away. It
will waif 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 TRACTION OFF warning light
should
go off.
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0 Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to pass
while you’re awaiting an opportunity. For one thing,
foIl’owing 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 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.
0 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.)
0 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.
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Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control 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 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 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.
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, txy 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. Leam 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 brake system (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking
skid.
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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
0
0
0
0
0
0
Drive defensively.
Don’t
drink and drive.
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps 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
headlamps 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.
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