ESP PONTIAC BONNEVILLE 1996 Owners Manual

Here Are Questions Many People Ask
About Safety Belts -- and the Answers
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.
e.’ If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to
A: Air bags are in many vehicles today and will be in
most 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.
wear safety belts?
Q=
A:
If I’m a good driver, and I never drive far from
home, why should I wear safety belts?
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
Safety belts
are for everyone.
(65 km/h).
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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Door Locks
I
Unlocked doors can be dangerous.
Passengers
-- especially children -- can easily
open the doors and fall out. When
a door is
locked, the inside handle won’t open it.
Outsiders can easily enter through an unlocked
door when you slow down or stop your’vehicle.
This may not be
so obvious: You increase the
chance of being thrown out of the vehicle in a
crash if the doors aren’t locked. Wear safety belts
properly, lock your doors, and you will be far
better off whenever you drive your ,vehicle.
There are several ways to lock and unlock your vehicle. From the outside, use your door key
or Remote Keyless
Entry transmitter, if your vehicle has this option. With
your door key, turning the key toward the rear
of the
vehicle
will lock the door and turning the key toward the
front
of the vehicle will unlock it.
If your vehicle has a theft-deterrent system and it
is activated, unlock the doors only with the key or
Remote Keyless
Entry system. This will avoid
setting
off the alarm.
From the inside, to lock the door, slide the locking lever
rearward.
TQ unlock the
door, slidq the locking
lever forward.
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Panic Mode
When the button with the horn symbol on the key
transmitter is pressed, the horn will sound and the
headlamps and taillamps will flash for
up to two
minutes. This can be turned
off by pressing the panic
button again, unlocking the vehicle with a key or by
turning the ignition to on.
Key Transmitter Response
This provides feedback to the driver when the vehicle
receives a command
from the key transmitter. The
following modes may be selected:
If only the panic button works, the transmitter needs to
'be resynchronized to the receiver,
Do this by pressing
and holding both the
LOCK and UNLOCK buttons
for about eight seconds; you must be within range of
the vehicle.
When the system has been resynchronized, the horn will
chirp and the exterior lamps will flash once. The system
should now operate properly.
Personalization Features
Each key transmitter can be programmed to the driver's
preference for programmable automatic door locks
OF
key transmitter response. See each feature in the Index.
Mode Transmitter Response
0 No transmitter response when
1 No transmitter response when
locking or unlocking vehicle
locking; exterior lamps flash when
'
unlocking vehicle
2 Exterior lamps
flash. when
locking; no transmitter response
when unlocking vehicle
and when unlo8cking vehicle
3 Exterior lamps flash when locking
4 Exterior lamps flash and horn
chirps when locking; no
transmitter responsq
wb,
unlocking vehicle '';{ '8' .. '- . .
chirps when locking; exterior
lamps flash when
unlocking
5 Exterior lamps flash and horn
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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 leave your vehicle with the keys inside, it’s an
easy target for joy riders or professional thieves
-- so
don’t do it.
With
the ignition OFF and the driver’s door open, 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?
Put your valuables in a storage area, like your trunk
or glove box.
0 Lock the glove box.
0, Lock all @e doors except the driver’s.
0 Then take the door key with you.
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Daytime Running Lamps
Daytime Running Lamps (Dm) 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.
A light sensor on top of the instrument panel monitors
the exterior light level for the operation
of DlU and
twilight sentinel,
so .be sure it isn’t covered. The DRL
system will make your low-beam headlamps come on at
a reduced brightness when:
The ignition is on,
0 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 DIU off, shift the
transaxle into
PARK (P). The DRL will’ stay off until
YOU Shift Out Qf PARK (P).
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
MIN.
If it was on MIN, move the control to the right to turn it
on, then back to
“4. The lamps will come back on
when you put the transaxle
in gear.
Twilight sentinel will keep your headlamps on for up to three minutes, to light your way when you leave
YOU vehicle.
See “Twilight Sentinel” later
in this section to learn how
to operate this feature.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
3
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Understanding Radio eception
FM Stereo
FM stereo will give you the best sound. But EM 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 pick
up noise
fkom things like storms and power lines. Try
reducing the treble to reduce this nois'e if you ever get it.
Tips About Your Audio System
I 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.
..
1.::. .. .
. I..
1 "-
To help avoid hearing loss or damage:
Adjust the volume control to the lowest setting.
0 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
io it properly. Added sound
equipment may interfere with
the operation of
your vehicle's engine, Delco radio or other
systems,
and even damage them. 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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The body takes about an hour to rid itself of the alcohol
in one drink. No amount of coffee or number of cold
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 action, 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.
Drinking and then driving is very dangerous.
~ Your reflexes, perceptions, attentiveness and
judgment can
be affected by even a small amount
of alcohol. You can have a serious -- or even
fatal
-- collision if you drive after drinking.
Please don’t drink and drive or ride with
a
driver who has been drinking. ‘Ride home in a
cab; or if you’re with a group, designate a driver
who *.not drink.
~
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Remember: Anti-lock doesn’t cfiange the time you need
to get
your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. 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.
Using Anti-Lock
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down I
and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel the system
workg, or you may notice some noise, but this is normd.
Traction Control System (Option)
Your vehicle may have a traction con&ol 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
to limit wheel
spin.
You may feel or hear the system working, 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
reengage the cruise control. (See “Cruise
Control”
in the Index.)
TRACTION
OFF
Men the system is on, this
warning light will come on
to kt
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 .., ’. . ~ i 1 accordingly. --- ,.! “ A
. e. -. .l’ i-!
.. . ..
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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.)
To turn the system off, press
the
TRACTION
CONTROL button located
on the console next to the
gear shift selector.
I I
The traction control system warning light will come on
and stay on. If the system is limiting wheel spin when you
press
the button, the warning light will come on -- but the
system won’t
turn off right away. It will wait until there’s
no longex a current need to limit wheel spin.
You can turn the system back on at any time by pressing
the button again. The traction control system warning
light should
go off.
Braking in Emergencies
Use your anti-lock braking system when you need to.
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even
the very best braking.
Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system. is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
Magnasteer
Your vehicle is equipped with GM Magnasteer TM , a
steering system that continuously adjusts the effort you
feel when steering.at all vehicle speeds. It provides ease
when parking, yet a firm, solid feel at highway speeds.
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a a 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
. 4, I y other lane. If the way is clear to pass, you will have a
- - -8 -“running start” that more than makes up for the
.~ ~ - .; -.: - 5;. :
. I %. ..
.. .. . > .-
a
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.
a
a
a
a
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.
Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps
are not flashing, it may
be slowing down or starting to
turn.
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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