PONTIAC G6 2006 Owners Manual

Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up
under your tires that they can actually ride on the
water. This can happen if the road is wet enough and
you are going fast enough. When your vehicle is
hydroplaning, it has little or no contact with the road.
Hydroplaning does not happen often. But it can if your
tires do not have much tread or if the pressure in
one or more is low. It can happen if a lot of water is
standing on the road. If you can see reections
from trees, telephone poles, or other vehicles, and
raindrops dimple the water’s surface, there could be
hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There
just is not a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning.
The best advice is to slow down when it is raining.
Driving Through Deep Standing Water
Notice:If you drive too quickly through deep
puddles or standing water, water can come in
through your engine’s air intake and badly damage
your engine. Never drive through water that is
slightly lower than the underbody of your vehicle. If
you cannot avoid deep puddles or standing water,
drive through them very slowly.
Driving Through Flowing Water
{CAUTION:
Flowing or rushing water creates strong forces.
If you try to drive through owing water, as you
might at a low water crossing, your vehicle can
be carried away. As little as six inches of
owing water can carry away a smaller vehicle.
If this happens, you and other vehicle
occupants could drown. Do not ignore police
warning signs, and otherwise be very cautious
about trying to drive through owing water.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, allow some extra following
distance. And be especially careful when you pass
another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear room
ahead, and be prepared to have your view restricted
by road spray.
Have good tires with proper tread depth. SeeTires
on page 5-57.
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City Driving
One of the biggest problems with city streets is the
amount of traffic on them. You will want to watch out for
what the other drivers are doing and pay attention to
traffic signals.Here are ways to increase your safety in city driving:
Know the best way to get to where you are
going. Get a city map and plan your trip into
an unknown part of the city just as you would for a
cross-country trip.
Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross
most large cities. You will save time and energy.
SeeFreeway Driving on page 4-23.
Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic
light is there because the corner is busy enough
to need it. When a light turns green, and just before
you start to move, check both ways for vehicles
that have not cleared the intersection or may
be running the red light.
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Freeway Driving
Mile for mile, freeways — also called thruways, parkways,
expressways, turnpikes, or superhighways — are the
safest of all roads. But they have their own special rules.The most important advice on freeway driving is: Keep
up with traffic and keep to the right. Drive at the
same speed most of the other drivers are driving.
Too-fast or too-slow driving breaks a smooth traffic ow.
Treat the left lane on a freeway as a passing lane.
At the entrance, there is usually a ramp that leads to the
freeway. If you have a clear view of the freeway as you
drive along the entrance ramp, you should begin to check
traffic. Try to determine where you expect to blend with
the ow. Try to merge into the gap at close to the
prevailing speed. Switch on your turn signal, check your
mirrors, and glance over your shoulder as often as
necessary. Try to blend smoothly with the traffic ow.
Once you are on the freeway, adjust your speed to the
posted limit or to the prevailing rate if it is slower. Stay in
the right lane unless you want to pass.
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then use
your turn signal.
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Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your
shoulder to make sure there is not another vehicle in
your blind spot.
Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow a reasonable following distance.
Expect to move slightly slower at night.
When you want to leave the freeway, move to the proper
lane well in advance. If you miss your exit, do not, under
any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive on to the
next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit speed is usually posted. Reduce your speed
according to your speedometer, not to your sense of
motion. After driving for any distance at higher speeds,
you may tend to think you are going slower than you
actually are.Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you are ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must start when you are not fresh — such as after
a day’s work — do not plan to make too many miles that
rst part of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing
and shoes you can easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it is ready to go. If it needs
service, have it done before starting out. Of course, you
will nd experienced and able service experts in GM
dealerships all across North America. They will be ready
and willing to help if you need it.
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Here are some things you can check before a trip:
Windshield Washer Fluid:Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blades:Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids:Have you checked
all levels?
Lamps:Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
Tires:They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip. Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are the tires all inated to the
recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts:What is the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip a
short time to avoid a major storm system?
Maps:Do you have up-to-date maps?
Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as highway hypnosis?
Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel? Call it
highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch of road with
the same scenery, along with the hum of the tires on the
road, the drone of the engine, and the rush of the
wind against the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Do
not let it happen to you! If it does, your vehicle can
leave the road in less than a second, and you could
crash and be injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be
aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:
Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and
to the sides. Check your rearview mirrors and your
instruments frequently.
If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest,
service, or parking area and take a nap, get some
exercise, or both. For safety, treat drowsiness
on the highway as an emergency.
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Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving in at or rolling terrain.If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you are
planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable.
Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all uid
levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system,
and transaxle. These parts can work hard on
mountain roads.
Know how to go down hills. The most important
thing to know is this: let your engine do some of
the slowing down. Shift to a lower gear when you go
down a steep or long hill.
{CAUTION:
If you do not shift down, your brakes 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. Shift down
to let your engine assist your brakes on a
steep downhill slope.
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{CAUTION:
Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with the
ignition off is dangerous. Your brakes will have
to do all the work of slowing down. 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 your engine running and your vehicle in
gear when you go downhill.
Know how to go uphill. Drive in the highest gear
possible.
Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads in hills or mountains. Do not swing wide
or cut across the center of the road. Drive at speeds
that let you stay in your own lane.
As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There
could be something in your lane, like a stalled car or
an accident.
You may see highway signs on mountains that
warn of special problems. Examples are long
grades, passing or no-passing zones, a falling rocks
area, or winding roads. Be alert to these and take
appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your vehicle in good shape for winter.
You may want to put winter emergency supplies in
your trunk.
Also seeTires on page 5-57.
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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.
Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your tires meet the
road probably have good traction.
However, if there is snow or ice between your tires and
the road, you can have a very slippery situation. You will
have a lot less traction, or grip, and will need to be very
careful.
What is the worst time for this? Wet ice. Very cold snow
or ice can be slick and hard to drive on.
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But wet ice can be even more trouble because it may
offer the least traction of all. You can get wet ice when it is
about freezing, 32°F (0°C), and freezing rain begins to
fall. Try to avoid driving on wet ice until salt and sand
crews can get there.
Whatever the condition — smooth ice, packed, blowing,
or loose snow — drive with caution.
If you have a traction system, it will improve your ability
to accelerate when driving on a slippery road. Even
though your vehicle has a traction system, you will want
to slow down and adjust your driving to the road
conditions. Under certain conditions, you may want to
turn the traction system off, such as when driving
through deep snow and loose gravel, to help maintain
vehicle motion at lower speeds. SeeTraction Control
System (TCS) on page 4-9,Enhanced Traction System
(ETS) on page 4-11,orStabiliTrak
®System on
page 4-12.
Unless you have the anti-lock braking system (ABS),
you will want to brake very gently, too. If you do
have ABS, seeAnti-Lock Brake System (ABS) on
page 4-7. ABS improves your vehicle’s stability when
you make a hard stop on a slippery road. Whether you
have ABS or not, you will want to begin stopping
sooner than you would on dry pavement. Without ABS,
if you feel your vehicle begin to slide, let up on the
brakes a little. Push the brake pedal down steadily to
get the most traction you can.Remember, unless you have ABS, if you brake so hard
that your wheels stop rolling, you will just slide. Brake
so your wheels always keep rolling and you can
still steer.
Whatever your braking system, allow greater
following distance on any slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be ne
until you hit a spot that is covered with ice. On
an otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in
shaded areas where the sun cannot reach, such
as around clumps of trees, behind buildings,
or under bridges. Sometimes the surface of a curve
or an overpass may remain icy when the
surrounding roads are clear. If you see a patch of
ice ahead of you, brake before you are on it. Try not
to brake while you are actually on the ice, and
avoid sudden steering maneuvers.
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If You Are Caught in a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a
serious situation. You should probably stay with your
vehicle unless you know for sure that you are near help
and you can hike through the snow. Here are some things
to do to summon help and keep yourself and your
passengers safe:
Turn on your hazard ashers.
Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that you
have been stopped by the snow.
Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you. If
you do not have blankets or extra clothing, make
body insulators from newspapers, burlap bags, rags,
oor mats — anything you can wrap around yourself
or tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
4-30