traction control PONTIAC G6 2007 Owner's Manual

You will need a well-charged battery to restart the
vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on with
your headlamps. Let the heater run for a while.
Then, shut the engine off and close the window
almost all the way to preserve the heat. Start
the engine again and repeat this only when you
feel really uncomfortable from the cold. But do it as
little as possible. Preserve the fuel as long as
you can. To help keep warm, you can get out of
the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or so until help comes.
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand,
Mud, Ice, or Snow
In order to free your vehicle when it is stuck, you
will need to spin the wheels, but you do not
want to spin your wheels too fast. The method
known as rocking can help you get out when you
are stuck, but you must use caution.
If your vehicle has a traction system, the traction
system can often help to free a stuck vehicle.
SeeTraction Control System (TCS) on page 262,
Enhanced Traction System (ETS) on page 263,
orStabiliTrak
®System on page 265.Ifthestuck condition is too severe for the traction
system to free the vehicle, turn the traction system
off and use the rocking method.
{CAUTION:
If you let your vehicle’s tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you or others
could be injured. And, the transaxle or
other parts of the vehicle can overheat.
That could cause an engine compartment
re or other damage. When you are stuck,
spin the wheels as little as possible. Do not
spin the wheels above 35 mph (55 km/h) as
shown on the speedometer.
Notice:Spinning the wheels can destroy parts
of your vehicle as well as the tires. If you
spin the wheels too fast while shifting
the transaxle back and forth, you can destroy
the transaxle. SeeRocking Your Vehicle to
Get It Out on page 288.
For information about using tire chains on your
vehicle, seeTire Chains on page 389.
287

Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out
First, turn the steering wheel left and right.
That will clear the area around the front wheels.
If your vehicle has a traction system, you
should turn your traction system off. SeeTraction
Control System (TCS) on page 262,Enhanced
Traction System (ETS) on page 263,or
StabiliTrak
®System on page 265. Then shift back
and forth between REVERSE (R) and a forward
gear, or with a manual transaxle, between
FIRST (1) or SECOND (2) and REVERSE (R),
spinning the wheels as little as possible. Release
the accelerator pedal while you shift, and press
lightly on the accelerator pedal when the transaxle
is in gear. By slowly spinning the wheels in the
forward and reverse directions, you will cause
a rocking motion that may free your vehicle. If that
does not get your vehicle out after a few tries, it
may need to be towed out. If your vehicle
does need to be towed out, seeTowing Your
Vehicle on page 293.
Loading Your Vehicle
It is very important to know how much weight your
vehicle can carry. This weight is called the vehicle
capacity weight and includes the weight of all
occupants, cargo and all nonfactory-installed
options. Two labels on your vehicle show how much
weight it may properly carry, the Tire and Loading
Information label and the Certication label.
{CAUTION:
Do not load your vehicle any heavier than
the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR),
or either the maximum front or rear Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). If you do,
parts on your vehicle can break, and it
can change the way your vehicle handles.
These could cause you to lose control
and crash. Also, overloading can shorten
the life of your vehicle.
288

Service
Your dealer knows your vehicle best and wants
you to be happy with it. We hope you will go
to your dealer for all your service needs. You will
get genuine GM parts and GM-trained and
supported service people.
We hope you will want to keep your GM vehicle
all GM. Genuine GM parts have one of these
marks:
Accessories and Modications
When you add non-GM accessories to your vehicle
they can affect your vehicle’s performance and
safety, including such things as, airbags, braking,
stability, ride and handling, emissions systems,
aerodynamics, durability, and electronic systems
like anti-lock brakes, traction control and stability
control. Some of these accessories may even
cause malfunction or damage not covered by
warranty.
GM Accessories are designed to complement and
function with other systems on your vehicle. Your
GM dealer can accessorize your vehicle using
genuine GM Accessories. When you go to your GM
dealer and ask for GM Accessories, you will know
that GM-trained and supported service technicians
will perform the work using genuine GM
Accessories.
308

When It Is Time for New Tires
One way to tell when it
is time for new tires is
to check the treadwear
indicators, which will
appear when your tires
have only 1/16 inch
(1.6 mm) or less of
tread remaining.
You need a new tire if any of the following
statements are true:
You can see the indicators at three or more
places around the tire.
You can see cord or fabric showing through
the tire’s rubber.
The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut, or
snagged deep enough to show cord or fabric.
The tire has a bump, bulge, or split.
The tire has a puncture, cut, or other damage
that cannot be repaired well because of the
size or location of the damage.
Buying New Tires
GM has developed and matched specic tires for
your vehicle. The original equipment tires installed
on your vehicle, when it was new, were designed to
meet General Motors Tire Performance Criteria
Specication (TPC spec) system rating. If you need
replacement tires, GM strongly recommends that
you get tires with the same TPC Spec rating. This
way, your vehicle will continue to have tires that are
designed to give the same performance and vehicle
safety, during normal use, as the original tires.
GM’s exclusive TPC Spec system considers over
a dozen critical specications that impact the
overall performance of your vehicle, including
brake system performance, ride and handling,
traction control, and tire pressure monitoring
performance. GM’s TPC Spec number is molded
onto the tire’s sidewall by the tire manufacturer.
383

Different Size Tires and Wheels
If you add wheels or tires that are a different size
than your original equipment wheels and tires,
this may affect the way your vehicle performs,
including its braking, ride and handling
characteristics, stability, and resistance to rollover.
Additionally, if your vehicle has electronic
systems such as, anti-lock brakes, traction control,
and electronic stability control, the performance
of these systems can be affected.{CAUTION:
If you add different sized wheels, your
vehicle may not provide an acceptable
level of performance and safety if tires
not recommended for those wheels are
selected. You may increase the chance
that you will crash and suffer serious
injury. Only use GM specic wheel and
tire systems developed for your vehicle,
and have them properly installed by a GM
certied technician.
SeeBuying New Tires on page 383and
Accessories and Modications on page 308for
additional information.
385

Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable on
the tire sidewall between tread shoulder and
maximum section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which
grades tires by treadwear, traction, and
temperature performance. This applies only to
vehicles sold in the United States. The grades are
molded on the sidewalls of most passenger car
tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading (UTQG)
system does not apply to deep tread, winter-type
snow tires, space-saver, or temporary use spare
tires, tires with nominal rim diameters of
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm), or to some
limited-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors
passenger cars and light trucks may vary with
respect to these grades, they must also conform
to federal safety requirements and additional
General Motors Tire Performance Criteria (TPC)
standards.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specied
government test course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and a half (1.5) times
as well on the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative performance of tires
depends upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart signicantly from
the norm due to variations in driving habits, service
practices, and differences in road characteristics
and climate.
Traction – AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA,
A, B, and C. Those grades represent the tire’s
ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under
controlled conditions on specied government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C
may have poor traction performance.
Warning:The traction grade assigned to this tire
is based on straight-ahead braking traction tests,
and does not include acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning, or peak traction characteristics.
386

Used Replacement Wheels
{CAUTION:
Putting a used wheel on your vehicle is
dangerous. You cannot know how it has
been used or how far it has been driven. It
could fail suddenly and cause a crash. If
you have to replace a wheel, use a new
GM original equipment wheel.
Tire Chains
{CAUTION:
Do not use tire chains, there is not
enough clearance.
Tire chains used on a vehicle without the
proper amount of clearance can cause
damage to the brakes, suspension or other
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
vehicle parts. The area damaged by the
tire chains could cause you to lose
control of your vehicle and you or others
may be injured in a crash.
Use another type of traction device only
if its manufacturer recommends it for use
on your vehicle and tire size combination
and road conditions. Follow that
manufacturer’s instructions. To help avoid
damage to your vehicle, drive slowly,
re-adjust or remove the device if is
contacting your vehicle, and do not
spin your wheels.
If you do nd traction devices that will t,
install them on the front tires.
389

Instrument Panel
Overview.................................................. 164
Instrument Panel (I/P)
Brightness................................................ 178
Cluster..................................................... 193
J
Jump Starting.............................................. 356
K
Keyless Entry System................................. 100
Keys............................................................. 99
L
Labeling, Tire Sidewall................................. 372
Lamps
Battery Run-Down Protection................... 181
Courtesy.................................................. 178
Dome....................................................... 179
Electric Power Management..................... 180
Fog .......................................................... 178Lamps (cont.)
Overhead Console Reading..................... 180
Trunk....................................................... 180
LATCH System
Child Restraints......................................... 60
Latches, Seatback......................................... 16
License Plate Lamps................................... 368
Lift Seat, Power............................................ 20
Light
Airbag Readiness..................................... 196
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning............. 200
Brake System Warning............................. 199
Charging System..................................... 199
Cruise Control.......................................... 208
Enhanced Traction System (ETS)
Active Light.......................................... 202
Enhanced Traction System (ETS)
Warning Light....................................... 202
Highbeam On.......................................... 208
Low Fuel Warning.................................... 208
Malfunction Indicator................................ 204
Oil Pressure............................................. 207
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator............ 197
Passenger Safety Belt Reminder.............. 195
Safety Belt Reminder............................... 195
478

Light (cont.)
Security................................................... 207
StabiliTrak
®Indicator................................ 203
StabiliTrak®Not Ready............................. 203
TCS Warning Light.................................. 201
Traction Control System Active................. 201
Traction Control System (TCS)
Warning................................................ 201
Lighting
Entry/Exit................................................. 179
Parade Dimming...................................... 179
Loading Your Vehicle................................... 288
Lockout Protection....................................... 112
Locks
Automatic Door Lock................................ 110
Delayed Locking...................................... 110
Door........................................................ 108
Lockout Protection................................... 112
Power Door............................................. 109
Programmable Automatic Door Unlock....... 111
Rear Door Security Locks........................ 111
Loss of Control........................................... 271
Low Fuel Warning Light............................... 208
Lowering the Retractable Hardtop................ 154
Lumbar
Manual Controls......................................... 10
M
Maintenance Schedule
Additional Required Services.................... 434
At Each Fuel Fill...................................... 438
At Least Once a Month............................ 438
At Least Once a Year .............................. 439
Introduction.............................................. 428
Maintenance Footnotes............................ 436
Maintenance Record................................ 446
Maintenance Requirements...................... 428
Normal Maintenance
Replacement Parts............................... 443
Owner Checks and Services.................... 438
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants......... 442
Scheduled Maintenance........................... 431
Using....................................................... 429
Your Vehicle and the Environment............ 428
Malfunction Indicator Light........................... 204
Manual Lumbar Controls............................... 10
Manual Seats.................................................. 9
Manual Transaxle
Fluid........................................................ 338
Operation................................................. 134
Message
DIC Warnings and Messages................... 212
479

Traction
Control System Active Light..................... 201
Control System (TCS).............................. 262
Control System Warning Light.................. 201
Enhanced Traction System (ETS)............. 263
Enhanced Traction System (ETS)
Active Light.......................................... 202
Enhanced Traction System (ETS)
Warning Light....................................... 202
StabiliTrak
®System................................. 265
Transaxle
Fluid, Automatic..............................332, 335
Fluid, Manual........................................... 338
Transaxle Operation, Automatic................... 129
Transaxle Operation, Manual....................... 134
Trip Odometer............................................. 194
Trunk.......................................................... 113
Trunk Lamps............................................... 180
Turn and Lane-Change Signals................... 168
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever.................... 168
U
Understanding Radio Reception................... 249
Uniform Tire Quality Grading....................... 386
V
Vehicle
Control..................................................... 258
Damage Warnings....................................... 5
Loading.................................................... 288
Parking Your............................................ 138
Symbols...................................................... 5
Vehicle Data Collection and Event Data
Recorders................................................ 461
Vehicle Identication
Number (VIN).......................................... 414
Service Parts Identication Label.............. 414
Vehicle Personalization
DIC .......................................................... 216
Ventilation Adjustment.................................. 191
Visors.......................................................... 117
W
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators......... 192
Warnings
DIC Warnings and Messages................... 212
Hazard Warning Flashers......................... 166
Other Warning Devices............................ 166
Safety and Symbols..................................... 4
Vehicle Damage.......................................... 5
485