mirror PONTIAC GRAND-AM 1995 Owners Manual

Front Readinmap Lamps (Option)
If your vehicle has a sunroof, it will have a rearview
mirror with lamps built in. The lamps
go on when you
open the doors. When the doors
are closed, turn the
lamps on and
off with the switches located below the
face
of the mirror.
Rear Reading Lamps (Option)
A
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These overhead lamps and the interior courtesy lamps
will come on when you open the doors.
To
turn on a reading lamp when the doors are closed,
press the button. Press it again to turn
off the lamp.
Trunk Lamp
This lamp comes on when you open-your trunk.
Dome Lamp Bulb Change
It may not be obvious how to change your dome lamp
bulb. Here’s how: Grasp the center front and center rear
portion of the housing and squeeze firmly but gently.
The housing should pop off.
If this doesn’t work, you may need to use a small,
flat-head screwdriver under the side of the housing to
help pry it
off.
Battery Rundown Protection
Your Pontiac is equipped with a Battery Rundown
Protection feature designed to protect
your vehicle’s
battery.
When any interior lamp (trunk, reading, footwell or
glove box) is left on when the ignition is turned off, the
Battery Rundown Protection system will automatically
shut the lamp
off after 20 minutes. This will avoid
draining the battery.
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To reactivate the interior lamps, either:
The ignition must be turned on
The activated lamp switch must be turned off and
0 A front door must be opened.
The Battery Rundown Protection feature will also be
activated when any door of your vehicle is left open.
Also, if your vehicle is left with the ignition turned off
€or over 24 days, battery power to your clock, audio
system
and Keyless Entry (if you have this option) will
be
turned off to reduce battery drain. When the ignition
is turned on again, battery power will be resupplied.
However, under these conditions, it will be necessary to
reset the clock
and audio system settings.
then on, OR
Inside Manual Daymight Rearview
Mirror
To reduce glare from headlamps behind you, move the
lever toward you to the night position.
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Manual Remote Control Mirrors
The outside rearview mirrors should be adjusted so you
can just see the side of
your vehicle when you are sitting
in a comfortable driving position.
Adjust the driver side
outside mirror with the
control lever on the
driver’s door.
To adjust your passenger side mirror, sit in the driver’s
seat and have a passenger adjust the
mirror for you.
Power Remote Control Mirrors
(Option)
A selector knob on the
center console controls
both
outside rearview mirrors.
Select the mirror you want to adjust by rotating the knob
to the left or right. Adjust each mirror so that you can
just see the side of your vehicle when you are sitting in a
comfortable driving position.
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Convex Outside Mirror
Your passenger’s side mirror is convex.
A convex mirror’s surface is curved so you can see more
from the driver’s seat.
Sun Visors
To block out glare, you can swing down the visors. You
can also swing them to the side.
Your vehicle may also have a plastic extension which
pulls out of the main visor to increase protection from
glare.
Visor Vanity Mirror
Open the cover to expose the vanity mirror.
Sunroof (Option)
Open the sunshade by hand
when using the vent
position.
Press and release the rear of
the switch and the sunroof
will open to the vent pition.
Press the rear of the switch
again to open the glass panel
and
the sunshade. Press the
front
of the switch to stop the
panel in any position.
Press and hold the front of the switch to close the glass
panel. The sunshade can only be closed by hand.
The sunroof glass panel cannot be opened
or closed if
your Pontiac has an electrical failure.
NOTICE:
Do not attempt to force the sunshade forward of
the sliding glass panel. Damage will occur and the
sunroof may not open or close properly.
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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 cause you to cancel your pass,
you need only slow down and drop back again and
wait for another opportunity.
0 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.)
0 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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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 and an acceleration skid are 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, 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 brake system (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
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Driving at Night 0
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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.
Drive defensively.
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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.
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 headlamps, but they also make a lot
of things invisible.
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Freeway Driving 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 flow. 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
flow. 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
flow.
Once you are on the freeway, adjust your speed to the
posted limit or to the prevailing rate if it’s slower. Stay
in the right lane unless you want to pass. r
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then use
your turn signal.
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. Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your
shoulder to make sure there isn’t another vehicle in your “blind” spot.
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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. Don’t let it
happen to you!
If it does, your vehicle can leave the
road in
Eess 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:
0 Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.
0 Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and to
the sides. Check your rearview mirrors and your
instruments frequently.
0 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.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving an steep hills or mountains is different from
driving
in flat or rolling terrain.
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Safety Chains
You should always attach chains between your vehicle
and your trailer.
Cross the safety chains under the tongue
of the trailer so that the tongue will not drop to the road
if it becomes separated from the hitch. Instructions
about safety chains may be provided by the hitch
manufacturer or by the trailer manufacturer. Follow the
manufacturer’s recommendation for attaching safety
chains and do not attach them to the bumper. Always
leave just enough slack
so you can turn with your rig.
And, never allow safety chains to drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
Does your trailer have its own brakes?
Be sure to read and follow the instructions for the trailer
brakes
so you’ll be able to install, adjust and maintain
them properly. And because you have anti-lock brakes,
do not
try to tap into your vehicle’s brake system. If you
do, both brake systems won’t work well, or at all.
Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of experience.
Before setting out for the open road, you’ll want to get
to know your
rig. Acquaint yourself with the feel of
handling and braking with the added weight of the
trailer. And always keep in mind that the vehicle you are
driving is now a
good deal longer and not nearly as
responsive as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch and platform
(and attachments), safety chains, electrical connector,
lamps, tires and mirror adjustment.
If the trailer has
electric brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving and
then apply the trailer brake controller by hand to be sure
the brakes
are working. This lets you check your
electrical connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be sure that the
load is secure, and that the lamps and any trailer brakes
are still working.
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