stop start PONTIAC GRAND AM 1998 User Guide

NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle with this light on, after a while, your emission controls may not
work as well, your fuel economy may not be as
good and your engine may not run as smoothly.
This could lead to costly repairs that may not
be
covered by your warranty.
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is not
running. If the light doesn’t come on, have it repaired.
This light will also come on during a malfunction in one
of two ways:
Light Flashing -- A misfire condition has been
detected.
A misfire increases vehicle emissions and
may damage the emission control system on your
vehicle. Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis and service may be required.
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis and
service may be required.
0 Light On Steady -- An emission control system
If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
0 Reducing vehicle speed.
0 Avoiding hard accelerations.
0 Avoiding steep uphill grades.
0 If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as
soon as it is possible.
If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see “If
the Light Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key
off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart the
engine.
If the light remains on steady, see “If the Light
Is On Steady” following.
If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps, and drive the vehicle
to your
dealer or qualified service center for service.
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Oil Pressure Warning Light
If you have a problem with
your engine’s oil pressure,
this light may
stay on after
you start your engine, or
come on and stay on when
you are driving.
This indicates that oil is not going through your engine
quickly enough to keep it lubricated.
The engine could be low on oil, or could have some
other oil pressure problem. Have it fixed right away.
This light can come on briefly, which is normal and
doesn’t show a problem:
As a bulb check, the light comes on when you turn
your key to
RUN and goes off when the engine is
started.
If it doesn’t, be sure to have it fixed so it will
be there to warn you.
0 For the four cylinder engine, when idling at a stop
sign, the light may blink on and then
off. In addition,
if you make a hard stop, the light may come on
for a moment.
‘ A CAUTION: I
Don’t keep driving if the oil pressure is low. If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches fire. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon
as possible and have your
vehicle serviced.
I NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and is not covered by
your warranty.
2-65

FWD (6): Press and hold this button to quickly advance
within a track. You will hear sound at a reduced volume.
The display will show elapsed time.
RECALL: Press this button to see what track is
currently playing. Press
RECALL again within
five seconds to see how long the track has been
playing. When
a new track starts to play, the track
number will also appear. Press
RECALL a third time
and the time
of day will be displayed.
AM-FM: Press this button to play the radio when a disc
is playing. The disc will stop but remain in the player.
CD/l?LAE Press this button to change to the disc
function when the radio is on.
EJECT: Press this button to remove the disc or stop the
disc and switch to
the radio. EJECT will work with the
radio
off.
Remote Cassette Tape Player (If Equipped)
Playing a Cassette Tape
With this option, the remote single cassette player is
mounted to the console.
Your tape player
is built to work best with tapes that are
30 to 45 minutes long on each side. Tapes longer than
that are
so thin they may not work well in this player.
With the radio on, insert a cassette tape. Once the tape
is
playing, use the control knobs for VOL, BAL, FADE,
BASS and TREB just as you do for the radio. A lighted
cassette symbol
shows when a cassette tape is in the
player. A lighted arrow will also appear and show the
direction of play
when a tape is active.
3-18

Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts
-- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
-- rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is a
mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool between
hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much faster if you
do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace with the
traffic and allow realistic following distances, you will
eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking. That means
better braking and longer brake
life.
If your engine ever stops while you’re driving, brake
normally but don’t pump your brakes.
If you do, the
pedal may get harder to push down.
If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But
you
will use it when you brake. Once the power assist is
used up, it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder to push.
Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking
skid.
When you start your engine, or when you begin to drive
away, your anti-lock brake system will check itself. You
may hear
a momentary motor or clicking noise while
this test is going on, and you may even notice that your
brake pedal moves or pulses a little.
This is normal.
If there’s a problem with the
anti-lock brake system,
this
warning light will stay on.
See “Anti-Lock Brake
System Warning Light” in
the Index.

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.
0 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.
Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and
start your
left lane change signal before moving out
0
0
0
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.
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.
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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 vehicle’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 Enhanced Traction System, remember: It
helps avoid only the acceleration skid.
If you do not have the Enhanced Traction System, 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,
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.
4-15

Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a wet
road, you can’t stop, accelerate or
turn as well because
your tire-to-road traction isn’t as good as on dry roads.
And, if your tires don’t have much tread left, you’ll get
even less traction. It’s always wise to
go slower and be
cautious if rain starts to fall while you are driving. The
surface may get wet suddenly when your reflexes
are
tuned for driving on dry pavement.
The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. Even if your
windshield
wiper blades are in good shape, a heavy rain
can make it harder
to see road signs and traffic signals,
pavement markings, the edge
of the road and even
people walking.
It’s wise to keep your windshield wiping equipment in good shape and keep
your windshield washer tank filled
with washer fluid. Replace your windshield wiper
inserts when they show signs
of streaking or missing
areas
on the windshield, or when strips of rubber start to
separate from the inserts.
4-18

When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
0 Start your engine;
0 Shift into a gear; and
0 Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule
for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transaxle fluid (don’t overfill),
engine oil, belt, cooling system and brake adjustment.
Each
of these is covered in this manual, and the Index
will help you find them quickly. If you’re trailering, it’s
a good idea to review these sections before you
start
your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
Engine Cooling When mailer Towing
Your cooling system may temporarily overheat during
severe operating conditions.
See “Engine Overheating’’
in the Index.
Towing A Trailer
(Except
3100 V6 Engine)
Your vehicle is neither designed nor intended to tow
a trailer.
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