weight PONTIAC GRAND AM 1998 Owners Manual

Child Restraints
Every time infants and young children ride in
vehicles, they should have protection provided by
appropriate restraints.
@ What are the different types of add-on
child restraints?
A: Add-on child restraints are available in four basic
types. When selecting a child restraint, take into
consideration not only the child’s weight and size,
but
also whether or not the restraint will be
compatible with
the motor vehicle in which it will
be used.
An infant car bed (A) is a special bed made for use
in a motor vehicle. It’s an infant restraint system
designed to restrain or position a child
on a
continuous flat surface. With an infant car bed,
make
sure that the infant’s head rests toward the
center
of the vehicle.
1-38

Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine Running (Automatic Transaxle Only)
A CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with the
engine
running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P)
with the parking brake firmly set. And, if you
leave the vehicle with the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch fire. You
or others could
be injured. Don’t leave your vehicle with the
engine running unless you have to.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is
in PARK (P) and your
parking brake is firmly
set before you leave it. After
you’ve moved the shift lever into the
PARK (P)
position, hold the regular brake pedal down. Then, see
if
you can move the shift lever away from PARK (P)
without first pushing the button.
If you can, it means that the shift lever wasn’t fully
locked into PARK (P).
Torque Lock (Automatic Transaxle)
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transaxle into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl
in
the transaxle. You may find it difficult to pull the shift
lever out of PARK (P). This is called “torque lock.” To
prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then shift
into
PARK (P) properly before you leave the driver’s
seat.
To find out how, see ‘‘Shifting Into PARK (P)” in
the Index.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out
of
PARK (P) before you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another
vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of the
pressure from the parking pawl in the transaxle, so you
can pull the shift lever out of
PARK (P).
2-29

Drunken Driving
Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is
a national tragedy. It’s the number one contributor to
the highway death toll, claiming thousands of victims
every year.
Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs to drive
~
a vehicle:
Judgment
0 Muscular Coordination
0 Vision
0 Attentiveness.
Police records show that almost ha rlf of all motor
vehicle-related deaths involve alcohol. In most cases,
these deaths are the result of someone who was drinking
and driving. In recent years, over 17,000 annual motor
vehicle-related deaths have been associated with the use
of alcohol, with more than
300,000 people injured.
Many adults
-- by some estimates, nearly half the
adult population
-- choose never to drink alcohol, so
they never drive after drinking. For persons under 2 1,
it’s against the law in every U.S. state to drink alcohol.
There
are good medical, psychological and
developmental reasons for these laws. The obvious way to solve this highway safety problem
is for
people never to drink alcohol and then
drive. But
what if people do? How much is “too much” if the
driver plans to drive? It’s a lot less than many might
think. Although it depends on each person and situation,
here
is some general information on the problem.
The Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of someone
who is drinking depends upon four things:
0 The amount of alcohol consumed
0 The drinker’s body weight
0 The amount of food that is consumed before and
during drinking
consume the alcohol.
0 The length of time it has taken the drinker to
According to the American Medical Association, a
180-lb. (82 kg) person who drinks three 12-ounce
(355 ml) bottles of beer in an hour will end up with a
BAC of about 0.06 percent. The person would reach the
same
BAC by drinking three 4-ounce (120 ml) glasses
of wine or three mixed drinks if each had
1 - 1/2 ounces
(45
ml) of a liquor like whiskey, gin or vodka.

It’s the amount of alcohol that counts. For example, if
the same person drank three double martinis (3 ounces
or
90 ml of liquor each) within an hour, the person’s
BAC would be close to 0.12 percent. A person who
consumes food just before or during drinking will have a
somewhat lower BAC level.
There is a gender difference, too. Women generally have
a lower relative percentage of body water than men. Since alcohol
is carried
in body water, this means that a
woman generally will reach a higher BAC level than a
man of her same body weight when each has the same
number of drinks.
The law in many U.S. states sets the legal limit at a BAC
of 0.10 percent. In a growing number of U.S. states, and
throughout Canada, the limit
is 0.08 percent. In some
other countries, it’s even lower. The BAC
limit for all
commercial drivers in the United States is 0.04 percent.
The BAC will be over
0.10 percent after three to six
drinks (in one hour). Of course, as we’ve seen, it
depends on how much alcohol is in the drinks, and how
quickly the person drinks them.
But the ability to drive is affected well below a
BAC of
0.10 percent. Research shows that the driving skills of
many people are impaired at a BAC approaching
0.05 percent, and that the effects are worse at night. All
drivers are impaired at BAC levels above 0.05 percent.
Statistics show that the chance
of being in a collision
increases sharply for drivers who have a BAC
of
0.05 percent or above. A driver with a BAC level of
0.06 percent has doubled his or her chance of having a
collision. At
a BAC level of 0.10 percent, the chance of
this driver having a collision is 12 times greater; at a
level of 0.15 percent, the chance is 25 times greater!
4-4

Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go where
you WaTlf it ro go. They are the brakes, the steering and
the accelerator.
All three systems have to do their work
at the places where the tires meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you’re driving on snow or ice, it’s
easy to ask more
of those control systems than the tires
and road can provide. That means you can lose control
of your vehicle.
Braking
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time.
First,
you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That’sperception time. Then you have to bring
up your
foot and do it. That’s reaction time.
Average reaction time is about
3/4 of a second. But
that’s only an average. It might be
less with one driver
and as long as
two or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination
and eyesight
all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs and
frustration. But even in 314 of a second, a vehicle
moving at
60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m).
That could be a lot of distance in an emergency, so
keeping enough space between your vehicle and others
is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road (whether it’s pavement or
gravel); the condition
of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; the condition
of your brakes; the weight of the
vehicle and the amount of brake force applied.
4-6

Loading Your Vehicle
r
OCCUPANTS VEHICLE CAP. WT.
TIRE-LOADING INFORMATION
FRT. CTR. RR. TOTAL
LBS. KG
MAX. LOADING
& GVWR SAME AS VEHICLE
CAPACITY WEIGHT
XXX COLD TIRE
TIRE SIZE SPEED PRESSURE
RTG PSI/KPa
FRT.
RR.
SPA.
IF TIRES ARE HOT, ADD 4PS1/28KPa
SEE OWNER‘S MANUAL FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION
Two labels on your vehicle show how much weight it
may properly carry. The Tire-Loading Information label
found on the driver’s door tells you the proper size,
speed rating and recommended inflation pressures for
the tires on your vehicle. It
also gives you important
information about the number of people that can be in
your vehicle and the total weight that you can carry.
This weight is called the Vehicle Capacity Weight and
includes the weight
of all occupants, cargo and all
nonfactory-installed options.
r
Isl
MFD BY GENERAL MOTORS CORP
DATE GVWR GAWR FRT GAWR RR
THIS VEHICLE CONFORMS TO ALL APPLI-
CABLE
U.S. FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE
SAFETY, BUMPER, AND THEFT PREVENTION
STANDARDS IN EFFECT
ON THE DATE OF
MANUFACTURE SHOWN ABOVE.
The other label is the Certification label, found on the rear
edge of the driver’s door. It tells you the GVWR (Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating). The GVWR includes the weight
of the vehicle,
all occupants, fuel and cargo. Never exceed
the GVWR for your vehicle, or the Gross Axle Weight
Rating
(GAWR) for either the front or rear axle.
4-33

And, if you do have a heavy load, you should spread
it out. Don’t carry more than 132 lbs. (60 kg) in
your trunk.
I A CAUTION: I
Do not load your vehicle any heavier than the
GVWR, or either the maximum front or rear
GAWR. If you do, parts on your vehicle can
break, or it can change the
way your vehicle
handles. These could cause you to lose control.
Also, overloading can shorten the life of
your vehicle.
I NOTICE:
Your warranty does not cover parts or
components that fail because of overloading.
~ A CAUTION:
Things you put inside your vehicle can strike
and injure people in a sudden stop
or turn, or in
a crash.
Put things in the trunk of your vehicle. In a
trunk, put them as far forward as you can.
Try to spread the weight evenly.
Never stack heavier things, like suitcases,
inside the vehicle so that some .. af . tm.arc , ..
above the tops of the seats.
Don’t leave an unsecured child restraint in
your vehicle.
When you carry something inside the
vehicle, secure it whenever you can.
Don’t leave a seat folded down unless you
need to.
4-34

Towing a Trailer
I
If you don’t use the correct equipment and drive
properly, you can lose control when you pull a
trailer. For example,
if the trailer is too heavy, the
brakes may not work well
-- or even at all. You
and your passengers could be seriously injured.
You may also damage your vehicle; the resulting
repairs would not be covered by your warranty.
Pull a trailer only if you have followed all the
steps in this section. Ask your dealer for advice
and information about towing a trailer with
your vehicle.
>o not tow a trailer if your vehicle is equipped with a
!.4L (Code T) engine. Your
vehicle can tow a trailer if it is equipped with the
proper trailer towing equipment. To identify what the
vehicle trailering capacity is for your vehicle, you
should read the information in “Weight of the Trailer”
that appears later in this section. But trailering is
different than just driving your vehicle by itself.
Trailering means changes in handling, durability and
fuel economy. Successful, safe trailering takes correct
equipment, and it has to be used properly.
That’s the reason for
this part. In it are many
time-tested, important trailering tips and safety rules.
Many of these are important for your safety and that of
your passengers.
So please read this section carefully
before you pull a trailer.
Load-pulling
components such as the engine, transaxle,
wheel assemblies and tires are forced to work harder
against the drag of the added weight. The engine is
required to operate at relatively higher speeds and under
greater loads, generating extra heat. What’s more, the
trailer adds considerably to wind resistance, increasing
the pulling requirements.
4-35

If You Do Decide To Pull A nailer
If you do, here are some important points:
0
0
0
0
There are many different laws, including speed limit
restrictions, having to do with trailering. Make sure
your rig
will be legal, not only where you live but
also where you’ll be driving.
A good source for this
information can be state or provincial police.
Consider using a sway control. You can
ask a hitch
dealer about sway controls.
Don’t tow
a trailer at all during the fist 1 ,O00 miles
(1 600 km) your new vehicle is driven. Your engine,
axle or other parts could be damaged.
Then, during the first
500 miles (800 km) that you
tow a trailer, don’t drive over 50 mph (80 km/h) and
don’t make starts at full throttle. This helps your
engine and other parts of your vehicle wear in at the
heavier loads.
0 Obey speed limit restrictions when towing a trailer.
Don’t
drive faster than the maximum posted speed
for trailers (or
no more than 55 mph (90 km/h)) to
save wear
on your vehicle’s parts.
Three important considerations have
to do with weight:
the weight of the trailer,
the weight of the trailer tongue
and the total weight on your vehicle’s tires.
Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It should never weigh more than 1,000 lbs. (450 kg). But
even that can be too heavy.
It depends on how
you plan to use your rig. For
example, speed, altitude, road grades, outside
temperature and how much your vehicle
is used to pull a
trailer are
all important. And, it can also depend on any
special equipment
that you have on your vehicle.
4-36

You can ask your dealer for our trailering information or
advice, or you can write us at:
Pontiac Customer Assistance Center One Pontiac Plaza
Pontiac, Michigan 48340-2952
In Canada, write to: General Motors of Canada Limited
Customer Communication Centre
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario LlH 8P7
Weight of the Trailer Tongue
The tongue load (A) of any trailer is an important
weight
to measure because it affects the total or gross
weight of your vehicle. The Gross Vehicle Weight
(GVW) includes the curb weight of the vehicle, any
cargo you may carry
in it, and the people who will be
riding in the vehicle. And if you tow a trailer, you must
add
the tongue load to the GVW because your vehicle
will be carrying that weight, too. See “Loading Your
Vehicle” in the Index for more information about your
vehicle’s maximum load capacity.
A B
If you’re using a weight-carrying hitch, the trailer
tongue (A) should weigh 10 percent of the total loaded
trailer weight
(B). If you have a weight-distributing
hitch, the trailer tongue (A) should weigh 12 percent of
the total loaded trailer weight
(B).
After you’ve loaded your trailer, weigh the trailer and
then the tongue, separately, to
see if the weights are
proper. If they aren’t, you may be able to get them right
simply by moving some items around in the trailer.
4-37