ESP PONTIAC GRAND-PRIX 1993 Owners Manual

Seats 4S Safety 6eIts
Here Are Questions Many People
Ask About Safety 8elts-
and the Answers
Q: Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle
after an accident if I’m wearing a safety belt?
wearing a safety belt or not. But you
can easily unbuckle a safety belt,
even if you’re upside down. And
your chance of being conscious
during and after an accident,
so you
can unbuckle and get out, is much
greater if you are belted.
A: You could be-whether you’re
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Q: Why don’t they just put in air bags
so people won’t have to wear safety
belts?
Inflatable Restraint systems, are in
some vehicles today and will be in
more
of them in the future. But they
are supplemental systems only-so
they work
with safety belts, not
instead
of them. Every “air bag”
system ever offered for sale has
required the use of safety belts. Even
if you’re in
a vehicle that has “air
bags,” you still have
to buckle up to
get the most protection. That’s true
not only in frontal collisions, but
especially in side and other
collisions.
A: “Air bags,” or Supplemental
Q: If I’m a good mver, and I never
drive
far from home, why should I
wear safety belts?
A: You may be an excellent driver, but
if you’re in an accident-even one
that isn’t your fault-you and your
passengers can be hurt. Being
a good
driver doesn’t protect
you from
things beyond your control, such as
bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within
25
miles (40 km) of home. And the
greatest number
of serious injuries
and deaths occur at speeds of less
than
40 mph (65 W).
Safety belts are for everyone.
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Door Locks
Unlocked doors can be
dangerous.
Passengers-especially children-
can easily open the doors and fall
out. When
a door is locked, the
inside handle won’t open it.
Outsiders can easily enter through
an unlocked door when
you slow
down or
stop your vehicle.
This may not be
so obvious: You
increase the chance of being
thrown out
of the vehicle in a crash
if the doors aren’t locked. Wear
safety belts properly, lock your
doors, and you will be far better off
vhenever you drive your vehicle.
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There are several ways to lock and
unlock your vehicle.
From the Outside:
Use your door key or Remote Lock
if your vehicle has this option.
From the Inside:
To lock the door, move the lock control
rearward on each door. Move it forward
to unlock.
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Features & Controls
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3attery Replacement
Jnder normal use, the batteries in your
:ey chain transmitter should last about
wo years.
r‘ou can tell the batteries are weak if the
ransmitter won’t work at the normal
ange in any location. If you have to get
‘lose to your vehicle before the
ransmitter works, it’s probably time to
hange the batteries.
?o Replace Batteries in the Remote
mck Control:
. If your transmitter has a screw,
remove the screw from the back
cover. If it doesn’t have a screw, pop
the cover off by inserting
a dime (or
similar object) in the slot between the
covers and twisting.
2. Lift the front cover off, bottom half
3. Remove and replace the two batteries
4. Reassemble the transmitter.
5. Check the transmitter operation.
first.
(2016).
Theft
Vehicle theft
is big business, especially
in some cities. Although your Pontiac
has a number of theft-deterrent
features, we know that nothing we put
on it can male it impossible to steal.
However, there are ways you can help.
Key in the Ignition: If you walk away
from your vehicle with the keys inside,
it’s an easy target for
joy riders or
professional thieves-so don’t do it.
When you park your Pontiac and open
the driver’s door, you’ll hear a tone
reminding you to remove your ley from
the ignition and take it with you.
Always do this. Your steering wheel will
be locked, and
so will your ignition. If
you have an automatic transaxle, taking
your ley out also
locks your transaxle.
And remember to lock the doors.
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Features & Controls
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Headlights
The main light controls are on the left
side of the instrument panel. Push the
switch marked pf to turn on:
Parking Lights
Running Lights
Your headlights won’t come on. Pull the
switch to turn these lights off.
a
Push the switch marked -:a- to turn on
your headlights together with:
Parking Lights
Running Lights
Taillights
Instrument Panel Lights
Pull the switch to turn them off.
Operation of Lights
Although your vehicle’s lighting system
(headlamps, parking lamps, fog lamps,
side marker lamps and tail lamps) meets
all applicable federal lighting
requirements, certain states and
provinces may apply their own lighting
regulations that may require special
attention before you operate these
lamps. For example, some jurisdictions
may require that you operate your lower
beam lamps with fog lamps at all times,
or that headlamps be turned on
whenever you must use your windshield
wipers. In addition, most jurisdictions prohibit driving solely with parking
lamps, especially at dawn or dusk. It is
recommended that you check with your
own state or provincial highway
authority for applicable lighting
regulations.
Lights On Reminder
If you open the door while leaving the
lights on, you will hear a warning tone.
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Understanding Radio Reception
FM Stereo
FM Stereo will give you the best sound,
but FM signals will reach only about
10
to 40 miles (16 to 65 km). Tall buildings
or hills can interfere with
FM signals,
causing the sound to come and go.
AM
The range for most AM stations is
greater than for FM, especially at night.
The longer range, however, can cause
stations to interfere with each other.
AM can also pick up noise from things
like storms and power lines.
To lower
this noise, try reducing the treble level.
AM Stereo
Your Delco@ system may be able to
receive C-Quam@ stereo broadcasts.
Many AM stations around the country
use C-Quam@
to produce stereo, though
some do not. C-Quam@
is a registered
trademark
of Motorola, Inc. If your
Delco@ system can get C-Quam@
signals, your stereo indicator light will
come on when
you are receiving it.
Care of Your Cassette Tape
Player
A tape player that is not cleaned
regularly can cause reduced sound
quality, ruined cassettes,
or a damaged
mechanism. Cassette tapes should be
stored in their cases away from
contaminants, direct sunlight, and
extreme heat.
If they aren’t, they may
not operate properly
or cause failure of
the tape player.
Your tape player should be cleaned
regularly each month
or after every 15
hours of use. If you notice a reduction
in sound quality, try a
ltnown good
cassette to see if the tape or the tape
player is at fault.
If this other cassette
has no improvement
in sound quality,
clean the tape player.
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“I’ll be careful” isn’t the right answer.
What if there’s an emergency, a need to
take sudden action, as when
a child
darts into the street? A person with a
higher BAC might not be able to react
quickly enough to avoid the collision.
There’s something else about drinking
and driving that many people don’t
know. Medical research shows that
alcohol in a person’s system can make
crash injuries worse. That’s especially
true for brain, spinal cord and heart
injuries. That means that if anyone whc
has been drinking-driver or
passenger-is in a crash, the chance of
being killed or permanently disabled is
higher than if that person had not been
drinking. And we’ve already seen that the
chance of a crash itself is higher for
drinking drivers.
LAU I IUN
A Drinking and then driving is
reflexes, perceptions, and judgment
can be affected by even a small
amount of alcohol. You could have
a serious-or even fatal-accident
if you drive after drinking. Please
don’t drink and drive or ride with a
driver who has been drinking. Ride
home in
a cab; or if you’re with a
group, designate a driver who will
not drink.
3 very dangerous. Your
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Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your
vehicle
go where you want it to 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.
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Braking In Emergencies
At some time, nearly every driver gets into a situation that requires hard
braking. If you have anti-lock, you can
steer and brake at the same time.
However, if you don’t have anti-lock,
your first reaction-to hit the brake
pedal hard and hold it down-may be
the wrong thing to do. Your wheels
can stop rolling. Once they do, the
vehicle can’t respond to your steering.
Momentum will carry it in whatever
direction it
was headed when the
wheels stopped rolling. That could be
off the road, into the very thing you
were trying to avoid, or into traffic.
If you don’t have anti-lock, use a
“squeeze” braking technique. This will give you
maximum braking while
maintaining steering control. You do
this by pushing on the brake pedal with
steadily increasing pressure.
In an emergency you will probably want
to “squeeze” the brakes hard without
locking the wheels. If you hear or feel
the wheels sliding, ease off the brake
pedal. This will help you retain steering
control. (If you
do have anti-lock, it’s
different: see the
Index under Anti-Lock
Brake System.)
In many emergencies,
steering can help you more than even
the very best braking.
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist
because the engine stops or the system
fails to function, you can steer but it
will take much more effort.
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Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings, and lines.
If you can see a
sign up ahead that might indicate a
turn or an intersection, delay your
pass. A broken center line usually
indicates it’s all right tdpass
(providing the road ahead is clear).
Never cross a solid line
on your side
of the lane or a double solid line, even
if the road seems empty of
approaching traffic.
If you suspect that the driver of the
vehicle you want to pass isn’t aware
of your presence, tap the horn a
couple of times before passing. Or,
you can use flash-to-pass. See the
Index under Flash-to-Pass.
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.
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.
If other cars are lined up to pass a
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
.)
Try not to pass more than one vehicle
at a time on two-lane roads.
Reconsider before passing the next
vehicle.
vehicle too rapidly. Even though the
brake lights 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.
Don’t overtake a slowly moving
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Your Driving and the Road
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 (as when you turn
a corner
on a wet, snow- or ice-covered
road), ease your foot
off the accelerator
pedal as
soon as you feel the vehicle start to
slide. Quickly steer the way you
want the vehicle to go.
If you start
steering quickly enough, your vehicle
will straighten out.
As it does, straighten
the front wheels.
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
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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.
If you have the anti-lock braking
system, remember: It helps avoid only
the braking skid.
If you do not have
anti-lock, then in a braking skid (where
the wheels are no longer rolling),
release enough pressure on the brakes
to get the wheels rolling again. This
restores steering control. Push the
brake pedal down steadily when you
have to stop suddenly. As long as the
wheels are rolling, you will have steering control. Steer the way you
want to go.
Driving at Night
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. Remember, this is
the most dangerous time.
Don’t drink and drive. (See the Index
under Drunken Driving for more on
this problem.)
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to
reduce the glare hom headlights
behind you.
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Since you can’t see as well, you may
need to slow down and keep more
space between you and other vehicles.
It’s hard to tell how fast the vehicle
ahead is going just by looking at its
taillights.
speed roads. Your headlights
can light
up only
so much road ahead.
Slow down, especially on higher
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you’re tired, pull off the road in a
safe place and rest.
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