PONTIAC GRAND PRIX 1998 Owners Manual

Windshield Wipers
You control the windshield wipers by turning the band
marked WIPER. For a single wiping cycle, turn the band
to MIST. Hold it there until the wipers start, then let go.
The wipers will stop after one cycle. If you want more
cycles, hold the band on MIST longer.
For steady wiping at low speed, turn the band to LOW.
For high-speed wiping, turn the band further, to HIGH.
To stop the wipers, turn the band to OFF.
You can set the wiper speed for a long or short delay
between wipes.
This can be very useful in light rain or
snow.
Turn the band to choose the delay time. The
closer to
LOW, the shorter the delay.
Be sure to clear ice and snow from the wiper blades
before using them. If they’re frozen
to the windshield,
carefully loosen or thaw them. If
your blades do become
damaged, get new blades
or blade inserts.
Heavy snow or ice can overload your wipers.
A circuit
breaker will stop them until
the motor cools. Clear away
snow or ice
to prevent an overload.
2-36

Windshield Washer
At the top of the multifunction lever, there’s a paddle
with the word
PUSH on it. To spray washer fluid on the
windshield, push the paddle. The wipers will
run for
several sweeps and then either stop or return to your
preset speed. See “Windshield Washer Fluid” in
the Index.
I A CAUTION:
Cruise Control (If Equipped)
r
In freezing weather, don’t use your washer until
the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can
form ice on the windshield, blocking
your vision.
With cruise control, you can maintain a speed of about
25 mph (40 km/h) or more without keeping your foot
on the accelerator. This can really help on long trips.
Cruise control does not
work at speeds below about
25 mph (40 km/h).
When you apply your brakes, the cruise control
shuts
off.

A CAUTdN:
0 Cruise control can be dangerous where you
can’t drive safely at a steady speed.
So,
don’t use your cruise control on winding
roads
or in heavy traff“lc.
slippery roads.
On such roads, fast changes
in tire traction can cause needless wheel
spinning, and you could lose control. Don’t
use cruise control on slippery roads.
0 Cruise control can be dangerous on
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the optional
traction control system begins to limit wheel spin, the
cruise control will automatically disengage. (See
“Traction Control System” in the Index.)
When road
conditions allow you to safely use it again, you may turn
the cruise control back on.
Setting Cruise Control
-
/A CAUTION:
If you leave your cruise control switch on when
you’re not using cruise, you
might hit a button
and go into cruise when you don’t want to.
You
could be startled and even lose control. Keep the
cruise control
switch off until you want to use it.
1. Move the cruise control switch to ON.
2. Get up to the speed you want.
3. Push in the SET button at the end of the lever and
release it.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal.
2-38

Resuming a Set Speed
Suppose you set your cruise control at a desired speed
and then you apply the brake. This,
of course, shuts off
the cruise control. But you don’t need to reset it.
Once you’re going about 25 mph (40 km/h) or more,
you can move
the cruise control switch from ON to R/A
(Resume/Accelerate) for about half a second. You’ll go
right back up to your chosen speed and stay there.
Increasing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to go to a higher speed:
Use the accelerator pedal to get to the higher speed.
Push in the
SET button, then release the button and
the accelerator pedal. You’ll now cruise at the
higher speed.
Move the cruise switch from ON to WA. Hold it
there until you get up to the speed you want, and
then release the switch.
To increase your speed in
very small amounts, move the switch to R/A for less
than half a second and then release
it. Each time you
do this, your vehicle will go 1 mph (1.6 km/h) faster.
The accelerate feature will only work after you set the
cruise control speed
by pushing the SET button.
Reducing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to reduce your speed while using
cruise control:
0 Push in the SET button until you reach the lower
speed you want, then release it.
To slow down in very small amounts, push the SET
button for less than half a second. Each time you do
this, you’ll go 1 mph (1.6 km/h) slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While Using Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase your speed. When
you take your foot off the pedal, your vehicle will slow
down to the cruise control speed you set earlier.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on hills depends
upon your speed, load and the steepness of the hills.
When going up steep hills, you may have to step on the
accelerator pedal to maintain your speed. When going
downhill, you may have to brake or
shift to a lower gear
to keep your speed down. Of course, applying
the brake
takes you out of cruise control. Many drivers find
this to
be too much trouble and don’t use cruise control
on
steep hills.
2-39

Ending Cruise Control
There are two ways to turn off the cruise control:
Step lightly on the brake pedal; OR
0 Move the cruise switch to OW.
Erasing Cruise Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition, or
shift into PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N), your cruise
control set speed memory is erased.
Exterior Lamps
The lamp controls are located on the lower, left side of
the instrument panel, to the left of the steering wheel.
They control these systems:
Headlamps
Taillamps
Parking Lamps
License Lamps
Sidemarker Lamps
0 Instrument Panel Lights
0 Courtesy Lamps
0 Fog Lamps
- - =c) : Turn the knob to this symbol to turn on the
headlamps and other operating lamps.
pf : Turn the knob to this symbol to turn on
the parking and other operating lamps without
the headlamps.
Turn the knob to OFF to turn off the lamps.

Daytime Running Lamps
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front
of your vehicle during the day.
DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful in the
short periods after dawn and before sunset.
A light sensor on top of the instrument panel makes the
DRL work, so be sure it isn’t covered.
The DRL system will make your low-beam headlamps
come on at a reduced brightness when:
0 The ignition is on,
The headlamp switch is off and
0 The parking brake is released.
When the DRL are on, only your low-beam headlamps
will be on. The taillamps, sidemarker and other
lamps won’t be on. Your instrument panel won’t be lit up either.
When it’s dark enough outside, your headlamps will
change to full brightness. The other lamps that come
on
with your headlamps will also come on.
When it’s bright enough outside,
the regular lamps will
go out, and your low-beam headlamps change to the
reduced brightness of DRL.
To idle your vehicle with the DRL off, set the parking
brake while the ignition is
in OFF or LOCK. Then start
your vehicle. The DRL will stay off until you release the
parking brake.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
Fog Lamps
The fog lamps switch is located in the upper, left comer
of the instrument panel, to the left of the instrument
panel cluster.

To turn the fog lamps on, press the right side of the fog lamps
switch.
A light will glow on the switch to let you know that
they are on. (Your parking lamps must be on, or your fog
lamps won’t come
on.) Press the left side of the switch to turn
the fog lamps off.
The fog lamps will go off whenever you change to
high-beam headlamps. When you return
to low beams, the
fog lamps will come on again.
Interior Lamps
Instrument Panel Intensity Control
You can brighten or dim
the instrument panel lights
by turning the interior
lamps
dial.
Turn the dial to the right to increase the brightness of the
instrument panel lights, to the left to decrease the
brightness.
Turn the control all the way to the left to turn
them off.
Courtesy Lamps
When any door is opened, several lamps come on. These
lamps are courtesy lamps. They make it easy for you
to
enter and leave your vehicle at night. You can also turn
these lamps on by turning the interior lamps dial all the
way to the right.
Illuminated Entry
The Illuminated Entry feature will illuminate the interior so
that you can see the inside of your vehicle before you enter at
night. The interior lamps will come on for
40 seconds when
you unlock
your doors using the remote keyless entry
transmitter
(ifequipped) and the ignition is in LOCK or OFF.
After 40 seconds have elapsed, the interior lamps will slowly
fade out. The lamps
will fade out before 40 seconds have
elapsed
if you:
0 Lock all doors using your remote keyless
0 Lock the doors using the power door lock switch.
When any door is opened, illuminated entry is canceled.
The interior lamps will stay on while any
door is opened
and slowly fade out when all doors are closed. The
interior lamps may stay
on for up to 25 seconds after all
doors have been closed if they have not been locked.
See “Delayed Illumination” later
in this section.
entry transmitter.

Delayed Illumination
The Delayed Illumination feature will continue to illuminate the interior for
25 seconds after all the doors
have been closed
so that you can find the ignition and
buckle your seat belt at night. Delayed Illumination will not occur while the ignition is in RUN or ACCESSORY.
After
25 seconds have elapsed, the interior lamps will
slowly fade out. The lamps will fade out before the
25 seconds have elapsed if you:
Turn the ignition to RUN or ACCESSORY.
Lock all doors using your remote keyless entry
Lock the doors using the power door lock switch.
To turn Delayed Illumination feature
off or on, see
“Locks and Lighting Choices” in the Index.
Exit Lighting
transmitter (if equipped).
For exiting your vehicle at night, your vehicle is
equipped with the Exit Lighting feature. The interior
lamps will illuminate for up to
25 seconds when you
remove your key from the ignition. After
25 seconds
have elapsed, the interior lamps will slowly fade out.
The lamps will fade out before the
25 seconds have
elapsed if you:
0 Turn the ignition to RUN or ACCESSORY.
0 Lock all doors using your remote keyless entry
0 Lock the doors using the power door lock switch.
When any door is opened, exit lighting is canceled. The
interior lamps will stay on while any door is opened and
will slowly fade out when all the doors are closed. The
interior lamps may stay on for up to
25 seconds after all
the doors have been closed if they have not been locked.
See “Delayed Illumination” earlier
in this section.
To turn the Exit Lighting feature
off or on, see “Locks
and Lighting Choices” in the Index.
Battery Saver
Your vehicle has a feature to help prevent you from
draining the battery in case you accidentally leave the
interior, trunk or underhood lamps on. If you leave any
of these lamps on while the ignition is in LOCK or
OFF,
they will automatically turn off after 10 minutes. The
lamps won’t come back on again until you do one of
the following:
Turn the ignition to RUN or ACCESSORY.
0 Turn the interior lamp dial all the way to the right,
Open (or close and reopen) a door that is closed.
transmitter (if equipped).
then back slightly to
the left.
2-43

Note that if your vehicle has less than 15 miles (25 km)
on the odometer, the battery saver will turn off the lamps
after
only three minutes.
Front Reading Lamps
Rear Assist Handle Reading Lamps
(If Equipped)
There is a reading lamp provided in each rear assist
handle. Use the button next
to each lamp to turn them on
and off.
Roof Console Reading Lamps
These lamps are part of the roof console. They will go
on when you open the doors. When the doors are closed,
push the button next
to each lamp to turn them on and
off. The console also contains an open storage bia
If your vehicle has the optional sunroof, you will
have reading lamps in front of your sunroof switch.
Press the button behind each reading lamp
to turn them
on and off.
2-44

Locks and Lighting Choices
Your vehicle’s locks and lighting systems can be programmed with several different f\
eatures. The features you can
program depend on the options that came with your vehicle. The following chart shows the features that can be
programmed
and which options you need to have to program them.
I
~
Feature
Door
Driver’s Remote
Locking/ Door
Lockout
Unlock
Deterrent Control
I 2 I X I x I X I
3
X X X X 4
X X X X
Remote
Lock/
Unlock
Confirma -
tion Content
Theft Content
Theft
Arming/
Disarming
X X X
2-45