light PONTIAC GRAND PRIX 1998 Repair Manual

When you turn the system off, the Enhanced Traction
System warning light
will come on and stay on. If the
Enhanced Traction System is limiting wheel spin when
you press the button to turn the system off, the warning
light will come on
-- and the system will shut-off
instantly. It will
wait until there’s no longer a current
need
to limit wheel spin.
You can
turn the system back on at any time by pressing
the button again. The Enhanced Traction System
warning light should go off.
Braking in Emergencies
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same
time.
In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system
is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
Variable Effort Steering (Option)
This steering system provides lighter steering effort
for parking and when driving at speeds below
20 mph
(32 km/h). Steering effort will increase at higher speeds
for improved road feel.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It’s important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on
the
news happen on curves. Here’s why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each
of us is subject to
the same laws
of physics when driving on curves. The
traction
of the tires against the road surface makes it
possible for the vehicle to change its path when you
turn
the front wheels. If there’s no traction, inertia will keep
the vehicle going
in the same direction. If you’ve ever
tried
to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you’ll understand this.
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An emergency like this requires close attention and a
quick decision.
If you are holding the steering wheel at
the recommended
9 and 3 o’clock positions, you can
turn it a full 180 degrees very quickly without removing
either hand. But you have to act fast, steer
quickly, and
just as quickly straighten the wheel once you have
avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency situations are always
possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving at
all times and
wear safety belts properly.
Off-Road Recovery
You may find that your right wheels have dropped off the
edge
of a road onto the shoulder while you’re driving.
LEFT APPROX. WARTER TURN
edge of pamd wrfsco
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the
pavement, recovery should
be fairly easy. Ease off the
accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the way, steer so
that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement. You
can turn the steering wheel up to one-quarter turn until the
right front tire contacts the pavement edge. Then turn your
steering wheel to go straight down the roadway.
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Here are some tips on night driving.
Drive defensively.
0 Don’t drink and drive.
0 Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind you.
0 Since you can’t see as well, you may need to
slow down and keep more space between you and
other vehicles.
0 Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light up only so much road ahead.
0 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.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps.
It can take a second or two, or even several
seconds, for your eyes to readjust to the dark. When
you
are faced with severe glare (as from a driver who
doesn’t lower the high beams, or a vehicle with
misaimed headlamps), slow down a little. Avoid staring
directly into the approaching headlamps.
Keep your windshield and all the glass on your vehicle
clean
-- inside and out. Glare at night is made much
worse
by dirt on the glass. Even the inside of the glass
can build up a film caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and flash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils
of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that
your headlamps light up far less of a
roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep your
eyes moving; that way, it’s easier to pick out dimly
lighted objects. Just as your headlamps should be
checked regularly for proper aim,
so should your eyes
be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer
from night
blindness
-- the inability to see in dim light -- and
aren’t even aware
of it.
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Driving too fast through large water puddles or even
going through some car washes can cause problems, too.
The water may affect your brakes. Try to avoid puddles.
But
if you can't, try to slow down before you hit them.
A CAUTION:
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They won't work
as well
in a quick stop and may cause pulling to
one side. You could lose control of the vehicle.
After driving through
a large puddle of water or
a car wash, apply your brake pedal lightly until
your brakes work normally.
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Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up
under your tires that they can actually ride
on the water.
This can happen if the road is wet enough and you’re
going fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning,
it has little or
no contact with the road.
Hydroplaning doesn’t happen often. But it can if your
tires do not have much tread or if the pressure in one or
more is low. It can happen if a lot
of water is standing on
the road. If you can see reflections from trees, telephone
poles or other vehicles, and raindrops “dimple” the water’s surface, there could be hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There
just isn’t a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning. The
best advice is to slow down when it is raining.
Driving Through Deep Standing Water
NOTICE:
If you drive too quickly through deep puddles or
standing water, water can come in through your
engine’s air intake and badly damage your
engine. Never drive through water that is slightly
lower than the underbody
of your vehicle. If you
can’t avoid deep puddles or standing water, drive
through them very slowly.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, allow some extra following
distance. And be especially careful when you pass another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear room
ahead, and be prepared to have your view restricted
by road spray.
“Tires”
in the Index.)
Have good tires with proper tread depth. (See
4-21

City Driving
I
One of the biggest problems with city streets is the
amount
of traffic on them. You’ll want to watch out for
what
the other drivers are doing and pay attention to
trafk signals. Here are ways to increase your safety
in city driving:
Know the best way to get to where you are
going. Get a city map and plan your trip into an
unknown part of the city just as you would for a
cross-country trip.
Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most
large cities. You’ll save time and energy. (See the
next
part, “Freeway Driving.”)
0 Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic
light is there because the corner is busy enough to
need it.
When a light turns green, and just before you
start to move, check both ways for vehicles that have
not cleared the intersection or may be running the
red light.
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Freeway Driving
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.
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.
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then
use
your turn signal.
Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your
shoulder to make sure there isn’t another vehicle in your
“blind” spot.
Once you are moving on
the freeway, make certain you
allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to move slightly slower at night.
When you want to leave the freeway, move to the proper
lane well in advance. If you miss your exit, do not,
under
any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive on to
the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.

Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your vehicle in good shape for winter.
You may want to put winter emergency supplies in
your trunk. Include an
ice scraper, a small brush
or broom, a supply
of windshield washer fluid, a rag, some winter outer
clothing, a small shovel, a flashlight, a red cloth and a
couple of reflective warning triangles. And, if you will
be driving under severe conditions, include a small bag
of sand, a piece of old carpet or a couple of burlap bags
to help provide traction.
Be sure you properly secure
these items in your vehicle.
4-27

Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it
go a little faster
than just idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly. This
uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the
battery charged. You will need
a well-charged battery to
restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on
with your headlamps. Let the heater
run for a while.
Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again
and repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortable
from the cold. But do it as little as possible. Preserve the
fuel as long as you can.
To help keep warm, you can get
out
of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or
so until help comes.
Loading Your Vehicle
TIRE - LOADING INFORMATION A
OCCUPANTS
MAX. LOADING @ GVWR SAME
1 1
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'U
IT, ADD 28KPA (4LBS)
Manual for tire pressure needed at
himlH(100 mph) or higher speeds, where legal, kr nrlrlitinnal tira inlnrmo+inn
Two labels on your vehicle show how much weight it
may properly carry. The Tire-Loading Information label
is on the inside of the trunk lid. The label 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 you can
carry. This weight is called the vehicle capacity weight
and includes the weight
of all occupants, cargo and all
nonfactory-installed options.
4-3 1

Making lhms
NOTICE:
Making very sharp turns while trailering could
cause the trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider turns
than normal.
Do this so your trailer won’t strike soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees or other objects.
Avoid jerky
or sudden maneuvers. Signal well
in advance.
Thrn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle may need a
different
turn signal flasher and/or extra wiring. Check
with your Pontiac dealer. The green arrows on your
instrument panel will flash whenever you signal a turn
or lane change. Properly hooked
up, the trailer lamps
will
also flash, telling other drivers you’re about to turn,
change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green mows on your
instrument panel will flash for turns
even if the bulbs on
the trailer are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers
behind you are seeing your signal when
they are not. It’s
important to check occasionally to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working.
Your vehicle has bulb warning lights. When you plug a
trailer lighting system into
your vehicle’s lighting
system, its bulb warning lights may not let you
know if
one of your lamps goes out.
So, when you have a trailer
lighting system plugged in, be sure to check your
vehicle and trailer lamps from time to time to be sure
they’re
all working. Once you disconnect the trailer
lamps, the bulb warning lights again can tell you if one
of your vehicle lamps is out.
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