trunk PONTIAC GRAND PRIX 2004 User Guide

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 ¯uid, a rag, some winter
outer clothing, a small shovel, a ¯ashlight, a red
cloth and a couple of re¯ective 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.
4-28

Loading Your Vehicle
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 in¯ation
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 weigh of all occupants, cargo and
all non-factory installed options.The other label is the Certi®cation label, found on the
rear edge of the driver's door. It tells you the gross
weight capacity of your vehicle, called the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR). 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.
4-35

If you do have a heavy load, spread it out. Don't carry
more than 167 lbs (75 kg) in your trunk.
{CAUTION:
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, and it can change the way your vehicle
handles. These could cause you to lose
control and crash. Also, overloading can
shorten the life of your vehicle.
Notice:Your warranty does not cover parts or
components that fail because of overloading.
If you put things inside your vehicle Ð like suitcases,
tools, packages or anything else Ð they will go as fast
as the vehicle goes. If you have to stop or turn
quickly, or if there is a crash, they'll keep going.
{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 of them
are 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.
4-36

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
on page 4-35for more information about your
vehicle's maximum load capacity.If you're using a weight-carrying hitch or a
weight-distributing hitch, the trailer tongue (A)
should weigh 10 to 15 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.Total Weight on Your Vehicle's Tires
Be sure your vehicle's tires are in¯ated to the upper
limit for cold tires. You'll ®nd these numbers on the
Tire Loading Information label, found on the inside of the
trunk lid, or see
Loading Your Vehicle on page 4-35.
Then be sure you don't go over the GVW limit for your
vehicle, including the weight of the trailer tongue.
4-39

Filling a Portable Fuel Container
{CAUTION:
Never ®ll a portable fuel container while it is in
your vehicle. Static electricity discharge from
the container can ignite the gasoline vapor.You
can be badly burned and your vehicle damaged if
this occurs. To help avoid injury to you and others:
·Dispense gasoline only into approved
containers.
·Do not ®ll a container while it is inside a
vehicle, in a vehicle's trunk, pickup bed or on
any surface other than the ground.
·Bring the ®ll nozzle in contact with the inside
of the ®ll opening before operating the nozzle.
Contact should be maintained until the ®lling is
complete.
·Don't smoke while pumping gasoline.
Checking Things Under
the Hood
{CAUTION:
An electric fan under the hood can start up
and injure you even when the engine is not
running. Keep hands, clothing and tools away
from any underhood electric fan.
{CAUTION:
Things that burn can get on hot engine parts
and start a ®re. These include liquids like fuel,
oil, coolant, brake ¯uid, windshield washer and
other ¯uids, and plastic or rubber. You or
others could be burned. Be careful not to drop
or spill things that will burn onto a hot engine.
5-10

Center High-Mounted Stoplamp
(CHMSL)
The LED bulb for the center high-mounted stoplamp is
located in the spoiler. See your dealer for replacement.
Taillamps, Turn Signal, and
Stoplamps
1. Open the trunk. Replace the bulb for the appropriate
lamp listed below.
A. Taillamp
B. Taillamps, Turn Signal
and Stop Lamps2. Remove the convenience net, if equipped, by
removing the net hook attachments.
3. Pull the trunk trim and carpet away from the back of
the trunk.
4. Remove the bottom bolt and nut wings.
5. Carefully remove the
taillamp assembly by
pulling it out from
the vehicle. Be careful
to avoid scratching
or chipping the paint
on the vehicle.
5-64

6. Turn the appropriate
lamp socket a quarter
turn counterclockwise
and remove it.
7. Remove the old bulb.
8. Place the new bulb into the socket and turn the
lamp socket clockwise to install it.
9. Carefully reinstall the taillamp assembly by
reversing Steps 2 through 5.Back-Up Lamps
The back-up lamps are located on the trunk lid.
To replace the back-up lamp bulbs, do the following:
1. Open the trunk.
5-65

In¯ation -- Tire Pressure
The Tire-Loading Information label, which is on the
inside of the trunk lid, shows the correct in¯ation
pressures for your tires when they're cold. ªColdº means
your vehicle has been sitting for at least three hours
or driven no more than 1 mile (1.6 km).
Notice:Don't let anyone tell you that underin¯ation
or overin¯ation is all right. It's not. If your tires
don't have enough air (underin¯ation), you can get
the following:
·Too much ¯exing
·Too much heat
·Tire overloading
·Bad wear
·Bad handling
·Bad fuel economyIf your tires have too much air (overin¯ation),
you can get the following:
·Unusual wear
·Bad handling
·Rough ride
·Needless damage from road hazards
When to Check
Check your tires once a month or more.
Don't forget your compact spare tire. It should be at
60 psi (420 kPa).
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire
pressure. You can't tell if your tires are properly in¯ated
simply by looking at them. Radial tires may look
properly in¯ated even when they're underin¯ated.
Be sure to put the valve caps back on the valve stems.
They help prevent leaks by keeping out dirt and moisture.
5-69

Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
The equipment you'll need is in the trunk.
1. Turn the center nut on
the compact spare tire
cover counterclockwise
to remove it.
2. Remove the compact spare tire. See
Compact
Spare Tire on page 5-89for more information
about the compact spare tire.
5-80

8. Tighten the wheel nuts
®rmly in a crisscross
sequence as shown.
9. Reinstall the wheel trim. If the vehicle has plastic
caps tighten them by hand. With a wheel wrench,
tighten the plastic caps an additional quarter
turn clockwise.
{CAUTION:
Incorrect wheel nuts or improperly tightened
wheel nuts can cause the wheel to come loose
and even come off. This could lead to an
accident. Be sure to use the correct wheel
nuts. If you have to replace them, be sure to
get new GM original equipment wheel nuts.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
Stop somewhere as soon as you can and have
the nuts tightened with a torque wrench to the
proper torque speci®cation. See ªCapacities
and Speci®cationsº in the Index for wheel nut
torque speci®cation.
Notice:Improperly tightened wheel nuts can lead
to brake pulsation and rotor damage. To avoid
expensive brake repairs, evenly tighten the wheel
nuts in the proper sequence and to the proper torque
speci®cation. See ªCapacities and Speci®cationsº in
the index for the wheel nut torque speci®cation.
10. Don't try to put the wheel cover on your compact
spare tire. It won't ®t. Store the wheel cover in the
trunk until you have the ¯at tire repaired or replaced.
Notice:Wheel covers won't ®t on your compact
spare. If you try to put a wheel cover on your
compact spare, you could damage the cover or
the spare.
5-86