Page 5 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX 2004 Owner's Guide

Shifting Out of Park (P)
Your vehicle has an automatic transaxle shift lock
control system which locks the shift lever in PARK (P)
when the ignition is in the OFF position. In addition,
you have to fully apply your regular brakes before you
can shift from PARK (P) when the ignition is in RUN.
See
Automatic Transaxle Operation on page 2-22.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever and push the shift lever all the way up
into PARK (P) as you maintain brake application.
Then move the shift lever into the gear you want.
If you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can't shift
out of PARK (P), try this:
1. Turn the key to ACCESSORY. (There is no shift
interlock in this key position.)
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
3. Shift the transaxle to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the vehicle and then shift to the transaxle gear
you want.
5. Have the system ®xed as soon as you can.
Parking Over Things That Burn
{CAUTION:
Things that can burn could touch hot exhaust
parts under your vehicle and ignite. Don't park
over papers, leaves, dry grass or other things
that can burn.
2-30

Running Your Engine While You
Are Parked
It's better not to park with the engine running. But if you
ever have to, here are some things to know.
{CAUTION:
Idling the engine with the climate control
system off could allow dangerous exhaust into
your vehicle. See the earlier Caution under
ªEngine Exhaust.º
Also, idling in a closed-in place can let deadly
carbon monoxide (CO) into your vehicle even if
the climate control fan is at the highest setting.
One place this can happen is a garage.
Exhaust Ð with CO Ð can come in easily.
NEVER park in a garage with the engine
running.
Another closed-in place can be a blizzard.
See ªWinter Drivingº in the Index.
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle
if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with
the parking brake ®rmly set. Your vehicle can
roll. Don't leave your vehicle when the engine
is running unless you have to. If you've left
the engine running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be injured.
To be sure your vehicle won't move, even
when you're on fairly level ground, always set
your parking brake and move the shift lever
to PARK (P).
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle won't
move. See
Shifting Into Park (P) on page 2-28.
If you are parking on a hill and if you're pulling a trailer,
also see
Towing a Trailer on page 4-37.
2-32

Mirrors
Manual Rearview Mirror
Use the control, located at the bottom, to change the
mirror from the day to the night position. To reduce
glare from headlamps behind you while driving at night,
turn the control to the right. To return the mirror back
to the day position, turn the control to the left.
Manual Rearview Mirror with
OnStar
ž
If your vehicle has this feature, use the control,
located at the bottom of the mirror, to change the
mirror from the day to the night position. To reduce
glare from headlamps behind you while driving at night,
turn the control to the right. To return the mirror to
the day position, turn the control to the left.There are two map lamps located on the bottom of the
mirror. Each lamp is turned on and off by pressing
the button next to the lamp.
There are also three OnStaržbuttons located at the
bottom of the mirror face. See your dealer for more
information on the system and how to subscribe
to OnStar
ž. SeeOnStaržSystem on page 2-35for
more information about the services OnStaržprovides.
2-33

SunroofYour vehicle may be equipped with a sunroof. The
sunroof includes a sliding glass panel and a sunshade.
The switch to control the sunroof is located in the
headliner. The switch works only while the ignition is on
or RAP is active. See
Ignition Positions on page 2-18.
Vent:Open the sunshade by hand. Push the rear of
the switch once and the sunroof will open to the
vent position.
Open/Express-Open:Push the rear of the switch a
second time and the sunroof will open the remainder of
the way.
Close:Push and hold the front of the switch until the
sunroof motor stops. The sunshade must be closed
by hand.
Uplevel Version Shown
2-39

The main components of the instrument panel are the following:
A. Side Window Defogger Outlets. (See
Outlet
Adjustment on page 3-29.)
B. Instrument Panel Outlets. (See
Outlet Adjustment
on page 3-29.)
C. Exterior Lamps Control. (See
Exterior Lamps on
page 3-12.)
D. TAP-ShiftŸ Control. (See
Automatic Transaxle
Operation on page 2-22.)
E. Hazard Warning Flashers Button. (See
Hazard
Warning Flashers on page 3-4.)
F. Instrument Panel Cluster. (See
Instrument Panel
Cluster on page 3-32.)
G. Windshield Wiper Lever. (See
Windshield Washer
Lever on page 3-6.)
H. Ignition. (See
Ignition Positions on page 2-18.)
I. DIC (Driver Information Center). (See
Driver
Information Center (DIC) on page 3-45.)J. Audio System. (See
Audio System(s) on page 3-88.)
K. Interior Lamps Brightness Control (Behind Steering
Wheel). (See
Interior Lamps on page 3-16.)
L. Audio Controls. (See
Audio System(s) on page 3-88.)
M. Hood Release. (See
Hood Release on page 5-11.)
N. Tilt Steering Wheel Lever (on Steering Column).
(See
Tilt Wheel on page 3-5.)
O. Cruise Control. (See
Cruise Control Lever on
page 3-8.)
P. Climate Controls. (See
Climate Control System
on page 3-25.)
Q. Storage Area.
R. Glove Box. (See
Glove Box on page 2-36.)
S. Instrument Panel Fuse Block.
(See
Fuses and Circuit Breakers on page 5-99.)
3-3

7(Mist):For a single wiping cycle, push the lever
down once and let go. The wipers will stop after one
cycle. For additional cycles, hold the lever down.
Be sure to clear ice and snow from the wiper blades
before using them. If they're frozen to the windshield,
gently loosen or thaw them. Damaged wiper blades may
prevent you from seeing well enough to drive safely.
If the blades do become damaged, install new blades or
blade inserts. For more information, see
Windshield
Wiper Blade Replacement on page 5-67.
Heavy snow or ice can overload the wiper motor.
A circuit breaker will stop the motor until it cools down.
Clear away snow or ice to prevent an overload.
Windshield Washer
{CAUTION:
In freezing weather, don't use your washer
until the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the
washer ¯uid can form ice on the windshield,
blocking your vision.
The windshield washer button is located at the end of
the windshield wiper lever.
K(Washer Fluid):Press this button to activate the
washer ¯uid to spray onto the windshield. The wipers
will run for a few cycles to clear the windshield. For more
wash cycles, press and hold the button.
If your vehicle is low on washer ¯uid, the LOW WASHER
FLUID message will appear on the Driver Information
Center (DIC) display. See
DIC Warnings and Messages
on page 3-65for more information.
3-7

With cruise control, you can maintain a speed of
approximately 25 mph (40 km/h) or more without
keeping your foot on the accelerator. This is helpful
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.
If your vehicle is in cruise control and either the
Traction Control System (TCS) or the Enhanced Traction
System (ETS) begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. See
Traction
Control System (TCS) on page 4-10andEnhanced
Traction System (ETS) on page 4-11. When road
conditions allow you to safely use it again, you may
turn the cruise control back on.
Setting Cruise Control
{CAUTION:
If you leave your cruise control 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
cruise control.
1. Push the button at the end of the cruise control
lever to turn the cruise control on.
2. Accelerate to the speed you want.
3. Push down on the cruise control lever and release
it. This will set the cruise control.
4. Remove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
3-9

Fog Lamps
Fog lamps provide brighter roadway lighting for better
vision in foggy or misty conditions.
-(Fog Lamps):Turn the second band on the exterior
lamps lever to this position to turn the fog lamps on.
The band will return to its original position.
This symbol will appear
on the instrument panel
cluster when the fog lamps
are on.
To turn the fog lamps off, turn the band up to the fog
lamp symbol and release it. The band will return
to its original position. If the high-beam headlamps
are on the fog lamps will turn off. They will turn back
on again when you switch back to the low-beam
headlamps.
The parking lamps must be on for the fog lamps to work.
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer
Push forward on the exterior lamps control lever to
change the headlamps from low to high-beam. Pull the
lever back and then release it to change from high
to low-beam.
This symbol on the
instrument panel cluster
will display when the
high-beam lamps are on.
When the high-beam headlamps are on, the fog lamps
will not be on. If your vehicle is equipped with the
Head-Up-Display (HUD) an arrow will appear in the
HUD area to indicate that the high-beams are on.
See
Head-Up Display (HUD) on page 3-19for more
information.
Headlamps On Reminder
A warning chime will sound if the exterior lamp control
is left on in either the headlamp or parking lamp position
and the driver's door is opened with the ignition off.
3-13

Flash-To-Pass Feature
This feature allows you to use the high-beam headlamps
to signal the driver in front of you that you want to pass.
Pull and hold the exterior lamps control lever toward
you to use this feature. When you do, the following
will occur:
·If the headlamps are either off, in low-beam
or in Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) mode,
the high-beam headlamps will turn on. They'll stay
on as long as you hold the lever there. Release
the lever to turn them off.
·If the headlamps are in high-beam mode, they will
switch to low beam. To return to high-beam, push
the lever away from you.
If your vehicle is equipped with Head-Up Display (HUD),
an arrow will appear on the display to indicate that
the high beams are on.
Turn and Lane-Change Signals
To signal a turn, move the lever all the way up or down.
The lever returns automatically when the turn is
complete.
An arrow on the instrument
panel cluster will ¯ash in
the direction of the
turn or lane change.
If your vehicle is equipped with the Head-Up-Display
(HUD), the turn signals will appear in the HUD area
when making turns or lane changes. See
Head-Up
Display (HUD) on page 3-19for more information.
Raise or lower the lever until the arrow starts to ¯ash
to signal a lane change. Hold it there until the lane
change is complete. The lever returns to its original
position when it is released.
Arrows that ¯ash rapidly when signaling for a turn or
lane change may be caused by a burned-out signal bulb.
Other driver's won't see the signal.
Replace burned-out bulbs to help avoid possible
accidents. Check the fuse and for burned-out bulbs if
the arrow fails to work when signaling a turn. See
Fuses
and Circuit Breakers on page 5-99for more information.
3-14

Turn Signal On Chime
If the turn signal is left on for approximately 1 mile
(1.61 km), a warning chime will sound and the TURN
SIGNAL ON warning message will appear on the Driver
Information Center (DIC) display. See ªTurn Signal
Onº under
DIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-65for more information.
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. Fully functional
daytime running lamps are required on all vehicles
®rst sold in Canada.
The DRL system will make the turn signal lamps come
on when the following conditions are met:
·It is still daylight and the ignition is in RUN or
START,
·the exterior lamp control is in off or AUTO with the
headlamps off, and
·an automatic transaxle is not in PARK (P) and the
parking brake is released.When DRL are on, only the front turn signal/parking
lamps will be on. No other exterior lamps will be
on when the DRL are being used. Your instrument
panel won't be lit up either.
When the exterior lamp control is in AUTO and it's dark
enough outside, the DRL will turn off and the low-beam
headlamps at full brightness will turn on. When it's
bright enough outside, the front turn signal lamps will
go off, and the DRL will turn back on. If you start
your vehicle in a dark garage, the automatic headlamp
system will come on immediately. Once you leave
the garage, it will take approximately one minute for the
automatic headlamp system to change to DRL if it is
light outside. During that delay, your instrument
panel cluster may not be as bright as usual. Make sure
your instrument panel brightness knob is in the full
bright position. See ªInstrument Panel Brightnessº under
Interior Lamps on page 3-16.
Vehicle's sold in the U.S. can turn the DRL off.
To do this, turn the band on the exterior lamp control
to off. Turn the band to this position again to turn
the DRL on.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
3-15