ESP PONTIAC GRAND PRIX 2004 Owners Manual

or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance,
and your strongest bones take the forces. That's why
safety belts make such good sense.
Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts
Q:Won't I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if I'm wearing a safety belt?
A:Youcouldbe ± whether you're wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt,
even if you're upside down. And your chance
of being conscious during and after an accident,
so you
canunbuckle and get out, ismuchgreater
if you are belted.
Q:If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have
to wear safety belts?
A:Air bags are in many vehicles today and will
be in most 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.
1-14

Doors and Locks
Door Locks
{CAUTION:
Unlocked doors can be dangerous.
·Passengers Ð especially children Ð can
easily open the doors and fall out of a
moving vehicle. When a door is locked,
the handle won't open it. You increase the
chance of being thrown out of the vehicle
in a crash if the doors aren't locked.
So, wear safety belts properly and lock
the doors whenever you drive.
·Young children who get into unlocked
vehicles may be unable to get out. A child
can be overcome by extreme heat and can
suffer permanent injuries or even death
from heat stroke. Always lock your vehicle
whenever you leave it.
·Outsiders can easily enter through an
unlocked door when you slow down or
stop your vehicle. Locking your doors can
help prevent this from happening.There are several ways to lock and unlock your vehicle.
To lock or unlock your vehicle from the outside, use
your key or remote keyless entry transmitter.
To manually lock or unlock
your doors from inside the
vehicle, push down or
pull up on the door lock pin
located on the top of
each door panel.
2-7

Windows
{CAUTION:
Leaving children in a vehicle with the windows
closed is dangerous. A child can be overcome
by the extreme heat and can suffer permanent
injuries or even death from heat stroke. Never
leave a child alone in a vehicle, especially with
the windows closed in warm or hot weather.
2-12

Theft-Deterrent Systems
Vehicle theft is big business, especially in some cities.
Although your vehicle has a number of theft-deterrent
features, we know that nothing we put on it can make it
impossible to steal.
Content Theft-Deterrent
Your vehicle has a theft-deterrent alarm system.
A red light located on top
of the instrument panel,
toward the center of the
vehicle and near the
windshield, will ¯ash slowly
when the system is armed.
While armed, the doors will not unlock with the power
door lock switch. The remote alarm will sound if
someone tampers with the trunk lock, enters the vehiclewithout using the remote keyless entry transmitter or
key to unlock the doors, or turns the ignition on without
the proper key. The horn will sound and the headlamps
will ¯ash for up to two minutes. The system will also
cut off the fuel supply, preventing the vehicle from
being driven.
Arming with the Power Lock Switch
The vehicle's content theft-deterrent alarm system
can be activated when the key is removed from
the ignition and either power door lock switch is used to
lock the doors, when any door is open. This system
can be activated through the Driver's Information Center
(DIC). See personal programming under
DIC Controls
and Displays on page 3-45.
When programmed, the red light will ¯ash rapidly on top
of the instrument panel indicating the system is ready to
activate. When the doors are locked using the power door
lock switch, the red light will stop ¯ashing indicating that
the system is arming. After all the doors are closed and
locked, the red light will begin ¯ashing at a very slow rate,
indicating the system is armed.
2-14

While in the MANUAL (M)
mode, push either paddle
once to up-shift to the
next gear. Pull either
paddle once to down-shift
to the next gear.
To fully use the system, select MANUAL (M) while
stopped, with the engine running. The vehicle will begin
moving in ®rst gear upon acceleration. (In icy or slippery
conditions, you may start out in second gear, rather than
®rst gear, for better vehicle control.)
Then you will be prompted
to up-shift by the indicator
light on the instrument
panel or by the up-shift
symbol on Head-Up Display
(HUD), if equipped, using a
TAP-Shift Ÿ paddle.Throughout acceleration you will be prompted in this
way to up-shift as needed. If you do not up-shift when
prompted, vehicle speed will be limited to protect
the engine.
Press the accelerator quickly while driving in the highest
gear to make the transaxle automatically down-shift.
The transaxle will also automatically down-shift as the
vehicle decelerates and comes to a stop.
A chime will sound if you push or pull a paddle requesting
a transaxle gear change when the vehicle cannot
respond. The system will not allow either an up-shift or a
down-shift if the vehicle speed is too fast or too slow, nor
will it allow a start from third or higher gear.
You may also select MANUAL (M) while the vehicle is
already moving. The current transaxle position will
continue to be displayed on the DIC and HUD,
if equipped. The transaxle up-shifts and down-shifts can
be done using the TAP-Shift Ÿ paddles as described
previously.
2-26

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

3. Once the light stops ¯ashing and turns green,
load a disc. Insert the disc partway into the slot,
label side up. The player will pull the disc in.
Once the disc is loaded, the light will begin ¯ashing
again. Once the light stops ¯ashing and turns
green you can load another disc. The disc player
takes up to six discs. Do not try to load more
than six.
To load more than one disc but less than six, complete
Steps 1 through 3. When you have ®nished loading
discs, with the radio on or off, press the LOAD side of
the LOAD CD button to cancel the loading function.
The radio will begin to play the last CD loaded.
When a disc is inserted, the CD symbol will be
displayed. If more than one disc has been loaded, a
number for each disc will be displayed. If you select an
equalization setting for your disc, it will be activated
each time you play a disc.
If the radio is on or off, the last disc loaded will begin to
play automatically.
As each new track starts to play, the track number will
appear on the display.Playing a Speci®c Loaded
Compact Disc
For every CD loaded, a number will appear on the radio
display. To play a speci®c CD, ®rst press the CD AUX
button to start playing a CD. Then press the numbered
pushbutton that corresponds to the CD you want to
play. A small bar will appear under the CD number that
is playing, and the track number will appear.
If an error appears on the radio display, see ªCompact
Disc Messagesº later in this section.
LOAD CD
Z(Eject):Pressing the CD eject side of
this button will eject a single disc or multiple discs.
To eject the disc that is currently playing, press
and release this button. To eject multiple discs, press
and hold this button for two seconds. You will hear
a beep and the light will ¯ash to let you know when a
disc is being ejected.
REMOVE CD will be displayed. You can now remove
the disc. If the disc is not removed, after 25 seconds,
the disc will be automatically pulled back into the
receiver. If you try to push the disc back into the
receiver, before the 25 second time period is complete,
the receiver will sense an error and will try to eject
the disc several times before stopping.
3-124

Understanding Radio Reception
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 pick
up noise from things like storms and power lines.
Try reducing the treble to reduce this noise if you ever
get it.
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.
XMŸ Satellite Radio Service (USA Only)
XMŸ Satellite Radio gives you digital radio reception
from coast to coast. Just as with FM, tall buildings
or hills can interfere with satellite radio signals, causing
the sound to come and go. Your radio may display
ªNO SIGNALº to indicate interference.
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 are not, they may not operate
properly or may cause failure of the tape player.
Your tape player should be cleaned regularly after every
50 hours of use. Your radio will display CLEAN
PLAYER to indicate that you have used your tape
player for 50 hours without resetting the tape clean
timer. If this message appears on the display, your
cassette tape player needs to be cleaned. It will still play
tapes, but you should clean it as soon as possible to
prevent damage to your tapes and player. If you notice
a reduction in sound quality, try a known 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.
For best results, use a scrubbing action, non-abrasive
cleaning cassette with pads which scrub the tape
head as the hubs of the cleaner cassette turn. The
recommended cleaning cassette is available through
your dealership.
3-130

But the ability to drive is affected well below a BAC of
0.10 percent. Research shows that the driving skills
of many people are impaired at a BAC approaching
0.05 percent, and that the effects are worse at night.
All drivers are impaired at BAC levels above
0.05 percent. Statistics show that the chance of being
in a collision increases sharply for drivers who have
a BAC of 0.05 percent or above. A driver with a BAC
level of 0.06 percent has doubled his or her chance
of having a collision. At a BAC level of 0.10 percent,
the chance of this driver having a collision is 12 times
greater; at a level of 0.15 percent, the chance is
25 times greater!
The body takes about an hour to rid itself of the alcohol
in one drink. No amount of coffee or number of cold
showers will speed that up. ªI'll be carefulº 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 even a moderate 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, especially injuries to the brain, spinal
cord or heart. This means that when anyone who
has been drinking Ð driver or passenger Ð is in
a crash, that person's chance of being killed or
permanently disabled is higher than if the person
had not been drinking.
{CAUTION:
Drinking and then driving is very dangerous.
Your re¯exes, perceptions, attentiveness and
judgment can be affected by even a small
amount of alcohol. You can have a seriousÐor
even fatalÐcollision 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.
4-5

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. Also see
Traction Control System (TCS)
on page 4-10andEnhanced Traction System (ETS) on
page 4-11.
Braking
Braking action involvesperception timeandreaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That'sperception time.Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That'sreaction time.
Averagereaction timeis about 3/4 of a second.
But that's only an average. It might be less with one
driver and as long as two or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination
and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs
and frustration. But even in 3/4 of a second, a vehicle
moving at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m).
That could be a lot of distance in an emergency,
so keeping enough space between your vehicle and
others is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road (whether it's pavement
or gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry, icy);
tire tread; the condition of your brakes; the weight of
the vehicle and the amount of brake force applied.
4-6