engine PONTIAC GRAND PRIX 2005 Manual PDF

Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There
just is not 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 cannot avoid deep puddles or standing water,
drive through them very slowly.
Driving Through Flowing Water
{CAUTION:
Flowing or rushing water creates strong forces.
If you try to drive through owing water, as you
might at a low water crossing, your vehicle can
be carried away. As little as six inches of
owing water can carry away a smaller vehicle.
If this happens, you and other vehicle
occupants could drown. Do not ignore police
warning signs, and otherwise be very cautious
about trying to drive through owing water.
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.
Have good tires with proper tread depth. SeeTires
on page 5-58.
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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.
The exit speed is usually posted. Reduce your speed
according to your speedometer, not to your sense
of motion. After driving for any distance at higher
speeds, you may tend to think you are going slower
than you actually are.Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you are ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must start when you are not fresh — such as after
a day’s work — do not plan to make too many miles that
rst part of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing
and shoes you can easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it is ready to go. If it needs
service, have it done before starting out. Of course, you
will nd experienced and able service experts in GM
dealerships all across North America. They will be ready
and willing to help if you need it.
Here are some things you can check before a trip:
Windshield Washer Fluid:Is the reservoir full?
Are all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blades:Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids:Have you checked
all levels?
Lamps:Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
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Tires:They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip. Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are the tires all inated
to the recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts:What is the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip
a short time to avoid a major storm system?
Maps:Do you have up-to-date maps?
Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as highway hypnosis?
Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel? Call it
highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch of road with
the same scenery, along with the hum of the tires on
the road, the drone of the engine, and the rush of
the wind against the vehicle that can make you sleepy.
Do not let it happen to you! If it does, your vehicle
can leave the road in less than a second, and you could
crash and be injured.What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be
aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:
Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and
to the sides. Check your rearview mirrors and your
instruments frequently.
If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest,
service, or parking area and take a nap, get some
exercise, or both. For safety, treat drowsiness
on the highway as an emergency.
4-25

Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving in at or rolling terrain.If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you are
planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable.
Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all uid
levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system,
and transaxle. These parts can work hard on
mountain roads.
Know how to go down hills. The most important
thing to know is this: let your engine do some of
the slowing down. Shift to a lower gear when you
go down a steep or long hill.
{CAUTION:
If you do not shift down, your brakes could get
so hot that they would not work well. You
would then have poor braking or even none
going down a hill. You could crash. Shift down
to let your engine assist your brakes on a
steep downhill slope.
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{CAUTION:
Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with the
ignition off is dangerous. Your brakes will have
to do all the work of slowing down. They could
get so hot that they would not work well. You
would then have poor braking or even none
going down a hill. You could crash. Always
have your engine running and your vehicle in
gear when you go downhill.
Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift down
to a lower gear. The lower gears help cool your
engine and transaxle, and you can climb the
hill better.
Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads in hills or mountains. Do not swing wide
or cut across the center of the road. Drive at speeds
that let you stay in your own lane.
As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There
could be something in your lane, like a stalled car or
an accident.
You may see highway signs on mountains that
warn of special problems. Examples are long
grades, passing or no-passing zones, a falling rocks
area, or winding roads. Be alert to these and take
appropriate action.
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You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
{CAUTION:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your
vehicle. This can cause deadly CO (carbon
monoxide) gas to get inside. CO could
overcome you and kill you. You cannot see it
or smell it, so you might not know it is in your
vehicle. Clear away snow from around the
base of your vehicle, especially any that is
blocking your exhaust pipe. And check around
again from time to time to be sure snow does
not collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that is away from the wind. This will
help keep CO out.
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.
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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.
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow
In order to free your vehicle when it is stuck, you will
need to spin the wheels, but you do not want to
spin your wheels too fast. The method known as rocking
can help you get out when you are stuck, but you
must use caution.
{CAUTION:
If you let your tires spin at high speed, they
can explode, and you or others could be
injured. And, the transaxle or other parts of the
vehicle can overheat. That could cause an
engine compartment re or other damage.
When you are stuck, spin the wheels as little
as possible. Do not spin the wheels above
35 mph (55 km/h) as shown on the
speedometer.
Notice:Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of
your vehicle as well as the tires. If you spin the
wheels too fast while shifting your transaxle back
and forth, you can destroy your transaxle. See
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out on page 4-33.
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle,
seeTire Chains on page 5-72.
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That is the reason for this part. In it are many
time-tested, important trailering tips and safety rules.
Many of these are important for your safety and that of
your passengers. So please read this section carefully
before pulling a trailer.
Load-pulling components such as the engine, transaxle,
wheel assemblies, and tires are forced to work harder
against the drag of the added weight. The engine
is required to operate at relatively higher speeds and
under greater loads, generating extra heat. The
trailer also adds considerably to wind resistance,
increasing the pulling requirements.
If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer
Here are some important points:
There are many different laws, including speed limit
restrictions, having to do with trailering. Make sure
your rig will be legal, not only where you live
but also where you will be driving. A good source
for this information can be state or provincial police.
Consider using a sway control. Ask a hitch dealer
about sway controls.
Do not tow a trailer at all during the rst
1,000 miles (1 600 km) the new vehicle is driven.
The engine, axle, or other parts could be damaged.
Then, during the rst 500 miles (800 km) that
the vehicle tows a trailer, do not drive over
50 mph (80 km/h) and do not make starts at full
throttle. This helps the engine and other parts of
the vehicle wear in at the heavier loads.
Obey speed limit restrictions when towing a
trailer. Do not drive faster than the maximum
posted speed for trailers, or no more than
55 mph (90 km/h), to save wear on the
vehicle’s parts.
Three important considerations have to do with weight:
The weight of the trailer
The weight of the trailer tongue
The total weight on your vehicle’s tires
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When 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 the trailer is loaded, weigh the trailer and then the
tongue, separately, to see if the weights are proper.
The correct weight could be achieved simply by moving
some items around in the trailer.
Total Weight on Your Vehicle’s Tires
Be sure the vehicle’s tires are inated to the upper limit
for cold tires. These numbers can be found on the
Tire Loading Information label, that is on the inside of
the trunk lid. SeeLoading Your Vehicle on page 4-33.
Be sure not to go over the GVW limit for the vehicle, or
the GAWR, including the weight of the trailer tongue.
If a weight distribution hitch is used, make sure not to go
over the rear axle limit before applying the weight
distribution spring bars.
Hitches
It is important to have the correct hitch equipment.
Crosswinds, large trucks going by, and rough roads are
a few reasons why the correct hitch is needed. Here
are some rules to follow:
The rear bumper on the vehicle is not intended for
hitches. Do not attach rental hitches or other
bumper-type hitches to it. Use only a frame-mounted
hitch that does not attach to the bumper.
If any holes need to be made in the body of the
vehicle to install a trailer hitch, then be sure to seal
the holes later when the hitch is removed. If the holes
are not sealed, deadly carbon monoxide (CO) from
the exhaust can get into the vehicle. SeeEngine
Exhaust on page 2-33. Dirt and water can, too.
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Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before starting
down a long or steep downgrade. If the vehicle is
not shifted down, the brakes may have to be used so
much that they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce the
vehicle’s speed to around 45 mph (70 km/h) to reduce
the possibility of engine and transaxle overheating.
If the vehicle has overdrive, it may be driven in
THIRD (3) instead of AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D).
Parking on Hills
{CAUTION:
You really should not park your vehicle, with a
trailer attached, on a hill. If something goes
wrong, your rig could start to move. People
can be injured, and both your vehicle and the
trailer can be damaged.
But if the rig ever has to be parked on a hill, here is
how to do it:
1. Apply the regular brakes, but do not shift into
PARK (P) yet.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer
wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply the parking
brake, and then shift to PARK (P).
5. Release the regular brakes.
4-46