ABS PONTIAC GRAND PRIX 2006 User Guide

Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where the tires meet the
road probably have good traction.
However, if there is snow or ice between the tires and
the road, you can have a very slippery situation. You will
have a lot less traction, or grip, and will need to be
very careful.
What is the worst time for this? Wet ice. Very cold snow
or ice can be slick and hard to drive on. But wet ice
can be even more trouble because it may offer the leasttraction of all. You can get wet ice when it is about
freezing, 32°F (0°C), and freezing rain begins to fall. Try
to avoid driving on wet ice until salt and sand crews
can get there.
Whatever the condition — smooth ice, packed, blowing,
or loose snow — drive with caution.
If you have the Traction Control System (TCS) or the
Enhanced Traction System (ETS), it will improve
your ability to accelerate when driving on a slippery
road. Even though your vehicle has a traction system
you will want to slow down and adjust your driving to the
road conditions. Under certain conditions, you may
want to turn the TCS or ETS off, such as when driving
through deep snow and loose gravel, to help maintain
vehicle motion at lower speeds. SeeTraction Control
System (TCS) on page 4-9orEnhanced Traction
System (ETS) on page 4-11.
If you do not have TCS or ETS, accelerate gently. Try
not to break the fragile traction. If you accelerate
too fast, the drive wheels will spin and polish the surface
under the tires even more.
Unless you have the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS),
you will want to brake very gently, too. If you do
have ABS, seeAnti-Lock Brake System (ABS) on
page 4-7. This system improves your vehicle’s stability
when you make a hard stop on a slippery road.
Whether you have ABS or not, you will want to begin
stopping sooner than you would on dry pavement.
4-29

Without ABS, if you feel your vehicle begin to slide, let
up on the brakes a little. Push the brake pedal down
steadily to get the most traction you can.
Remember, unless you have ABS, if you brake so hard
that your wheels stop rolling, you will just slide. Brake
so your wheels always keep rolling and you can
still steer.
Whatever your braking system, allow greater
following distance on any slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be ne
until you hit a spot that is covered with ice. On
an otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in
shaded areas where the sun cannot reach, such
as around clumps of trees, behind buildings,
or under bridges. Sometimes the surface of a curve
or an overpass may remain icy when the
surrounding roads are clear. If you see a patch of
ice ahead of you, brake before you are on it. Try not
to brake while you are actually on the ice, and
avoid sudden steering maneuvers.
If You Are Caught in a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a
serious situation. You should probably stay with
your vehicle unless you know for sure that you are near
help and you can hike through the snow. Here are
some things to do to summon help and keep yourself
and your passengers safe:
Turn on your hazard ashers.
Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you have been stopped by the snow.
Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you.
If you do not have blankets or extra clothing, make
body insulators from newspapers, burlap bags,
rags, oor mats — anything you can wrap around
yourself or tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
4-30

When towing a trailer, the arrows on the instrument
panel will ash for turns even if the bulbs on the trailer
are burned out. You may think drivers behind you
are seeing the turn signal when they are not. It is
important to check occasionally to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working.
The vehicle has bulb warning lights. When a trailer
lighting system is plugged into the vehicle’s lighting
system, its bulb warning lights may not indicate if one of
the lamps goes out. So, when a trailer lighting system
is plugged in, be sure to check the vehicle and
trailer lamps from time to time to be sure they are all
working. Once the trailer lamps have been disconnected,
the bulb warning lights can once again indicate if
one of the vehicle lamps is out.
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.
4-45

1. Lift the lter cover tabs on top of the engine air
cleaner/lter housing.
2. Push the lter cover housing toward the engine.
3. Pull out the lter.
4. Inspect or replace the engine air cleaner/lter.5. To reinstall the cover, position the tabs through the
slots on the housing. If your vehicle has one of the
3800 V6 engines, a notch on the sides of the
lter cover will indicate the correct engagement.
6. Push the cover tabs on top of the housing to lock
the cover in place.
{CAUTION:
Operating the engine with the air cleaner/lter
off can cause you or others to be burned. The
air cleaner not only cleans the air; it helps to
stop ames if the engine backres. If it is
not there and the engine backres, you could
be burned. Do not drive with it off, and be
careful working on the engine with the air
cleaner/lter off.
Notice:If the air cleaner/lter is off, a backre can
cause a damaging engine re. And, dirt can
easily get into your engine, which will damage it.
Always have the air cleaner/lter in place when you
are driving. 5.3L V8 Engine
5-22

Fuses Usage
HVAC Climate Control System
FUEL/PUMP Fuel Pump
AIRBAG/
DISPLAYAirbag, Display
COMPASS Compass
ABS Anti-lock Brake System
ETC/ECMElectronic Throttle Control, Engine
Control Module
Fuses Usage
A/C CMPRSR Air Conditioning Compressor
INJ 1 Injectors 1
BCM/TCMBody Control Module, Transmission
Control Module
TRANS Transaxle
EMISSIONS1 Emissions 1
ABS SOL Anti-lock Brake Solenoid
BCM IGN Body Control Module, Ignition
INJ 2 Injectors 2
EMISSIONS2 Emissions 2
WPR Windshield Wipers
AUX PWR Auxiliary Power
WSW/RVCWindshield Washer, Regulated
Voltage Control
LT LO BEAM Driver’s Side Low Beam
RT LO BEAM Passenger’s Side Low Beam
FOG LAMPS Fog Lamps (Option)
LT HI BEAM Driver’s Side High Beam V8 Engine
5-116

Fuses Usage
HORN Horn
RT HI BEAM Passenger’s Side High Beam
SPARE Spare
SPARE Spare
SPARE Spare
SPARE Spare
Relays Usage
BATT 4 Battery 4
FUEL/PUMP Fuel Pump
BATT 1 Battery 1
A/C CMPRSR Air Conditioning Compressor
Relays Usage
STRTR Starter
PWR/TRN Powertrain
STRTR Starter
ABS MTR Anti-lock Brake System Motor
BATT 3 Battery 3
BATT 2 Battery 2
FAN 2 Cooling Fan 2
FAN 3 Cooling Fan 3
FAN 2 Cooling Fan 2
FAN 1 Cooling Fan 1
FAN 1 Cooling Fan 1
5-117

A
Accessories and Modications............................ 5-3
Accessory Power Outlet(s)...............................3-24
Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle.......................................................1-66
Additives, Fuel................................................. 5-6
Add-On Electrical Equipment...........................5-111
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine.................................5-21
Air Conditioning......................................3-26, 3-29
Airbag
Passenger Status Indicator...........................3-40
Readiness Light..........................................3-39
Airbag Sensing and Diagnostic Module (SDM)...... 7-9
Airbag System................................................1-52
Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle...................................................1-66
How Does an Airbag Restrain?......................1-59
Passenger Sensing System...........................1-61
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle..........1-65
What Makes an Airbag Inate?......................1-59
What Will You See After an Airbag Inates?....1-60
When Should an Airbag Inate?....................1-57
Where Are the Airbags?...............................1-55
Antenna, Backglass.......................................3-141
Antenna, XM™ Satellite Radio
Antenna System........................................3-142
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)........................... 4-7
Anti-Lock Brake, System Warning Light..............3-44Appearance Care
Aluminum Wheels......................................5-106
Care of Safety Belts...................................5-104
Chemical Paint Spotting..............................5-108
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses..................5-105
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle................5-99
Fabric/Carpet............................................5-101
Finish Care...............................................5-105
Finish Damage..........................................5-107
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other
Plastic Surfaces.....................................5-104
Leather....................................................5-103
Sheet Metal Damage..................................5-107
Tires........................................................5-107
Ultra Lux Suede........................................5-103
Underbody Maintenance.............................5-108
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials...............5-109
Washing Your Vehicle.................................5-105
Weatherstrips............................................5-104
Windshield and Wiper Blades......................5-106
Ashtray(s)......................................................3-25
Assist Handles...............................................2-42
Audio System(s).............................................3-94
Audio Steering Wheel Controls....................3-139
Backglass Antenna.....................................3-141
Care of Your CD Player..............................3-141
Care of Your CDs......................................3-141
Chime Level Adjustment.............................3-142
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Audio System(s) (cont.)
Navigation/Radio System, see
Navigation Manual..................................3-139
Radio with CD...................................3-96, 3-107
Radio with Six-Disc CD..............................3-123
Setting the Time..........................................3-96
Theft-Deterrent Feature...............................3-139
Understanding Radio Reception...................3-140
XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna System...........3-142
Automatic Transaxle
Fluid..........................................................5-23
Operation...................................................2-25
B
Backglass Antenna........................................3-141
Battery..........................................................5-45
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver......................3-17
Run-Down Protection...................................3-20
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.........................4-24
Brake
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)........................ 4-7
Emergencies................................................ 4-8
Parking......................................................2-30
System Warning Light..................................3-42
Brakes..........................................................5-42
Braking........................................................... 4-6
Braking in Emergencies..................................... 4-8
Break-In, New Vehicle.....................................2-21Bulb Replacement...........................................5-53
Back-Up Lamps...........................................5-58
Front Turn Signal, Parking and Fog Lamps.....5-56
Halogen Bulbs............................................5-53
Headlamp Aiming........................................5-50
Replacement Bulbs......................................5-59
Taillamps, Turn Signal, and Stoplamps............5-57
Buying New Tires...........................................5-72
C
California Fuel.................................................. 5-6
California Proposition 65 Warning....................... 5-3
Canadian Owners................................................ ii
Capacities and Specications..........................5-118
Carbon Monoxide...................2-13, 2-33, 4-28, 4-40
Care of
Safety Belts..............................................5-104
Your CD Player.........................................3-141
Your CDs .................................................3-141
Center Console Storage Area...........................2-42
Chains, Tire...................................................5-77
Check
Engine Light...............................................3-47
Checking Things Under the Hood......................5-10
Chemical Paint Spotting.................................5-108
Child Restraints
Child Restraint Systems...............................1-36
Infants and Young Children...........................1-33
2