PONTIAC GRAND PRIX 2007 Owners Manual

Make sure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P)
before starting the engine. The vehicle has
an automatic transaxle shift lock control system.
You must fully apply your regular brakes rst
and then press the shift lever button, located on
the front of the shift lever, before you can shift from
PARK (P) when the ignition key is in RUN.
If the vehicle cannot be shifted out of PARK (P),
ease pressure on the shift lever by pushing it
all the way into PARK (P) as you maintain brake
application. Then press the shift lever button
and move the shift lever into another gear.
SeeShifting Out of Park (P) on page 117.
REVERSE (R):Use this gear to back up.
Notice:Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your
vehicle is moving forward could damage
the transaxle. The repairs would not be
covered by your warranty. Shift to
REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle is
stopped.
To rock the vehicle back and forth to get out of
snow, ice or sand without damaging the transaxle,
seeIf Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice,
or Snow on page 316.NEUTRAL (N):In this position, the engine does
not connect with the wheels. To restart when
the vehicle is already moving, use NEUTRAL (N)
only. Also, use NEUTRAL (N) when the vehicle
is being towed.
{CAUTION:
Shifting into a drive gear while your
engine is running at high speed is
dangerous. Unless your foot is rmly on
the brake pedal, your vehicle could move
very rapidly. You could lose control and
hit people or objects. Do not shift into a
drive gear while your engine is running at
high speed.
Notice:Shifting out of PARK (P) or
NEUTRAL (N) while the engine is running at
high speed may damage the transaxle.
The repairs would not be covered by your
warranty. Be sure the engine is not running at
high speeds when shifting your vehicle.
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DRIVE (D):This position is for normal driving. It
provides the best fuel economy for your vehicle. If
the vehicle needs more power for passing, and it is:
Going less than 35 mph (55 km/h), push the
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (55 km/h) or more, push
the accelerator pedal all the way down.
The vehicle will shift down to the next gear and
have more power.
Downshifting the transaxle in slippery road
conditions could result in skidding, see Skidding
underLoss of Control on page 301.
Notice:If your vehicle seems to start up
rather slowly or not shift gears when you go
faster, and you continue to drive your vehicle
that way, you could damage the transaxle.
Have your vehicle serviced right away. You can
drive in SECOND (2) when you are driving
less than 35 mph (55 km/h) and DRIVE (D) for
higher speeds until then.THIRD (3):This position is also used for normal
driving. However, it reduces vehicle speed more
than DRIVE (D) without using your brakes. You
might choose THIRD (3) instead of DRIVE (D)
when driving on hilly, winding roads, when towing a
trailer, so there is less shifting between gears, when
going down a steep hill and when driving on
non-highway scenarios (i.e. city streets etc.).
SECOND (2):This position reduces vehicle speed
even more than THIRD (3) without using your
brakes. You can use SECOND (2) on hills. It can
help control the vehicle’s speed as it goes
down steep mountain roads, but then you would
also want to use the brakes off and on.
Notice:Driving in SECOND (2) for more than
25 miles (40 km) or at speeds over 55 mph
(90 km/h), can cause damage to your engine
and/or transaxle. Also, shifting into SECOND (2)
at speeds above 65 mph (105 km/h) can cause
damage. Drive in DRIVE (D) instead of
SECOND (2).
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FIRST (1):This position reduces vehicle speed
even more than SECOND (2) without using
your brakes. It can be used on very steep hills, or
in deep snow or mud. If the shift lever is moved
to FIRST (1), while the vehicle is moving forward,
the transaxle will not shift into rst gear until
the vehicle is going slowly enough.
Notice:Spinning the tires or holding the
vehicle in one place on a hill using only the
accelerator pedal may damage the transaxle.
If you are stuck, do not spin the tires. When
stopping on a hill, use the brakes, or parking
brake to hold the vehicle in place.
Performance Shifting with TAP-Shift®
If the vehicle is equipped with the 3800 V6
Supercharged engine or the 5.3L V8 engine, your
vehicle may have this feature. It allows you to
change gears similar to a manual transaxle.
To fully use this feature, do the following:
1. The MANUAL (M) position can be selected
while the vehicle is moving. The current
transaxle position will continue to be displayed
on the Driver Information Center (DIC) and
Head-Up Display (HUD), if equipped.2. Move the shift lever
to the MANUAL (M).
3. The paddles are
located on the
steering wheel.
They are used to
up-shift or down-shift
the transaxle.
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4. Push either paddle once to up-shift to the next
gear. Pull either paddle once to down-shift to
the next gear.
The vehicle will begin moving in rst gear upon
acceleration. For better control in icy or slippery
conditions, the vehicle may start out in
SECOND (2), rather than FIRST (1). This
will only occur if you have “tapped up” to
second gear.
The up-shift light on the
instrument panel cluster,
or the up-shift symbol on
the HUD, if equipped, is
given as a prompt to use
the TAP-Shift
®paddle.
For more information, seeUp-Shift Light on
page 175.
The up-shift light will only appear in the instrument
panel cluster if the HUD is off or if the vehicle
does not have HUD.This prompt to up-shift, as needed, will be given
throughout acceleration. If up-shifting does not
occur when prompted, the vehicle speed will be
limited to protect the engine.
The gear position will display on the DIC and
HUD, if equipped, when in manual mode.
Pressing the accelerator while driving in the
highest gear (FOURTH (4)) between 20 mph
(32 km/h) and 50 mph (80 km/h), will make
the transaxle automatically downshift. As your
speed gets closer to 50 mph (80 km/h), you
will need to increase accelerator pedal travel to
get the vehicle to downshift. At 50 mph (80 km/h),
even with the accelerator fully depressed, the
transaxle will always remain in FOURTH (4). The
transaxle will also automatically downshift as
the vehicle decelerates and comes to a stop.
If a paddle is pushed or pulled and the vehicle
cannot respond to a transaxle gear change,
a chime will sound. 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 (3) or higher gear.
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Parking Brake
The parking brake is
located to the left of the
brake pedal near the
driver’s door. To set the
parking brake, hold
the regular brake pedal
down with the right
foot. Push down on the
parking brake pedal,
with the left foot.
To release the parking brake, hold the regular
brake pedal down with the right foot and push the
parking brake pedal with the left foot. When the
left foot is lifted, the parking brake pedal will lift to
the released position.
A warning chime will sound if the parking brake is
set, the ignition is on, and the shift lever is not
in PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N).The brake light will also appear on the instrument
panel cluster when the parking brake is set. It will
stay on if the parking brake does not release fully.
The PARKING BRAKE ON message will also
appear in the Driver Information Center (DIC)
when the parking brake is set. SeeDIC Warnings
and Messages on page 200for more information.
Notice:Driving with the parking brake on
can overheat the brake system and cause
premature wear or damage to brake system
parts. Verify that the parking brake is fully
released and the brake warning light is
off before driving.
If the vehicle is towing a trailer and parked on a
hill, seeTowing a Trailer on page 324. That
section shows what to do rst to keep the trailer
from moving.
115

Shifting Into Park (P)
{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. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be injured.
To be sure your vehicle will not move, even
when you are on fairly level ground, use
the steps that follow. If you are pulling a
trailer, seeTowing a Trailer on page 324.
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot
and set the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) by holding
in the button on the shift lever and pushing
the shift lever all the way toward the front
of the vehicle.
3. Turn the ignition key to OFF.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you
can leave your vehicle with the ignition key in
your hand, your vehicle is in PARK (P).
Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Engine Running
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle
with the engine running. Your vehicle
could move suddenly if the shift lever is
not fully in PARK (P) with the parking
brake rmly set. And, if you leave the
vehicle with the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch re. You or
others could be injured. Do not leave your
vehicle with the engine running.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and
your parking brake is rmly set before you leave it.
After you have moved the shift lever into PARK (P),
hold the regular brake pedal down. Then, see if you
can move the shift lever away from PARK (P)
without rst pushing the button.
If you can, it means that the shift lever was not
fully locked in PARK (P).
116

Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you do not shift your
transaxle into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl
in the transaxle. You may nd it difficult to pull the
shift lever out of PARK (P). This is called torque
lock. To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake
and then shift into PARK (P) properly before you
leave the driver’s seat. To nd out how, seeShifting
Into Park (P) on page 116.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift
lever out of PARK (P)beforeyou release the
parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have
another vehicle push your vehicle a little uphill
to take some of the pressure from the parking pawl
in the transaxle, so you can pull the shift lever
out of PARK (P).
Shifting Out of Park (P)
The vehicle has an automatic transaxle shift lock
control system which locks the shift lever in
PARK (P) when the ignition is in OFF. In addition,
the regular brakes must be fully applied before
shifting from PARK (P) while the ignition is in RUN.
SeeAutomatic Transaxle Operation on page 110.
If the vehicle cannot be shifted out of PARK (P),
ease pressure on the shift lever and push the
shift lever all the way up into PARK (P) as brake
application is maintained. Then move the shift lever
into the desired gear.
If the brake pedal is held down but the vehicle still
cannot be shifted out of PARK (P), try this:
1. Turn the key to ACC or RUN.
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 desired
transaxle gear.
5. Have the system xed as soon as possible.
117

Parking Over Things That Burn
{CAUTION:
Things that can burn could touch hot
exhaust parts under your vehicle and
ignite. Do not park over papers, leaves,
dry grass, or other things that can burn.
118

Engine Exhaust
{CAUTION:
Engine exhaust can kill. It contains the
gas carbon monoxide (CO), which you
cannot see or smell. It can cause
unconsciousness and death.
You might have exhaust coming in if:
Your exhaust system sounds strange
or different.
Your vehicle gets rusty underneath.
Your vehicle was damaged in a
collision.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)

Your vehicle was damaged when
driving over high points on the road
or over road debris.
Repairs were not done correctly.
Your vehicle or exhaust system has
been modied improperly.
If you ever suspect exhaust is coming into
your vehicle:
Drive it only with all the windows
down to blow out any CO; and
Have your vehicle xed immediately.
119

Running the Engine While Parked
It is 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
underEngine Exhaust on page 119.
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 — with
CO — can come in easily. NEVER park in
a garage with the engine running.
Another closed-in place can be a blizzard.
SeeWinter Driving on page 311.
{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. Do not leave
your vehicle when the engine is running
unless you have to. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be injured.
To be sure your vehicle will not move,
even when you are 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
will not move. SeeShifting Into Park (P) on
page 116.
If you are parking on a hill and if you are pulling a
trailer, also seeTowing a Trailer on page 324.
120