PONTIAC GRAND PRIX 2008 Owners Manual

Reducing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
There are two ways to reduce the vehicle’s speed while
using cruise control:
Press and hold the set button until you reach the
lower speed desired, then release it.
To slow down in very small amounts, briey press
the set button. Each time this is done, the vehicle
will slow down about one mph (1.6 km/h).
Passing Another Vehicle While
Using Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase the vehicle’s
speed. When you take your foot off the pedal, the
vehicle will slow down to the cruise control speed
set earlier.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well the cruise control will work on hills depends
upon the vehicle’s speed, its load, and the steepness of
the hills. When going up steep hills, the accelerator
pedal might have to be used in order to maintain
the vehicle’s speed. When going downhill, the brakes
might have to be applied, or the transmission might have
to be shifted to a lower gear to keep the vehicle’s
speed down. Doing either of these things will take the
vehicle out of cruise. It may be better not to use
the cruise control if the brakes constantly have to be
applied, or the vehicle continuously needs to be shifted
to a lower gear.
Ending Cruise Control
There are two ways to turn off the cruise control:
Step lightly on the brake pedal.
Move the cruise control switch to off.
Erasing Speed Memory
The cruise control set speed memory is erased when
the cruise control or the ignition is turned off.
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Exterior Lamps
The exterior lamp control is located to the left of the
steering wheel on the multifunction lever.
It controls the following systems:
Headlamps
Taillamps
Parking Lamps
License Plate Lamps
Instrument Panel Lights
O(Exterior Lamp Control):Turn the band with
this symbol on it to operate the exterior lamps.
The exterior lamp band has four positions:
O(Off):Turn the band to this position to turn off
all lamps.
AUTO (Automatic):Turn the control to this position
to automatically turn on the headlamps at normal
brightness, together with the following:
Parking Lamps
Taillamps
License Plate Lamps
Instrument Panel Lights
To override AUTO mode, turn the control to off.
To reset to AUTO mode turn the control to exterior
lamps and then back to AUTO. Automatic mode will also
reset when the vehicle is turned off and then back on
again while the control is left in the AUTO position.
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;(Parking Lamp):Turn the band to this position to
turn on the parking lamps together with the following:
Taillamps
License Plate Lamps
Instrument Panel Lights
The parking brake indicator light comes on and stays
on when the parking lamps are on with the engine
in LOCK/OFF and the ignition to ACC/ACCESSORY.
5(Headlamps):Turn the control to this position
to turn on the headlamps together with the following
lamps listed below. A warning chime sounds if the
driver’s door is opened while the ignition switch is off
and the headlamps are on.
Parking Lamps
Taillamps
License Plate Lamps
Instrument Panel Lights
Headlamps on Reminder
A warning chime will sound if the vehicle’s ignition is
off and the driver’s door is opened when the exterior
lamp control is left on in either the headlamp or
parking lamp position.
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
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. Daytime running
lamps are required to function at all times on all
vehicles rst sold in Canada.
A light sensor on top of the instrument panel makes
the DRL work, so be sure it is not covered.
The DRL system will make the low-beam headlamps
come on at reduced brightness when the following
conditions are met:
The ignition is on.
The exterior lamps control is off.
The parking brake is released.
While the DRL are on, only the vehicle’s low-beam
headlamps will be on at reduced brightness. The turn
signal, taillamps, sidemarker and other lamps will not be
on. The instrument panel cluster will not be lit up either.
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When it is dark enough outside, the DRL will turn off
and the vehicle’s headlamps and parking lamps will turn
on. The other lamps that come on with the headlamps
will also come on.
When it is bright enough outside, the headlamps will go
off and the DRL will come on.
To idle the vehicle with the DRL off, turn the exterior
lamp control off and then do one of the following:
Turn the exterior lamp control to the parking
lamp position.
Turn the exterior lamp control to the headlamp
position.
Turn the exterior lamp control from AUTO to off
and back to AUTO.
This feature is not available for vehicles rst sold in
Canada.
To turn off the automatic headlamp feature when it is
dark outside, move the exterior lamp control to the
parking lamp position. The parking lamps will remain
illuminated and the headlamps will turn off. The
fog lamps will also go on if they were on previously.
As with any vehicle, the regular headlamp system
should be turned on when needed.
Fog Lamps
If equipped, fog lamps provide brighter roadway lighting
for better vision in foggy or misty conditions.
-(Fog Lamps):Turn the second band on the exterior
lamps control lever to this position to turn the fog
lamps on. The band will return to its original position.
This symbol appears 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. The fog lamps will go
on again when the low-beam headlamps are turned
back on.
The parking lamps must be on for the fog lamps
to work.
Some localities have laws that require the headlamps
to be on along with the fog lamps.
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Exterior Lighting Battery Saver
If the parking lamps or headlamps have been left on
after the ignition has been turned to off, the exterior
lamps will turn off after about 10 minutes. This protects
the battery from being drained.
Use the exterior lamp control to turn the lamps back on,
if they are still needed.
Interior Lamps
The interior lamps can be controlled, or automatically
turn on or off under certain conditions. They are
explained in the following text.
Instrument Panel Brightness
This feature controls the brightness of the instrument
panel lights.
The interior lamps
control is located on
the instrument panel,
to the left of the
steering column.
Turn the control to adjust the brightness of the
instrument panel lights.
Courtesy Lamps
When a door is opened, the courtesy lamps will
automatically come on. These lamps will also come on
when the interior lamps control is fully turned clockwise.
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Dome Lamp
If the vehicle does not have an overhead console, it will
have a dome light located in the front of the headliner.
The switch on this lamp has three positions. The
on position will turn on the lamp anytime. The door
position will turn on the lamp whenever a door is
opened. The off position will shut off the lamp
completely, even while a door is opened.
Entry Lighting
The entry lighting feature turns the interior lights on
before anyone enters the vehicle. The interior lamps will
come on for 40 seconds when the doors are unlocked
using the remote keyless entry transmitter and the
ignition is in LOCK/OFF. After 40 seconds have elapsed,
the interior lamps will slowly fade out. The lamps will
fade out before 40 seconds have elapsed if one of the
following is done:
Lock all doors using the remote keyless entry
transmitter.
Lock the doors using the power door lock switch.
When any door is opened, entry lighting is cancelled.
The interior lamps will stay on while any door is opened
and slowly fade out when all doors are closed. The
interior lamps may stay on for up to 25 seconds after all
doors have been closed if they have not been locked.
Delayed Entry Lighting
The delayed lighting feature will continue to light the
interior of the vehicle for 25 seconds after all the doors
have been closed. Delayed lighting will not occur while
the ignition is in ON/RUN or ACC/ACCESSORY. After
25 seconds have elapsed, the interior lamps will slowly
fade out. The lamps will fade out before the 25 seconds
have elapsed if one of the following is done:
The ignition is turned to ON/RUN or
ACC/ACCESSORY.
The doors are locked using the remote keyless
entry transmitter.
The doors are locked using the power door
lock switch.
To turn the delayed lighting feature off or on, see
“Personal Programming Modes” underDIC Vehicle
Customization on page 3-89.
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Delayed Exit Lighting
For exiting the vehicle at night, the vehicle is equipped
with the delayed exit lighting feature. After the key
is removed from the ignition, the interior lamps will
light for up the amount of seconds set in the Driver
Information Center (DIC). See “Personal Programming
Mode Screens” underDIC Vehicle Customization
on page 3-89. After the set time has elapsed, the interior
lamps will slowly fade. The lamps will fade before the
set time has elapsed if one of the following is done:
The ignition is turned to ON/RUN or
ACC/ACCESSORY.
The doors are locked using the remote keyless
entry transmitter.
The doors are locked using the power door
lock switch.
When any door is opened, delayed exit lighting is
cancelled. The interior lamps will stay on while any
door is opened and will slowly fade out when all
the doors are closed. The interior lamps will stay on
for the set time after all the doors have been closed
if they have not been locked.
To turn the delayed exit lighting feature off or on,
see “Personal Programming Mode Screens” under
DIC Vehicle Customization on page 3-89.
Front Reading Lamps
If the vehicle has a sunroof, there are reading lamps in
front of the sunroof switch located on the headliner.
These lamps will come on when the doors are opened.
Press the side of each reading lamp to turn them on
and off when the doors are closed.
Overhead Console Reading Lamps
The vehicle may have reading lamps on the overhead
console. These lamps will turn on when the doors
are opened. When the doors are closed, press the
side of each lamp to turn them on and off.
Rear Assist Handle Reading Lamps
If the vehicle has a reading lamp on each rear assist
handle, press the side of each lamp to turn it on or off.
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Electric Power Management
The vehicle has Electric Power Management (EPM) that
estimates the battery’s temperature and state of charge.
It then adjusts the voltage for best performance and
extended life of the battery.
When the battery’s state of charge is low, the voltage is
raised slightly to quickly put the charge back in. When the
state of charge is high, the voltage is lowered slightly to
prevent overcharging. If the vehicle has a voltmeter gage
or voltage display on the Driver Information Center (DIC),
you may see the voltage move up or down. This is
normal. If there is a problem, an alert will be displayed.
The battery can be discharged at idle if the electrical
loads are very high. This is true for all vehicles.
This is because the generator (alternator) may not be
spinning fast enough at idle to produce all the power
that is needed for very high electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when several of the
following loads are on: headlamps, high beams, fog
lamps, rear window defogger, climate control fan at
high speed, heated seats, engine cooling fans, trailer
loads, and loads plugged into accessory power outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive discharge of the
battery. It does this by balancing the generator’s output
and the vehicle’s electrical needs. It can increase
engine idle speed to generate more power, whenever
needed. It can temporarily reduce the power demands
of some accessories.Normally, these actions occur in steps or levels, without
being noticeable. In rare cases at the highest levels
of corrective action, this action may be noticeable to
the driver. If so, a Driver Information Center (DIC)
message might be displayed, such as Battery Saver
Active. If this message is displayed, it is recommended
that the driver reduce the electrical loads as much
as possible. SeeDIC Warnings and Messages
on page 3-67.
Battery Run-Down Protection
The vehicle has a feature to help prevent the battery
from draining in case the interior, trunk, or underhood
lamps are accidentally left on. If any of these lamps are
left on while the ignition is in LOCK/OFF, they will
automatically turn off after 10 minutes. The lamps will not
come back on again until any of the following are done:
The ignition is turned to ON/RUN or
ACC/ACCESSORY.
The interior lamps control is turned completely to
the right, then back slightly to the left.
Open, or close and reopen, a door that is closed.
If the vehicle has less than 15 miles (25 km) on the
odometer, the battery saver will turn off the lamps
after only three minutes.
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Head-Up Display (HUD)
{CAUTION:
If the HUD image is too bright or too high in
your eld of view, it may take you more time
to see things you need to see when it is dark
outside. Be sure to keep the HUD image dim
and placed low in your eld of view.
If the vehicle has the Head-Up Display (HUD), some
information concerning the operation of the vehicle
is projected onto the windshield. This includes
the speedometer reading, transmission positions,
compass direction, outside air temperature, the tap
shift gear and the upshift symbol if active, and a brief
display of the current radio station, including XM
information or CD track. It will also display turn-by-turn
guidance information if the vehicle has a navigation
radio. The images are projected by the HUD lens
located on the driver’s side of the instrument panel.
The tap shift gear and the upshift symbol will also
appear on the HUD if the vehicle has tap shift and
it is active.The HUD information can be displayed in one of
three languages, English, French, or Spanish. The
speedometer reading and other numerical values can
be displayed in either English or metric units.
The language selection and the units of measurement
are changed through the trip computer in the Driver
Information Center (DIC). See “Options” under
DIC Operation and Displays (Uplevel DIC with
Trip Computer) on page 3-55orDIC Operation and
Displays (Base Level DIC) on page 3-62.
The HUD information appears as an image focused
out toward the front of the vehicle.
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When the ignition key is turned to ON/RUN, the HUD
will display an introductory message for a short
time, until the HUD has warmed up.
The following indicator lights come on the instrument
panel when activated and will also appear on the HUD:
Turn Signal Indicators
High-Beam Indicator Symbol
The HUD will temporarily display CHECK TRIP
COMPUTER when there are messages on the
DIC trip computer.
The HUD will also display the following messages when
these systems, if the vehicle has them, are active:
TRACTION CONTROL ACTIVE
STABILITY CONTROL ACTIVE
The HUD will temporarily display the TRACTION
CONTROL OFF message when the traction control
system is turned off.
The HUD will temporarily display the CRUISE SET
message when cruise control is activated or cruise
speed is increased.
Notice:If you try to use the HUD image as a
parking aid, you may misjudge the distance and
damage your vehicle. Do not use the HUD image
as a parking aid.When the HUD is on, the speedometer reading will
continually be displayed. The current radio station or
CD track number will display for a short period of time
after the radio or CD track status changes. This will
happen whenever one of the radio controls is pressed.
The speedometer size will be reduced when radio,
CD information, warnings, or turn-by-turn guidance
information are displayed on the HUD.
The HUD control is
located on the console.
To adjust the HUD image so that items are properly
displayed, do the following:
1. Adjust the driver’s seat to a comfortable position.
2. Start the engine.
3. Adjust the HUD controls.
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