brake PONTIAC GRAND PRIX 2008 User Guide

Instrument Panel Overview...............................3-4
Hazard Warning Flashers................................3-6
Other Warning Devices...................................3-6
Horn .............................................................3-6
Tilt Wheel.....................................................3-7
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever.........................3-7
Turn and Lane-Change Signals........................3-8
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer..................3-9
Flash-to-Pass.................................................3-9
Windshield Wiper Lever.................................3-10
Cruise Control..............................................3-12
Exterior Lamps.............................................3-16
Headlamps on Reminder................................3-17
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL).......................3-17
Fog Lamps ..................................................3-18
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver........................3-19
Interior Lamps..............................................3-19
Instrument Panel Brightness...........................3-19
Courtesy Lamps...........................................3-19
Dome Lamp .................................................3-20
Entry Lighting...............................................3-20
Delayed Entry Lighting...................................3-20
Delayed Exit Lighting.....................................3-21
Front Reading Lamps....................................3-21
Overhead Console Reading Lamps.................3-21
Rear Assist Handle Reading Lamps................3-21
Electric Power Management...........................3-22Battery Run-Down Protection..........................3-22
Head-Up Display (HUD).................................3-23
Accessory Power Outlet(s).............................3-26
Ashtray(s) and Cigarette Lighter......................3-27
Climate Controls............................................3-28
Climate Control System.................................3-28
Dual Automatic Climate Control System...........3-32
Outlet Adjustment.........................................3-36
Passenger Compartment Air Filter...................3-36
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators............3-38
Instrument Panel Cluster................................3-39
Speedometer and Odometer...........................3-40
Tachometer.................................................3-40
Safety Belt Reminders...................................3-41
Airbag Readiness Light..................................3-42
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator...................3-43
Up-Shift Light...............................................3-45
Brake System Warning Light..........................3-45
Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light. . . .3-47
Traction Control System (TCS) Warning Light . . .3-47
Enhanced Traction System Warning Light.........3-48
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Light......3-48
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage..................3-49
Tire Pressure Light.......................................3-49
Malfunction Indicator Lamp.............................3-50
Oil Pressure Light.........................................3-52
Section 3 Instrument Panel
3-1

Cruise control will not work if your parking brake is set,
or if the master cylinder brake uid level is low.
{CAUTION:
Cruise control can be dangerous where you
cannot drive safely at a steady speed. So, do
not use your cruise control on winding roads
or in heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous on slippery
roads. On such roads, fast changes in tire
traction can cause excessive wheel slip, and
you could lose control. Do not use cruise
control on slippery roads.
If cruise control is on when the Traction Control System
(TCS), if your vehicle has one, begins to limit wheel
spin, the cruise control will automatically disengage.
SeeTraction Control System (TCS) on page 4-6. When
road conditions allow you to safely use it again, you
may turn cruise control back on.
Setting Cruise Control
{CAUTION:
If you leave your cruise control on when you
are not using cruise, you might hit a button
and go into cruise when you do not want to.
You could be startled and even lose control.
Keep the cruise control switch off until you
want to use cruise control.
1. Move the cruise control switch to on.
2. Get up to the speed desired.
3. Press in the set button at the end of the lever
and release it.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal.
This symbol, along with
the CRUISE SET
message, will briey
appear in the Driver
Information Center (DIC)
when the cruise control
is set.
3-13

The CRUISE SET message will also appear briey on
the Head-Up Display (HUD), if your vehicle has one,
when the cruise control lever is pushed to the minus
(set) or the plus (resume/accelerate) positions.
A cruise control light will also appear on the instrument
panel cluster when the cruise control is on. This light
will disappear when the brakes are applied or the
cruise control is cancelled. It will reappear when the set
cruise speed is resumed. The light will go out when
the cruise control is turned off. SeeCruise Control Light
on page 3-53.
Resuming a Set Speed
Once you are going about 25 mph (40 km/h) or more,
you can move the cruise control switch briey from on
to resume/accelerate.
Your vehicle will go back up to your previously chosen
speed and stay there.
If you hold the switch at resume/accelerate the vehicle
will keep going faster until you release the switch or
apply the brake. Do not hold the switch at resume/
accelerate, unless you want the vehicle to go faster.
Increasing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
There are two ways to go to a higher speed:
Use the accelerator pedal to get to the higher
speed. Press the set button at the end of the
lever, then release the button and the accelerator
pedal. You will now cruise at the higher speed. If the
accelerator pedal is held longer than 60 seconds,
cruise control will turn off.
Move the cruise switch from on to
resume/accelerate. Hold it there until you get up
to the speed desired, and then release the
switch. To increase the vehicle speed in
very small amounts, move the switch briey to
resume/accelerate. Each time this is done,
the vehicle will go about 1 mph (1.6 km/h) faster.
The acceleration feature will only work after the
cruise control speed has been set by pushing the
cruise control set button.
3-14

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.
3-15

;(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.
3-17

Up-Shift Light
If your vehicle has this
light, it will come on when
the shift lever is in the
manual transmission
position.
It will appear as a prompt to up-shift to the next gear
using one of the Tap-Shift
®paddles located on the
steering wheel.
If your vehicle has the Head-Up Display (HUD), it will
only appear on it.
SeeAutomatic Transmission Operation on page 2-28
andHead-Up Display (HUD) on page 3-23for more
information.
Brake System Warning Light
The vehicle’s hydraulic brake system is divided into
two parts. If one part is not working, the other part
can still work and stop the vehicle. For good braking,
though, both parts should be working well.
This light should come on briey when the engine is
started. If it does not come on then, have it xed so it
will be ready to warn you if there is a problem.
United StatesCanada
3-45

When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will also come on when the parking brake is set.
The light will stay on if the parking brake does not
release fully. If it stays on after the parking brake is fully
released, it means the vehicle has a brake problem.
The PARKING BRAKE ON message will also appear in
the Driver Information Center (DIC) when the parking
brake is set and the vehicle is going faster than 5 mph.
SeeDIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-67for
more information.
The brake warning light may also come on when the
brake uid is low. If this occurs, the LOW BRAKE FLUID
message will also appear in the Driver Information
Center (DIC). SeeDIC Warnings and Messages
on page 3-67for more information.If the brake warning light comes on while the vehicle is
being driven, pull off the road and stop carefully.
The brake pedal may be harder to push, or it may go
closer to the oor. It may also take the vehicle longer to
stop. If the light is still on, have the vehicle towed for
service. SeeTowing Your Vehicle on page 4-27.
{CAUTION:
Your brake system may not be working
properly if the brake system warning light is on.
Driving with the brake system warning light on
can lead to an accident. If the light is still on
after you have pulled off the road and stopped
carefully, have the vehicle towed for service.
3-46

Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)
Warning Light
For vehicles with
the Antilock Brake
System (ABS), this
light comes on briey
when the engine
is started.
That is normal. If the light does not come on then, have it
xed so it will be ready to warn you if there is a problem.
If the ABS light stays on, turn the ignition off, if the light
comes on when you are driving, stop as soon as it is
safely possible and turn the ignition off. Then start the
engine again to reset the system. If the ABS light still
stays on, or comes on again while you are driving,
your vehicle needs service. If the regular brake system
warning light is not on, your vehicle still has brakes, but
not antilock brakes. If the regular brake system warning
light is also on, your vehicle does not have antilock
brakes and there is a problem with the regular brakes.
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 3-45.
For vehicles with a Driver Information Center (DIC),
seeDIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-67for
all brake related DIC messages.
Traction Control System (TCS)
Warning Light
If the vehicle has
the Traction Control
System (TCS), this light
may come on for the
following reasons:
The traction control button, located on the center
console, is pressed, turning the system off. The
light will stay on. To turn the system back on,
press the button again and the warning light should
go out. SeeTraction Control System (TCS) on
page 4-6for more information.
If there is a brake system problem that is specically
related to traction control, the TCS will turn off and
the warning light will come on.
If the brakes begin to overheat, the TCS will turn off
and the warning light will come on until the brakes
cool down.
If the TCS warning light comes on and stays on for an
extended period of time when the system is turned
on, the vehicle needs service.
3-47

The oil light could also come on in two other situations:
When the ignition is on but the engine is not
running, the light will come on as a test to indicate
it is working. The light will go out when the
engine is started. If it does not come on while the
ignition is in the on position, there may be a problem
with the fuse or bulb. SeeFuses and Circuit
Breakers on page 5-121.
If the brakes are applied quickly and the vehicle
makes a hard stop, the light may come on for a
moment. This is normal.
{CAUTION:
Do not keep driving if the oil pressure is low.
If you do, your engine can become so hot that
it catches re. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon as possible and have
your vehicle serviced.
Notice:Lack of proper engine oil maintenance may
damage the engine. The repairs would not be covered
by your warranty. Always follow the maintenance
schedule in this manual for changing engine oil.
Fog Lamp Light
The fog lamp light will
come on when the fog
lamps are in use.
The light will go out when the fog lamps are turned off.
SeeFog Lamps on page 3-18for more information.
Cruise Control Light
This light comes on
whenever you set the
cruise control.
The light goes out when the cruise control is turned off.
SeeCruise Control on page 3-12for more information.
3-53

LOW BRAKE FLUID
This symbol comes on
with this message.
This message displays when the brake uid level is low.
Have the brake system serviced by your dealer/retailer
as soon as possible. SeeBrakes on page 5-41.
The brake system warning light also appears on the
instrument panel cluster when this message appears
on the DIC. SeeBrake System Warning Light on
page 3-45.
This message displays only while the ignition is in
ON/RUN. A chime sounds for two seconds while this
message is displayed. Press the set/reset button
to acknowledge this message and to clear it from the
screen.
This message continues to display if it has not
been acknowledged when the engine is turned off.
It also re-displays for three seconds if the message has
been acknowledged, but the condition still exists
when the engine is turned off.
If the condition exists, the message re-appears when
the engine is turned on.
LOW FUEL
This symbol comes on
with this message.
This message displays when the vehicle is low on fuel.
Rell the fuel tank as soon as possible.
This message displays while the ignition is in ON/RUN.
A chime sounds for two seconds when this message
is displayed. Press the set/reset button to acknowledge
this message and to clear it from the screen.
This message continues to display if it has not
been acknowledged when the engine is turned off.
It also re-displays for three seconds if the message has
been acknowledged, but the condition still exists
when the engine is turned off.
If the condition still exists, the message re-appears
when the engine is turned on.
3-75