weight PONTIAC GTO 2004 Owners Manual

Head Restraints
To raise the height of the head restraint, pull the head
restraint up. To lower the height of the head restraint,
push in the locking clip at the base of the head restraint
and push the head restraint down. The locking clip
needs to be pushed outboard on the driver’s side head
restraint and inboard on the passenger’s side. The
upper edge of the head restraint should be about at eye
level, never at neck level. This position reduces the
chance of a neck injury in a crash.
Seatback Latches
The front seatbacks fold
forward to let people get
into the back seat.
To fold a front seatback forward, lift the entry lever
located near the top of the outboard shoulders of each
front seat. Then tilt the seatback forward. To move
the seat forward, push the button located below
the seatback latch. Then move the seat forward.
For safety of front seat passengers, a weight sensor
has been built into the front seats. The seat will
not move forward if there is more than 27 lbs (12 kg) on
the seat sensor.
1-4

{CAUTION:
Children who are up against, or very close to,
any air bag when it inates can be seriously
injured or killed. Air bags plus lap-shoulder
belts offer outstanding protection for adults
and older children, but not for young children
and infants. Neither the vehicle’s safety belt
system nor its air bag system is designed for
them. Young children and infants need the
protection that a child restraint system can
provide.
Q:What are the different types of add-on child
restraints?
A:Add-on child restraints, which are purchased by the
vehicle’s owner, are available in four basic types.
Selection of a particular restraint should take
into consideration not only the child’s weight, height
and age but also whether or not the restraint will
be compatible with the motor vehicle in which it will
be used.
1-30

For most basic types of child restraints, there are
many different models available. When purchasing a
child restraint, be sure it is designed to be used
in a motor vehicle. If it is, the restraint will have a
label saying that it meets federal motor vehicle
safety standards.
The restraint manufacturer’s instructions that come
with the restraint state the weight and height
limitations for a particular child restraint. In addition,
there are many kinds of restraints available for
children with special needs.
{CAUTION:
Newborn infants need complete support,
including support for the head and neck. This
is necessary because a newborn infant’s neck
is weak and its head weighs so much
compared with the rest of its body. In a crash,
an infant in a rear-facing seat settles into the
restraint, so the crash forces can be
distributed across the strongest part of an
infant’s body, the back and shoulders. Infants
always should be secured in appropriate infant
restraints.
{CAUTION:
The body structure of a young child is quite
unlike that of an adult or older child, for whom
the safety belts are designed. A young child’s
hip bones are still so small that the vehicle’s
regular safety belt may not remain low on the
hip bones, as it should. Instead, it may settle
up around the child’s abdomen. In a crash, the
belt would apply force on a body area that’s
unprotected by any bony structure. This alone
could cause serious or fatal injuries. Young
children always should be secured in
appropriate child restraints.
1-31

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 the vehicle is in PARK (P) and the
parking brake is firmly set before you leave it. After
you’ve 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 first
pushing the shift lever button. If you can, it means
that the shift lever wasn’t fully locked into PARK (P).
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transmission into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl
in the transmission. You may find it difficult to move 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 find out how, seeShifting
Into Park (P) on page 2-24.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK (P) before you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another
vehicle push your vehicle uphill. This should take
some of the pressure from the parking pawl in the
transmission, so you can move the shift lever out
of PARK (P).
2-25

Many adults — by some estimates, nearly half the adult
population — choose never to drink alcohol, so they
never drive after drinking. For persons under 21,
it is against the law in every U.S. state to drink alcohol.
There are good medical, psychological and
developmental reasons for these laws.
The obvious way to eliminate the leading highway safety
problem is for people never to drink alcohol and then
drive. But what if people do? How much is “too much” if
someone plans to drive? It is a lot less than many might
think. Although it depends on each person and situation,
here is some general information on the problem.
The Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of someone
who is drinking depends upon four things:
•The amount of alcohol consumed
•The drinker’s body weight
•The amount of food that is consumed before and
during drinking
•The length of time it has taken the drinker to
consume the alcohol.
According to the American Medical Association, a 180 lb
(82 kg) person who drinks three 12 ounce (355 ml)
bottles of beer in an hour will end up with a BAC
of about 0.06 percent. The person would reach the
same BAC by drinking three 4 ounce (120 ml) glasses
of wine or three mixed drinks if each had 1-1/2 ounces
(45 ml) of liquors like whiskey, gin or vodka.It is the amount of alcohol that counts. For example, if
the same person drank three double martinis (3 ounces
or 90 ml of liquor each) within an hour, the person’s
BAC would be close to 0.12 percent. A person
who consumes food just before or during drinking will
have a somewhat lower BAC level.
There is a gender difference, too. Women generally
have a lower relative percentage of body water
than men. Since alcohol is carried in body water, this
means that a woman generally will reach a higher BAC
level than a man of her same body weight will when
each has the same number of drinks.
4-3

Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go
where you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering
and the accelerator. All three systems have to do their
work at the places where the tires meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you are driving on snow or ice, it
is easy to ask more of those control systems than
the tires and road can provide. That means you can lose
control of your vehicle. Also seeTraction Control
System (TCS) on page 4-8.
Braking
Braking action involvesperception timeand
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That isperception time.Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That isreaction time.
Averagereaction timeis about 3/4 of a second. But that
is only an average. It might be less with one driver
and as long as two or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination
and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs and
frustration. But even in 3/4 of a second, a vehicle moving
at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m). That
could be a lot of distance in an emergency, so keeping
enough space between your vehicle and others is
important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road (whether it is pavement
or gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; the condition of your brakes; the weight of
the vehicle and the amount of brake force applied.
4-5

Recreational Vehicle Towing
Recreational vehicle towing means towing your vehicle
behind another vehicle — such as behind a motorhome.
The two most common types of recreational vehicle
towing are known as “dinghy towing”, which is towing
your vehicle with all four wheels on the ground, and
“dolly towing” which is towing your vehicle with
two wheels on the ground and two wheels up on a
device known as a “dolly”.
Your vehicle was not designed to be towed with any of
its wheels on the ground. If your vehicle must be
towed, see “Towing Your Vehicle” earlier in this section.
Loading Your Vehicle
It is very important to know how much weight your
vehicle can carry. This weight is called the vehicle
capacity weight and includes the weight of all occupants,
cargo and all nonfactory-installed options. Two labels
on your vehicle show how much weight it may properly
carry, the Tire and Loading Information label and the
Certification label.
{CAUTION:
Do not load your vehicle any heavier than the
GVWR, or either the maximum front or rear
GAWR. If you do, parts on your vehicle can
break, and it can change the way your vehicle
handles. These could cause you to lose
control and crash. Also, overloading can
shorten the life of your vehicle.
4-30

Tire and Loading Information Label
A. Vehicle Capacity WeightThe Tire and Loading Information label shows the
seating capacity and the total weight your vehicle can
properly carry. This weight is called the vehicle capacity
weight. The Tire and Loading Information label is
attached to the center pillar, near the driver’s door latch.
The Tire and Loading Information label also gives you
the size and recommended inflation pressure for
the factory-installed, original equipment tires on your
vehicle at the maximum vehicle capacity weight.
For more information on tires and inflation seeTires on
page 5-51andInflation - Tire Pressure on page 5-58.
There is also important loading information on the
Certification label. It tells you the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR) and the Gross Axle Weight
Rating (GAWR) for the front and rear axle; see
“Certification Label” later in this section.
4-31

Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
1. Locate the statement “The combined weight of
occupants and cargo should never exceed
XXX pounds” on your vehicle placard.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and
passengers that will be riding in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and
passengers from XXX kilograms or XXX pounds.
4. The resulting figure equals the available amount of
cargo and luggage load capacity. For example, if
the “XXX” amount equals 1400 lbs and there will be
five 150 lb passengers in your vehicle, the amount
of available cargo and luggage load capacity is
650 lbs (1400−750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs).
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and
cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That weight
may not safely exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, the load from
your trailer will be transferred to your vehicle.
Consult this manual to determine how this reduces
the available cargo and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.
If your vehicle can tow a trailer, seeTowing a
Trailer on page 4-35for important information
on towing a trailer, towing safety rules and
trailering tips.
Loading Your Vehicle
Item Description Total
AVehicle Capacity Weight
for Example 1=1,000 lbs (453 kg)
BSubtract Occupant
Weight
150 lbs (68 kg)×2=300 lbs (136 kg)
CAvailable Occupant and
Cargo Weight =700 lbs (317 kg) Example 1
4-32

Loading Your Vehicle
Item Description Total
AVehicle Capacity Weight
for Example 2=1,000 lbs (453 kg)
BSubtract Occupant
Weight
150 lbs (68 kg)×5=750 lbs (340 kg)
CAvailable Cargo
Weight=250 lbs (113 kg)
Loading Your Vehicle
Item Description Total
AVehicle Capacity Weight
for Example 3=1,000 lbs (453 kg)
BSubtract Occupant
Weight
200 lbs (91 kg)×5=1,000 lbs (453 kg)
CAvailable Cargo
Weight=0 lbs (0 kg)
Refer to your vehicle’s tire and loading information label
for specific information about your vehicle’s capacity
weight and seating positions. The combined weight of
the driver, passengers, and cargo should never
exceed your vehicle’s capacity weight. Example 2
Example 3
4-33