traction control PONTIAC GTO 2005 User Guide

A cornering skid is best handled by easing your foot off
the accelerator pedal.
Remember: Any traction control system helps avoid only
the acceleration skid. If your traction control system is
off, then an acceleration skid is also best handled
by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want
the vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough,
your vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready
for a second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel, or other material is on the road. For safety, you
will want to slow down and adjust your driving to
these conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration,
or braking, including engine braking by shifting to a
lower gear. Any sudden changes could cause the tires
to slide. You may not realize the surface is slippery
until your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues — such as enough water, ice, or packed snow
on the road to make a mirrored surface — and
slow down when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock brake system (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving.
One reason is that some drivers are likely to be
impaired — by alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems, or by fatigue.
4-14

Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your tires meet
the road probably have good traction.
However, if there is snow or ice between your 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.
Traction control improves your ability to accelerate when
driving on a slippery road. Even though your vehicle
has a traction control system (TCS), you will want
to slow down and adjust your driving to the road
conditions. Under certain conditions, you may want to
turn the TCS 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 4-8. Also see “Winter Tires” underTires
on page 5-52.
4-25

If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand,
Mud, Ice or Snow
In order to free your vehicle when it is stuck, you will
need to spin the wheels, but you do not want to
spin your wheels too fast. The method known as rocking
can help you get out when you are stuck, but you
must use caution.
{CAUTION:
If you let your tires spin at high speed, they can
explode, and you or others could be injured.
And, the transmission or other parts of the
vehicle can overheat. That could cause an
engine compartment re or other damage.
When you are stuck, spin the wheels as little as
possible. Do not spin the wheels above 35 mph
(55 km/h) as shown on the speedometer.
Notice:Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of
your vehicle as well as the tires. If you spin the
wheels too fast while shifting your transmission
back and forth, you can destroy your transmission.
For more information about using tire chains on your
vehicle, seeTire Chains on page 5-67.
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That
will clear the area around your front wheels. If your
vehicle has traction control, you should turn the system
off. SeeTraction Control System (TCS) on page 4-8.
Then shift back and forth between REVERSE (R) and a
forward gear, spinning the wheels as little as possible.
For a manual transmission, shift slowly between
either FIRST (1) or SECOND (2) and REVERSE (R),
allowing the wheels to stop before shifting into
gear. Release the accelerator pedal while you shift, and
press lightly on the accelerator pedal when the
transmission is in gear. By slowly spinning your wheels
in the forward and reverse directions, you will cause
a rocking motion that may free your vehicle. If that does
not get you out after a few tries, you may need to be
towed out. If you do need to be towed out, seeTowing
Your Vehicle on page 4-34.
4-28

Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires you need, look at
the Tire and Loading Information label. For more
information about this label and where to find it, see
Loading Your Vehicle on page 4-29.
Make sure the replacements are the same size, load
capacity, speed rating and construction type (bias,
bias-belted or radial) as your original tires.
{CAUTION:
Mixing tires could cause you to lose control
while driving. If you mix tires of different sizes
or types (radial and bias-belted tires), the
vehicle may not handle properly, and you
could have a crash. Using tires of different
sizes may also cause damage to your vehicle.
Be sure to use the same size and type tires on
all wheels. It’s all right to drive with your
compact spare temporarily, it was developed
for use on your vehicle. SeeCompact Spare
Tire on page 5-76.
{CAUTION:
If you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle, the
wheel rim anges could develop cracks after
many miles of driving. A tire and/or wheel
could fail suddenly, causing a crash. Use only
radial-ply tires with the wheels on your vehicle.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the
tire sidewall between tread shoulder and maximum
section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance.
(This applies only to vehicles sold in the United States.)
5-64

The grades are molded on the sidewalls of most
passenger car tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading
system does not apply to deep tread, winter-type
snow tires, space-saver or temporary use spare tires,
tires with nominal rim diameters of 10 to 12 inches
(25 to 30 cm), or to some limited-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors passenger
cars and light trucks may vary with respect to these
grades, they must also conform to federal safety
requirements and additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) standards.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and
a half (1.5) times as well on the government course as
a tire graded 100. The relative performance of tires
depends upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart significantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits, service practices and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction – AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A,
B, and C. Those grades represent the tire’s ability
to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlledconditions on specified government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance. Warning: The traction grade
assigned to this tire is based on straight-ahead braking
traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction characteristics.
Temperature – A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire’s resistance to the generation
of heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained high temperature can
cause the material of the tire to degenerate and
reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can lead to
sudden tire failure. The grade C corresponds to a
level of performance which all passenger car tires must
meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades B and A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel than the
minimum required by law.
Warning: The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation, or
excessive loading, either separately or in combination,
can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
5-65

Used Replacement Wheels
{CAUTION:
Putting a used wheel on your vehicle is
dangerous. You can’t know how it’s been used
or how far it’s been driven. It could fail
suddenly and cause a crash. If you have to
replace a wheel, use a new GM original
equipment wheel.
Tire Chains
{CAUTION:
Do not use tire chains. There is not enough
clearance. Tire chains used on a vehicle
without the proper amount of clearance can
cause damage to the brakes, suspension or
other vehicle parts. The area damaged by the
tire chains could cause you to lose control of
your vehicle and you or others may be injured
in a crash. Use another type of traction device
only if its manufacturer recommends it for use
on your vehicle and tire size combination and
road conditions. Follow that manufacturer’s
instructions. To help avoid damage to your
vehicle, drive slowly, re-adjust or remove the
device if it is contacting your vehicle, and
do not spin your wheels. If you do nd
traction devices that will t, install them on
the rear tires.
5-67

Fuses Usage
POWER
SEATSPower Seat Controls
FRONT WIPER
WASHERFront Windshield Wiper Washer
PARK LAMPS Parking Lamps
STOP LAMPS Stop Lamps
INTERIOR
ILLUM.Interior light Controls
HAZARD
WARNINGHazard Warning Flashers
SPARE Spare
HORN Horn
IGNITION Ignition Switch
INSTRUMENT
ILLUM.Instrument Panel Lighting
TURN SIGNAL,
BACK UP
LAMPSTurn Signal Lamp, Back-Up Lamps
HVAC CONT.
HEAT, REAR
WINDOW,
INSTRUMENTSHeater Controls, Rear Window, Trip
Computer
CIGAR
LIGHTERCigarette LighterFuses Usage
CRUISE CONT.
POWER
MIRRORSCruise Control, Power Mirror
RADIO, CELL
PHONERadio System, Cell Phone
ACC. SOCKET Accessory Power Outlet
SPARE Spare
ENG. CONT.
SIGNALEngine Control Signal
POWER DOOR
LOCKS,
WINDOWS &
THEFT HORNPower Door Locks, Power Windows,
Theft System, Horn
INSTRUMENTS Instruments
SPARE Spare
RADIO & CELL
PHONERadio System, Cell Phone
SUB WOOFER
& AMPLIFIERSub Woofer and Amplifier
SPARE Spare
AIRBAG Airbag
ABS &
TRACTION
CONT.Anti-Lock Brake System, Traction
Control System
5-87

Fuses Usage
ENG CONT.
BCMEngine, Body Control Module
FUEL PUMP Fuel Pump
RAD FAN 1 F/L Engine Cooling Fan 1
BLOWER F/L Blower Fan
MAIN F/L Main
ENGINE F/L Engine
ABS F/L Anti-lock Brakes
LIGHTING F/L Lighting
RAD FAN 2 F/L Engine Cooling Fan 2
REAR
WINDOWHeated Rear Window
SPARE Spare
SPARE Spare
ABS/TCSAnti-lock Brake System, Traction
Control System
Relays Usage
FUEL PUMP
RELAYFuel Pump
FOG LAMP
CANCEL
RELAYFog Lamp Cancel
FOG LAMP
RELAYFog Lamp
Relays Usage
BTSI RELAY Brake Transmission Shift Interlock
HIGH BEAM
RELAYHigh-Beam Headlamp
DAYTIME
RUNNING
LAMP RELAYDaytime Running Lamps
LOW BEAM
RELAYLow-Beam Headlamp
A/C RELAY Air Conditioning
HORN RELAY Horn
ENGINE COOL
FAN 2 RELAYEngine Cooling Fan 2
ENGINE COOL
FAN 1 RELAYEngine Cooling Fan 1
ENGINE COOL
FAN 3 RELAYEngine Cooling Fan 3
ENGINE
CONT. RELAYEngine Controls
HEATED REAR
WINDOW
RELAYRear Window Defogger
BLOWER
RELAYBlower
START RELAY Start
5-89

Tires (cont.)
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance.................5-66
Wheel Replacement.....................................5-66
When It Is Time for New Tires......................5-63
Top Strap......................................................1-35
Top Strap Anchor Location...............................1-36
Towing
Recreational Vehicle.....................................4-34
Towing a Trailer..........................................4-34
Your Vehicle...............................................4-34
Traction
Control System (TCS).................................... 4-8
Transmission
Fluid, Automatic...........................................5-19
Fluid, Manual..............................................5-21
One-to-Four Shift Light.................................3-26
Transmission Operation, Automatic....................2-18
Transmission Operation, Manual........................2-21
Trip Computer................................................3-33
Trunk.............................................................. 2-8
Trunk Lamps..................................................3-16
Turn and Lane-Change Signals.......................... 3-8
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever........................... 3-7U
Understanding Radio Reception........................3-57
Uniform Tire Quality Grading............................5-64
V
Vehicle
Control........................................................ 4-5
Damage Warnings........................................... iv
Loading......................................................4-29
Symbols......................................................... iv
Vehicle Data Collection and Event Data
Recorders.................................................... 7-9
Vehicle Identification
Number (VIN).............................................5-85
Service Parts Identification Label...................5-85
Vehicle Personalization....................................2-30
Ventilation Adjustment......................................3-21
Visors...........................................................2-12
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