PONTIAC GTO 2006 Owners Manual

Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where the tires meet the
road probably have good traction.
However, if there is snow or ice between the 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 least
traction of all. You can get wet ice when it is about
freezing, 32ÉF (0ÉC), and freezing rain begins to fall. Try
to avoid driving on wet ice until salt and sand crews
can get there.
Whatever the condition Ð smooth ice, packed, blowing,
or loose snow Ð drive with caution.
Traction control improves your ability to accelerate when
driving on a slippery road. Even though your vehicle
has the 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. See
Traction Control System
(TCS) on page 4-9. Also see ªWinter Tiresº underTires
on page 5-51.
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Your Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) improves your
vehicle's stability when you make a hard stop on
a slippery road. Even though you have ABS, you will
want to begin stopping sooner than you would on
dry pavement. See
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
on page 4-7.
·Allow greater following distance on any slippery road.
·Watch for slippery spots. The road might be ®ne until
you hit a spot that is covered with ice. On an
otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in
shaded areas where the sun cannot reach, such as
around clumps of trees, behind buildings, or under
bridges. Sometimes the surface of a curve or an
overpass may remain icy when the surrounding
roads are clear. If you see a patch of ice ahead of
you, brake before you are on it. Try not to brake
while you are actually on the ice, and avoid sudden
steering maneuvers.
If You Are Caught in a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a
serious situation. You should probably stay with
your vehicle unless you know for sure that you are near
help and you can hike through the snow. Here are
some things to do to summon help and keep yourself
and your passengers safe:
·Turn on your hazard ¯ashers.
·Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you have been stopped by the snow.
·Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you.
If you do not have blankets or extra clothing, make
body insulators from newspapers, burlap bags,
rags, ¯oor mats Ð anything you can wrap around
yourself or tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
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You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
{CAUTION:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your
vehicle. This can cause deadly CO (carbon
monoxide) gas to get inside. CO could
overcome you and kill you.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
You cannot see it or smell it, so you might not
know it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow
from around the base of your vehicle,
especially any that is blocking your exhaust
pipe. And check around again from time to
time to be sure snow does not collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that is away from the wind. This will
help keep CO out.
Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little
faster than just idle. That is, push the accelerator
slightly. This uses less fuel for the heat that you get and
it keeps the battery charged. You will need a
well-charged battery to restart the vehicle, and possibly
for signaling later on with your headlamps. Let the
heater run for a while.
Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost all
the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again and
repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortable from
the cold. But do it as little as possible. Preserve the fuel
as long as you can. To help keep warm, you can get out
of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or so until help comes.
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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, see
Tire 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. See
Traction Control System (TCS) on page 4-9.
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, see
Towing
Your Vehicle on page 4-34.
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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
Certi®cation label.
{CAUTION:
Do not load your vehicle any heavier than the
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), or either
the maximum front or rear Gross Axle Weight
Rating (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.
Tire and Loading Information Label
A vehicle speci®c Tire and Loading Information label is
attached to the vehicle's center pillar (B-pillar). With
the driver's door open, you will ®nd the label attached
below the door lock post (striker). The tire and
loading information label shows the number of occupant
seating positions (A), and the maximum vehicle
capacity weight (B) in kilograms and pounds.Label Example
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The Tire and Loading Information label also shows the
size of the factory installed, original equipment tires (C)
and the recommended cold tire in¯ation pressures (D) for
the maximum vehicle capacity weight. For more
information on tires and in¯ation see
Tires on page 5-51andIn¯ation - Tire Pressure on page 5-58.
There is also important loading information on the
Certi®cation label. It tells you the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating (GVWR) and the Gross Axle Weight Rating
(GAWR) for the front and rear axle; see ªCerti®cation
Labelº later in this section.
Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
1. Locate the statement ªThe combined weight of
occupants and cargo should never exceed XXX kg
or XXX lbsº 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 kg or XXX lbs.4. The resulting ®gure equals the available amount of
cargo and luggage load capacity. For example, if
the ªXXXº amount equals 1400 lbs and there will be
®ve 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, see
Towing a
Trailer on page 4-34for important information on
towing a trailer, towing safety rules, and
trailering tips.
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Item Description Total
AVehicle Capacity Weight
for Example 1=740 lbs (330 kg)
BSubtract Occupant
Weight 150 lbs
(68 kg)´2=300 lbs (136 kg)
CAvailable Occupant and
Cargo Weight=440 lbs (199 kg)Item Description Total
AVehicle Capacity Weight
for Example 2=740 lbs (330 kg)
BSubtract Occupant
Weight 150 lbs
(68 kg)´4=600 lbs (272 kg)
CAvailable Cargo
Weight=140 lbs (63 kg) Example 1
Example 2
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Item Description Total
AVehicle Capacity Weight
for Example 3=740 lbs (330 kg)
BSubtract Occupant
Weight 185 lbs
(83 kg)´4=740 lbs (330 kg)
CAvailable Cargo
Weight=0 lbs (0 kg)
Refer to your vehicle's Tire and Loading Information
label for speci®c 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.
Certi®cation Label
A vehicle speci®c Certi®cation label is attached to the
rear edge of the driver's door. It tells you the gross
weight capacity of your vehicle, called the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR). The GVWR includes the
weight of the vehicle, all occupants, fuel, and cargo.
Never exceed the GVWR for your vehicle, or the
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for either the front
or rear axle. Example 3
Label Example
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And, if you do have a heavy load, you should spread
it out.
{CAUTION:
Do not load your vehicle any heavier than the
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), or either
the maximum front or rear Gross Axle Weight
Rating (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.
If you put things inside your vehicle Ð like suitcases,
tools, packages, or anything else Ð they will go as fast
as the vehicle goes. If you have to stop or turn
quickly, or if there is a crash, they will keep going.
{CAUTION:
Things you put inside your vehicle can strike
and injure people in a sudden stop or turn, or
in a crash.
·Put things in the rear area of your vehicle.
Try to spread the weight evenly. If you
have fold-down rear seats, you will ®nd
four anchors on the back wall of your
trunk. You can use these anchors to tie
down lighter loads. They are not strong
enough for heavy things, however, so put
them as far forward as you can in the
trunk or rear area.
·Never stack heavier things, like suitcases,
inside the vehicle so that some of them
are above the tops of the seats.
·Do not leave an unsecured child restraint
in your vehicle.
·When you carry something inside the
vehicle, secure it whenever you can.
·Do not leave a seat folded down unless
you need to.
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Towing
Towing Your Vehicle
Consult your dealer or a professional towing service if
you need to have your disabled vehicle towed. See
Roadside Assistance Program on page 7-6.
If you want to tow your vehicle behind another vehicle
for recreational purposes (such as behind a motorhome),
see ªRecreational Vehicle Towingº following.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
Recreational vehicle towing means towing your vehicle
behind another vehicle Ð such as behind a motorhome.
The two most common types of recreational vehicle
towing are known as ªdinghy towingº, which is towing
your vehicle with all four wheels on the ground, and
ªdolly towingº which is towing your vehicle with
two wheels on the ground and two wheels up on a
device known as a ªdollyº.
Your vehicle was not designed to be towed with any of
its wheels on the ground. If your vehicle must be
towed, see ªTowing Your Vehicleº earlier in this section.
Towing a Trailer
Your vehicle is neither designed nor intended to tow
a trailer.
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