ABS PONTIAC GTO 2006 Owners Manual

Brake System Warning Light
This light will come on
when the ignition is turned
to ON and when the
parking brake is applied, if
it does not, have it ®xed so
it will be ready to warn you
if there is a problem.
If this light comes on and the Brake message appears
on the trip computer display while driving and the
parking brake is released, a fault with the brakes is
indicated. You should immediately stop the car on the
side of the road as carefully as possible. Do not proceed
until satis®ed that braking is possible or that the
cause of the problem has been ®xed.
A warning will chime if you attempt to drive off without
releasing the parking brake.
The Brake message will remain until the MODE button
on the trip computer is pressed, but the symbol will
remain until the problem is ®xed. See
Trip Computer on
page 3-33for more information.
This light will also come on to indicate low brake ¯uid.
Anti-Lock Brake System
Warning Light
This light will come on
brie¯y when you start the
engine to show that it is
working, then it will turn off.
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 there is a problem with the anti-lock brake system,
this light will come on and the ABS Fault message will
appear on the trip computer display. See your GM
dealer for service. The vehicle's brake system will still
operate without ABS.
The ABS Fault message will stay on until the MODE
button on the trip computer is pressed, but the light will
stay on until the problem is ®xed. See
Trip Computer
on page 3-33for more information.
The anti-lock brake system warning light should come
on brie¯y when you turn the ignition key to ON. If
the light does not come on then, have it ®xed so it will
be ready to warn you if there is a problem.
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Trip Computer Warning Messages
The following messages may appear on the center trip
computer display located on the instrument panel
cluster. If a message is active, it will appear on the
display for 10 seconds, unless the trip computer MODE
button is pressed. Pressing the MODE button will
acknowledge and clear messages from the display.
ABS (Anti-Lock Brake System) Fault
If this symbol and the ABS
Fault message come on,
there is a malfunction
of the anti-lock brake
system. See your
GM dealer for service.
Your vehicle's brake system will still operate without
ABS. The ABS Fault message will remain until the
MODE button is pressed, but the symbol will remain
until the condition is repaired.
ALARM ACTIVATED
If the ALARM ACTIVATED message comes on, it
indicates that the content theft-deterrent alarm has been
set off because a door, the hood, or the trunk has
been opened, or that your vehicle's electrical system
has been tampered with. See ªHow to Detect a Tamper
Conditionº under
Content Theft-Deterrent on page 2-15for more information.
Brake
If this symbol and the
Brake message come on
while driving and the
park brake is released, a
fault with the brakes is
indicated.
You should immediately stop your vehicle on the side of
the road as carefully as possible. Do not proceed
until satis®ed that braking is possible or the condition is
repaired. A warning will chime if you attempt to drive
off without releasing the park brake. The Brake message
will remain until the MODE button is pressed, but the
symbol will remain until the condition is repaired.
This message will also come on to indicate low
brake ¯uid.
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Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle..........4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunken Driving.............................................4-3
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-6
Braking.........................................................4-6
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS).........................4-7
Braking in Emergencies...................................4-9
Traction Control System (TCS).........................4-9
Steering......................................................4-10
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-12
Passing.......................................................4-13
Loss of Control.............................................4-14
Competitive Driving.......................................4-15
Driving at Night............................................4-16
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-17City Driving..................................................4-19
Freeway Driving...........................................4-20
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-21
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-22
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-23
Winter Driving..............................................4-25
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow..............................................4-29
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out.................4-29
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-30
Towing..........................................................4-35
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-35
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-35
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-35
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
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2006 - Pontiac GTO Owner Manual

Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts Ð heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking Ð rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is a
mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool between
hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much faster if you
do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace with the traffic
and allow realistic following distances, you will eliminate a
lot of unnecessary braking. That means better braking
and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you are driving, brake
normally but do not pump your brakes. If you do,
the pedal may get harder to push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist.
But you will use it when you brake. Once the power
assist is used up, it may take longer to stop and
the brake pedal will be harder to push.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle's
performance. See
Accessories and Modi®cations
on page 5-3.
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle has the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS),
an advanced electronic braking system that will
help prevent a braking skid.
When you start your engine and begin to drive away,
ABS will check itself. You may hear a momentary
motor or clicking noise while this test is going on, and
you may even notice that your brake pedal moves
a little. This is normal.
If there is a problem with
ABS, this warning light
will stay on. See
Anti-Lock Brake System
Warning Light on
page 3-27
.
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Let us say the road is wet and you are driving safely.
Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you. You slam
on the brakes and continue braking. Here is what
happens with ABS:
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If
one of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer
will separately work the brakes at each wheel.
ABS can change the brake pressure faster than any
driver could. The computer is programmed to make the
most of available tire and road conditions. This can
help you steer around the obstacle while braking hard.As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls braking pressure
accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not change the time you need to
get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too close to the vehicle
in front of you, you will not have time to apply your
brakes if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always
leave enough room up ahead to stop, even though
you have ABS.
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Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal
down ®rmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may
hear the anti-lock pump or motor operate, and feel the
brake pedal pulsate, but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
With ABS, you can steer and brake at the same time.
In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
Traction Control System (TCS)
Your vehicle has a Traction Control System (TCS) that
limits wheel spin. This is especially useful in slippery
road conditions. The system operates only if it senses
that one or both of the rear wheels are spinning or
beginning to lose traction. When this happens,
the system reduces engine power and applies the
brakes, as necessary.Traction control helps you to keep control of the
vehicle and reminds you to match your speed to the
road conditions.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this is
normal. The TCS is automatically turned on whenever
the ignition is turned from off to on. A Low Traction
message is displayed on the trip computer, indicating
traction control is limiting wheel spin, until the MODE
button on the trip computer is pressed. The message
then goes back to the original trip computer display with
a small low traction symbol on the left. The symbol
will remain as long as the low traction situation exists.
To limit wheel spin, especially in slippery road
conditions, you should always leave the TCS on. But
you can turn the system off if you prefer.
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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 Ð such as enough water, ice, or packed
snow on the road to make a mirrored surface Ð and
slow down when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.Competitive Driving
See your warranty book before using your vehicle for
competitive driving.
Notice:If you use your vehicle for racing or other
competitive driving, the engine may use more
oil than it would with normal use. Low oil levels can
damage the engine. Be sure to check the oil level
often during racing or other competitive driving and
keep the level at or near the upper mark that
shows the proper operating range on the engine oil
dipstick. For information on how to add oil, see
Engine Oil on page 5-13.
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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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2006 - Pontiac GTO Owner Manual

How to Check and Add Fluid
To check the ¯uid level, look at the markings on the
reservoir. If the ¯uid level is between the MIN and the
MAX line, the ¯uid level is correct. If the ¯uid level
is between these marks do not remove the cap, as the
¯uid will quickly absorb moisture. See
Engine
Compartment Overview on page 5-12for more
information on reservoir location.
If ¯uid does need to be added, ®rst turn the vehicle off.
Remove the cap and add the proper ¯uid. Remember
to replace the cap and clean up any spilled ¯uid.
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in your vehicle is ®lled with
DEX-COOLžengine coolant. This coolant is designed
to remain in the vehicle for ®ve years or 150,000 miles
(240 000 km), whichever occurs ®rst, if only
DEX-COOL
žextended life coolant is added.The following explains the cooling system and how to
add coolant when it is low. If there is a problem
with engine overheating or if coolant needs to be added
to the radiator, see
Engine Overheating on page 5-26.
A 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL
žcoolant will:
·Give freezing protection down to-34ÉF (-37ÉC).
·Give boiling protection up to 265ÉF (129ÉC).
·Protect against rust and corrosion.
·Help keep the proper engine temperature.
·Let the warning lights and gages work as
they should.
Notice:Using coolant other than DEX-COOLžmay
cause premature engine, heater core, or radiator
corrosion. In addition, the engine coolant may
require changing sooner, at the ®rst maintenance
service after each 30,000 miles (50 000 km) or
24 months, whichever occurs ®rst. Any repairs
would not be covered by your warranty. Always use
DEX-COOL
ž(silicate-free) coolant in your vehicle.
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2006 - Pontiac GTO Owner Manual

3. Remove the wiring harness connector by squeezing
the two tabs on the connector and pulling the
connector down.
4. Remove the old bulb
by twisting the bulb
counterclockwise.
5. Install the new bulb. Take care not to touch
the bulb.
6. Reverse the steps to reinstall the headlamp
assembly.Front Turn Signal and Parking
Lamps
To replace this bulb, do the following:
1. Open the hood. See
Hood Release on page 5-11for more information.
2. Follow the removal procedure for either the driver's
side or passenger's side of the vehicle to access
the bulbs. See
Headlamps on page 5-45for
more information.
3. Disconnect the wiring harness connector from the
bulb assembly.
4. Turn the bulb socket counterclockwise and remove.
5. Lightly press the bulb and twist counterclockwise
out of the bulb socket.
6. Insert the new bulb into the bulb socket.
7. Reverse the steps to reinstall the lamp assemblies.
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