tires PONTIAC TORRENT 2007 Owners Manual

Service and Appearance Care
.................. 337
Service
................................................. 339
Fuel
...................................................... 341
Checking Things Under the Hood
......... 346
All-Wheel Drive
..................................... 378
Bulb Replacement
................................ 380
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.... 384
Tires
..................................................... 386
Appearance Care
.................................. 420
Vehicle Identication
............................. 430
Electrical System
.................................. 431
Capacities and Specications
................ 436Maintenance Schedule
.............................. 437
Maintenance Schedule
.......................... 438
Customer Assistance Information
............. 455
Customer Assistance and
Information
........................................ 456
Reporting Safety Defects
...................... 473
Index
.......................................................... 477
2

DRIVE (D):This position is for normal driving with
the automatic transaxle. It provides the best fuel
economy for your vehicle. If you need more power
for passing, and you are:
Going less than about 35 mph (55 km/h), push
your accelerator pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (55 km/h), push
your accelerator all the way down.
Downshifting the transaxle in slippery road
conditions could result in skidding, see “Skidding”
underLoss of Control on page 305.
INTERMEDIATE (I):This position is also used for
normal driving. However, it reduces vehicle speed
without using your brakes for slight downgrades
where the vehicle would otherwise accelerate due
to steepness of grade. If constant upshifting or
downshifting occurs while driving up steep hills, this
position can be used to prevent repetitive types of
shifts. You might choose INTERMEDIATE (I)
instead of DRIVE (D) when driving on hilly, winding
roads and when towing a trailer, so that there is less
shifting between gears.LOW (L):This position reduces vehicle speed
more than INTERMEDIATE (I) without actually
using your brakes. You can use it on very steep
hills, or in deep snow or mud. If the shift lever
is put in LOW (L), the transaxle will not shift into
LOW (L) until the vehicle is going slowly enough.
Notice:Spinning the tires or holding the
vehicle in one place on a hill using only the
accelerator pedal may damage the transaxle.
If you are stuck, do not spin the tires. When
stopping on a hill, use the brakes to hold the
vehicle in place.
121

Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
This gage measures the
temperature of the
vehicle’s engine.
If the indicator needle moves towards the shaded
in thermostat, the engine is too hot. The engine
coolant temperature warning light will turn on. See
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Light on
page 182for more information.
If you have been operating your vehicle under
normal driving conditions, and the engine coolant
temperature warning light comes on, you
should pull off the road, stop your vehicle and turn
off the engine as soon as possible.
Tire Pressure Light
This light will come on
briey when you turn
the ignition to RUN.
This light will also come on when one or more of
your tires are signicantly underinated.
A CHECK TIRE PRESSURE DIC message will
accompany the light.
Stop and check your tires as soon as it is safe to do
so. If underinated, inate to the proper pressure.
SeeTires on page 386for more information.
This light will ash for 60 seconds and then turn
on solid if a problem is detected with the Tire
Pressure Monitor system.
SeeTire Pressure Monitor System on page 395
for more information.
183

Malfunction Indicator Lamp
Check Engine Light
Your vehicle has a
computer which
monitors operation of
the fuel, ignition,
and emission control
systems.
This system is called OBD II (On-Board
Diagnostics-Second Generation) and is intended
to assure that emissions are at acceptable
levels for the life of the vehicle, helping to produce
a cleaner environment. The check engine light
comes on to indicate that there is a problem and
service is required. Malfunctions often will be
indicated by the system before any problem is
apparent. This may prevent more serious damage
to your vehicle. This system is also designed to
assist your service technician in correctly
diagnosing any malfunction.Notice:If you keep driving your vehicle with
this light on, after awhile, your emission
controls may not work as well, your fuel
economy may not be as good, and your engine
may not run as smoothly. This could lead to
costly repairs that may not be covered by your
warranty.
Notice:Modications made to the engine,
transaxle, exhaust, intake, or fuel system
of your vehicle or the replacement of the
original tires with other than those of the same
Tire Performance Criteria (TPC) can affect
your vehicle’s emission controls and may
cause this light to come on. Modications to
these systems could lead to costly repairs not
covered by your warranty. This may also
result in a failure to pass a required Emission
Inspection/Maintenance test. SeeAccessories
and Modifications on page 339.
184

Vehicle Information Menu Items
T
(Vehicle Information):Press this button to
scroll through the following displays:
OIL LIFE
Press the vehicle information button until OIL LIFE
REMAINING displays. This display shows an
estimate of the oil’s remaining useful life. If you
see 99% OIL LIFE REMAINING on the display,
that means 99% of the current oil life remains. The
engine oil life system will alert you to change
your oil on a schedule consistent with your driving
conditions.
When the remaining oil life is low, the CHANGE
ENGINE OIL SOON message will appear on
the display. See “CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON”
underDIC Warnings and Messages on
page 200. You should change your oil as soon as
possible. SeeEngine Oil on page 349.In
addition to the engine oil life system monitoring
the oil life, additional maintenance is
recommended in the Maintenance Schedule in this
manual. SeeScheduled Maintenance on
page 440for more information.Remember, you must reset the OIL LIFE yourself
after each oil change. It will not reset itself.
Also, be careful not to reset the OIL LIFE
accidentally at any time other than when the oil
has just been changed. It cannot be reset
accurately until the next oil change. To reset the
engine oil life system, seeEngine Oil Life
System on page 352.
UNITS
Press the vehicle information button until UNITS
displays. This display allows you to select between
English or Metric units of measurement. Once in
this display, press the set/reset button to select
between ENGLISH or METRIC units.
FRONT TIRES or REAR TIRES
The pressure for each tire can be viewed in the
DIC. The tire pressure will be shown in either
pounds per square inch (psi) or kilopascals (kPa).
Press the vehicle information button until the
DIC shows FRONT TIRES PSI (kPa) LF ## (###)
RF ## (###). Press the vehicle information
button again until the DIC displays REAR TIRES
PSI (kPa) LR ## (###) RR ## (###).
198

If a low or high tire pressure condition is detected
by the system while driving, a message advising
you to check the pressure in a specic tire
will appear in the display. SeeInation - Tire
Pressure on page 393andDIC Warnings
and Messages on page 200for more information.
If the tire pressure display shows dashes
instead of a value, there may be a problem with
your vehicle. If this consistently occurs, see
your dealer for service.
BATTERY
Press the vehicle information button until
BATTERY displays. This display shows the
current battery voltage. If the voltage is low, the
display will show LOW. If the voltage is high,
the display will show HIGH. Your vehicle’s
charging system regulates voltage based on the
state of the battery. The battery voltage may
uctuate when viewing this information on the DIC.
This is normal. SeeBattery Warning Light on
page 179for more information.If there is a problem with the battery charging
system, the DIC will display SERVICE BATTERY
CHARGING SYSTEM. See “SERVICE BATTERY
CHARGING SYSTEM” underDIC Warnings
and Messages on page 200for more information.
TIRE LOCATIONS
After rotating the tires or after replacing a tire or
sensor, the system must re-learn the tire positions.
To re-learn the tire positions, seeTire Pressure
Monitor System on page 395. SeeTire Inspection
and Rotation on page 399andDIC Warnings
and Messages on page 200for more information.
RELEARN REMOTE KEY
This display allows you to match the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter to your vehicle.
To match a RKE transmitter to your vehicle, do the
following:
1. Make sure the vehicle is in PARK (P).
2. Press the vehicle information button until
PRESS
VTO RELEARN REMOTE KEY
displays.
199

BUCKLE SEATBELT
This message reminds you to buckle the driver’s
safety belt.
This message displays and a chime sounds when
the ignition is on, the driver’s safety belt is
unbuckled, and the vehicle is in motion. You
should buckle your safety belt.
If the driver remains unbuckled when the ignition
is on and the vehicle is in motion, the reminder
will be repeated. If the driver’s safety belt is
already buckled, this message and chime will not
come on.
This message is an additional reminder to the
Safety Belt Reminder Light in the instrument panel
cluster. SeeSafety Belt Reminder Light on
page 175.
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
This message displays when service is required
for the vehicle. See your dealer. SeeEngine Oil on
page 349andScheduled Maintenance on
page 440for more information.Acknowledging this message will not reset the OIL
LIFE REMAINING display. That must be done
at the OIL LIFE screen under the vehicle
information menu. See “OIL LIFE” underDIC
Operation and Displays on page 195andEngine
Oil Life System on page 352for more information.
CHECK TIRE PRESSURE
This message displays when the tire pressure in
one of the tires needs to be checked. This message
also displays LEFT FRONT, RIGHT FRONT, LEFT
REAR, or RIGHT REAR to indicate which tire needs
to be checked. You can receive more than one tire
pressure message at a time. To read the other
messages that may have been sent at the same
time, press the set/reset button. If a tire pressure
message appears on the DIC, stop as soon as you
can. Have the tire pressures checked and set to
those shown on the Tire Loading Information label.
SeeTires on page 386,Loading Your Vehicle on
page 321, andInation - Tire Pressure on
page 393. The DIC display also shows the tire
pressure values for the front and rear tires by
pressing the vehicle information button. SeeDIC
Operation and Displays on page 195. If the tire
pressure is low, the low tire pressure warning light
comes on. SeeTire Pressure Light on page 183.
202

THEFT ATTEMPTED
This message displays if the content theft-deterrent
system has detected a break-in attempt while
you were away from your vehicle. SeeContent
Theft-Deterrent on page 111for more information.
TIRE LEARNING ACTIVE
This message displays when the Tire Pressure
Monitor (TPM) system is re-learning the tire
positions. SeeTire Pressure Monitor System on
page 395. The tire positions must be re-learned
after rotating the tires or after replacing a tire
or sensor. SeeTire Inspection and Rotation on
page 399andInation - Tire Pressure on page 393
for more information.
TRACTION CONTROL OFF
This message displays when the Traction Control
System (TCS) turns off. SeeTraction Control
System (TCS) on page 297for more information.
This message only displays while the ignition
is in RUN and disappears after 10 seconds, unless
it is acknowledged or an urgent warning appears.Any of the following conditions may cause the
TCS to turn off:
The TCS is turned off by pressing the
traction control button. SeeTraction Control
System (TCS) on page 297for more
information.
The battery is low.
There is a TCS failure. See your dealer for
service.
TRACTION CONTROL ON
This message displays when the Traction Control
System (TCS) turns on. SeeTraction Control
System (TCS) on page 297for more information.
TURN SIGNAL ON
This message displays as a reminder to turn off
the turn signal if you drive your vehicle for
more than about 0.75 mile (1.2 km) with a turn
signal on. SeeTurn Signal/Multifunction Lever on
page 151.
This message displays and a chime sounds only
when the ignition is in RUN. The message will
not disappear until the turn signal is manually
turned off, or a turn is completed.
209

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. SeeTraction
Control System (TCS) on page 297.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your
vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modications on page 339.
Braking
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 180.
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake
pedal. That is perception time. Then you have to
bring up your foot and do it. That is reaction time.
Average reaction time is about three-fourths 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
three-fourths 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,
whether it is wet, dry, or icy; tire tread; the
condition of the brakes; the weight of the vehicle;
and the amount of brake force applied.
294

This light will come on
along with the ALL
WHEEL DRIVE OFF
message when the rear
drive system is
overheating.
This light will turn off when the rear drive system
cools down. If this light stays on, it must be
reset. To reset the light, turn the ignition off and
then back again. If the light stays on, see
your dealer for service.
See “All Wheel Drive Off” underDIC Warnings
and Messages on page 200for more information.
Steering
Electric Power Steering
If the engine stalls while you are driving, the
power steering assist system will continue
to operate until you are able to stop your vehicle.
If you lose power steering assist because the
electric power steering system is not functioning,
you can steer, but it will take more effort.If you turn the steering wheel in either direction
several times until it stops, or hold the steering
wheel in the stopped position for an extended
amount of time, you may notice a reduced amount
of power steering assist. The normal amount of
power steering assist should return shortly after a
few normal steering movements.
The electric power steering system does not
require regular maintenance. If you suspect
steering system problems, such as abnormally
high steering effort for a prolonged period of time,
contact your dealer for service repairs.
Steering Tips
It is important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents
mentioned on the news happen on curves.
Here is why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is
subject to the same laws of physics when driving on
curves. The traction of the tires against the road
surface makes it possible for the vehicle to change
its path when you turn the front wheels. If there is
no traction, inertia will keep the vehicle going in the
same direction. If you have ever tried to steer a
vehicle on wet ice, you will understand this.
300