traction control PONTIAC TORRENT 2008 Owner's Manual

Service
For service and parts needs, visit your dealer/retailer.
You will receive genuine GM parts and GM-trained and
supported service people.
Genuine GM parts have one of these marks:
Accessories and Modications
When non-dealer/non-retailer accessories are added to
your vehicle they can affect your vehicle’s performance
and safety, including such things as, airbags, braking,
stability, ride and handling, emissions systems,
aerodynamics, durability, and electronic systems like
antilock brakes, traction control and stability control.
Some of these accessories could even cause
malfunction or damage not covered by warranty.
GM Accessories are designed to complement and
function with other systems on your vehicle. Your GM
dealer/retailer can accessorize your vehicle using
genuine GM Accessories. When you go to your GM
dealer/retailer and ask for GM Accessories, you
will know that GM-trained and supported service
technicians will perform the work using genuine GM
Accessories.
Also, seeAdding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle on page 1-70.
5-3

Buying New Tires
GM has developed and matched specic tires for
your vehicle. The original equipment tires installed
on your vehicle, when it was new, were designed to
meet General Motors Tire Performance Criteria
Specication (TPC Spec) system rating. If you need
replacement tires, GM strongly recommends that
you get tires with the same TPC Spec rating. This
way, your vehicle will continue to have tires that are
designed to give the same performance and vehicle
safety, during normal use, as the original tires.
GM’s exclusive TPC Spec system considers over a
dozen critical specications that impact the overall
performance of your vehicle, including brake
system performance, ride and handling, traction
control, and tire pressure monitoring performance.
GM’s TPC Spec number is molded onto the tire’s
sidewall near the tire size. If the tires have an
all-season tread design, the TPC Spec number will
be followed by an MS for mud and snow. SeeTire
Sidewall Labeling on page 5-53for additional
information.GM recommends replacing tires in sets of four. This
is because uniform tread depth on all tires will help
keep your vehicle performing most like it did when
the tires were new. Replacing less than a full set of
tires can affect the braking and handling
performance of your vehicle. SeeTire Inspection
and Rotation on page 5-67for information on
proper tire rotation.
{CAUTION:
Mixing tires could cause you to lose
control while driving. If you mix tires of
different sizes, brands, or types (radial
and bias-belted tires), the vehicle may not
handle properly, and you could have a
crash. Using tires of different sizes,
brands, or types may also cause damage
to your vehicle. Be sure to use the correct
size, brand, and type of tires on all
wheels. It is all right to drive with your
compact spare temporarily, as it was
developed for use on your vehicle. See
Compact Spare Tire on page 5-88.
5-70

Different Size Tires and Wheels
If you add wheels or tires that are a different size than
your original equipment wheels and tires, this could
affect the way your vehicle performs, including its
braking, ride and handling characteristics, stability, and
resistance to rollover. Additionally, if your vehicle
has electronic systems such as anti-lock brakes, rollover
airbags, traction control, and electronic stability control,
the performance of these systems can be affected.
{CAUTION:
If you add different sized wheels, your vehicle
may not provide an acceptable level of
performance and safety if tires not
recommended for those wheels are selected.
You may increase the chance that you will
crash and suffer serious injury. Only use GM
specic wheel and tire systems developed for
your vehicle, and have them properly installed
by a GM certied technician.
SeeBuying New Tires on page 5-70andAccessories
and Modifications on page 5-3for additional information.
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 (NHTSA), which
grades tires by treadwear, traction, and
temperature performance. This applies only to
vehicles sold in the United States. The grades are
molded on the sidewalls of most passenger car
tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading (UTQG)
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.
5-72

Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specied
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 signicantly 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 controlled conditions on specied
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
specied 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 inated
and not overloaded. Excessive speed,
underination, or excessive loading, either
separately or in combination, can cause heat
buildup and possible tire failure.
5-73

Used Replacement Wheels
{CAUTION:
Putting a used wheel on your vehicle is
dangerous. You cannot know how it has been
used or how far it has 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, readjust or remove the
device if it is contacting your vehicle, and do
not spin your vehicle’s wheels. If you do nd
traction devices that will t, install them on the
front tires.
5-75

Liftgate
Carbon Monoxide........................................2-13
Light
Airbag Readiness........................................3-29
All-Wheel Drive Disabled..............................3-42
Antilock Brake System Warning.....................3-34
Brake System Warning.................................3-33
Change Engine Oil......................................3-40
Charging System.........................................3-32
Cruise Control.............................................3-41
Door Ajar...................................................3-43
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning.............3-35
Fog Lamp..................................................3-40
Gate Ajar...................................................3-42
Highbeam On.............................................3-41
Low Fuel Warning.......................................3-44
Malfunction Indicator....................................3-36
Oil Pressure...............................................3-39
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator..................3-30
Reduced Engine Power................................3-41
Safety Belt Reminders..................................3-28
Security.....................................................3-40
Service All-Wheel-Drive................................3-42
Service Vehicle Soon...................................3-43
TCS Warning Light......................................3-34
Tire Pressure..............................................3-36
Traction Control System (TCS) Warning..........3-34Lighting
Entry.........................................................3-17
Lights............................................................3-14
Flash-to-Pass............................................... 3-9
High/Low Beam Changer................................ 3-8
On Reminder..............................................3-14
Loading Your Vehicle.......................................4-22
Lockout Protection..........................................2-13
Locks
Delayed Locking..........................................2-12
Door..........................................................2-11
Lockout Protection.......................................2-13
Power Door................................................2-11
Programmable Automatic Door Locks.............2-12
Rear Door Security Locks.............................2-12
Loss of Control...............................................4-12
Low Fuel Warning Light...................................3-44
Luggage Carrier..............................................2-43
Lumbar
Manual Controls............................................ 1-4
M
Maintenance Schedule
Additional Required Services........................... 6-6
At Each Fuel Fill........................................... 6-8
At Least Once a Month.................................. 6-9
7

T
Table............................................................2-47
Tachometer....................................................3-28
Taillamps
Turn Signal, Stoplamps and Back-up Lamps....5-49
TCS Warning Light..........................................3-34
Theft-Deterrent, Radio....................................3-110
Theft-Deterrent Systems...................................2-17
Content Theft-Deterrent................................2-18
PASS-Key
®III+...........................................2-18
PASS-Key®III+ Operation.............................2-19
Tilt Wheel........................................................ 3-7
Time, Setting..................................................3-68
Tire
Pressure Light.............................................3-36
Tires.............................................................5-52
Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels,
Cleaning.................................................5-95
Buying New Tires........................................5-70
Chains.......................................................5-75
Changing a Flat Tire....................................5-76
Cleaning....................................................5-96
Compact Spare Tire.....................................5-88
Different Size..............................................5-72
High-Speed Operation..................................5-61
If a Tire Goes Flat.......................................5-76
Ination - Tire Pressure................................5-59Tires (cont.)
Inspection and Rotation................................5-67
Installing the Spare Tire................................5-79
Pressure Monitor Operation...........................5-63
Pressure Monitor System..............................5-62
Removing the Flat Tire.................................5-79
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools...............5-78
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools............5-86
Tire Sidewall Labeling..................................5-53
Tire Terminology and Denitions....................5-56
Uniform Tire Quality Grading.........................5-72
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance.................5-74
Wheel Replacement.....................................5-74
When It Is Time for New Tires......................5-69
Towing
Recreational Vehicle.....................................4-27
Towing a Trailer..........................................4-32
Your Vehicle...............................................4-27
Traction
Control System (TCS).................................... 4-6
Control System Warning Light.......................3-34
StabiliTrak
®System....................................... 4-7
Transmission
Fluid, Automatic...........................................5-22
Transmission Operation, Automatic............2-25, 2-28
Trip Odometer................................................3-28
Turn and Lane-Change Signals.......................... 3-8
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever........................... 3-7
12