Features & Controls
rn ANTILOCK (@)
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
With anti-lock, this light will come on
when you start your engine and may stay
on for several seconds. That’s normal. If
the light doesn’t come on, have it fixed
so
it will be ready to warn you if there is a
problem.
If the light stays on, turn the ignition off.
Or, if the light comes on when you’re
driving, stop as soon as possible and turn
the ignition
off. Then start the engine
again to reset the system. If the light still
stays on, or comes on again while you’re
driving, your Pontiac needs service. If the
regular brake system warning light isn’t
on, you still have brakes, but you don’t have anti-lock brakes.
If the regular brake
system warning light is also on, you don’t
have anti-lock brakes and there’s a
problem
with your regular brakes. See
“Brake System Warning Light” earlier
in
this part.
The anti-lock brake system warning light
may also come on when
you are driving
with a compact spare tire. If this happens,
the light means you won’t have anti-lock
until you replace the compact spare with a
full-size tire. If the warning light stays on
after you replace the compact spare with a
full-size tire, or
if it comes on again when
you’re driving, your Pontiac needs
service.
i TRACTION OFF
Traction Control System Warning Light
(omoN)
The “TRACTION OFF” warning light
means that the system is not working.
This warning light may come on for the
following reasons:
0 If the engine. cannot provide power
reduction for traction control, due to
an engine problem, the “TRACTION
OFF” warning light will come on and
stay on during that time.
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Features & Controls
CHECK GAGES
>heck Gages Warning
Jght
(OPTION)
‘his light will come on briefly when you
re starting the engine. If the light comes
n and stays on while you are driving,
heck your gages for fuel, coolant
:mperature, oil pressure or voltage. This
ght will stay on
if your engine is not
Inning.
loooooool
8YST MONl
UNLEADED
FUEL ONLY
Fuel Gage
You will either have this fuel gage or one
very similar.
Your fuel gage tells you
about how much fuel you have left, when
the ignition is on. When the gage reads in
the yellow band, a warning chime will
sound and the
“CHECK GAGES”
warning light will
go on, if you have this
option.
Here are five things that some owners ask
about. None
of these indicate a problem
with your fuel gage:
0 At the service station, the gas pump
shuts off before the gage reads
“F”
(Full).
It takes a little more or less fuel to fill
up than the gage indicated. For
example, the gage may have indicated
the tank was half full, but
it actually
took a little more or less than half the
tank’s capacity to
fill the tank.
The gage moves a little when you
turn
a corner, speed up, or make a hard
stop.
The gage doesn’t go back to
“E”
(Empty) when you turn off the
ignition.
If you have the large span
(220”)
gage, the needle moves more for a
given amount of fuel. This does not
indicate excessive fuel consumption,
and is normal.
For your fuel tank capacity, see “Service
Station Information” on the last page of
this manual.
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Comfort Controls & Audio Systems
0
0 0
Electronic Climate Control
(OPTION)
When the engine is cold, the “AUTO’
blower is delayed/reduced until warm
air is available. Immediately selecting
90°F farenheit will NOT get the car
warmer any sooner than selecting
75
“AUTO”. The “DEFROST” blower
speed starts low to reduce windshield
fogging from any snow on the hood as
you start driving. The blower will
increase briefly after short stops when
the car had been turned
off to reduce
any stuffy feeling.
The A/C will only work when the
outside temperature gets above
42°F.
A “click” noise means the A/C
compressor is turned on. Besides
cooling, this is used to dehumidify and
filter the air for inside the car.
A hot, sunny parking lot or city traffic
will cause the system to start
re-circulating A/C air for quicker
cooling. The system is more efficient
by cooling the air already inside the
car.
EZ-Kool Glass is very effective in
filtering out the sun’s heat.
0 The direction of the cold A/C air can
be controlled by adjusting the outlets
in the dash. Aiming them just over
your shoulder will benefit both front
and rear passengers. Back-seat
passengers can also redirect airflow at
the rear of center console.
The air conditioner compressor operates
in all “AUTO” setting positions, and in
%? (Defrost) when the outside
temperature is above
42°F. When the air
conditioner is on, you may sometimes
notice slight changes in your vehicle’s
engine speed and power. This is normal,
because the system
is designed to cycle
the compressor on and off to keep the
desired cooling and help fuel economy.
TEMP: Sets the interior temperature you
want. The temperature you set will be
displayed on the digital screen.
Once you set the temperature, the system
will try to maintain the set temperature,
whether or not
you are using the heating
or cooling controls. But
if you set the
temperature for
60°F ( 16°C) or 90°F
(32”C), the fan will stay on “HI” speed
unless you select a different speed.
AUTO: To allow the system to
automatically control the temperature, air
Jistribution and fan speed:
1. Set the temperature you want with the
“TEMP” switch.
2. Press the “AUTO” switch.
EXT. TEMP: Press to have the exterior
temperature displayed
on the digital
screen (unless the system is off). Press
again to return to the inside temperature
setting. When the system is off, the
outside temperature will be displayed.
Use the following controls when “AUTO’
is not desired.
% : Sets the fan speed. Press the top of
the switch to raise the fan speed, the
bottom of the switch to lower the fan
speed.
“F/C: Press this to read the temperature in
degrees Fahrenheit or Celsius.
OFF: Shuts the system off. The outside
temperature will be displayed. Air
will
still flow through your vehicle if it is
moving. Also, the system will try to
maintain the temperature you set, but,may
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not be able to if it’s very warm or cold
outside.
ECON: Use in cold or cool weather. This
saves fuel because the air conditioner
compressor doesn’t run. But this setting
doesn’t remove humidity from the air.
(Defrost): Press this to remove fog
or ice from the windshield. It will start at
the mediumhigh fan speed, but you can
select another speed
if you want. It’s a
good idea to remove any ice or snow from
the hood and from the air inlet between
the hood and windshield.
(Rear Window Defogger): Press tc
warm the defogger grid on the rear
window. On some models, the outside
rearview mirrors are also warmed. The
rear window defogger will turn off
automatically after about 10 minutes of
use. If you turn it on again, the defogger
will operate for about five minutes only.
You can also turn the defogger off by
turning off the ignition or pressing the
switch again.
Do not attach a temporary vehicle licensc
across the defogger grid on the rear
window.
NOTICE:
Don’t use a razor blade or
something else sharp on the inside
of the rear window.
If you do, you
could cut or damage the warming
grid, and the repairs wouldn’t be
covered by your warranty.
Extended Idling With
Electronic Climate Control
When the engine idles for a long time, the
outside temperature sensor may cause the
system to blow air that is too cool.
This
should stop once the vehicle is moving
again. Extended idling is not
recommended, See “Engine Exhaust’’
in
the Index.
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Equalizer:
Boost the bass, emphasize a voice in a
song, brighten the treble
- your equalizer
gives you the freedom to adjust seven
separate frequencies of sound to your
individual taste. Move a lever up to
emphasize a frequency, move
it down to
de-emphasize. Start
with the levers in the
middle position, then adjust each lever as
you like.
To Play a Cassette Tape:
With the radio turned on, insert a tape into
the cassette door. The cassette symbol
will appear in the upper left corner of the
display. While the tape is playing, an
arrow will appear next to the cassette
symbol to indicate that the top
(A) or
bottom
(v) is playing. Once the tape is
playing, use the
“VOL”, “BAL”,
“FADE”, “TREBLE” and “BASS” or
equalizer just as you would for the radio.
Your tape player will automatically adjust
the equalization
for high bias (metal and
Cr02) tapes. Your
tape player is designed to work best
with tapes that are 30 to 45 minutes long
In each side. Tapes longer than that may
lot work well
in this tape player.
Cassette Player Control Features:
TAPEIPLAY
If you have a tape loaded
md the radio is playing, press
‘TAPE/PLAY”
to play your tape. To
-eturn to the radio while a tape is playing,
Jress “AMEM”. The cassette will remain
;afely inside the radio for future listening.
PREV (Previous): Press “PREV” or
‘SEEK”
v to search for the previous
;election on the tape. There must be a
zap of at least four seconds between
;elections
in order for the tape player to
stop.
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Your Driving and the Road
I
Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your Pontiac has an advanced electronic
braking system that will help prevent
skidding.
1 ANTILOCK @) 1
This light on the instrument panel will go
on when
you start your vehicle.
When you start your vehicle and begin to
drive away, you may hear a momentary
motor or clicking noise. And you may
even notice that your brake pedal moves
2
little while this is going on. This is the
ABS system testing itself. If there’s a
problem with the anti-lock brake system,
the anti-lock brake system warning light will stay on.
See “Anti-lock Brake System Warning
Light” in the Index. Here’s how anti-lock works. Let’s say the
road
is wet. You’re driving safely.
Suddenly an animal jumps out in front of
you:
You slam on the brakes. Here’s 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 front
wheel and at the rear wheels.
The anti-lock system can change the brake pressure faster than any driver
could. The computer is programmed
to
make the most of available tire and road
conditions.
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I
You can steer around the obstacle while
braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps
receiving updates
on wheel speed and
controls braking pressure accordingly.
Remember: Anti-lock doesn‘t change the
time you need to get your foot up to the
brake pedal.
If you get too close to the
vehicle
in front of you, you won’t 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 anti-lock brakes.
To Use Anti-Lock
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the
brake pedal down and let anti-lock work
for you.
You may hear a motor or clicking
noise during a hard stop, but
this is
normal.
Traction Control System
(OPTION)
Your vehicle may have a traction control
system 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 front wheels
are spinning or beginning to lose traction.
When this happens, the system works the
front brakes and reduces engine power
(by shutting off fuel injectors and
managing spark) to
limit wheel spin.
You may feel the system working, or you
may notice some noise, but this is normal.
If your vehicle is in Cruise Control when
the traction control system begins
to limit
wheel spin, the Cruise Control will
auto~natically disengage. When road
conditions allow you to safely use
it
again, you may re-engage the Cruise
Control back on. (See “Cruise Control”
in
the Index.) The “TRACTION
OFF” warning
light
will come on when you turn the traction
control system off.
When the system is
on, this light will come
on to let you
know if there’s a problem with your
traction control system. See “Traction
Control System Warning Light” in’the
Index. When this warning light is on, the
system
will not limit wheel spin. Adjust
your driving accordingly.
The traction control system automatically
comes on whenever you start
your vehicle.
To limit wheel spin, especially
in slippery
road conditions, you should always leave
the system
on. But you can turn the
traction control system
off if you ever need
to. (You should
turn the system off if your
vehicle ever gets stuck
in sand. mud, ice or
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Your Driving and the Road
Off-Road Recovery
You may find sometime that your right
wheels have dropped
off the edge of a
road onto the shoulder while you’re
driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only slight1
below the pavement, recovery should be
fairly easy. Ease
off the accelerator and
then, if there is nothing in the way, steer
so that your vehicle straddles the edge of
the pavement. You can turn the steering
wheel up to
1/4 turn until the right front
tire contacts the pavement edge. Then
turn your steering wheel to go straight
down the roadway.
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r #
9
Y
Passing
The driver of a vehicle about to pass
another on a two-lane highway waits for
just the right moment, accelerates, moves
around the vehicle ahead, then goes back
into the right lane again.
A simple’
maneuver?
Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle
on a two-lane highway is a potentially
dangerous move, since the passing
vehicle occupies the same lane as
oncoming traffic for several seconds.
A
miscalculation, an error in judgment, or a
brief surrender to frustration or anger can
suddenly put the passing driver face to
face with the worst of all traffic accidents
-- the head-on collision.
So here are some tips for passing:
“Drive ahead.” Look down the road,
to the sides, and to crossroads for
situations that might affect your
passing patterns.
If you have any
doubt whatsoever about making a
successful pass, wait for a better time. Watch
for traffic signs,
pavement
markings, and lines. If you can see a
sign
up ahead that might indicate a
turn or an intersection, delay your
pass. A broken center line usually
indicates it’s all right to pass
(providing the road ahead is clear).
Never cross a solid line on your side
of the lane or a double solid line, even
if the road seems empty of
approaching traffic.
Do not get too close to the vehicle you
want to pass while you’re awaiting an
opportunity.
For one thing, following
too closely reduces your area of
vision, especially if you’re following a
larger vehicle.
Also, you won’t have
adequate space
if the vehicle ahead
suddenly slows or stops. Keep back a
reasonable distance.
When it looks like a chance to pass is
coming up, start to accelerate but stay
in the right lane and don’t get too
close. Time your move
so you will be
increasing speed as the time comes to
move into the other lane. If the way is
clear to pass, you will have a “running
start” that more than makes up for the
distance you would lose by dropping
back. And if something happens to
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