Page 65 of 290

Features & Controls
Leaving Your Vehicle With
the Engine Running
If you have to leave your vehicle with the
engine running, be sure your vehicle is
in
“P” (Park) and your parking brake is
firmly set before you leave it. After
you’ve moved the shift lever into the
“P”
(Park) position, hold the regular brake
pedal down. Then, see
if you can move
the shift lever away from
“P” (Park)
without first pulling it toward you (or,
if
you have the console shift lever, without
... 64
first pushing the button). If you can, it
means that the shift lever wasn’t fully
locked into
“P” (Park).
T~rque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t
shift your transaxle into
“P” (Park)
properly, the weight of the vehicle may
put too much force on
the parking pawl in
the transaxle. You may find it difficult to
pull
the shift lever out of “F’ (Park). This
is called “torque lock.” To prevent torque
lock, set the parking brake and then shift
into
“P” (Park) properly before you leave
the driver’s seat.
To find out how, see
“Shifting Into ‘P’ (Park)”
in the Index.
When you are ready to drive, move the
shift lever out of
“P’ (Park) BEFORE you
release the parking brake.
If “torque lock” does occur, you may
need to have another vehicle push yours a
little uphill to take some of the pressure
from the transaxle,
so you can pull the
shift lever out of
“P’ (Park).
Shifting Out of “P”
(Park)
Your Pontiac has a brake-transaxle shift
interlock. You have to fully a& your
regular brakes before you can shift from
“P” (Park) when the ignition is in the
“On” position. See “Shifting the
Automatic Transaxle” in the Index.
If you cannot shift out of “P” (Park), ease
pressure
on the shift lever - push the
shift lever ail the way into “P’ (Park) and
also release the shift lever button
on floor
shift models as you maintain brake
application. Then move the shift lever
into the gear you want. (Press the shift
lever button before moving the shift
lever.) If you ever hold the brake pedal
down but still can’t shift out of
“P’
(Park), try this:
ProCarManuals.com
Page 66 of 290
1. Turn the key to “Off”. Open and close
the driver’s door to turn off the
Retained Accessory Power Feature.
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end
of Step 4.
3. Shift to “N” (Neutral).
4. Start the vehicle and then shift to the
drive gear you want.
5. Have the vehicle fixed as soon as you
can.
Parking Over Things
That Burn
Engine Exhaust
65 ...
ProCarManuals.com
Page 67 of 290
Features & Controls
Engine Exhaust (CONT.) Running Your Engine
While You’re Parked
It’s better not to park with the engine
running. But
if you ever have to, here are
some things to know.
Follow the proper steps to be sure your
vehicle won’t move. See “Shifting Into
‘P’ (Park)” in the Index.
-..66
ProCarManuals.com
Page 68 of 290

1 Horn
You can sound the horn by pressing the
horn symbols on your steering wheel.
Tilt Wheel
4 tilt steering wheel allows you to adjust
he steering wheel before
you drive.
Ir'ou can also raise it to the highest level tc
give your legs more room when you exit
tnd enter the vehicle.
To tilt the wheel, hold the steering wheel
tnd
pull the lever. Move the steering
Nheel to a comfortable level, then release
he lever to lock the wheel
in place.
Power Windows ,I
Switches on the driver's armrest control
each of the windows when the ignition is
on. In addition, each passenger door has
a
control switch for its own window:
When the driver's window switch
is held
rearward for more
than a half second, the
window
will lower completely. The
window can be opened
in smaller
amounts by pressing the switch rearward
and releasing
it immediately.
To stop the window while
it is lowering,
press the switch again, then release.
To
raise the window, hold the switch
forward.
67 ...
ProCarManuals.com
Page 69 of 290

Features & Controls
Turn Signall
Multifunction Lever
The lever on the left side of the steering
column includes your:
Turn Signal and Lane Change Indicator
Windshield Wipers
Windshield Washer
Headlight Washers (SSE and SSEi only)
Cruise Control (Option)
0 Headlight High-Low Beam
Turn Signal and Lane
Change Indicator
The turn signal has two upward (for
Right) and two downward (for Left)
positions. These positions allow
you to
signal a turn or a lane change.
A green arrow on the instrument panel
will flash
in the direction of the turn or
lane change.
To signal a turn, move the lever all the
way up or down. When the turn is
finished, the lever will return
automatically.
so MPH
30 km/h
/ 1 I
To signal a lane change, just raise or ,
lower the lever until the green arrow starts
to flash. Hold it there until you complete
your lane change. The lever will return by
itself when you release
it.
As you signal a turn or a lane change, if
the arrows don’t flash but just stay on, a
signal bulb may be burned
out and other
drivers won’t see your
turn signal. If you
have the Driver Information Center, it will
tell you if you have a burned out bulb.
See “Driver Information Center”
in the
Index.
... 68
ProCarManuals.com
Page 70 of 290
If a, bulb is burned out, replace it to help
avoid an accident. If the green arrows
don’t go on at all when
you signal a turn,
check the fuse (see “Fuses
& Circuit
Breakers”
in the Index) and for
burned-out bulbs.
Windshield Wipers
You control the windshield wipers by
turning the band marked “WIPER’.
For a single wiping cycle, turn the band to
“MIST”. Hold it there until the wipers
start, then let
go. The wipers will stop
after one cycle.
If you want more cycles,
hold the band on “MIST” longer. For
steady wiping at low speed, twxn the
band away from you
to the “LO” position.
For high speed wiping, turn the ba*d
further, to “HI”. To stop the wipers, move
the band to
“OFF”.
You can set the wiper speed for a,bng or
short delay between wipes. This can be
very useful
in light rain or snow. Turn the
band to choose the delay time.
The closer
to
“LO”, the s’horter the delay.
69 ...
ProCarManuals.com
Page 71 of 290

Features & Controls
Windshield Wipers
(CONT)
Heavy snow or ice can overload your
wiper motor.
A circuit breaker will stop
the motor until it cools. Clear away snow
or ice to prevent an overload.
Keep in mind that damaged wiper blades
may prevent you from seeing well enough
to drive safely. To avoid damage, be sure
to clear ice and snow from the wiper
blades before using them.
If your blades
do become damaged, get new blades or
blade inserts. Some models have
a “WASHER FLUID’
warning, that indicates
if the fluid level in
the windshield washer is low. See “Low
Washer Fluid Warning Light” in the
II
Windshield Washer
At the top of the turn signal/multifunction
lever there’s a paddle with the word
“PUSH’ on it. To spray washer fluid on
the windshield, push the paddle for less
:han a second. The wipers will clear the
window and then either stop or return to
your preset speed. For more washer
cycles, push and hold the paddle.
Remember, driving without washer fluid
can be dangerous.
A bad mud splash can
block your vision.
You could hit another
vehicle or go off the road. Check your
washer fluid level often.
... 70
ProCarManuals.com
Page 72 of 290

NOTICE:
0
a
When using concentrated
washer fluid, follow the
manufacturer’s instructions
for adding water.
Don’t mix water with
ready-to-use washer fluid.
Water can cause the solution
to freeze and damage your
washer fluid tank and other
parts
of the washer system.
Also, water doesn’t clean as
well as washer fluid.
Fill your washer fluid tank
only
314 full when it’s very
cold. This allows for
expansion, which could
damage the tank
if it is
completely
full.
Don’t use radiator antifreeze
in your windshield washer. It
can damage your washer
system and paint.
Headlight Washers (OPTION)
If you have this option, you can wash
your headlights
in bad weather or
whenever desired. Here’s how:
To operate the headlight washers, the
ignition must be
on. Pull the paddle on the
turn signal/multifunction lever labeled
“PULL”. Each headlight will get a spray
of washer fluid.
I
Cruise Control (opnoN)
With Cruise Control, you can maintain a
speed of about
25 mph (40 km/h) or more
without keeping
your foot on the
accelerator. This can really help
on long
trips.
Cruise Control does
not work at speeds
below about
25 mph (40 km/h).
71 ...
ProCarManuals.com