Your Driving and the Road
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel
with one hand. Then, to move the trailer
to the left, just move that hand to the left.
To move the trailer to the right, move
your hand to the right. Always back up
slowly and, if possible, have someone
guide you.
Making 7hms
When you’re turning with a trailer, make
wider turns than normal.
Do this so your
trailer won’t strike soft shoulders, curbs,
road signs, trees, or other objects. Avoid
jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well in
advance.
Thrn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has
to have a different turn signal flasher and
extra wiring. The green arrows on your
instrument panel will flash whenever you signal a turn or lane change. Properly
hooked up, the trailer lights will also
flash, telling other drivers you’re about to
turn, change lanes or stop. When
towing a trailer, the green arrows
on your instrument panel will flash for
turns even
if the bulbs on the trailer are
burned out. Thus, you may think drivers
behind you are seeing your signal when
they are not. It’s important to check
occasionally to be sure the trailer bulbs
are still working.
Driving on Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear
before you start down a long or steep
downgrade. If you don’t shift down, you
might have to use your brakes
so much
that they would get hot and no longer
work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and
reduce your speed to around
45 mph
(70 km/h) to reduce the possibility of
engine and transmission overheating.
If you are towing a trailer and you
have an automatic transmission with
Overdrive, you may prefer to drive in
“D”
instead of Overdrive (or, as you need to, a
lower gear). Or,
if you have a manual
transmission with fifth (or sixth) gear and
you are towing a trailer, it’s better not to
use fifth (or sixth) gear. Just drive in
fourth gear (fifth gear if you have a six-speed manual transmission) or, as you
need to, a lower gear.
Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle,
with a trailer attached, on a hill. If
-
something goes wrong, your rig could
start to move. People can be injured, and
both your vehicle and the trailer can be
damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on a
hill, here’s how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t
shift into
“P” (Park) yet, or into gear
for a manual transmission.
2. Have someone place chxks under the
3. When the wheel chocks are in place,
release the regular brakes until the
chocks absorb the load. trailer wheels.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then
apply your parking brake, and then shift to
“P” (Park), or “R” (Reverse)
for a manual transmission.
5. Release the regular brakes.
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ProCarManuals.com
What to Add:
When you do need brake fluid, use only
DOT-3 brake fluid - such as Delco-
Supreme ll@
(GM Part No. 1052535).
Use new brake fluid from a sealed
container only, and always clean the
brake fluid reservoir cap before
removing it.
NOTICE:
Don’t let someone put in the
wrong kind of fluid. For example,
just
a few drops of mineral-based
oil, such as engine oil, in your
brake system can damage brake
system parts
so badly that they’ll
have to be replaced.
Brake fluid can damage paint,
so
be careful not to spill brake fluid on your vehicle. If you
do, wash it
off immediately. See “Appearance
Care”
in the Index.
Brake Wear
Unless you have the four-wheel disc
brake option, your Pontiac has front disc
brakes and rear drum brakes. Disc
brake pads have built-in wear
indicators that make a high-pitched
warning sound when the brake pads
are worn and new pads are needed. The
sound may come and
go or be heard all
the time your vehicle is moving (except
when you are pushing on the brake pedal
firmly).
I NOTICE:
I
Continuing to drive with worn-out
brake pads could result in costly
brake repair. Some driving conditions
or climates may
cause a brake squeal when the brakes are
first applied or lightly applied. This does
not mean something is wrong with your
brakes.
If you have rear drum brakes, they don’t
have wear indicators, but if you ever hear
a rear brake rubbing noise, have the rear
brake linings inspected. Also, the rear
brake drums should be removed and
inspected each time the tires are removed
for rotation or changing. When you have
the front brakes replaced, have
the rear
brakes inspected, too.
Brake linings should always be replaced
as complete axle sets.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does
not return to normal height, or if there is a
rapid increase in pedal travel.
This could
be a sign
of brake trouble.
I.
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ProCarManuals.com
