1994 PONTIAC GRAND-AM Owners Manual

Your Driving and the Road
I Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount
of experience. Before setting out for the
open road, you’ll want to get to know
your rig. Acquaint yourself with the feel
of handling and braking with the added
weight
of the trailer. And always keep in
mind that the vehicle you are driving is
now a good deal longer and not nearly
so
.responsive as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch
and platform, safety chains, electrical
connector, lights, tires and mirror
adjustment. If the trailer has electric
brakes, start your vehicle and trailer
moving and then apply the trailer brake
controller by hand to be sure the brakes
are working. This lets you check your
electrical connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be
sure that the load is secure, and that the
lights and any trailer brakes are still
working.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the
vehicle ahead as you would when driving
your vehicle without a trailer. This can
help you avoid situations that require
heavy braking and sudden turns.
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up
ahead when you’re towing a trailer. And,
because you’re a good deal longer, you’ll
need to go much farther beyond the
passed vehicle before you can return to
your lane.
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 Turns
When you’re turning with a trailer, make
wider turns than normal. Do this
so your
railer won’t strike soft shoulders, curbs,
road signs, trees, or other objects. Avoid
ierky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well
in
3dvance.
Turn 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.
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1 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, use the highest
gear possible. If you cannot maintain
posted speeds, driving at a lower speed
may help avoid overheating your engine
and transaxle.
If you have a manual transaxle with fifth
gear, it’s better not to use fifth gear. Just
drive
in fourth gear (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 PARK (P) yet, or into gear
for a manual transaxle.
2. Have someone place chocks under the
trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place,
release the regular brakes
until the
chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then
apply your parking brake, and then
shift to PARK
(P), or REVERSE (R)
for a manual transaxle.
5. Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking
on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold
the pedal down while you:
Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear
of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and
store the chocks.
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Your Driving and the Road
Maintenance When Trailer
Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often
when you’re pulling a trailer. See the
Maintenance Schedule for more on this.
Things that are especially important in
trailer operation are automatic transaxle
fluid (don’t overfill), engine oil, belts,
cooling system, and brake adjustment.
Each of these is co%ered in this manual,
and the Index will help you find them
quickly. If you’re trailering, it’s a good
idea to review these sections before
you
start your .trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch
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Here you’ll find what to do about
some problems that can occur on the
road .
Problems on the
Part 5
Road
Hazard Warning Flashers ............................................
Jumpstarting .....................................................
TowingYourPontiac ...............................................
Engine Overheating ................................................
If Steam is Coming From Your Engine .................................
If a Tire Goes Flat .................................................
ChangingaFlatTire ................................................
Compactspare ....................................................
If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow .............................
148
148
152
156
156
161
162
167
167
147 ...
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Problems on the Road
Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning flashers let you
warn others. They also let police know
you have a problem. Your front and rear
turn signal lights will flash on and off.
Move the switch to the right to make you
front and rear turn signal lights flash on
and off.
Your hazard warning flashers work no
matter what position your key is
in, and
even if the key isn’t in.
To turn off the flashers, move the switch
to the left.
When the hazard warning flashers are on,
your turn signals won’t work.
Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can
set one up at the side of the road about
300 feet (100 m) behind your vehicle.
Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may
want to use another vehicle and some
jumper cables to
start your Pontiac. But
please follow the steps below to do it
safely.
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NOTICE:
Ignoring these steps could result in
costly damage to your vehicle that
wouldn’t be covered by your
warranty.
Trying to start your Pontiac by
pushing or pulling it could damage
your vehicle, even if you have a
manual transaxle. And
if you have
an automatic transaxle,
it won’t start
that way.
To Jump Start Your
Pontiac:
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have
a 12-volt battery with a negative
ground system.
NOTICE:
If the other system isn’t a 12-volt
system with a negative ground, both
vehicles can be damaged.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the
jumper cables can reach, but be sure
the vehicles aren’t touching each
other. If they are, it could cause a
ground connection you don’t want.
You wouldn’t be able to start your
Pontiac, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles.
Turn off
all lights that aren’t needed,
and radios. This will avoid sparks and
help save both batteries. And
it could
save your radio!
NOTICE:
If you leave your radio on, it could
be badly damaged. The repairs
wouldn’t be covered by your
warranty.
4. Open the hoods and locate the
batteries. Find the positive (+) and
negative
(-) terminals on each battery.
To uncover the positive
(+) terminal,
lift the red plastic cap.
149. .
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Problems on the Road
To Jump Start Your
Pontiac: (CONK)
5. Check that the jumper cables don’t
have loose or missing insulation.
If
they do, you could get a shock. The
vehicle? could be damaged, too.
Before you connect the cables, here
are some basic things
you should
know. Positive
(+) will go to positive
(+) and negative (-) will go to negative
(-) or a metal engine part.
Don’t connect (+) to (-) or you’ll get a
short that would damage the battery
and maybe other parts, too.
6. Connect the red positive (+) cable to
the positive (+) terminal of the vehicle
with the dead battery.
Use a remote positive (+) terminal if
the vehicle has one.
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