1995 PONTIAC PONTIAC ESP

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Here Are Questions Many People Ask
About Safety Belts -- and the Answers
@’ Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if
I’m wearing a safety belt?
A: You could be -- whether you’re wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt,
even
if you’re upside down. And your chance of
being conscious during and after an accident,
so
you can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if
you are belted.
&= Why don’t they just put in air bags so people
won’t have to wear safety belts?
A: Air bags are in many vehicles today and will be
in more
of them in the future. But they are
supplemental systems only;
so they work with
safety belts -- not instead of them. Every air bag
system ever offered for sale has required the use of
safety belts. Even
if you’re in a vehicle that has air
bags, you still have to buckle up to get
the most
protection. That’s true not only in frontal collisions,
but especially in side and other collisions.
@ .If I-’m a good driver, and I never drive far from
A’: You may be an excellent driver, but if you’re in an
home, why should I wear safety belts?
a,
accident -- even one that isn’t your fault -- you and
your passengers
can be hurt. Being a good driver
doesn’t protect you
from things beyond your
control, such as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within
25 miles (40 km) of
home. And the greatest number
of serious injuries
and deaths occur at speeds of less than
40 mph
(65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
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Theft Parking at Night
Vehicle theft is big business, especially in some cities.
Although your Pontiac has a number of theft deterrent
features, we know that nothing we put on it can make it
impossible to steal. However, there
are ways you can
help.
Key in the Ignition
If you walk away from your vehicle with the keys
inside, it’s
an easy target for joy riders or professional
thieves
-- so don’t do it.
When you park your Pontiac and open the driver’s door,
you’ll hear a chime reminding you to remove your key
from the ignition and take
it with you. Always do this.
Your steering wheel
will be locked, and so will your
ignition and transaxle. And remember to lock the doors. Park
in a lighted spot, close
all windows and lock your
vehicle. Remember to keep your valuables
out of sight.
Put them in a storage area, or take them with you.
Parking Lots
If you park in a lot where someone will be watching
your vehicle, it’s best to lock it up and take your
keys.
But what if you have to leave your ignition key? What if
you have to leave something valuable in your vehicle?
0 Put your valuables in a storage area, like your trunk
or glove box.
0 Lock the glove box.
0 Lock all the doors except the driver’s.
0 Then take the door key with you.
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1 Fog Lamps
To turn the fog lamps on, press the top of the fog lamp
switch
(C). Press the bottom of the switch to turn the fog
lamps
off. Your parking lamps must be on, or your fog
lamps won't come
on.
The fog lamps will go off whenever you change to
high-beam headlamps. When you return
to low beams,
~ the fog lamps will come on again.
I Instrument Panel Lamps
You can brighten or dim the instrument panel lamps by
moving the PANEL dial. If you turn the dial all the way
up, your courtesy or interior lamps will come on.
Turn the knob to LAMPS
(B) to turn on the headlamps
and other operating lamps.
Turn the knob to PARK
(A) to turn on the parking and
other operating lamps without
the headlamps.
Turn the knob to
OFF to turn off the lamps.
A warning chime will sound when you turn the ignition switch to
OFF, LOCK or ACC with the lamps on.
Daytime Running Lamps (Canada Only)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front of
your vehicle during the day.
DRL can be helpful in many different driving conditions, but they can be especially helpful in the
short periods after dawn and before sunset.
A light sensor on top
of the instrument panel makes the
DRL work,
so be sure it isn't covered.
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Disabling THEFTLOCK
If you want to turn off THEFTLOCK, you will neea to
enter
your code. If you lose or forget your code, see
your dealer.
1. Turn the ignition on and the radio off.
2. Press the 1 and 4 preset buttons at the same time and
hold until
SEC shows on the display.
You now have only
1.5 seconds between each of the
following steps.
3. Press MIN and “000” will appear on the display.
4. Press MIN again and hold until the last two digits of
your code appear.
5. Press and hold HR until the first digit or digits of
your code appear.
the one you wrote down.
“- - -” should appear on the
display, meaning your system
is unsecured. If SEC
appears, you entered the wrong code and the system
is still secured.
6. Press AMEM after you make sure the code matches
Understanding Radio Reception
FM Stereo
FM Stereo will give you the best sound, but mVr signals
will reach only about 10 to
40 miles (1 6 to 65 km). Tall
buildings or hills can interfere with
FM signals, causing
the sound to come and go.
I
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM,
especially at night. The longer range, however, can
cause stations to interfere with each other.
AM can also
pick up noise from things like storms and power lines.
To lower this noise,
try reducing the treble level.
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The body takes about an hour to rid itself of the alcohol
in one drink.
No amount of coffee or number of cold
showers will speed that up.
‘‘I’ll be careful” isn’t the
right answer. What
if there’s an emergency, a need to
take sudden action, as when a child darts into the street?
A person with even a moderate BAC might not be able
to react quickly enough to avoid the collision.
There’s something else about drinking and driving that
many people don’t know. Medical research shows that
alcohol in a person’s system can make crash injuries
worse, especially injuries to the brain, spinal cord
or
heart. This means that when anyone who has been
drinking
-- driver or passenger -- is in a crash, that
person’s chance of being killed or permanently disabled
is higher than if the person had not been drinking.
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Braking in Emergencies
At some time, nearly every driver gets into a situation
that requires hard braking.
If you have anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the
same time. However,
if you don’t have anti-lock, your
first reaction
-- to hit the brake pedal hard and hold it
down
-- may be the wrong thing to do. Your wheels can
stop rolling. Once they do, the vehicle can’t respond to
your steering. Momentum will carry it in whatever
direction it was headed when the wheels stopped rolling.
That could be off the road, into the very thing you were
trying to avoid, or into traffic.
If you don’t have anti-lock, use a “squeeze” braking
technique. This will give you maximum braking while
maintaining steering control. You do this by pushing on
the brake pedal with steadily increasing pressure.
In an emergency you will probably want to “squeeze”
the brakes hard without locking the wheels. If you hear
or feel the wheels sliding, ease off the brake pedal. This
will help you retain steering control.
(If you do have
anti-lock, it’s different: see “Anti-Lock Brakes’’ in the
Index.)
In many emergencies, steering can help you more than
even the very best braking.
Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It’s important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here’s why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to
the same laws of physics when driving on curves. The
traction of the tires against the road surface makes it
possible for the vehicle to change its path when you turn
the front wheels. If there’s no traction, inertia will keep
the vehicle going in the same direction. If you’ve ever
tried to steer a vehicle on
wet ice, you’ll understand this.
The traction you can get in a curve depends on the
condition of your tires and the road surface, the angle
at which the curve is banked, and your speed. While
you’re in a curve, speed is the one factor you can
control.
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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
e
e
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 trafk 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 traffk.
e
e
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 cause you to cancel your pass,
you need only slow down and drop back again and
wait for another opportunity.
If other cars are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait
your
turn. But take care that someone isn’t trying to
pass you as you pull out to pass the slow vehicle.
Remember to glance over your shoulder and check
the blind spot.
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0 Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and
start your left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough
ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front in your
inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal
and move back into the right lane. (Remember that
your right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle you
just passed may seem to be farther away from you
than it really
is.)
Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on
two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the next
vehicle.
Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lights are not flashing,
it may
be slowing down or starting to turn.
If you’re being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you
can ease a little to the right.
Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems (brakes, steering
and acceleration) don’t have enough friction where the
tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying to steer
and constantly seek an escape route or area of less
danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not
“overdriving” those conditions. But skids are always
possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your Pontiac’s
three control systems. In the braking skid your wheels
aren’t rolling.
In the steering or cornering skid, too
much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force. And in the acceleration skid too
much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best
handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal.
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