1997 PONTIAC GRAND AM brake

REVERSE (R): To back up, press down the clutch
pedal and shift into REVERSE (R). Let up on the clutch
pedal slowly while pressing the accelerator pedal.
NOTICE:
Shift to REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle is
stopped. Shifting
to REVERSE (R) while your
vehicle is moving could damage your transaxle.
Also, use REVERSE (R), along with the parking brake,
for parking your vehicle.
Shift Speeds
A CAUTION:
-
If you skip more than one gear when you
downshift, you could lose control of your vehicle.
And you could injure yourself or others. Don’t
shift from FIFTH
(5) to SECOND (2) or from
FOURTH
(4) to FIRST (1).
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Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the regular brake pedal
down with your right foot. Pull
up on the parking brake
handle. If the ignition is on, the brake system warning
light will
come on.
To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down. Pull the parking brake lever
up until you
can press the release button. Hold the release button in
as you move the brake lever all the way down.
I NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause
your rear brakes
to overheat. You may have to
replace them, and you could also damage other
parts of your vehicle.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any hill,
see “Towing a Trailer”
in the Index. That section shows
what to do first to keep the trailer from moving.
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A CAUTION:
-
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
If you have left the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly.
You or others could be
injured. To be sure your vehicle won’t move, even
when you’re on fairly level ground, use the steps
that follow.
If you’re pulling a trailer, see
“Towing
a Trailer” in the Index.
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and set the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever into the PARK (P) position
like this:
0 Hold in the button on the lever.
Push the lever all the way toward the front of
your vehicle.
3. Move the ignition key to LOCK.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
leave your vehicle with the ignition key in your
hand, your vehicle is in
PARK (P)
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Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running (Automatic Transaxle
Models Only)
A CAUTION:
I
I
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with the
engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P)
with the parking brake firmly set. And, if you
leave the vehicle with the engine running,
it could
overheat and even catch fire.
You or others could
be injured. Don’t leave your vehicle with the
engine running unless you have to.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and your
parking brake is firmly set before you leave it. After
you’ve moved the shift lever into the PARK
(P)
position, hold the regular brake pedal down. Then, see if
you can move the shift lever away from PARK (P)
without first pushing the button.
If you can,
it means that the shift lever wasn’t fully
locked into PARK (P).
Torque Lock (Automatic Transaxle)
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transaxle into PARK
(P) 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 PARK (P). This is called “torque lock.”
To
prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then shift
into PARK
(P) properly before you leave the driver’s
seat.
To find out how, see “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in
the Index.
When you
are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK (P)
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 parking pawl in the transaxle, so you
can pull the shift lever out of PARK
(P).
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Shifting Out of PARK (P)
(Automatic Transaxle
Models Only)
Your Pontiac has a brake-transaxle shift interlock. You
have to fully apply your regular brakes before you can
shift from PARK (P) when the ignition is in the RUN
position. See “Automatic Transaxle Operation” in
the Index.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever
-- push the shift lever all the way into
PARK
(P) -- 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 PARK
(P), try this:
1. Remove the ignition key.
2. There is a small cap on the passenger’s side
of the center console. Gently remove it with a
small screwdriver.
3. Insert the ignition key into this opening until
it contacts with a small paddle. This is the
override feature.
4. While pushing forward on the paddle, press the shift
lever button, then pull the shift lever from PARK (P).
5. Have the vehicle fixed as soon as you can.
Parking Your Vehicle
(Manual Transaxle Only)
Before you get out of your vehicle, put your manual
transaxle in REVERSE (R) and firmly apply the
parking brake.
If you are parking on a hill, or if your vehicle is
equipped to tow a trailer, see “Towing a Trailer”
in the Index.
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Running Your Engine While You’re
Parked (Automatic Transaxle)
It’s better not to park with the engine running. But if you
:ver have to, here are some things
to know.
h
A CAUTION:
Idling the engine with the climate control system
off could allow dangerous exhaust into your vehicle
(see the earlier Caution under “Engine Exhaust”),
Also, idling in a closed-in place can let deadly
carbon monoxide (CO) into your vehicle even if
the fan switch is at the highest setting. One place
this can happen is
a garage. Exhaust -- with
CO
-- can come in easily. NEVER park in a
garage
with the engine running.
Another closed-in place can be a blizzard, (See
“Blizzard” in the Index.)
I
A CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to.
If you’ve left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be sure your
vehicle won’t move, even when you’re on fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to PARK (P).
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle won’t
move. See “Shifting Into
PARK (P)” in the Index.
If you are parking on a hill and if you’re pulling a
trailer, also see “Towing a Trailer” in the Index.
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Cruise Control (If Equipped)
With cruise control, you can maintain a speed of about
25 mph (40 h/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). When you apply your brakes
or push the clutch pedal
(if you have a manual transaxle), the cruise control
shuts off.
A CAUTION:
Cruise control can be dangerous where you
can’t drive safely at a steady speed. So,
don’t use your cruise control on winding
roads or in heavy traffic.
slippery roads. On such roads,
fast changes
in tire traction can cause needless wheel
spinning, and you could lose control. Don’t
use cruise control on slippery roads.
Cruise control can be dangerous on
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Resuming a Set Speed
Suppose you set your cruise control at a desired speed
and then you apply the brake. This, of course, shuts
off the cruise control. But you don’t need to reset it.
Once you’re going about
25 mph (40 h/h) or more,
you can move the cruise control switch from
ON to
R/A (Resume/Accelerate) for about half a second.
You’ll go right back up to your chosen speed and stay there. If you
hold the switch at R/A longer than half a second,
the vehicle will keep going faster until you release the
switch or apply the brake, or clutch pedal (if you have a
manual transaxle).
You could be startled and even lose
control,
So unless you want to go faster, don’t hold the
switch to R/A.
Increasing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to go to a higher speed.
Use the accelerator pedal to get to the higher speed. Push the
SET button at the end of the lever, then
release the button and the accelerator pedal. You’ll now cruise at the higher speed.
Move the cruise switch from ON to R/A. Hold it
there until you get up to the speed you want, and
then release the switch.
(To increase your speed in
very small amounts, move the switch to R/A for
less than half a second and then release it. Each
time you do this, your vehicle will go about
1 mph (1.6 km/h) faster.)
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