1997 PONTIAC PONTIAC tow

AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D): This position is for
normal driving.
If your vehicle has overdrive, AUTOMATIC
OVERDRIVE
(D) is the overdrive position. If you need
more power for passing, and you’re:
Going less than 35 mph (55 km/h), push your
0 Going about 35 mph (55 kmh) or more, push the
accelerator
pedal about halfway down.
accelerator pedal all the way down.
You’ll
shift down to the next gear and have more power.
NOTICE:
If your vehicle seems to start up rather slowly,
or
if it seems not to shift gears as you go faster,
something may be wrong with
a transaxle system
sensor.
If you drive very far that way, your
vehicle can be damaged.
So, if this happens, have
your vehicle serviced right
away. Until then, you
can use SECOND
(2) when you are driving less
than 35 mph (55 km/h) and AUTOMATIC
OVERDRIVE (D) for higher speeds. THIRD
(3): This
position is also used for normal
driving, but it offers more power and lower fuel
economy than AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(D).
Here are some times you might choose THIRD (3)
instead of AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D):
When driving on hilly, winding roads.
When towing a trailer, so there is less shifting
When going down a steep hill.
SECOND (2): This position gives you more power, but
lower fuel economy. You can use SECOND
(2) on hills.
It can help control your speed as you go down steep
mountain roads, but then you would also want to use
your brakes off and on.
between gears.
NOTICE:
Don’t drive in SECOND (2) for more than 25 miles
(41 km) at speeds over 55 mph (88 km/h), or you can
damage your transaxle. Use AUTOMATIC
OVERDRIVE (D) or THIRD (3) as much as possible.
Don’t shift into
SECOND (2) unless you are going
slower than
65 mph (105 km/h), or you can
damage your engine.
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I
Parking Brake
~~ ~~~~ L ~ ~~ ~~
NOTICE:
To set the parking brake,
hold
the regular brake pedal
brake pedal with your
Push down the parking
down with your right foot.
Driving with the parking brake on can cause
left foot,
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 pasking on any hill,
+. ..
To release the parking brake, hold the’rZguhr brake
pedal down with your right foot and push the
parking
brake pedal with your left foot. When you lift your left
foot, the parking brake pedal will follow
it to the
released position.
’ J- ‘5, ‘,-: ‘
see “Towing a Trailer” in the Index. That section shows
what to do first to keep the trailer from moving.
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Shifting Into PARK (P)
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.
Pull the lever toward you.
Column Shift
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) position like this:
set the parking brake.
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Move the lever up as far as it will go.
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).
Console Shift
I. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
2, Move the shift lever into PARK (P) position like this:
set the parking brake.
3.
4.
Hold in the lever, located on the front of the shift
knob, and push the shift knob all the way toward the
front of your vehicle.
Move the ignition key
to LOCK.
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
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 pulling it toward you (or, if you have a
console
shift lever, without first pushing the button). If
you can, it means that the shift lever wasn’t fully locked
into PARK (P).
Torque Lock
If you are parlung 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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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.
Yon 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.
Power Windows
Switches on the driver’s door armrest control each of the
windows when the ignition is on. In addition, each
passenger door has
a switch for its own window.
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If a bulb is burned out, replace it to help avoid an
accident.
If the arrows don’t go on at all when you
signal a turn, check for burned-out bulbs and then check
the fuse (see “Fuses and Circuit Breakers” in the Index).
A chme will sound if you leave your turn signal on for
more than
3/4 mile (1.2 km).
Headlamp HigWLow Beam
To change your headlamps
from low beam to high
beam, or high to low, pull
the multifunction lever all
the way toward you. Then
release it. When the high
beams are on, a light on the
instrument panel also will
be
on.
Flash-to-Pass
When your headlamps are off, pull the lever toward you
to momentarily switch on the high beams (to signal that
you are going to pass). When you release the lever they
will
turn off.
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.
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Mirrors
Adjust all the mirrors so you can see clearly when you
are sitting in a comfortable driving position.
Inside Daymight Rearview Mirror Electrochromic
Daymight Rearview Mirror
(If Equipped)
To reduce glare from lamps behind you, push the lever
away from you (to the night position). To return the mirror
back to the day position, pull the lever toward you. Your
Pontiac may have an electrochromic dayhight
rearview mirror. Push the button on the bottom of the
mirror to turn this feature on. The mirror will darken
gradually to reduce glare from headlamps behind you.
This may take
a few moments.
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