1998 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE turn signal

PLAY: Press this button to play a cassette tape or
compact disc when the radio is playing.
MUTE: Press this button to silence the system. Press it
again, or any other radio button, to
turn on the sound.
Understanding Radio Reception
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 pick
up noise from things like storms and power lines.
Try
reducing the treble to reduce this noise if you ever get it.
FM Stereo
FM stereo will give you the best sound, but FM signals
will reach only about
10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km). Tall
buildings or hills can interfere with FM signals, causing
the sound to come and go.
Tips About Your Audio System
Hearing damage from loud noise is almost undetectable
until it is too late. Your hearing can adapt to higher
volumes
of sound. Sound that seems normal can be loud
and harmful to your hearing. Take precautions
by
adjusting the volume control on your radio to a safe
sound level before
your hearing adapts to it.
To help avoid hearing loss or damage:
Adjust the volume control to the lowest setting.
0 Increase volume slowly until you hear comfortably
and clearly.
3-27

When using a scrubbing action, non-abrasive cleaning cassette, it is normal for the cassette to eject because
your unit is equipped with a cut tape detection feature
and a cleaning cassette may appear as a broken tape.
To
prevent the cleaning cassette from being ejected, use the
following steps.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Turn the ignition to RUN or ACCESSORY.
Turn the radio
off.
Press and hold the TAPEPLAY button for three
seconds. The tape symbol on the display will flash
for two seconds.
Insert the scrubbing action cleaning cassette while
the tape symbol is flashing.
Eject the cleaning cassette after the manufacturer’s
recommended cleaning time.
When the cleaning cassette has been ejected, the cut tape
detection feature is active again.
You may
also choose a non-scrubbing action, wet-type
cleaner which uses a cassette with a fabric belt to clean
the tape head.
This type of cleaning cassette will not
eject on
its own. A non-scrubbing action cleaner may
not clean as thoroughly
as the scrubbing type cleaner.
The use of a non-scrubbing action, dry-type cleaning
cassette is not recommended. After you clean
the player, press and hold
EJECT for
five seconds to reset the CLN indicator. The radio will
display
--- to show the indicator was reset.
Cassettes are subject to wear and the sound quality may
degrade over time. Always make sure the cassette tape is
in good condition before you have your tape
player serviced.
Care of Your Compact Discs
Handle discs carefully. Store them in their original cases
or other protective cases and away from direct sunlight and dust.
If the surface of a disc is soiled, dampen a
clean, soft cloth in a mild, neutral detergent solution
and
clean it, wiping from the center to the edge.
Be sure never to touch
the signal surface when handling
discs. Pick up discs by grasping the outer edges or the
edge of the hole and the outer edge.
Care of Your Compact Disc Player
The use of CD lens cleaner discs is not advised, due to
the
risk of contaminating the lens of the CD optics with
lubricants internal to the CD mechanism.
3-29

0
0
0
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 lamps 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 vehicle’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 is best handled by easing your foot off
the accelerator pedal.
If you have the traction control system, remember: It
helps avoid only the acceleration skid.
If you do not have traction control, or if the system is
off, then an acceleration skid is also best handled by
easing your foot
off the accelerator pedal.
4-14

Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a wet
road, you can’t stop, accelerate or turn as well because
your tire-to-road traction isn’t as good as on
dry roads.
And, if your tires don’t have much tread left, you’ll get
even less traction. It’s always wise to go slower and be
cautious if rain starts to fall while you
are driving. The
surface may get wet suddenly when your reflexes are
tuned for driving on dry pavement.
The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. Even if your
windshield wiper blades are in good shape, a heavy rain
can make
it harder to see road signs and traffic signals,
pavement markings, the edge of the road
and even
people walking.
It’s wise to keep
your windshield wiping equipment in
good shape and keep your windshield washer tank filled
with washer fluid. Replace your windshield wiper
inserts when they show signs
of streaking or missing
areas on the windshield, or when strips
of rubber start to
separate from the inserts.
4-17

City Driving
One of the biggest problems with city streets is the
amount
of traEc on them. You’ll want to watch out for
what the other drivers are
doing and pay attention to
traffic signals. Here are ways
to increase your safety in city driving:
Know the best way to get to where you are
going. Get
a city map and plan your trip into an
unknown part of the city just as you would for a
cross-country trip.
0 Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most
large cities. You’ll save time and energy. (See the
next
part, “Freeway Driving.”)
light
is there because the corner is busy enough to
need
it. When a light turns green, and just before you
start to move, check both ways for vehicles that have
not cleared the intersection or may be running the
red light.
Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic
4-20

Freeway Driving
Mile for mile, freeways (also called thruways, parkways,
expressways, turnpikes or superhighways) are the safest
of all roads. But they have their own special rules.
The most important advice
on freeway driving is: Keep
up with traffic and keep
to the right. Drive at the same
speed most of the other drivers are driving. Too-fast or
too-slow driving breaks a
smooth traffic flow. Treat the
left lane on a freeway as a passing lane. At
the entrance, there
is usually a ramp that leads to the
freeway. If you have a clear view
of the freeway as you
drive along the entrance ramp, you should begin to
check traffic. Try to determine where you expect to
blend with the flow. Try to merge into the gap at close to the prevailing speed. Switch
on your turn signal, check
your mirrors and glance over your shoulder as
often as
necessary. Try to blend smoothly with the traffic flow.
Once you are on the freeway, adjust your speed to the
posted limit or to the prevailing rate if it’s slower. Stay\

in the right lane unless you want to pass.
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then use
your
turn signal.
Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your
shoulder to
make sure there isn’t another vehicle in your
“blind” spot.
Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain
you
allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to move
slightly slower
at night.
When you
want to leave the freeway, move to the proper
lane well in advance. If you
miss your exit, do not,
under
any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive on to
the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
4-21

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 Tbms
NOTICE:
Making very sharp turns while trailering could
cause the trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
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.
4-36

Tbrn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle may need a
different turn signal flasher and/or extra wiring. Check
with your Pontiac dealer. The green arrows on your
instrument panel will flash whenever
you signal a turn
or lane change. Properly hooked up, the trailer lamps
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.
Your vehicle has bulb warning lights. When you plug a
trailer lighting system into your vehicle’s lighting
system, its bulb warning lights may not let you know
if
one of your lamps goes out. So, when you have a trailer
lighting system plugged in, be sure to check your
vehicle and trailer lamps from time to time to be sure
they’re all working. Once you disconnect the trailer
lamps, the bulb warning lights again can tell
you if one
of your vehicle lamps is out.
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.
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.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
PARK (P) yet.
Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until
the chocks absorb the load.
Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your parking
brake, and then shift to PARK (P).
Release the regular brakes.
4-37