
Vehicle  Symbols 
These  are some of the  symbols you may find on your vehicle. 
For  example, 
these  symbols are  used  on  an 
original  battery: 
POSSIBLE A 
CAUTION 
INJURY 
PROTECT  EYES  BY 
SHIELDING 
Q 
CAUSTIC 
ACID  COULD  BAllERY 
CAUSE -~~-. . 
BURNS 
AVOID 
SPARKS 
OR 
FLAMES 
SPARK 
OR ,\I/, 
COULD  FLAME 
EXPLODE  BAllERY 
I 
These  symbols are  important 
for  you  and 
your  passengers 
whenever  your 
vehicle  is 
driven: 
DOOR  LOCK 
UNLOCK 
n 
POWER 
WINDOW 
oJ4 
AIR  BAG p 
These  symbols 
have  to  do  with your  lamps: 
SIGNALS e3 
TURN 
FOG  LAMPS 
# 0 
These  symbols  are  on  some 
of 
your  controls: 
WINDSHIELD 
WIPER 
WINDSHIELD 
DEFROSTER 
DEFOGGER 
VENTILATING  FAN 
( rc?: A 
These  symbols are  used  on 
warning 
and 
indicator  lights: 
COOLANT - 
TEMP - 
CHARGING I-1 
BAllERY 
SYSTEM 
BRAKE 
(a) 
R 
Here  are  some 
other  symbols 
you  may  see: 
FUSE 
LIGHTER 
n 
HORN )b. 
ENGINE  OIL e, 
PRESSURE 
V 
SPEAKER 
b 
FUEL  

Section 2 Features  and  Controls 
Here  you  can  learn  about  the  many  standard  and  optional  featur\
es  on your vehicle,  and  information  on  starting, 
shifting  and  braking. 
Also explained are the  instrument  panel  and the warning  systems  that  tell  you  if  everything  is 
working  properly 
-- and  what  to  do if  you  have  a  problem. 
2-2 
2-4  2- 
10 
2-  14 
2-15 
2-16 
2-18 
2-  19 
2-20 
2-21 
2-23 
2-24 
2-28 
2-29 2-32 
2-33  2-33  Keys 
Door  Locks 
Remote  Keyless  Entry  (Option) 
TnXnk 
Theft 
Universal  Theft-Deterrent  (Option) 
PASS-Key@ 
I1 
New  Vehicle  “Break-In” 
Ignition  Positions 
Starting 
Your Engine 
Engine  Coolant  Heater  (If  Equipped)  Automatic  Transaxle  Operation 
Computer  Command  Ride  (Option) 
Shifting  Into  PARK (P) 
Shifting  Out 
of PARK (P) 
Parking  Over  Things  That  Burn  Engine  Exhaust  2-34 
2-35 
2-35 
2-36 
2-36 
2-43 
2-46 
2-48  2-5 
1 
2-53 
2-54 
2-55 
2-56  2-62 
2-74 
2-77 
2-79  Running 
Your Engine  While  You’re  Parked 
Windows  Horn 
Tilt  Wheel 
Turn SignaYMultifunction  Lever 
Exterior  Lamps 
Interior Lamps 
Mirrors  Storage  Compartments 
Sun  Visors 
Air Inflator  System  (Option) 
Sunroof  (Option) 
Instrument  Panel 
Warning  Lights,  Gages  and  Indicators  Head-Up  Display  (Option) 
Driver  Information  Center  (Option) 
Electronic  Compass  (Option) 
2-1  

Ignition  Positions 
With the ignition  key  in the  ignition  switch,  you  can  turn 
the switch  to  five positions. 
C 
A E 
ACCESSORY (A): In  this  position  you  can  operate 
your  electrical  power  accessories.  Press 
in the  ignition 
switch as you turn the top of it toward you. 
LOCK (B): The  only  position  in which  you  can 
remove  the  key. 
This locks  your  steering  wheel,  ignition 
and  transaxle. 
OFF' (C): Unlocks the  steering  wheel,  ignition  and 
transaxle,  but  does  not  send  electrical  power  to  any 
accessories.  Use 
this position if your  vehicle  must  be 
pushed  or towed,  but  never 
try to push-start  your 
vehicle. 
A warning chime  will  sound  if  you  open  the 
driver's  door  when  the ignition  is 
OFF and the key  is in 
the  ignition. 
RUN @): This is the  position the switch  returns  to after 
you start your engine  and  release the switch. The switch 
stays  in 
RUN when  the  engine is running.  But  even 
when  the  engine  is not  running, 
you can  use RUN to 
operate  your  electrical  power  accessories,  and  to display 
some  instrument  panel  warning  lights. 
START (E): Starts  the  engine.  When  the  engine starts, 
release  the  key. The  ignition  switch  will  return  to 
RUN 
for normal  driving. 
Note  that  even  if 
the engine  is not  running,  the  positions 
ACCESSORY and RUN are on positions that allow you 
to  operate  your  electrical  accessories,  such  as the  radio. 
2-20  

Computer Command Ride (Option) 
Vehicles  equipped  with  computer command ride  provide 
improved  passenger  ride  comfort  under 
a variety of road 
and  driving  conditions. 
For  normal  driving  conditions,  press  the 
TOURING 
RIDE  button  to  get a more  refined  comfortable  ride. 
When  driving  conditions  require  improved 
handling, 
press  the PERFORM RIDE button  to  get  a fm ride. 
This mode  minimizes  how  much  the  passenger 
compartment  leans  in  turns, 
and decreases  the 
up-and-down  motion  of the  front  and  rear 
of the  vehicle 
during  acceleration  or 
braking. 
Even  in  the  TOURING RIDE mode,  the  system  will 
adjust 
to rapid  cornering,  acceleration  or  braking. 
If the  computer command ride  detects  a  problem  in  the 
system,  the  lights  on  the 
TOURING RIDE and 
PERFORM RIDE buttons  will  both  come on. If this 
happens,  have  your  vehicle  serviced. 
Parking Brake 
Your vehicle  has  a PUSH 
TO RELEASE parking 
brake. 
To set the  parking 
brake,  hold  the regular 
brake  pedal  down  with 
your  right  foot.  Push  down 
the  parking  brake  pedal 
with  your  left foot. 
If the 
ignition  is on, the  brake 
system  warning  light  will 
come on and a single chime 
will  be  heard. 
If you  start  to  drive  with  the parking brake set, a chime 
will  sound  after 
the vehicle  has  traveled  approximately 
40 feet (12 m). 
To release  the  parking  brake,  use  the PUSH TO 
RELEASE parking  brake  pedal.  Hold  the regular  brake 
pedal  down  with 
your right  foot and push  the parking 
brake pedal with your left foot. This will  unlock the 
pedal.  When you lift your  left  foot, the parking  brake 
pedal  will  follow 
it to  the  release  position. 
2-28  

Exterior  Lamps 
Headlamps 
Pull  the  switch  to  the first 
stop  to turn on the: 
Parking  Lamps 
Sidemarker  Lamps 
Taillamps 
0 Instrument  Panel  Lights 
Pull the  switch  out all  the  way  to turn on the: 
Headlamps 
0 Parking  Lamps 
0 Sidemarker  Lamps 
0 Taillamps 
0 Instrument  Panel  Lights 
Push  the  switch 
in all  the  way  to turn all  the  lamps  and 
lights 
off. 
Lamps  On  Reminder 
If you open the  driver’s  door  while  leaving  the  headlamps 
or  parking  lamps  switch  on  and  the  key  is  removed 
from 
the ignition, you will hear  a warning  chime. 
Daytime  Running  Lamps 
Daytime  Running  Lamps (DIU) 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  monitors 
the  exterior  light  level  for the  operation 
of DRL  and 
twilight  sentinel, 
so be  sure  it isn’t  covered.  The  DRL 
system 
will make  your  low-beam  headlamps  come on at 
a  reduced  brightness  when: 
0 The  ignition  is  on, 
0 The  headlamp  switch  is off and 
The  transaxle  is  not  in  PARK (P). 
2-43  

Instrument  Panel  Clusters 
Your instrument  panel  clusters  are  designed to let you know  at a  glance  how  your  vehicle  is  running. You’ll know  how 
fast  you’re  going,  how  much  fuel  you’re  using,  and  many 
other things you’ll  need  to  drive  safely and economically. 
Your  vehicle  is equipped  with  one 
of these  instrument  panel  clusters, which includes  indicator  warning  lights and 
gages  that are explained on the  following  pages. 
Cluster with Gages 
2-58  

Tachometer 
x 1000 
n 
’ The  tachometer  shows  your 
engine  speed 
in revolutions 
per  minute 
(rpm). Do not 
run your  engine  at  speeds in 
the  red  area. 
Warning lights  come on when  there  may  be  or is a 
problem 
with one of your  vehicle’s  functions. As you 
will  see  in  the  details  on  the  next  few  pages,  some 
warning  lights  come  on  briefly  when 
you start  the 
engine  just to let  you  know  they’re  working. 
If you  are 
familiar  with 
this section,  you  should  not  be  alarmed 
when 
this happens. 
Gages  can  indicate  when  there  may 
be or is a problem 
with  one of  your  vehicle’s  functions.  Often  gages  and  warning  lights  work  together  to let  you  know  when 
there’s  a problem  with  your  vehicle. 
Warning  Lights, Gages 
and  Indicators 
This part describes  the  warning  lights  and  gages  that 
may  be  on  your  vehicle.  The  pictures  will  help  you 
locate them. 
Warning  lights and gages can signal that something is 
wrong  before  it becomes  serious  enough  to  cause  an 
expensive  repair  or replacement.  Paying  attention 
to 
your  warning  lights  and  gages  could also save  you or 
others  from  injury. 
When one of the warning lights comes on and stays on 
when you are  driving,  or when  one of the  gages  shows 
there  may 
be a problem,  check  the  section that tells  you 
what  to 
do about  it. Please  follow this manual’s  advice. 
Waiting  to 
do repairs  can  be  costly -- and  even 
dangerous. 
So please  get to know  your  warning  lights 
and  gages.  They’re  a big  help. 
Your  vehicle  may 
also have a driver  information  system 
that  works  along  with  the  warning  lights  and  gages.  See  “Driver  Information  System’’ 
in the  Index. 
2-62  

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