1998 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX ESP

Enhanced Traction System
(3100 or 3800 Engine)
Your vehicle may have an Enhanced Traction System (ETS) that limits wheel spin. This is especially useful
in
slippery road conditions. The system operates only if it
senses that one or both of the front wheels
are spinning
or beginning to lose traction. When
this happens, the
system reduces engine power and may
also upshift the
transaxle
to limit wheel spin.
LOW
TRAC
This light will come on when your Enhanced
Traction System is limiting wheel spin. See “Enhanced
Traction
System Warning
Light
” in the index.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this
is normal.
The Enhanced Traction System operates in all transaxle
shift lever positions. But the system can upshift the
transaxle
only as high as the shift lever position you’ve
chosen,
so you should use the lower gears only when
necessary. See “Automatic Transaxle” in
the Index.
1
This warning light will
come
on to let you know if
there’s a problem with the TRAC
OFF
system.
See “Enhanced Traction System Warning Light” in the
Index. When this warning light is on, the system will not
limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
To limit wheel spin, especially in slippery road
conditions, you should always leave the Enhanced
Traction System on. But you can
turn the system off if
you ever need to. (You should turn the system off if your
vehicle ever gets stuck in sand, mud, ice or snow. See
“Rocking Your Vehicle” in the Index.)

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 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 traffic 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 traffic.
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
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 Enhanced Traction System or ‘Traction
Control System”, remember: It helps avoid only the acceleration
skid.
If you do not have the Enhanced Traction System or
‘Traction Control System”, or
if the system is off, then
an acceleration skid is also best handled by easing your
foot
off the accelerator pedal.
4-16

Here are some tips on night driving.
Drive defensively.
0 Don’t drink and drive.
0 Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind you.
0 Since you can’t see as well, you may need to
slow down and keep more space between you and
other vehicles.
0 Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light up only so much road ahead.
0 In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you’re tired, pull off the road in a safe place
and rest.
Night Vision
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as
we get older these differences increase. A 50-year-old
driver may require at least twice as much light to see the same thing at night as a 20-year-old.
What you do
in the daytime can also affect your night
vision. For example, if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes will
have less trouble adjusting to night. But
if you’re
driving, don’t wear sunglasses at night. They may cut down
on glare
from headlamps, but they also make a lot
of things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps.
It can take a second or two, or even several
seconds, for your eyes to readjust to the dark. When
you
are faced with severe glare (as from a driver who
doesn’t lower the high beams, or a vehicle with
misaimed headlamps), slow down a little. Avoid staring
directly into the approaching headlamps.
Keep your windshield and all the glass on your vehicle
clean
-- inside and out. Glare at night is made much
worse
by dirt on the glass. Even the inside of the glass
can build up a film caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and flash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils
of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that
your headlamps light up far less of a
roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep your
eyes moving; that way, it’s easier to pick out dimly
lighted objects. Just as your headlamps should be
checked regularly for proper aim,
so should your eyes
be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer
from night
blindness
-- the inability to see in dim light -- and
aren’t even aware
of it.
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Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up
under your tires that they can actually ride
on the water.
This can happen if the road is wet enough and you’re
going fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning,
it has little or
no contact with the road.
Hydroplaning doesn’t happen often. But it can if your
tires do not have much tread or if the pressure in one or
more is low. It can happen if a lot
of water is standing on
the road. If you can see reflections from trees, telephone
poles or other vehicles, and raindrops “dimple” the water’s surface, there could be hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There
just isn’t a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning. The
best advice is to slow down when it is raining.
Driving Through Deep Standing Water
NOTICE:
If you drive too quickly through deep puddles or
standing water, water can come in through your
engine’s air intake and badly damage your
engine. Never drive through water that is slightly
lower than the underbody
of your vehicle. If you
can’t avoid deep puddles or standing water, drive
through them very slowly.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, allow some extra following
distance. And be especially careful when you pass another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear room
ahead, and be prepared to have your view restricted
by road spray.
“Tires”
in the Index.)
Have good tires with proper tread depth. (See
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Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you’ve been stopped by the snow.
0 Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you.
If you have no blankets or extra clothing, make body
insulators
from newspapers, burlap bags, rags, floor
mats
-- anything you can wrap around yourself or
tuck under your clothing
to keep warm.
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle.
This can cause deadly
CO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get inside.
CO could overcome you and kill
you. You can’t see it or smell it, so you might not
know it
is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle, especially any
that
is blocking your exhaust pipe. And check
around again from time to time to be sure snow
doesn’t collect there.
Open a window just a little
on the side of the
vehicle that’s away from
the wind. This will help
keep
CO out.
You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
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Trailer Brakes Following Distance
Because you have anti-lock brakes, do not try to
tap into
your vehicle’s brake system.
If you do, both brake
systems won’t work well,
or at all.
Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of experience.
Before setting
out for the open road, you’ll want to get
to know your rig. Acquaint yourself with the feel of
handling and braking with the added weight
of the
trailer. And always keep in mind that the vehicle you are
driving is now
a good deal longer and not nearly as
responsive as your vehicle is by itself.
Before
you start, check the trailer hitch and platform
(and attachments), safety chains, electrical connector,
lamps, tires and
mirror adjustment. If the trailer has
electric brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving and
then apply the trailer brake controller by hand to be sure
the brakes
are working. This lets you check your
electrical connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be sure that the
load is secure, and that the lamps and any trailer brakes
are still working. 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.
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When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on
a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
0 Start your engine;
0 Shift into a gear; and
0 Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on
this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transaxle fluid (don’t overfill),
engine oil,
drive belts, cooling system and brake
adjustment. Each
of these is covered in this manual, and
the Index will help you find them quickly. If you’re
trailering, it’s a good idea to review
this information
before you
start your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
Engine Cooling When Trailer Towing
Your cooling system may temporarily overheat during
severe operating conditions. See “Engine Overheating”
in the Index.
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