1998 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX towing

If the Light Is Flashing If the Light Is On Steady
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
Reducing vehicle speed.
0 Avoiding hard accelerations.
Avoiding steep uphill grades.
0 If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible.
If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see “If
the Light
Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to flash, when
it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key
off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart the
engine. If the light remains on steady, see “If
the Light
Is On Steady” following. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your dealer or qualified service center for service.
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put
fuel into your vehicle?
If
so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. The diagnostic system
can determine if the fuel
cap has been left off or improperly installed. A loose or
missing fuel cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the
atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap properly
installed should
turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out.
A few driving trips should turn the light off.
Are you low on fuel?
As your engine starts to run out of fuel, your engine may
not
run as efficiently as designed since small amounts of
air are sucked into the fuel line causing a misfire. The
system can detect
this. Adding fuel should correct this
condition. Make sure to install the fuel cap properly. It
will take a few driving trips to turn the light off.
Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
2-70

Section 4 Your Driving and the Road
Here you’ll find information about driving on different kinds\
of roads and in varying weather conditions. We’ve also
included many other useful tips on driving.
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4-3
4-6
4-6
4-12
4-
14
4-15
4-16
Defensive Driving
Drunken Driving
Control of a Vehicle
Braking
Steering
Off-Road Recovery
Passing
Loss of Control
4-17 Driving at Night
4- 19
4-22
4-23
4-25
4-25
4-27
4-3 1
4-33.
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
City Driving
Freeway Driving
Highway Hypnosis
Hill
and Mountain Roads
Winter Driving
Loading Your Vehicle
Towing a Trailer
4-1

If you put things inside your vehicle -- like suitcases,
tools, packages or anything else
-- they will go as fast as
the vehicle goes. If you have to stop or turn quickly, or
if there is a crash, they’ll keep going.
L
Things you put inside your vehicle can strike
and injure people in a sudden stop or turn, or in
a crash.
Put things in the trunk of your vehicle. In a
trunk, put them as far forward as you can.
’Iky to spread the weight evenly.
Never stack heavier things, like suitcases,
inside the vehicle
so that some of them are
above
the tops of the seats.
Don’t leave an unsecured child restraint in
your vehicle.
When you carry something inside the
vehicle, secure
it whenever you can.
Towing a Trailer
I
If you don’t use the correct equipment and drive
properly, you can lose control when you pull
a
trailer. For example, if the trailer is too heavy, the
brakes may not work well
-- or even at all. You
and your passengers could be seriously injured.
You may
also damage your vehicle; the resulting
repairs would not be covered by your warranty.
Pull
a trailer only if you have followed all the
steps in
this section. Ask your dealer for advice
and information about towing
a trailer with
your vehicle.
Do not tow a trailer if your vehicle is equipped with
3800 (L67) supercharged engine.
Your vehicle can tow a trailer if it is equipped with the
proper trailer towing equipment.
To identify what the
vehicle trailering capacity
is for your vehicle, you
should read the information in “Weight of the Trailer”
that appears later in this section. But trailering is
different than just driving your vehicle by itself.

Trailering means changes in handling, durability and
fuel economy. Successful, safe trailering takes correct
equipment,
and it has to be used properly.
That’s the reason for this part.
In it are many
time-tested, important trailering tips and safety rules.
Many
of these are important for your safety and that of
your passengers. So please read this section carefully
before you pull a trailer.
Load-pulling components such as the engine, transaxle,
wheel assemblies and tires are forced to
work harder
against the drag
of the added weight. The engine is
required to operate at relatively higher speeds and under
greater loads, generating extra heat. What’s more,
the
trailer adds considerably to wind resistance, increasing
the pulling requirements.
If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer
If you do, here are some important points:
0 There are many different laws, including speed limit
restrictions, having to do
with trailering. Make sure
your rig will be legal, not only where you live but
also where you’ll be driving. A good source for this
information can be state or provincial police.
0
0
0
a
Consider using a sway control. You can ask a hitch
dealer about sway controls.
Don’t tow a trailer at
all during the first 1 ,OOO miles
(1
600 km) your new vehicle is driven. Your engine,
axle or other parts could be damaged.
Then, during the first
500 miles (800 km) that you
tow
a trailer, don’t drive over 50 mph (80 km/h) and
don’t make
starts at full throttle. This helps your
engine and other
parts of your vehicle wear in at the
heavier loads.
Obey speed limit restrictions when towing a trailer.
Don’t drive faster
than the maximum posted speed
for trailers
(or no more than 55 mph (90 km/h)) to
save wear on your vehicle’s parts.
Three important considerations have to do with weight:
the weight of the trailer,
0 the weight of the trailer tongue
0 and the total weight on your vehicle’s tires.
4-34

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.
4-37

Making lhms
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.
Thrn 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 mows 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.
4-38

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.
4-40

V
f Section 5 Problems on the Road
- ~~ ~~ - , I . . . . , .. - .~ . 1,F. - 1'7. -A,,. ,- , .. 5' _I ,_. . .- , ~ . .= . .-+ .. -. .. ,. .
Here you'll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the road.
5-2
5-2
5-3
5-8
5-15
Hazard Warning Flashers
Other Warning Devices
Jump Starting
Towing Your Vehicle
Engine Overheating
5 -26
5-27
5-37
5-38
If A Tire Goes Flat
Changing a Flat Tire
Compact Spare Tire
If You're Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice
or Snow
5-1