2000 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX ESP

1-12
or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance,
and your strongest bones take the forces. That's why
safety belts make such good sense.
Here Are Questions Many People Ask
About Safety Belts
-- and the Answers
Q:
Won't I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if I'm wearing a safety belt?
A:You could be -- whether you're wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt,
even if you're upside down. And your chance of
being conscious during and after an accident, so
you can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if
you are belted.
Q:If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to
wear safety belts?
A:Air bags are in many vehicles today and will
be in most of them in the future. But they are
supplemental systems only; so they work with
safety belts
-- not instead of them. Every air bag
system ever offered for sale has required the use of
safety belts. Even if you're in a vehicle that has air
bags, you still have to buckle up to get the most
protection. That's true not only in frontal collisions,
but especially in side and other collisions.

2-4
Door Locks
CAUTION:
Unlocked doors can be dangerous.
Passengers -- especially children -- can easily
open the doors and fall out. When a door is
locked, the inside handle won't open it.
Outsiders can easily enter through an unlocked
door when you slow down or stop your vehicle.
This may not be so obvious: You increase the
chance of being thrown out of the vehicle in a
crash if the doors aren't locked. Wear safety belts
properly, lock your doors, and you will be far
better off whenever you drive your vehicle.
There are several ways to lock and unlock your vehicle.
To unlock either front door from outside the vehicle
with your key, insert it fully into the door key cylinder
and turn it counterclockwise.You can lock either front door from outside the vehicle
with your key by inserting it fully into the door key
cylinder and turning it clockwise.
To unlock either the front or rear door from inside the
vehicle, push the manual lock lever rearward.
To lock either the front or rear door from inside the
vehicle, push the manual lock lever forward.

2-24
Theft
Vehicle theft is big business, especially in some cities.
Although your vehicle has a number of theft
-deterrent
features, we know that nothing we put on it can make it
impossible to steal. However, there are ways you
can help.
Key in the Ignition
If you leave your vehicle with the keys inside, it's an
easy target for joy riders or professional thieves
-- so
don't do it.
When you park your vehicle and open the driver's door,
you'll hear a chime reminding you to remove your key
from the ignition and take it with you. Always do this.
Your steering wheel will be locked, and so will your
ignition and transaxle. And remember to lock the doors.
Parking at Night
Park in a lighted spot, close all windows and lock your
vehicle. Remember to keep your valuables out of sight.
Put them in a storage area, or take them with you.
Parking Lots
If you park in a lot where someone will be watching
your vehicle, it's best to lock it up and take your keys.
But what if you have to leave your ignition key?

If possible, park in a busy, well lit area.

Put your valuables in a storage area, like your trunk
or glove box. Be sure to close and lock the
storage area.

Close all windows.

Lock the glove box.

Lock all doors except the driver's.

Give the valet key to the valet. Then take the master
key with you.

2-53 Daytime Running Lamps / Automatic
Headlamp Control
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) 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 makes the
DRL work, so be sure it isn't covered.
The DRL system will make your low
-beam headlamps
come on at a reduced brightness when:

The ignition is on,

the headlamp switch is off,

the transaxle is not in PARK (P) and

the parking brake is released.When the DRL are on, only your low
-beam headlamps,
at a reduced brightness, will be on. The taillamps,
sidemarker and other lamps won't be on. Your
instrument panel won't be lit up either.
When it's dark enough outside, your headlamps will
change to full brightness. The other lamps that come on
with your headlamps will also come on.
When it's bright enough outside, the regular lamps will
go out, and your low
-beam headlamps change to the
reduced brightness of DRL.
To idle your vehicle with the DRL off, set the parking
brake while the ignition is in OFF or LOCK. Then start
your vehicle. The DRL will stay off until you shift out
of PARK (P) and release the parking brake.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.

3-27 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.

Increase volume slowly until you hear comfortably
and clearly.
NOTICE:
Before you add any sound equipment to your
vehicle
-- like a tape player, CB radio, mobile
telephone or two
-way radio -- be sure you can
add what you want. If you can, it's very
important to do it properly. Added sound
equipment may interfere with the operation of
your vehicle's engine, Delphi Delco Electronics
radio or other systems, and even damage them.
Your vehicle's systems may interfere with the
operation of sound equipment that has been
added improperly.
So, before adding sound equipment, check with
your dealer and be sure to check Federal rules
covering mobile radio and telephone units.

4-5
But the ability to drive is affected well below a BAC of
0.10 percent. Research shows that the driving skills
of many people are impaired at a BAC approaching
0.05 percent, and that the effects are worse at night. All
drivers are impaired at BAC levels above 0.05 percent.
Statistics show that the chance of being in a collision
increases sharply for drivers who have a BAC of
0.05 percent or above. A driver with a BAC level of
0.06 percent has doubled his or her chance of having a
collision. At a BAC level of 0.10 percent, the chance of
this driver having a collision is 12 times greater; at a
level of 0.15 percent, the chance is 25 times greater!
The body takes about an hour to rid itself of the alcohol
in one drink. No amount of coffee or number of cold
showers will speed that up. ªI'll be carefulº isn't the
right answer. What if there's an emergency, a need to
take sudden action, as when a child darts into the street?
A person with even a moderate BAC might not be able
to react quickly enough to avoid the collision.There's something else about drinking and driving that
many people don't know. Medical research shows that
alcohol in a person's system can make crash injuries
worse, especially injuries to the brain, spinal cord or
heart. This means that when anyone who has been
drinking
-- driver or passenger -- is in a crash, that
person's chance of being killed or permanently disabled
is higher than if the person had not been drinking.
CAUTION:
Drinking and then driving is very dangerous.
Your reflexes, perceptions, attentiveness and
judgment can be affected by even a small amount
of alcohol. You can have a serious
-- or even
fatal
-- collision if you drive after drinking.
Please don't drink and drive or ride with a driver
who has been drinking. Ride home in a cab;
or if you're with a group, designate a driver who
will not drink.

4-9
Traction Control System
(With 3800 Supercharged V6 Engine)
Your vehicle has a traction control system 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 works the
front brakes and reduces engine power to limit
wheel spin.
This light will come
on when your traction
control system is
limiting wheel spin.
See ªTraction Control
Warning Lightº in
the Index.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this
is normal.If your vehicle is in cruise control when the traction
control system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. When road
conditions allow you to safely use it again, you may
reengage the cruise control. (See ªCruise Controlº
in the Index.)
This light should come on
briefly when you start the
engine. If it stays on or
comes on while you are
driving, there's a problem
with your traction
control system.
See ªTraction Control System Warning Lightº in the
Index. When this warning light is on, the system will not
limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
The traction control system automatically comes on
whenever you start your vehicle. To limit wheel spin,
especially in slippery road conditions, you should
always leave the system on. But you can turn the
traction control 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 ªRocking Your Vehicleº
in the Index.)

4-10
To turn the system off,
press the TCS button on
the far right end of the
trip computer.
The traction control system warning light will come on
and stay on. If the system is limiting wheel spin when
you press the button, the warning light will come on and
the system will turn off instantly.
You can turn the system back on at any time by pressing
the button again. The traction control system warning
light should go off.Enhanced Traction System
(3100 V6 or 3800 V6 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.
This light will come on
when your Enhanced
Traction System is limiting
wheel spin. See ªEnhanced
Traction System Warning
Lightº in the Index.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the enhanced
traction system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. When road
conditions allow you to safely use it again, you may
reengage the cruise control. (See ªCruise Controlº
in the Index.)