2001 PONTIAC GRAND AM steering wheel

2-46
Interior Lamps
Instrument Panel Intensity Control
You can brighten or dim the instrument panel cluster
lights by moving the thumbwheel to the right to increase
intensity and to the left to decrease intensity. The
thumbwheel is located on the instrument panel to the left
of the steering wheel.
Courtesy Lamp Control
When the thumbwheel for the instrument panel intensity
control is moved to the right, the dome lamp, and the
mirror reading lamps (if equipped) will turn on. Move
the thumbwheel to the left, to turn the lamps off.
Illuminated Entry/Exit System
When you lift the driver's door handle or open any door,
the lamps inside your vehicle will go on. These lamps
will fade out after about 10 seconds after all of the doors
have been closed or when the ignition is turned to ON.
These lamps will also go on when you press the trunk
release, UNLOCK or the horn symbol button on the
optional keyless entry system transmitter.
The lamps inside your vehicle will stay on for about
10 seconds after your key is removed from the ignition
to provide an illuminated exit.

2-53
The main components of your instrument panel are the following:
A. Fog Lamp Switch
B. Instrument Panel Intensity Control
C. Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
D. Horn
E. Instrument Panel Cluster
F. Windshield Wiper/Washer Lever
G. Ignition Switch
H. Enhanced Traction System
I. Hazard Warning Flashers ButtonJ. Instrument Panel Fuse Blocks
K. Hood Release Handle
L. Tilt Wheel Lever
M. Audio System Steering Wheel Controls
(If Equipped)
N. Cruise Control Switches (If Equipped)
O. Shift Lever
P. Cigarette Lighter
Q. Climate Control System
R. Audio System

3-
3-1
Section 3 Comfort Controls and Audio Systems
In this section, you'll find out how to operate the comfort control and audio systems offered with your vehicle.
Be sure to read about the particular systems supplied with your vehicle.
3
-2 Comfort Controls
3
-2 Climate Control System with Air Conditioning
3
-3 Air Conditioning
3
-4 Heating
3
-4 Defogging and Defrosting Windows
3
-5 Rear Window Defogger
3
-5 Ventilation System
3
-6 Audio Systems
3
-6 Setting the Clock
3
-6 Setting the Clock for Systems with Radio
Data System
3
-7AM-FM Stereo with Cassette Tape Player
3
-12 AM-FM Stereo with Compact Disc Player
with Programmable Equalization and Radio
Data System (RDS) (If Equipped)
3
-19 AM-FM Stereo with Cassette Tape and
Compact Disc Player with Programmable
Equalization and Radio Data System (RDS)
(If Equipped)3
-29 Personal Choice Radio Controls (If Equipped)
3
-29 Theft-Deterrent Feature Non-RDS Radios
(If Equipped)
3
-29 Theft-Deterrent Feature RDS Radios
(If Equipped)
3
-30 Audio Steering Wheel Controls (If Equipped)
3
-31 Understanding Radio Reception
3
-31 Tips About Your Audio System
3
-32 Care of Your Cassette Tape Player
3
-34 Care of Your Compact Discs
3
-34 Care of Your Compact Disc Player
3
-34 Fixed Mast Antenna
3
-34 Chime Level Adjustment

3-30 Audio Steering Wheel Controls
(If Equipped)
If your vehicle has this feature, you can control certain
radio functions using the buttons on your steering wheel.
SEEK: Press the up arrow to tune to the next radio
station and the down arrow to tune to the previous radio
station. If a cassette tape or compact disc is playing, the
player will advance with the up arrow and reverse with
the down arrow.PRESET: Press this button to play a station you have
programmed on the radio preset buttons. If a cassette
tape is playing, press this button to play the other side of
the tape. If a compact disc is playing, press this button to
hear the tracks in random, rather than sequential, order.
Press this button again to turn off random play.
AM FM: Press this button to choose AM, FM1 or FM2.
If a cassette tape or compact disc is playing, it will stop
and the radio will play.
VOLUME: Press the up or down arrow to increase or
decrease volume.
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.

4-9
Remember: Anti-lock doesn't change the time you need
to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too close to the vehicle in
front of you, you won't have time to apply your brakes
if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave
enough room up ahead to stop, even though you have
anti
-lock brakes.
Using Anti
-Lock
Don't pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down
firmly and let anti
-lock work for you. You may feel a
slight brake pedal pulsation or notice some noise, but
this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
Enhanced Traction System
Your vehicle is equipped with 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 Active
Lightº in the Index.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this is
normal. This light will also come on when the anti
-lock
brake system is working.
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.

4-11
Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
Variable Effort Steering (If Equipped)
This steering system provides lighter steering effort for
parking and at low vehicle speeds. Steering effort will
increase at higher speeds for improved road feel.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It's important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the ªdriver lost controlº accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here's why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to
the same laws of physics when driving on curves. The
traction of the tires against the road surface makes it
possible for the vehicle to change its path when you turn
the front wheels. If there's no traction, inertia will keep
the vehicle going in the same direction. If you've ever
tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you'll understand this.The traction you can get in a curve depends on the
condition of your tires and the road surface, the angle at
which the curve is banked, and your speed. While you're
in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control.
Suppose you're steering through a sharp curve.
Then you suddenly accelerate. Both control
systems
-- steering and acceleration -- have to do their
work where the tires meet the road. Adding the sudden
acceleration can demand too much of those places. You
can lose control. Refer to ªEnhanced Traction Systemº
in the Index.
What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on the
accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way you want it
to go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should
adjust your speed. Of course, the posted speeds are
based on good weather and road conditions. Under less
favorable conditions you'll want to go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach a
curve, do it before you enter the curve, while your front
wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed so you can ªdriveº through the
curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until you are out of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into the straightaway.

4-12 Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective
than braking. For example, you come over a hill and
find a truck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls
out from nowhere, or a child darts out from between
parked cars and stops right in front of you. You can
avoid these problems by braking
-- if you can stop
in time. But sometimes you can't; there isn't room.
That's the time for evasive action
-- steering around
the problem.
Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies like
these. First apply your brakes. See ªBraking in
Emergenciesº earlier in this section. It is better to
remove as much speed as you can from a possible
collision. Then steer around the problem, to the left or
right depending on the space available.
An emergency like this requires close attention and a
quick decision. If you are holding the steering wheel at
the recommended 9 and 3 o'clock positions, you can
turn it a full 180 degrees very quickly without removing
either hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and
just as quickly straighten the wheel once you have
avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency situations are always
possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving at
all times and wear safety belts properly.

4-13
Off-Road Recovery
You may find that your right wheels have dropped
off the edge of a road onto the shoulder while
you're driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the
pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease off the
accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the way, steer so
that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement. You
can turn the steering wheel up to one
-quarter turn until the
right front tire contacts the pavement edge. Then turn your
steering wheel to go straight down the roadway.
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:

ªDrive ahead.º 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.