2002 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX traction control

2-52
Windshield Washer
PUSH:Press the paddle with the the word PUSH
and the washer symbol on it, located on top of the
multifunction lever, to spray washer fluid on the
windshield. The wipers will clear the windshield and
then either stop or return to the set speed.
CAUTION:
In freezing weather, don't use your washer until
the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can form ice on the windshield, blocking
your vision.
Cruise Control
With cruise control, you can maintain a speed of about
25 mph (40 km/h) or more without keeping your foot
on the accelerator. This can really help on long trips.
Cruise control does not work at speeds below
approximately 25 mph (40 km/h).When you apply the brakes, the cruise control shuts off.
CAUTION:

Cruise control can be dangerous where you
can't drive safely at a steady speed. So,
don't use your cruise control on winding
roads or in heavy traffic.

Cruise control can be dangerous on
slippery roads. On such roads, fast changes
in tire traction can cause needless wheel
spinning, and you could lose control. Don't
use cruise control on slippery roads.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the traction
control system on the 3800 Supercharged V6 engine or
the enhanced traction system on the 3100 V6 and
3800 V6 engine begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. See ªTraction
Control Systemº or ªEnhanced Traction Systemº in the
Index. When road conditions allow you to safely use it
again, you may turn the cruise control back on.

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Traction Control System Warning Light
(3800 Supercharged V6 Engine Only)
The traction control
system warning light
may come on for the
following reasons:

If you turn the system off by pressing the TCS
button located on the far right side of the trip
computer, the warning light will come on and
stay on. To turn the system back on, press the
button again. The warning light should go off.
See ªTraction Control Systemº in the Index
for more information.

If there's a brake system problem that is specifically
related to traction control, the traction control system
will turn off and the warning light will come on. If
your brakes begin to overheat, the traction control
system will turn off and the warning light will come
on until your brakes cool down.
If the traction control system warning light comes on
and stays on for an extended period of time when the
system is turned on, your vehicle needs service.
Enhanced Traction System Warning Light
(3100 V6 or 3800 V6 Engine)
The Enhanced Traction
System warning light
may come on for the
following reasons:

If you turn the system off by pressing the TRAC
button on the far right side of the Driver Information
Center or trip computer (if equipped), the warning
light will come on and stay on. To turn the system
back on, press the button again. The warning light
should go off. See ªEnhanced Traction Systemº in
the Index for more information.

If the Enhanced Traction System warning light
comes on and stays on for an extended period of
time when the system is turned on, your vehicle
needs service. Adjust your driving accordingly.

If the traction control system is affected by an
engine
-related problem, the system will turn off and
the warning light will come on.
When this warning light is on, the system will not limit
wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.

2-83 Low Traction Light
If you have the Enhanced
Traction System or the
Traction Control System,
this light will also come
on when the system is
limiting wheel spin.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this is
normal. Slippery road conditions may exist if the low
traction light comes on, so adjust your driving
accordingly. The light will stay on for a few seconds
after the Enhanced Traction System or the Traction
Control System stops limiting wheel spin. See
ªEnhanced Traction Systemº or ªTraction Control
Systemº in the Index.
The low traction light also comes on briefly when you
turn the ignition key to RUN. If the light doesn't come
on then, have it fixed so it will be there to tell you when
the Traction Control System or Enhanced Traction
System is active.
Engine Coolant Temperature Light
This light tells tells you that
the engine coolant has
overheated or the radiator
cooling fan is not working.
If you have been operating the vehicle under normal
driving conditions, you should pull of the road, stop the
vehicle and turn off the engine as soon as possible.
See ªEngine Overheatingº in the Index.

2-95 Control Buttons
The trip computer has three buttons that control its
functions.
ENG/MET (English/Metric): Press this button to
change the display from English to metric units or
metric to English.
RESET: Press this button for two seconds to reset the
mode displayed.
MODE: Press this button to change the mode
being displayed.
Functions
FUEL USED: Shows the total amount of fuel used
since you last reset this mode. The amount can be
displayed in gallons or liters.
AVG ECON (Average Economy): Shows the average
fuel economy since you last reset this mode.
OIL LIFE: Shows a percentage of the oil's remaining
useful life. The system predicts remaining oil life using
data from length of drives, coolant temperature, engine
rpm and vehicle speed. Each time you get an oil change,
be sure to reset this function so that it will give you an
accurate percentage. See ªHow to Reset the GM Oil Life
System
º in the Index.RANGE: Shows how much farther you can travel with
the fuel you have remaining in the gas tank before
refueling. When the range displays L, for 40 to 50 miles
(64.36 to 80.45 km), the display will flash LOW
continuously. The range is calculated from the AVG
ECON value multiplied by the fuel remaining in
the tank.
LOW: This light will come on the vehicle outline when
the ignition is on and the fluid in the washer fluid
container is low.
DOOR AJAR: If one of the doors is left ajar, a light
will appear next to that door on the vehicle outline.
BOOST GAGE: If you have the 3800 V6 supercharged
engine, this gage will show the amount of boost the
engine is receiving.
TRUNK AJAR: If the trunk is not fully closed, the
trunk area will light up on the vehicle outline.
LOW TRAC (Low Traction): This light will come on
when the enhanced traction system (3100 or 3800 V6
engine) or the traction control system (3800
supercharged V6 engine) is limiting wheel spin. See
ªTraction Control Systemº ªEnhanced Traction Systemº
and ªLow Traction Lightº in the Index.

2-96
TRAC OFF (Traction Off) or TCS OFF (Traction
Control System Off): This light lets you know that the
enhanced traction system (3100 or 3800 V6 engine) or
the traction control system (3800 supercharged V6
engine) has been disabled and will not limit wheel spin.
See ªTraction Control System Warning Light,º
ªEnhanced Traction System Warning Lightº and ªLow
Traction Lightº in the Index.
TRAC (Traction) or TCS (Traction Control System):
If the vehicle has the enhanced traction system (3100 or
3800 V6 engine) or the traction control system
(3800 supercharged V6 engine), you will have a disable
button on the far right side of the trip computer. The
enhanced traction system and traction control system are
automatically activated when you turn the ignition on.
This button will activate/deactivate the system. If you
need to disable the system, such as when you are stuck
and are rocking the vehicle back and forth, push this
button. See ªStuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snowº in
the Index.Head-Up Display (HUD) (Option)
CAUTION:
If the HUD image is too bright, or too high in
your field of view, it may take you more time to
see things you need to see when it's dark outside.
Be sure to keep the HUD image dim and placed
low in your field of view.
If you have the Head-Up
Display (HUD), you can
see the speedometer reading
(in English or metric units)
and a brief display of the
current radio station or CD
track, displayed ªthroughº
the windshield.

4-6
Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go where
you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering and
the accelerator. All three systems have to do their work
at the places where the tires meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you're driving on snow or ice, it's
easy to ask more of those control systems than the tires
and road can provide. That means you can lose control
of your vehicle. Also see ªTraction Control Systemº and
ªEnhanced Traction Systemº in the Index.
Braking
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That's perception time. Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That's reaction time.
Average reaction time is about 3/4 of a second. But
that's only an average. It might be less with one driver
and as long as two or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination
and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs and
frustration. But even in 3/4 of a second, a vehicle
moving at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m).
That could be a lot of distance in an emergency, so
keeping enough space between your vehicle and others
is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road (whether it's pavement or
gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; the condition of your brakes; the weight of the
vehicle and the amount of brake force applied.

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.
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.

4-10
This light should come
on briefly when you start
the engine. If it stays on
or comes on while you
are driving, there is 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 or snow and rocking the vehicle is
required. See ªRocking Your Vehicleº in the Index.To turn the system off,
press the button.
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.