2003 PONTIAC GRAND AM brakes

These are some examples of vehicle symbols you may find on your vehicle:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
BATTERY
4CID COULD CAUSE
BURNS
AVOID
SPARKS
OR
FLAMES
SPARK
OR
FLAME 'lb'
COULD
EXPLODE
-
BATTERY
1
I
LATCH BOTH LAP AND
SHOULDER BELTS TO
PROTECT OCCUPANT
4
DO NOT TWIST SAFETY
BELT WHEN ATTACHING
FASTEN SEAT
BELTS
MOVE SEAT FULLY
\!&
REARWARD+ /z
SECURE
CHILD SEAT
PULL BELT
COMPLETELY
-HEN SECURE
CHILD SEAT
?"!"!E?
WINDOW DO
NOT INSTALL
A REAR-FACING
CHILD RESTRAINT IN THIS SEATING
POSITION
DO NOT INSTALL A
FORWARD-FACING CHILD RESTRAINT IN THIS SEATING POSITION
DOOR LOCK UNLOCK LIGHTING
-
PARKING PC
LAMPS
FOG n LAMPS w
ENGINE
COOLANT TEMP
CHARGING
1-1
BAlTERY SYSTEM
COOLANT
a
ENGINE OIL
PRESSURE
Wb
ANTI-LOCK fm)
BRAKES \u/
FJ
ACCESS
ENGINE
COOLANT FAN
FUEL
OWNER'S MANUAL
SERVICE
SERVICE
iviAi\iuWi
V

AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D): This position is for
normal driving.
If you need more power for passing, and
you’re:
Going less than 35 mph (55 km/h), push your
Going about 35 mph (55 km/h) or more, push the
You’ll shift down to the next gear and have more power.
accelerator pedal about halfway
down.
accelerator all the way down.
Notice: If your vehicle seems to start up rather
slowly, or if
it seems not to shift gears as you go
faster, something may be wrong with a transaxle system sensor.
If you drive very far that way, your
vehicle can be damaged.
So, if this happens,
have your vehicle serviced right away. Until then,
you can use SECOND
(2) when you are driving less
than
35 mph (55 km/h) and AUTOMATIC
OVERDRIVE (D) for higher speeds. THIRD
(3): This position is also used
for normal driving.
However, it offers more power and lower fuel economy
than AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D). Here are some
times you might choose THIRD
(3) instead of
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D):
When driving on hilly, winding roads.
0 When towing a trailer, so there is less shifting
between gears.
When going down a steep hill.
SECOND
(2): This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy. You can use SECOND
(2) on
hills. It can help control your speed as you go down
steep mountain roads, but then you would also want to
use your brakes
off and on.
Notice: Don’t drive in SECOND (2) for more than
25 miles (40 km), or at speeds over 55 mph
(90 km/h), or you can damage your transaxle. Use
THIRD
(3) or AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D) as
much as possible. Don’t shift into SECOND (2)
unless you are going slower than 65 mph (105 km/h)
or you can damage your engine.
2-26

FIRST (1): This position gives you even more power
but lower fuel economy than SECOND
(2). You can use
it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud.
If the
shift lever is put in FIRST
(I), the transaxle won’t shift
into first gear until the vehicle
is going slowly enough.
Notice: If your front wheels won’t turn, don’t
try to drive. This might happen
id you were stuck in
very deep sand or mud or were up against a solid
object. You could damage your transaxle.
Also,
if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold your
vehicle there with only the accelerator pedal. This
could overheat and damage the transaxle. Use your
brakes to hold your vehicle in position on a hill.
Manual Transaxle Operation
Here’s how to operate your transaxle:
FIRST
(1): Press the clutch pedal and shift into
FIRST
(1). Then, slowly let up on the clutch pedal as
you press the accelerator pedal.
You can shift into FIRST
(1) when you are going less
that
20 mph (32 km/h). If you have come to a complete
stop and it
is hard to shift into FIRST (I), put the
shift lever into NEUTRAL and let up on the clutch. Press
the clutch pedal back down. Then shift into FIRST
(1).
SECOND (2): Press the clutch pedal as you let up
on the accelerator pedal and shift into SECOND
(2).
Then, slowly let up on the clutch pedal as you press the
accelerator pedal.
1 3 5
THIRD (3), FOURTH (4), and FIFTH (5): Shift into
This
is your shift pattern. THIRD (3), FOURTH (4) and FIFTH (5) the same way
The clutch must be fully you do for SECOND
(2). Slowly let up on the clutch
manual transaxle
to
ensure the transaxle is
pressed
in when shifting a pedal as
YOU press the accelerator pedal.
To stop, let up on the accelerator pedal and press the
the clutch pedal and the brake pedal, and shift to
NEUTRAL.
L. .II. I :- -^^“ brake pedal. Just before the vehicle stops, press lully Ill ycal.
2-27

Parking Brake
Automatic Transaxle shown, Manual Transaxle similar
To set the parking brake, pull up on the parking brake
handle.
If the ignition is on, the brake system warning
light will come on.
Brake System Warning Light on
page
3-26.
To release the parking brake, hold the brake pedal
down. Pull the parking brake handle up until you can
press the release button. Hold the release button in as
you move the brake handle all the way down.
Nofice: Driving with the parking brake on can
cause your rear brakes to overheat. You may have
to replace them, and you could also damage
other parts
of your vehicle.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on a hill, see
Towing a Trailer on page 4-37.
2-29

The cruise control will turn off if any of the following
occur:
The brakes are applied,
the clutch pedal is applied (manual transaxle),
the automatic transaxle is shifted to NEUTRAL (N),
the parking brake is applied, or
e the brake system warning light is on. If your vehicle
is in cruise control when the enhanced
traction control system,
if your vehicle has this feature,
begins
to limit wheel spin, the cruise control will
automatically disengage. See Enhanced Traction
System
(€E) on page 4-9. When road conditions allow
you to safely use it again, you may turn the cruise
control back
on.
Setting Cruise Control
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 you leave your cruise control on when yc re
not using cruise, you might hit a button and go
into cruise when you don’t want to. You could
be startled and even lose control. Keep the
cruise control switch
off until you want to use
cruise control.
1, Press cruise ON OFF. An indicator light will come
2. Get up to the speed you want.
3. Press the SET COAST button and release it.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal.
on when ON OFF is pressed.
3-1 0

Anti-Lock Brake System
Warning Light
If your vehicle has the
anti-lock brake system, the
light will come on when
your engine is started and
may stay on for several
seconds. That’s normal.
If the light stays on, turn the ignition to OFF. Or, if the
light comes on when you’re driving, stop as soon
as possible and turn the ignition
off. Then start the
engine again to reset the system. If the light still stays
on, or comes on again while you’re driving, your vehicle
needs service. If the regular brake system warning
light isn’t on, you still have brakes, but you don’t have
anti-lock brakes. If the regular brake system warning
light is also on, you don’t have anti-lock brakes
and there’s a problem with your regular brakes. See
Brake System Warning Light on page 3-26 earlier in this
section.
The anti-lock brake system warning light will come on
briefly when you turn the ignition key
to ON. This is
normal.
If the light doesn’t come on then, have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn you if there is a problem.
Enhanced Traction System
Warning Light
TRAC
OFF
If your vehicle has the
Enhanced Traction System
(ETS), this warning light
should come on briefly as
you start the engine.
If the warning light doesn’t come on then, have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn you if there’s a problem.
If the warning light stays on, or comes on when you’re
driving, there may be a problem with your Enhanced
Traction System and your vehicle may need service.
When this warning light is on, the system will not
limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
3-28

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 Enhanced Traction
System
(ETS) on page 4-9.
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 (1 00 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.
4-6

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.
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive
in spurts
- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
- rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is
a mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool
between hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much
faster
if you do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace
with the traffic and allow realistic following distances,
you will eliminate a
lot of unnecessary braking.
That means better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you’re driving, brake
normally but don’t pump your brakes. If you do,
the pedal may get harder
to push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist.
But you will use it when you brake. Once the power
assist is used up, it may take longer
to stop and
the brake pedal will be harder
to push.
Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle may have anti-lock brakes. ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
If your vehicle has anti-lock
brakes, this warning light
on the instrument panel will
come on briefly when
you start your vehicle.
When you start your engine, or when you begin
to drive
away, your anti-lock brake system will check itself.
You may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while
this test is going on, and you may even notice that
your brake pedal moves or pulses a little. This is normal.
4-7