2003 PONTIAC GRAND AM warning

Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can set one up at
the side
of the road about 300 feet (I00 m) behind your
vehicle.
Horn
You can sound the horn by pressing the horn symbol on
your steering wheel.
Tilt Wheel
The lever that allows you to tilt the steering wheel is
located on the left side of the steering column.
A tilt wheel allows you to adjust the steering wheel
before you drive. You can raise it to the highest level to
give your legs more room when you exit and enter
your vehicle.
To tilt the wheel, hold the wheel and pull the lever
toward you. Then move the wheel
to a comfortable
position and release the lever to
lock the wheel in place.
3-5

An arrow on the instrument
panel cluster will flash in
the direction of the
turn or lane change. Headlamps On Reminder
If you open the driver’s door and turn off the ignition
while leaving the lamps on, you will hear a warning
chime.
Weadlamp High/low-Beam Changer
~~ ~~~
To signal a lane change, just raise or lower the lever
until the arrow starts to flash.
Hold it there until you
complete your lane change. The lever will return by itself
when you release it.
As you signal a turn or a lane change, if the arrows
flash rapidly, a signal bulb may be burned out and other
drivers won’t see your turn signal.
If a bulb is burned out, replace it to help avoid an
accident.
If the arrows don’t go on at all when you signal
a turn, check for burned-out bulbs and then check the
fuse. See
Fuses and Circuit Breakers on page 5-81.
To change the headlamps from low beam to
high beam, push the turn signaVmultifunction lever
away from you.
When the high beams are
on, a light on the
instrument panel cluster
also will be on
if the
ignition is in
ON.
To change the headlamps from high beam to low beam,
pull the turn signal lever toward you.
3-7

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

Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
This part describes the warning lights and gages that
may be on your vehicle. The pictures will help you
locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that something is
wrong before it becomes serious enough to cause an expensive repair or replacement. Paying attention to
your warning lights and gages could also save you
or others from injury.
Warning lights come on when there may be or is a
problem with one of your vehicle’s functions.
As you will
see in the details on the next few pages, some
warning lights come on briefly when you start the engine just to let you
know they’re working. If you are
familiar with this section, you should not be alarmed
when this happens.
Gages can indicate when there may be or
is a problem
with one of your vehicle’s functions. Often gages
and warning lights work together to let you know when
there’s a problem with your vehicle.
When one of the warning lights comes on and stays
on
when you are driving, or when one of the gages
shows there may be a problem, check the section that
tells you what to
do about it. Please follow this
manual’s advice. Waiting
to do repairs can be
costly
- and even dangerous. So please get to know
your warning lights and gages. They’re a big help.
3-22

Instrument Panel Cluster
Your instrument panel cluster is designed to let you know at a glance how your vehicle is running. You’ll know how
fast you’re going, how much fuel you have, and many other things you’ll need
to drive safely and economically.
Your vehicle has this cluster
or one very similar to it. It includes indicator warning lights and gages that are explained
on the following pages. Be sure to read about them.
3-23

The air bag readiness light should flash for a few
seconds when you turn the ignition key to
ON. If the
light doesn’t come on then, have it fixed
so it will
be ready to warn you
if there is a problem.
Charging System Light
The charging system light
will come on when you
turn on the ignition, but the
II engine is not running, as
a check to show you
it
is working.
When the engine is running, the light should go out.
If it stays on, or comes on while you are driving and you
hear a chime, you may have a problem with the
electrical charging system. It could indicate that you have a loose generator drive belt or another electrical
problem. Have it checked right away. Driving while
this light is on could drain your battery. If
you must drive a short distance with the light on, be
certain to turn
off all your accessories, such as the radio
and air conditioner.
Up-Shift Light
If your manual transaxle
vehicle has this feature
this light comes on
when you need to shift to
the next higher gear.
See
Manual Transaxle
Operation on page
2-27.
Brake System Warning Light
Your vehicle’s hydraulic brake system is divided into two
parts. If one part isn’t working, the other part can still
work and stop you.
For good braking, though, you need
both parts working well.
3-26

If the warning light comes on, there is a brake problem.
Have your brake system inspected right away.
BRAKE
~~~
United States
Canada
This light should come on briefly when you turn the
ignition key to
ON. If it doesn’t come on then, have it
fixed
so it will be ready to warn you if there’s a problem.
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning
light will also come on when you set your parking brake.
The light will stay on
if your parking brake doesn’t
release fully.
If it stays on after your parking brake is
fully released, it means you have a brake problem.
If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the
road and stop carefully. You may notice that the pedal is
harder
to push. Or, the pedal may go closer to the
floor. It may take longer to stop.
If the light is still on,
have the vehicle towed for service. See
Towing
Your Vehicle on page 4-32.
Your brake system may not be working
properly
if the brake system warning light is
on. Driving with the brake system warning light
on can lead to an accident.
If the light is still
on after you’ve pulled
off the road and stopped
carefully, have the vehicle towed for service.
3-27

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