2003 PONTIAC GRAND AM engine

Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
drivina
w in flat or rollinq terrain.
If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you’re
planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable.
Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid
levels and
also the brakes, tires, cooling system
and transaxle. These parts can work hard on
mountain roads.
Know how to go down hills. The most important
thing
to know is this: let your engine do some of
the
slowing down. Shift to a lower gear when you go
down a steep or lom hill.
If you don’t shift down, your brakes could get
so hot that they wouldn’t work well. You would
then have poor braking or even none going
down a
hill. You could crash. Shift down to let
your engine assist your brakes
on a steep
downhill
slope.
i
Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with the
ignition
off is dangerous. Your brakes will have
to
do all the work ai siowing down. I ney cwdd
get so hot that they wouldn’t work well. You
would then have poor braking or even none going down a hill. You could crash. Always have your engine running and your vehicle in
I.
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You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your
vehicle. This can cause deadly
CO (carbon
monoxide) gas to get inside.
CO could
overcome you and kill you. You can’t see
it or
smell
it, so you might not know it is in your
vehicle. Clear away snow from around the
base of your vehicle, especially any that is
blocking your exhaust pipe. And check around
again from time to time to be sure snow
doesn’t collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that’s away from the wind. This will help keep
CO out. Run your engine only
as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little
faster than just idle. That
is, push the accelerator
slightly. This uses less fuel for the heat that you get and
it keeps the battery charged. You will need a
well-charged battery
to restart the vehicle, and possibly
for signaling later on with your headlamps. Let the
heater run for a while.
Then, shut the engine
off and close the window almost
all the way
to preserve the heat. Start the engine
again and repeat this only when you feel really
uncomfortable from the cold. But do it as little as
possible. Preserve the fuel as long as you can.
To help
keep warm, you can get out of the vehicle and do
some fairly vigorous exercises every half hour or
so until
help comes.
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If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice
or Snow
In order to free your vehicle when it is stuck, you will
need to spin the wheels, but you don’t want to spin your
wheels too fast. The method known as “rocking” can
help you get out when you’re stuck, but you must
use caution.
If you
let your tires spin at high speed, they
can explode, and you or others could be
injured. And, the transaxle or other parts of the
vehicle can overheat. That could cause an
engine compartment fire
or other damage.
When you’re stuck, spin the wheels as little as
possible. Don’t spin the wheels above
35 mph
(55 km/h) as shown on the speedometer.
Notice: Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of
your vehicle as well as the tires. If you spin the
wheels too fast while shifting your transaxle back
and forth, you can destroy your transaxle. See
“Rocking Your Vehicle
To Get It Out.”
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle,
see
Tire Chains on page 5-60.
Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your front wheels. Then shift back
and forth between REVERSE (R) and a forward gear
(or with a manual transaxle, between FIRST
(1) or
SECOND
(2) and REVERSE (R)), spinning the wheels
as little as possible. Release the accelerator pedal
while you shift, and press lightly on the accelerator pedal
when the transaxle is in gear. By slowly spinning your
wheels in the forward and reverse directions, you
will cause a rocking motion that may free your vehicle.
If
that doesn’t get you out after a few tries, you may
need to be towed out. If you do need to be towed out,
see “Towing Your Vehicle” following.
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Towing a Trailer
Y
If you don’t use the correct equipment and
drive properly, you can lose control when you
pull a trailer. For example, if the trailer is too
heavy, the brakes may not work well
-- or even
I at all. You and your passengers could be
~ seriously injured. You may also damage your
vehicle; the resulting repairs would not be
covered by your warranty. Pull a trailer only
if
you have followed all the steps in this section.
Ask your dealer for advice and information
about towing a trailer with your vehicle.
Your vehicle can tow a trailer
if it is equipped with the
proper trailer towing equipment. To identify what
the vehicle trailerinq capacity is for Vour vehicle, vou
should read the information in “Weight of the Trailer” that
appears later in this section. But trailering is different
than just driving your vehicle by itself. Trailering means
changes in handling, durability and fuel economy.
Successful, safe trailering takes correct equipment, and
It has to he L!sed proper!)/.
That’s the reason for this part. In it are many time-tested,
important trailering tips and safety rules. Many of
these are important for your safety and that of your
passengers.
So please read this section carefully before
you pull a trailer.
Load-pulling components such as the engine, transaxle,
wheel assemblies and tires are forced to work harder
against the drag
of the added weight. The engine
is required to operate at relatively higher speeds and
under greater loads, generating extra heat. What’s more,
the trailer adds considerably to wind resistance,
increasing the pulling requirements.
If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer
If you do, here are some important points:
There are many different laws, including speed limit
restrictions, having to do with trailering. Make sure
your rig will be legal, not only where you live
but also where you’ll be driving.
A good source for
this information can be state or provincial police.
Consider using a sway control. You can ask a hitch
dealer about sway controls.
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0
0
0
Don’t tow a trailer at all during the first 1,000 miles
(1
600 km) your new vehicle is driven. Your
engine, axle or other parts could be damaged.
Then, during the first 500 miles (800 km) that you
tow a trailer, don’t drive over 50 mph (80 km/h)
and don’t make starts at full throttle. This helps your
engine and other parts of your vehicle wear in at
the heavier loads.
Obey speed limit restrictions when towing a trailer. Don’t drive faster than the maximum posted speed
for trailers, or no more than 55 mph (90 km/h),
to save wear on your vehicle’s parts.
Three important considerations have
to do with weight:
0 the weight of the trailer,
0 the weight of the trailer tongue
0 and the total weight on your vehicle’s tires.
Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It should never weigh more than 1,000 Ibs. (454 kg). But
even that can be
too heavy.
It depends on how you plan
to use your rig. For
example, speed, altitude, road grades, outside
temperature and how much your vehicle is used
to pull
a trailer are all important. And, it can also depend
on any special equipment that you have on your vehicle. You can
ask your dealer for our trailering information or
advice, or you can write us at:
Pontiac-GMC Customer Assistance
P.O. Box 33172
Detroit, MI 48232-51 72
In Canada, write to:
General Motors of Canada Limited
Customer Communication Centre, 163-005
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario L1H 8P7
Weight of the Trailer Tongue
The tongue load (A) of any trailer is an important weight
to measure because it affects the total or gross weight
of your vehicle. The Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW)
includes the curb weight of the vehicle, any cargo you
may carry in it, and the people who will be riding in
the vehicle. And
if you tow a trailer, you must add the
tongue load to the GVW because your vehicle will
be carrying that weight,
too. See Loading Your Vehicle
on page 4-35 for more information about your
vehicle’s maximum load capacity.
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A B
If you’re using a weight-carrying hitch or a
weight-distributing hitch, the trailer tongue (A) should
weigh
10-15 percent of the total loaded trailer
weight
(6).
After you’ve loaded your trailer, weigh the trailer and
then the tongue, separately, to see
if the weights
are proper. ii iney aren’i, you may be abie to get tnem
right simply by moving some items around in the
trailer.
Total Weight on Your Vehicle’s Tires
Be sure your vehicle’s tires are inflated to the upper limit
for cold tires. You’ll find these numbers on the
Certification label at the rear edge of the driver’s door or
see
Loading Your Vehicle on page 4-35. Then be
sure you don’t go over the GVW limit for your vehicle,
including the weight of the trailer tongue.
Hitches
It’s important to have the correct hitch equipment.
Crosswinds, large trucks going by and rough roads are
a few reasons why you’ll need the right hitch. Here
are some rules
to follow:
The rear bumper on your vehicle is not intended for
hitches. Do not attach rental hitches or other
bumper-type hitches to it. Use only a
frame-mounted hitch that does not attach
to the
bumper.
0 Will vou have to make any holes in the body of
your vehicle when you install a trailer hitch? If
you do, then be sure to seal the holes later when
you remove the hitch.
If you don’t seal them, deadly
carbon monoxide
(CO) from your exhaust can get
into your vehicle. See
Engine Exhaust on
page 2-33. Dirt ana water can, too.
4-39

Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start
down a long or steep downgrade.
If you don’t shift
down, you might have to use your brakes
so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce your
speed
to around 45 mph (70 km/h) to reduce the
possibility
of engine and transaxle overheating.
Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle, with a
trailer attached, on a hill.
If something goes
wrong, your rig could start to move. People
can be injured, and both your vehicle and the
trailer can be damaged. But
if you ever have
to park your rig on a hill, here’s
how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
PARK (P) for an automatic transaxle or into gear for
a manual transaxle, yet. When parking uphill, turn
your wheels away from the curb. When parking
downhill, turn your wheels into the curb.
wheels. brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
2. Have someone place chocks
under the trailer
3. When the chocks are in place, release the regular
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your
parking brake and shift into PARK
(P) for an
automatic transaxle or REVERSE (R) for a manual
transaxle.
5. Release the regular brakes.
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When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on
a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
0 start your engine,
0 shift into a gear, and
0 release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the
chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transaxle fluid (don’t overfill), engine
oil, drive belt, cooling system and brake system.
Each of these
is covered in this manual, and the
Index will help you find them quickly.
If you’re trailering,
it’s a good idea
to review this information before you
start your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
Engine Cooling When Trailer Towing
Your cooling system may temporarily overheat during
severe operating conditions. See
Engine Overheating on
page 5-26.
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