2003 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX ESP

Traction Control System (TCS)
If your vehicle has the 3800 supercharged V6 engine it
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.
LOW
TRAC
This light will come on
when your traction control
system is limiting wheel
spin. See Traction Control
System (TCS) Warning
Light on page 3-29.
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 “Cruise Control” under
Turn SignaVMultifunction Lever on page 3-5.
TCS
OFF
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 Traction Control System (TCS) Warning Light on
page 3-29. 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 “Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out”
under
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow
on page
4-32.
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1 press the button located
To
turn the system
off,
on the instrument
panel DIC (Driver’s
Information Center) or
Trip Computer,
if equipped.
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.
Enhanced Traction System (ETS)
If your vehicle has the 3100 V6 or 3800 V6 engine and
anti-lock brakes, your vehicle may have 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.
LOW
TRAC
This light will come on
when your Enhanced
Traction System is limiting
wheel spin. See
Enhanced Traction System
Warning Light
on
page 3-29.
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
re-engage the cruise control. See ‘Cruise Control’’ under
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
on page 3-5.
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The Enhanced Traction System operates in all transaxle
shift lever positions. But the system can upshift the
transaxle only as high as the shift lever position you’ve
chosen,
so you should use the lower gears only
when necessary. See Automatic Transaxle Operation
on page
2-24.
TRAC
OFF
This TRAC OFF
warning light will come
on to let you know
if
there’s a problem.
See Enhanced Traction System Warning Light on
page
3-30. When this warning light is on, the system will
not limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
To limit wheel spin, especially in slippery road
conditions, you should always leave the Enhanced
Traction System on. But you can turn the 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 “Rocking Your
Vehicle To Get It Out” under If
You Are Stuck: In Sand,
Mud, Ice or Snow on page 4-32.
To turn the system on or
off, press the TCS button
on the far right end of
the Driver Information
Center (DIG) or the
trip computer
(if equipped).
When you turn the system
off, the Enhanced Traction
System warning light will come on and stay on.
If the Enhanced Traction System is limiting wheel spin
when you press the button to turn the system
off,
the warning light will come on and the system will turn
off right away.
You can turn the system back on at any time by
pressing the button again. The Enhanced Traction
System warning light should go
off.
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Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to
pass while you’re awaiting an opportunity.
For one thing, following too closely reduces your
area of vision, especially
if you’re following a larger
vehicle. Also, you won’t have adequate space
if
the vehicle ahead suddenly slows or stops.
Keep back a reasonable distance.
When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up,
start to accelerate but stay in the right lane and don’t
get too close. Time your move
so you will be
increasing speed as the time comes to move into the
other lane.
If the way is clear to pass, you will have a
“running start” that more than makes up for the
distance you would lose by dropping back. And
if
something happens to cause you to cancel your
pass, you need only slow down and drop back again
and wait for another opportunity.
If other vehicles are lined up to pass a slow vehicle,
wait your turn. But take care that someone isn’t trying
to pass you as you pull out to pass the slow vehicle.
Remember to glance over your shoulder and check
the blind spot.
Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and
start your left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough
ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front in your inside mirror, activate
your right lane change signal
and move back into the right lane. (Remember that
your right outside mirror
is convex. The vehicle you
just passed may seem to be farther away from you
than it really is.)
Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on
two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the next
vehicle.
Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps are not flashing, it may
be slowing down or starting to turn.
If you’re being passed, make it easy for the following
driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you can ease
a
little to the right.
Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what happens
when the three control systems (brakes, steering and
acceleration) don’t have enough friction where the tires
meet the road to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying to steer
and constantly seek an escape route or area of
less danger.
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Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not “overdriving”
those conditions. But skids are always possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle’s
three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels
aren’t rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too much
speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and lose
cornering force. And
in the acceleration skid, too much
throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid is best handled by easing your foot
off
the accelerator pedal.
If you do not have the Enhanced Traction System or the
Traction Control System, or
if the system is off, then
an acceleration skid is also best handled by easing your
foot
off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want
the vehicle to go.
If you start steering quickly enough,
your vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready
for a second skid
if it occurs. Of
course, traction is reduced when water, snow,
ice, gravel or other material is on the road. For safety,
you’ll want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on
a surface with reduced traction,
try your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or
braking (including engine braking by shifting to a
lower gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires
to slide. You may not realize the surface is slippery
until your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues
- such as enough water, ice or packed snow
on the road to make a “mirrored surface”
- and slow
down when you have any doubt.
If you have the anti-lock braking system, remember:
It helps avoid only the braking skid.
If you do not have
anti-lock, then in a braking skid (where the wheels
are no longer rolling), release enough pressure on the
brakes to get the wheels rolling again. This restores
steering control. Push the brake pedal down steadily
when you have to stop suddenly. As long as the wheels
are rolling, you will have steering control.
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Driving at Night
. ..
.. .. . . . ..
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving.
One reason is that some drivers are likely to be
impaired
- by alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems, or by fatigue. Here are some
tips on night drivinq
Drive defensively.
0 Don’t drink and drive.
0 Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
Since you can’t see as well, you may need to slow
glare from
headlamps behind you.
down and keep more space between you and
other vehicles.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light up only
so much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you’re tired, pull off the road in a safe place
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime.
But as we get older these differences increase.
A 50-year-old driver may require at least twice as much
light to see the same thing at night as a 20-year-old.
and
rest.
What you do in the daytime can also affect your
night vision. For example,
if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your
eyes will have less trouble adjusting to night. But
if
you’re driving, don’t wear sunglasses at night. They may
cut down on glare from headlamps,
but they also
make a lot of things invisible.
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Hydroplaning doesn’t happen often. But it can if your Driving Through Flowing Water
tires do not have much tread or if the pressure in one or
more is low. It can happen
if a lot of water is standing
on the road.
If you can see reflections from trees,
ieiephone poles or other vehicles, and raindrops
“dimple” the water’s surface, there could be
hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There
just isn’t a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning.
The best advice is to slow down when it is raining.
Driving Through Deep Standing Water
Notice: If you drive too quickly through deep
puddles or standing water, water can come
in
through your engine’s air intake and badly damage
your engine. Never drive through water that is
slightly lower than the underbody
of your vehicle.
If you can’t avoid deep puddles or standing
water, drive through them very slowly. Flowing or rushi
-. water
cr tes lg forces.
If you try to drive through flowing water, as you
might at a low water crossing, your vehicle can
be carried away.
As little as six inches of
flowing water can carry away a smaller vehicle.
If
this happens, you and other vehicle
occupants could drown. Don’t ignore police
warning signs, and otherwise be very cautious about trying to drive through flowing water.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, allow some extra following
distance. And be especially careful when you
pass another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear
room ahead, and be prepared to have your
view restricted by road spray.
Have good tires with proper tread depth.
See
Tires on page 5-68.
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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. I
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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