2003 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX brake

Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Runqing
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with
the engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever
is not fully in
PARK (P) with the parking brake firmly set.
And, if you leave the vehicle with the engine
running, it could overheat and even catch fire.
You or others could be injured. Don’t leave
your vehicle with the engine running.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure the vehicle
is in PARK (P) and the
parking brake is firmly set before you leave it. After
you’ve moved the shift lever into PARK (P), hold the
regular brake pedal down. Then, see if you can
move the shift lever away from PARK (P) (without first
pushing the shift lever button).
If you can, it means
that the shift lever wasn’t fully locked into PARK (P).
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transaxle into PARK (P) properly, the weight of
the vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl
in the transaxle. You may find it difficult to pull the
shift lever out of PARK (P). This is called “torque lock”.
To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and
then shift into PARK (P) properly before you leave the
driver’s seat.
To find out how, see Shifting Into Park (P)
on page 2-28.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK (P) before you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another
vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of the
pressure from the parking pawl in the transaxle,
so you
can pull the shift lever out of PARK
(P).
2-29

Shifting Out of Park (P)
Your vehicle has an automatic transaxle shift lock
control system. You
must fully apply your regular brakes
before you can shift from PARK (P) while the ignition
is in RUN. See Automatic Transaxle Operation on
page
2-24.
Parking Over Things That Burn
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever by pushing it
all the way into PARK (P)
while keeping the brake pedal down. Release the shift
lever button. Then move the shift lever out of
PARK (P), being sure to press the shift lever button.
1 ngL -.iat can burn could touch hot exhaust
parts under your vehicle and ignite. Don’t park
over papers, leaves,
dry grass or other things
that can burn.
2-30

Running Your Engine While You
Are Parked
It’s better not to park with the engine running. But if you
ever ha.-- to, here are som- ‘hings to know.
Idling the engine with the climate control
system
off could allow dangerous exhaust into
your vehicle. See the earlier Caution under
“Engine Exhaust.”
Also, idling
in a closed-in place can let deadly
carbon monoxide (CO) into your vehicle even
if the fan
is at the highest setting. One place
this can happen is a garage. Exhaust - with
CO - can come in easily. NEVER park in a
garage with the engine running.
Another closed-in place can be a blizzard. See “Winter Driving” in the Index.
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle
if the
shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with
the parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can
roll. Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine
is running unless you have to.
If you’ve left the
engine running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be injured.
To
be sure your vehicle won’t move, even when
you’re on fairly level ground, always set your parking brake and move the shift lever to
PARK
(P).
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle won’t
move. See Shifting
Into Park (P) on page 2-28.
If you are parking on a hill and if you’re pulling a trailer,
also see Towing a Trailer
on page 4-37.
2-32

Section 3 Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel Overview .......................... -3-2
Hazard Warning Flashers
-3-3
Other Warning Devices ................................... 3.4
Horn
............................................................. 3.4
Tilt Wheel
..................................................... 3.4
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
......................... 3.5
Exterior Lamps
............................................. 3.10
Interior Lamps
.............................................. 3.12
Head-Up Display (HUD)
................................. 3-15
Accessory Power Outlets
............................... 3.18
Auxiliary Power Connection (Power Drop)
......... 3.19
Ashtrays and Cigarette Lighter
........................ 3-19
Climate Controls ............................................ 3.20
Dual Climate Control System
.......................... 3.20
Outlet Adjustment
......................................... 3.22
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators ............. 3.23
Instrument Panel Cluster
................................ 3.24
Speedometer and Odometer
........................... 3.25
Tachometer
................................................. 3.25
Safety Belt Reminder Light
............................. 3.26
Air Bag Readiness Light
................................ 3-26
Charging System Light
.................................. 3.27
Brake System Warning Light
......................... -3-28
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
............. 3.29
Traction Control System (TCS) Warning Light
...... 3.29
Enhanced Traction System Warning Light
........ -3-30
.. ...............................
Low Traction Light ....................................... -3-30
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
.................. 3-31
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
............................ -3-32
Oil Pressure Light
........................................ -3-35
Security Light
............................................... 3-36
Fuel Gage
................................................... 3-37
Low Fuel Warning Light
................................. 3-37
Driver Information Center (DE) ....................... 3-38
Trip Computer ................................... ..... 3-40
Control Buttons
............................................ 3-42
Functions
.................................................... 3-42
Audio System(s) ............................................. 3-44
Setting the Time
........................................... 3-44
Radio with Cassette
...................................... 3-45
Radio with CD (Base Level)
........................... 3-48
Radio with CD
(Up Level) .............................. 3-51
Theft-Deterrent Feature
.................................. 3-54
Engine
Coolant Temperature 'Warning Light
...... 3.31
Low Oil Level Light ....................................... 3-36
Audio Steering Wheel Controls
....................... 3-56
Understanding Radio Reception
...................... 3-57
Care of Your Cassette Tape Player
................. 3-58
Care
of Your CDs ......................................... 3-59
Care of Your CD Player
................................ 3-59
Backglass Antenna
....................................... 3-59
3-
1

The main components of the instrument panel are
the following:
A. Side Window Defogger Outlets
B. Fog Lamps Switch
C. Turn SignaVMultifunction Lever
D. Instrument Panel Cluster
E. Hazard Warning Button
F. Horn
G. Trip Computer (If Equipped) and/or Driver
Information Center (DIC)
H. Instrument Panel Outlets
I. Interior Lamps Control
J. Exterior Lamps Control
K. Tilt Steering Wheel Control
L. Audio Steering Controls
(If Equipped)
M. Head Up Display (HUD) Controls (Option)
N. Climate Controls
0. Ashtray and Cigarette Lighter
P. Audio System
Q. Glove Box
R. Instrument Panel Fuse Block
Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning flashers let you warn others. They
also let police know you have a problem. Your front
and rear turn signa! !amps
will flash or! and off.
The hazard warning
flasher button is
located on top of the
steering column.
The hazard warning flashers work no matter what
position your key is in, and even
if the key isn’t in.
Press the button to make your front and rear turn signal
lamps flash on and
off. Press the button again to turn
the flashers
off.
When the hazard warning flashers are on, your turn
signals and brake lamps won’t work.
3-3

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.
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 Traction
Control System (TCS) on page
4- 10 or Enhanced
Traction System (ETS) on page
4-1 1. 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 you’r 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.
I
If you leave your cruise control on when you’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. Move the cruise control switch to ON.
2. Get up to the speed you want.
3. Push in the SET button at the end of the
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal.
multifunction lever
and release it.
3-8

Resuming a Set Speed
Suppose you set the cruise control at a desired speed
and then you apply the brake. This, of course, shuts
off the cruise control. But you don’t need to reset it.
Once you’re going about 25 mph (40 km/h) or
more again, you can move the cruise control switch
from
ON to R/A (Resume/Accelerate) briefly. You’ll go
right back up
to your chosen speed and stay there.
Increasing Speed While Using Cruise
Control
There are two ways to go to a higher speed:
e
e Use the accelerator pedal to get to the higher
speed. Push in the §ET button, then release
the button and the accelerator pedal. You’ll now
cruise at the higher speed.
Move the cruise switch from
ON to R/A. Hold it
there until you get up to the speed you want,
and then release the switch. To increase your speed
in very small amounts, move the switch
to R/A
briefly and then release it. Each time you do this,
your vehicle will go about
1 mph (1.6 km/h) faster.
The accelerate feature
will only work after you set the
cruise control speed by pushing the
SET button.
Reducing Speed While Using Cruise
Control
There are two ways to reduce your speed while using
cruise control:
e
e Push in the SET button until you reach the lower
speed you want, then release it.
To
slow down in very small amounts, push the SET
button briefly. Each time you do this, you’ll go about
1 mph (1.6 km/h) slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While Using
Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase your speed.
When you take your foot
off the pedal, the vehicle will
slow down to the cruise control speed you set earlier.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well the cruise control will work on hills depends
upon your speed, load and the steepness of the
hills. When going up steep hills, you may have
to step
on the accelerator pedal to maintain your speed.
When going downhill, you may have
to brake or shift to
a lower gear to keep your speed down. Of course,
applying the brake takes you out of cruise control. Many
drivers find this
to be too much trouble and don’t use
cruise control on steep hills.
3-9

Ending Cruise Control
There are two ways to turn off the cruise control:
Step lightly on the brake pedal,
or move the cruise switch to OFF.
Erasing Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition,
or shift into PARK
(P) or NEUTRAL (N), the cruise
control set speed memory is erased.
Exterior Lamps
The exterior lamp control
is located on the lower
left side of the instrument
panel, to the left of the
steering wheel. The
exterior lamp has three positions.
OFF: Turning the control to this position, turns off all
lamps, except the Daytime Running Lamps (DRL).
pf (Parking Lamps): Turning the control to this
position turns on the parking lamps, together with the
following:
Sidemarker Lamps
Taillamps
License Plate Lamp
Instrument Panel Lights
4 20 (Headlamps): Turning the control to this position
turns on the headlamps, together with the previously
listed lamps and lights.
A warning chime will sound
if you open the driver’s door
when you turn the ignition switch to LOCK or
ACCESSORY with the lamps on.
3-1 0