2003 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX parking brake

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.
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Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) /
Automatic Headlamp System
Daytime Running Lamps (BRL) can make it easier for
others
to see the front of y~ur vehicle during the
day. DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful in the short
periods after dawn and before sunset. Fully functional
daytime running lamps are required on all vehicles
first sold in Canada.
A light sensor on top of the instrument panel makes the
DRL work,
so be sure it isn’t covered.
The DRL system will make your low-beam headlamps
come on at a reduced brightness when the following
conditions are met:
The ignition is on,
0 the exterior lamps control is off,
0 the transaxle is not in PARK (P) and
the parking brake is released. When
the DRL are on, only your low-beam headlamps,
at a reduced brightness, will be on. The taillamps,
sidemarker and other lamps won’t be on. Your
instrument panel won’t be lit up either.
When it’s dark enough outside, your headlamps
will
change to full brightness. The other lamps that come on
with your headlamps will also come on.
When it’s bright enough outside, the headlamps will go
out, and your low-beam headlamps will change to
the reduced brightness of DRL.
To idle your vehicle with the DRL off, set the parking
brake while the ignition is in OFF or LOCK. Then
start your vehicle. The DRL will stay
off until you shift
out of PARK (P) and release the parking brake.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamps system when you need
it.
3-1 1

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.
If the light comes on while you are driving, carefully pull
off the road and stop. 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 4-33.
If the warning light comes on, there is a brake problem.
Have your brake system inspected right away.
I 3 I I
United States
Canada
This light should come on when you turn the key to
RUN. If it doesn’t come on then, have it fixed so it will
be ready to warn you
if there’s a problem.
Your oraKe 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.
While 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.
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Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer
but it will take much more effort.
Variable Effort Steering
If your vehicle has this steering system, the system
provides less steering effort for parking and when driving
at speeds below
20 mph (32 km/h). Steering effort will
increase at higher speeds for improved road feel.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It’s important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here’s why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to
the same laws of physics when driving on curves. The
traction of the tires against the road surface makes it
possible for the vehicle to change its path when you turn
the front wheels. If there’s no traction, inertia will keep the
vehicle going in the same direction. If you’ve ever tried to
steer a vehicle on wet ice, you’ll understand this. The
traction you can get in a curve depends on the
condition of your tires and the road surface, the angle at
which the curve is banked, and your speed. While you’re
in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control.
Suppose you’re steering through a sharp curve. Then you
suddenly accelerate. Both control systems
- steering
and braking
- have to do their work where the tires meet
the road. Unless you have four-wheel anti-lock brakes,
adding the hard braking can demand
too much of those
places. You can lose control.
The same thing can happen
if you’re steering through a
sharp curve and you suddenly accelerate. Those two
control systems
- steering and acceleration - can
overwhelm those places where the tires meet the
road and make you lose control. See Traction Control
System (TCS) on page
4- 10 or Enhanced Traction
System (ETS)
on page 4- I 1.
What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on
the brake or accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way
you want it
to go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should
adjust your speed. Of course, the posted speeds
are based
on good weather and road conditions.
Under less favorable conditions you’ll want to
go slower.
4-1 3

Dinghy Towing
Notice: Towing your vehicle with all four wheels on
the ground will damage drivetrain components.
Your vehicle was not designed to be towed with all four
wheels on the ground.
If your vehicle must be towed,
you should use a dolly. See “Dolly Towing” following for
more information.
Dolly Towing
Your vehicle can be towed using a dolly. To tow your
vehicle using a dolly, follow these steps:
1. Put the front wheels on the dolly.
2. Put the vehicle in PARK (P).
3. Set the parking brake and then remove the key.
4. Clamp the steering wheel in a straight-ahead
position.
5. Release the parking brake.
4-34

Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle may need a
different turn signal flasher and/or extra wiring. Check
with your dealer. The arrows on your instrument
panel will flash whenever you signal a turn or lane
change. Properly hooked up, the trailer lamps will also
flash, telling other drivers you’re about to turn,
change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the arrows on your instrument
panel will flash for turns even
if the bulbs on the trailer
are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers behind
you are seeing your signal when they are not. It’s
important to check occasionally to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working.
Your vehicle has bulb warning lights. When you plug a
trailer lighting system into your vehicle’s lighting
system, its bulb warning lights may not let you know
if
one of your lamps goes out. So, when you have a trailer
lighting system plugged in, be sure to check your
vehicle and trailer lamps from time to time to be sure
they’re all working. Once you disconnect the trailer
lamps, the bulb warning lights again can tell you
if one
of your vehicle lamps is out.
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.
If you have overdrive, you may have to drive in
THIRD (3) instead of AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D).
Parking on Hills
1 -J really should not ,,rk yo^, wG,kle, 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.
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But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s
how to do it:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
PARK
(P) yet.
Have someone place chocks under the trailer
wheels.
When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your
parking brake, and then shift to PARK
(P).
Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a
Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
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 Part
A: Scheduled Maintenance
Services on page
6-4 for more information. Things that
are especially important in trailer operation are
automatic transaxle fluid (don’t overfill), engine oil, drive
belts, 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
5-33.
4-43

Checking Things Under
the
Hood
Ar. Jectric fan unl,.' the hood can start up
and injure you even when the engine is not
running. Keep hands, clothing and tools away
from any underhood electric fan.
Hood Release
To open the hood do the following:
Things that burn can get on ..__ -.. 3"'- parts
and start
a fire. These include liquids like fuel,
oil, coolant, brake fluid, windshield washer and
other fluids, and plastic or rubber. You or
others could be burned. Be careful not to drop
or spill things that
will burn onto a hot engine.
1. Pull the handle located
inside the vehicle near
the parking brake.
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